Launch of MacGregor’s, The Tattooed Witch at When Words Collide
If you’re going to this year’s When Words Collide in Calgary, Alberta, you’ll want to stop by the On Spec/Pure Spec hospitality room Saturday night. Thanks to the good folks there, Five Rivers Publishing will be launching Susan MacGregor’s The Tattooed Witch. MacGregor will be signing copies of this first book of the trilogy.
We’ll also have copies of Sally McBride’s newly released, Indigo Time, available. Sadly, McBride cannot make the event.
Other events involving writers and staff at Five Rivers include:
Friday 3 PM – Suite 1062
YA Contemporary Fantasy Readings
Jefferson Smith, Samantha Beiko, Dave Laderoute
Teasers from new & upcoming books read by the author.
Friday 4 PM – Surrey
How To Write a Good Pitch and Query
Adrienne Kerr, Samantha Beiko, Justyn Perry, Robert Runte (M)
Back by popular demand. Learn about the 3 different pitches, what they are and when to give them.
And what to put or not put into a query letter.
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| Dr. Robert Runte at the launch of Shakespeare for Reader’s Theatre, by John Poulsen |
Friday 5 PM – Surrey
Live Action Slush – YA Edition
Shirlee Smith Matheson, Clare Marshall, Paula Johanson, Dave Laderoute, Samantha Beiko, Edward Willett (Reader)
Bring the 1st page of your manuscript to be anonymously read aloud and receive comments from the
editors.
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| Dave Laderoute |
Friday 6 PM – Victoria
Live Action Editing
Susan MacGregor & Diane Walton
Can you spot the errors? Editors Susan Macgregor & Diane Walton walk the audience through a series
of writing samples, asking audience members to point out errors an editor might find.
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| Susan MacGregor |
Friday 9 PM – Clarence-Phaeton
More Humour In Fiction
Melodie Campbell, Sarah Kades, Susan MacGregor, Tim Reynolds (M)
Back by popular demand. A man walks into a bar… Be it comic relief, a quirky character, comedy, or
outright satire, humour is gold when it works and death when it fails. Panellists with diverse
approaches to applying humour to their prose discuss their aims and methods.
Saturday 10 AM – Clarence
Live Action Slush – Fantasy Edition
Robert Runte, Susan MacGregor, Greame Brown, D. B. Jackson, Ed Willett (reader)
Bring the 1st page of your manuscript to be anonymously read aloud and receive comments from the
editors.
Saturday 10 AM – Phaeton
How Literary Should My Commercial Fiction Be?
Adrienne Kerr, Susan Forest, Hayden Trenholm, Ronald Hore, Suzanne Church
Donald Maass’ latest book on writing – Writing 21st Century Fiction – suggests that today’s bestselling
books successfully combine the strengths of commercial and literary fiction. How much attention
should writers pay to the market and market analysis? How much should we simply follow our own
muse? Is there a comfort zone in between? How do we find that comfort zone?
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| Susan Forest |
Saturday 10 AM – Yorkshire 2
The Alien (reconstructed human) as Metaphor
Nina Munteanu, Peter Halasz, Lynda Williams, Candas Jane Dorsey
Movie aliens aren’t real aliens; they’re humans in disguise. And what do our earthly aliens such as
vampires, werewolves represent? What do our aliens tell us about us? Is it surprising that during the
Cold War the enemy aliens were often from Mars… the “Red Planet?” Do the aliens of “Avatar” tell us
something about how we exploit primitive cultures? We have met the aliens and they are us.
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| Candas Jane Dorsey |
Saturday 10 AM – Suite 1056 (sign-up required)
Koffee Klatsche – Dave Duncan
Join Fantasy & SF author Dave Duncan for a casual conversation.
