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• Writing Intensive: New Year, New Skills

  • Start
    26 Jan 2026
  •  
    9:00 AM
  • End
    30 Jan 2026
  •  
    3:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom

  Register

  
  

  Join us for five days of online learning from January 26 to 30, 2026.

  ABOUT
  

  Make 2026 your best writing year yet! From craft techniques to business strategies, the New Year, New Skills Writing Intensive offers something for writers at any career stage. Join us online for a full five days of programming all about trying something new in your writing life, Monday, January 26  to Friday, January 30, 2026.

  Presentations will be recorded and available to registrants for 45 days after the intensive. Socials and writing sprints will not be recorded. 

  
  

  EVENT SCHEDULE OVERVIEW

  All times are in Pacific (Vancouver) time

  9:00 am Writing Sprints

  11:00 am Workshop sessions

  2:00 pm Workshop sessions or socials 

  5:30 pm Workshop sessions (2 evenings)

  
  

  DETAILED SCHEDULE

  
  

  MONDAY Jan 26
  

  9:00-10:00 AM: Introduction, Tech Help, & Writing Sprint

  Join your friendly FBCW team for a quick overview of the week's structure, a chance to get help with Zoom or the event's other technical requirements, followed by a 30 minute writing sprint. 

  11:00 AM: Crowdfunding for Authors with John Ward

  Writer, filmmaker, and podcaster John Ward provides practical advice for authors about how to plan and run a successful crowdfunding campaign to fund your writing projects. 
  

  2:00 PM: Icebreaker Social 

  Come chat with your fellow writers! This is a great opportunity to learn from each other and make new writing friends. We'll use breakout rooms so you can choose the discussion topics that interest you. To suggest a breakout room theme, email kim@bcwriters.ca. 

  TUESDAY Jan 27
  

  9:00-10:00 AM: Writing Sprint 

  Start the day with some quiet writing time. A prompt will be provided.

  11:00 AM: Interviewing Sources to Build Your Story with Gail Anderson-Dargatz

  Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, conducting interviews as a part of your research process adds depth and authenticity to your writing. But many authors find the process intimidating. Internationally bestselling author Gail Anderson-Dargatz leads this interactive workshop on finding interview subjects and talking to them with confidence. 

  2:00 PM: Postcard Microfiction: An Exercise in Editing with Hannah Bel Davis

  Join writer Hannah Bel Davis in an exploration of how to use microfiction (very, very short stories) to practice prose and story editing skills. Microfiction is a fun and challenge way to learn to write concisely, kill our darlings, and explore language within strict word count limits. Come to this session with a postcard-sized piece of paper handy!

  WEDNESDAY Jan 28
  

  9:00-10:00 AM: Writing Sprint  

  Start the day with some quiet writing time. A prompt will be provided.

  11:00 AM: Flow: The Path to Writing Productivity and Joy with Kelli Etheridge

  Discover how writers can use the flow state to increase creativity and lead a more fulfilling writing life. Author Kelli Etheridge will use a psychology and neuroscience lens to discuss the top flow triggers, flow blockers, and strategies for making it easier to get into a flow state more often.  

  2:00 PM-3:30PM: Create Characters for Your Fiction with D&D with Rhonda Parrish 

  No previous D&D experience required! In this 1.5 hour workshop, participants will work together to quickly create an effective, nuanced Dungeons & Dragons character, and discuss how that process can also be used to inform character creation in any kind of creative writing. Join author, anthology editor, game writer, and poet Rhonda Parrish for what's sure to be a fun and thought provoking afternoon! 
  *Please note that this session is 90 minutes long. 

  5:30 PM: Writing Sprint
  

  Close out the day with some quiet writing time. A prompt will be provided. 

  THURSDAY Jan 29
  

  9:00-10:00 AM: Writing Sprint  

  Start the day with some quiet writing time. A prompt will be provided.

  11:00 AM: Hit Submit: Start Sending Your Writing to Magazines and Anthologies with Lisa Hislop

  Are you ready to try submitting your stories, poems, or essays to literary magazines and anthologies? Join editor Lisa Hislop for a walk-through of the submission process, tips to avoid getting stuck in the slush pile, and a bundle of templates to make submitting your work easier! 

  2:00 PM: 100 Rejections with The Darling Axe's Michelle Barker and David Griffin Brown

  Inspired by Kim Liao's essay on aiming for 100 rejections a year, this session reframes rejection as progress. The Darling Axe's Michelle Barker and David G. Brown will share notable rejection stories (including their own), discuss what they learned from rejection, and provide strategies for how to normalize rejection as a part of the writing life. 

  5:30 PM: Pitch Perfect: Creating Successful Presentation Proposals with the FBCW's Kim Harbridge and Alex Masse

  Join the FBCW programming team for an evening discussion and Q&A all about what makes a great workshop or webinar proposal. This peek-behind-the-curtain session is for everyone, including writers with no plans to teach any time soon. You might have more to share with your fellow writers than you think! 

  FRIDAY Jan 30
  

  9:00-10:00 AM: Writing Sprint 

  Start the day with some quiet writing time. A prompt will be provided.
  