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| Dave Duncan |
Saturday 11 AM – Phaeton
Doom and Gloom and Dark Despair, Young Readers Love Them Everywhere
Shirlee Smith Matheson, Amanda Sun, Paula Johanson, Kim Firmston, Dave Laderoute, Michell Plested
From the earliest fairy tales to today’s violent, brutal, scary, and dystopian YA fiction, as long as kids
and teens have been reading, they’ve lapped up these dark tales and begged for more. What’s behind
the fascination of younger people with dark themes in fiction? Does it hurt them? Is it morbid? Or do
these fictional tropes serve a vital purpose?
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| Michell Plested |
Saturday 11 AM – Suite 1062
More Fantastic Readings
Dave Duncan, Amber Hayward, Ursula Pflug
Teasers from new & upcoming books read by the author.
Saturday 2 PM – Yorkshire 2
Urban Green Man
Adria Laycraft, Janice Blaine, Susan MacGregor, Susan Forest, Randy McCharles, Billie Milholland, Sandra Wickham, Celeste A. Peters, Suzanne Church
The Green Man is an almost forgotten mythology that has haunted our churches and buildings and
global subconscious for countless generations. No longer. Join the editors and a sampling of the
authors for the launch of this collection of short stories regarding this archetype of renewal.
Saturday 3 PM – Yorkshire 2
Exciting Anthologies
Susan MacGregor, Michell Plested, Adria Laycraft, Lynda Williams
We’re in a golden age of science fiction and fantasy anthologies with clever new ideas coming out
monthly from major and minor publishers. But where do they come from? How do editors interest
publishers and writers in their ideas? How do you make the hard decisions between great stories and
great writing when you sometimes can’t have both?
Saturday 4 PM – Surrey
Live Action Slush – Science Fiction Edition
Hayden Trenholm, Robert Runte, Patrick Swenson, Sandra Wickham, Tony King (Reader)
Bring the 1st page of your manuscript to be anonymously read aloud and receive comments from our
editors.
Saturday 4 PM – Yorkshire 1
Writing For Middle Grade & Younger
Shirlee Smith Matheson, DK Snape, Michell Plested
Children’s authors discuss the ingredients of successful books for middle school and younger children.
Saturday 4 PM – Lincolnshire 1
Which Book Stays on the Island?
Peter Halasz (host), Susan Forest, Garry Ryan, Billie Milholand, Cliff Samuels
4 Presenters. 4 Books. 4 Genres. Similar to CBC’s Canada Reads, each presenter selects a classic work
and presents their case as to why their chosen Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Romance should
be a “must read” for anyone stranded on an island with just 1 book.
Saturday 5 PM – Victoria
How To Survive In The New Publishing Reality Using Wattpad
Aaron Kite & Leah Crichton
As eReading and self-publishing democratize how we share stories, writers need to take a look at how
digital platforms like Wattpad can help them stand out from the crowd. With over 13 million active
readers, Wattpad is used by indie and best-selling writers to reach the next generation of readers.
Aaron Kite and Leah Crichton will discuss their experiences in digital publishing, plus the challenges
and advantages of using Wattpad to build a fan base and online buzz. What are the benefits of
growing a presence in reading communities and what do you need to do next? Join this presentation
by two writers who’ve been through it all.
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| Aaron Kite |
Saturday 5 PM – Yorkshire 2
The Musical
Trevor Rueger, Joe Slabe, Virgina O’Dine, Candas Jane Dorsey
Here is the ultimate genre crossover: where fiction, poetry and music combine. What are the special
needs of writing a musical theatre piece? Whereas the short story writer or novelist is the God of his
own domain, where does the job of playwright or poet begin or end in the collaborative world of
musical theatre?
Saturday 5 PM – Suite 1057
Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) Regional Meeting
Susan Forest
All SFWA members are invited to attend to receive updates about and discuss SFWA business. Coffee
and light refreshments will be served.