  11:00 AM: Let's Make a Scene: Mastering the Art of the Dramatic Scene with Claire Mulligan

  The dramatic scene, with its real-time action and dialogue, is the building block of narrative. In this craft session with author Claire Mulligan, participants will learn about the different types of dramatic scenes, when to use dramatic scenes, and how to deploy dialogue tricks to make scenes jump off the page. 

  2:00 PM: Wrap-Up Social

  A chance to chat with the new friends you made this week! We'll use breakout rooms so you can choose the discussion topics that interest you. To suggest a breakout room theme, email kim@bcwriters.ca. 

  
  

  ZOOM LINK
  

  • The Zoom link will be included in your registration confirmation and in follow-up reminders.

  • We will be using the same zoom link for the duration of the event.

  • Please watch your email for a confirmation of registration email.

  • If you do not receive your confirmation within 24 hours of registration, please check your spam folders.

  • Contact us at hello@bcwriters.ca if you have not received your confirmation by Thursday, January 22nd to ensure we can get you the needed information.

  
  

  RECORDINGS

  • Sessions (except social/discussion-based events) will be recorded and made available for 45 days after the last session.

  
  

  WHAT TO EXPECT

  • Sessions will be a combination of talks, activities, and workshops.

  • The FBCW's statement of participant expectations applies in all settings. Please help us make this intensive a fun, safe experience for our presenters and community members by being respectful and considerate in your participation. 

  • Most sessions will be 1 hour in length. Q&A may extend the session, but participants are not required to stay.

  • Participants are encouraged to have a pen and paper handy for all sessions.

  
  

  RATES

  • FBCW MEMBERS: $65
  • GUEST: $79
  • SCHOLARSHIP: Limited scholarship-based discounts are available for those experiencing financial difficulties. Please email us at hello@bcwriters.ca to inquire.

  
  

  POLICIES

  RECORDINGS

  • Our presenters are provided with contracts that stipulate the length of time that recordings are available. We are obligated to respect these contracts. No extensions are possible.

  • Reach out if you have any tech challenges related to access of the recordings by February 18th so that we can help you in the timeframe available.

  REFUND POLICY

  • Full refunds will be issued up to January 16^th.

  • Refunds for half of registration fees will be be issued until January 19^th 11:59pm.

  • No refunds are possible after January 19^th at 11:59pm except in the case of severe illness, death, or other urgent situations determined on a case-by-case basis.

  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

  • We are an organization that cherishes the work of writers and artists. To that end, we ask that all participants respect the intellectual property of our presenters, recordings, and material shared. Do not reproduce or distribute Writing Intensive materials without written permission.

  • Similarly, if other participants share information or excerpts from their projects, please respect their intellectual property.

  LIABILITY

  • In registering, participants understand and agree that the Federation of BC Writers (FBCW), its board, staff, presenters, and members are not liable for any damages or losses arising and waive any of the above from any and all liability.

  • The FBCW provides a space for presenters to share their experiences and insights with participants. The writing industry is a complex and ever-changing environment. As such, the FBCW does not endorse any specific information shared in our programming as being complete or accurate in all scenarios. Participants have a responsibility to research and make informed decisions on any information given or implied.

  • Difficult and triggering topics can arise as part of artistic practices that are unforeseeable for staff, volunteers, and other participants. The FBCW is not liable for any damages or harms caused by participating in our programming.

  PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS

  • The FBCW is an organisation that celebrates diversity and inclusion and that taking part in the program means that participants are expected to be respectful, inclusive, and support the dignity of all people regardless of age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, language, ability, nationality, ability, health status, religion, and socioeconomic status. All people have identities that intersect the categories above. Examples of behaviour that undermine the above are: crude jokes, unwanted communication, statements minimising others’ experiences/histories, and threats.

  • Participants are expected to arrive a few minutes before sessions start.  This allows for any technical issues to be resolved without the group being disrupted.

  • If a participant is late, we ask that they refrain from asking “what did I miss” type questions so that the event can proceed smoothly.  Staff and facilitators will do the best they can to assist if vital information has been shared, but the recording should be able to resolve any questions of this nature.

  • We ask that participants be mindful of the amount of time they speak at events. All participants should have the ability to join in. Participants are expected to keep comments on topic and under a minute so that as many people as possible can participate.

  • Participants understand that if they are muted, it is not an intentional slight to them, but is needed to keep the session moving forward.  Participants can be muted at the discretion of the FBCW facilitators.

  • Difficult topics can arise participants understand that we cannot always know or understand other people’s histories. To help make the space as welcoming and safe as possible, if a participant’s is to share information or read excerpts from works that contain certain themes (outlined below), they will identify this prior to reading it to the group. (e.g. sexual assault, extreme violence, self-harm/eating disorders/suicide ideation, abortion/miscarriage, mental illness, graphic adult content).

  • Participants are expected to understand, be sensitive to, and respect the fact that the work of writers, and their opportunity to read their work may be triggering and/or therapeutic to them. Artistic works require vulnerability and the safety to be vulnerable, especially with sensitive topics. Participants agree to do their best to maintain a safe and supportive space for the sharing of the work, regardless of its nature.

  ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY

  • The Federation of BC Writers strives to make our events accessible to folks across ability and neurodivergence. We will do what we can to make our programming available to all people.

  • Our programming is based on zoom which means there are some limitations on what can be accomplished, but also advantages such as closed captioning and the ability to join from anywhere.

  • Accommodations are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

  • Accommodations that would significantly hinder the ability of other participants to be involved or participate are not possible.

  • Some accommodations may be beyond our financial and administrative capabilities. In such cases, we will seek funding or alternatives if possible.

  • Sessions normally last for an hour. Participants are welcome to step way from their computers if they need to while turning off their camera and microphone, but we will not be able to fill people in on what they missed. Participants are asked to return to the recording in such instances.

  
  

  
  

  Show details
• February Writers' Social

  • When
    10 Feb 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
  • Location
    Zoom

  Register

  
  

  
  

  Join us for a Writers' Social on Tuesday, February 10, from 7:00 - 8:15 PM Pacific by registering here (bcwriters.ca/events-for-writers) and a Zoom link for the event will be sent to you. When it’s time for the event you can click on the Zoom link to join the event.

  
  

  Many of us strive for a connection with our fellow writers. This members-only monthly event is designed to bring us together for casual chats with breakout rooms. Join us to talk craft, career, and connection for about 75 minutes over Zoom. Meet new people and get the most out of being a part of a provincial organization! Below are the proposed discussion groups for this month's meeting (subject to change). Please email Kim@bcwriters.ca if you would like to suggest a discussion topic for an upcoming meeting. See you there! 

  
  

  Discussion Groups:

  • All about poetry 
  • Editing and revision
  • Children's books / picture books
  • What are you reading? Current reads, favourite books
  • Memoir writers connect
  • Non-fiction writers connect (travel writing, journalism/reporting, research, etc)
  • Connecting writers with chronic illnesses
  • History and Mythology in Fiction
  • Romance writers
  • Traditional publishing chat (publishers, queries, finding an agent, etc)
  • Self-publishing chat 
  • General writing discussion

  This event is exclusive to FBCW members. Want to come chat with us but not yet a member? Add a FBCW membership to your event registration, or find out more about how to join the organization at bcwriters.ca. 

  
  

  Digital Doors Open at 6:55 pm, Event Starts at 7:00 PM Pacific

  Show details
• Evening Webinar: Permission to Smooch: Why Romance ROCKS & How to Make Yours Sing with Jenn Sommersby

  • When
    12 Feb 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    Zoom

  Register

  
  

  Permission to Smooch: Why Romance ROCKS & How to Make Yours Sing

  with Jenn Sommersby

  Member Price: $18

  Non-Member Price is $28

  **This event will be recorded. Registrants can access the recording for 45 days.
  

  
  

  Workshop/Event Description

  Romance isn’t easy, frivolous, or “just tropes.” It’s a genre built on emotional honesty, character change, and earned intimacy. This session busts myths, digs into craft, and gives you permission to write love boldly—without apology.
  

  
  

  Connect with Jenn on her website:

  Here

  
  

  Intended audience:

  Writers of every skill level and any genre

  
  

  Bio:

  Jennifer Sommersby is a freelance editor (via Plumfield Editing), publishing mentor, educator, and author of a baker’s dozen books written under Sommersby and Eliza Gordon, including award-winning YA and best-selling rom-com titles. Through her company SGA Books, she supports indie authors with publishing resources and hands-on teaching, as well as branding, design, and custom merch through Bard & Bloom. Her first nonfiction series geared toward early-career writers will publish in 2026. Shop direct: shop.sgabooks.com.
  

  
  

  Digital doors open at 6:55 pm, event starts at 7:00 pm

  Show details
• Evening Webinar: Story Generator Fun Time! with Cadence Mandybura

  • When
    17 Feb 2026
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    Zoom

  Register

  
  

  Story Generator Fun Time!

  with Cadence Mandybura

  Member Price: $18

  Non-Member Price is $28

  **This event will be recorded. Registrants can access the recording for 45 days.
  

  
  

  Workshop/Event Description

  Sharpen your pens for this generative workshop! Using techniques intended to beat perfectionism and decision paralysis, we'll start with a prompt and carry it through idea generation and reflection until you have the bones of a story you can develop further after the workshop. We recommend bringing a notebook with several colours of pens!

  
  

  Connect with Cadence on her website:

  Here

  
  

  Intended audience:

  Writers of all skill levels, best suited to narrative writers (fiction/creative non-fiction)

  
  

  Bio:

  Writer and editor Cadence Mandybura has never veered far from her passion for telling stories and fixing apostrophes. She is a graduate of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University, and her speculative fiction has appeared in Metaphorosis, Tales & Feathers, and Pulp Literature, among others. Find her at CadenceMandybura.com.
  

  
  

  Digital doors open at 6:55 pm, event starts at 7:00 pm

  Show details