Saturday 7 PM – Surrey
Editor For Hire
Robert Runte, Jodi McIssac, Nina Munteanu, Brian Hades, Ursula Pflug
With the rising trend of self-publishing and the falling trend of editing at some publishing houses, the
demands for authors to deliver polished material has never been greater. But what if our editing skills
aren’t up to standard? Or we’d rather write that next novel than spend time searching for
grammatically injured trees in our forest of manuscript? When does it make sense to call in the
cavalry and hire an editor?
Saturday 8 PM – Yorkshire 1
Through the Eyes of a Child
Dave Laderoute, Michell Plested, Claire Eamer, Nicole Luiken
Authors of YA and Children’s books face the challenge of putting themselves in the shoes of much
younger people, including other genders. How do
Saturday 9 PM – Surrey
Writing About Fighting
Sandra Wickham, Ron Friedman, Aaron Kite
Authors who include nose to nose physical conflict in their fiction discuss how they make it gripping
yet real without bogging the reader down in too much detail.
Saturday 9 PM – Lincolnshire 1
Making Up Religions
Barb Galler-Smith, Ann Marston, Matthew Johnston, Lynda Williams, Anna Bortolotto (M)
Religion often plays a minor or even major role in fiction. Be it characters of faith, real-life issues
examined through wholly made up belief systems, or evil portrayed through (hopefully) non-existent
cults, the reader must be able to suspend their disbelief in order to enjoy the tale. Authors who apply
‘unfamiliar’ religion to their fiction discuss how they get away with it.
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| Ann Marston |
Saturday 9 PM – 10th Floor Suites
Evening Socials
Steampunk Arts & Sciences (Suite 1051)
CaRWA (Calgary association of Romance Writers of America) (Suite 1056)
OnSpec Magazine / Pure Speculations SF&F Festival (Suite 1057)
Bundoran Press (Suite 1062)
All registered When Words Collide members are welcome to drop in between 9 PM and midnight and
mingle at our socials hosted by various friends of the festival.
Sunday 10 AM – Suite 1057
More Criminal Readings
Kay Stewart, Axel Howerton, Garry Ryan, Candas Jane Dorsey
Teasers from new & upcoming books read by the author
Sunday 11 AM – Clarence
Live Action Slush – Mystery Edition
Jamis Paulson, Adrienne Kerr, Charles Prepolec, Garry Ryan, Janice MacDonald, Susan Forest (Reader)
Bring the 1st page of your manuscript to be anonymously read aloud and receive comments from our
editors.
Sunday 11 AM – Phaeton
Getting Past the Middle Doldrums in Novel Writing
Patricia Briggs, D. B. Jackson, Dave Duncan, Linda Kupecek, Anna Bortolotto (M)
Authors discuss the “Muddle In the Middle” that often occurs in novel writing. What is it? Why does it
happen? And what are some ways to get past it?
Sunday 12 PM – Surrey
Business Models for Writers
Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail, Claire Eamer, Susan Forest, Jennifer Snow
These days there is more to being an author than simply writing a book. Authors discuss the tasks,
the rewards, and various methods for turning their writing into a business.
Sunday 12 PM – Wedgewood (sign-up required)
Pitch Session
Robert Runte – Five Rivers Publishing
Pitch your manuscript to an editor and get instant feedback.
Sunday 12 PM – Suite 1062
Hybrid Historical Readings
Susan MacGregor, Graeme Brown, Ronald Hore
Teasers from new & upcoming books read by the author.
Sunday 4 PM – Surrey
The Publishers Panel
Jamis Paulson, Adrienne Kerr, Brian Hades, Hayden Trenholm, Samantha Beiko, Robert Runte (M)
Publishers and editors discuss industry trends, their working relationship with authors and agents, the
impact of ePublishing on their business, and other questions raised from the audience.
Sunday 4 PM – Suite 1057 (sign-up required)
A Method to the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil
Jade Brook, Jennifer Rahn, Tim Reynolds, Aaron Kite, Janna Willard, Susan J. MacGregor, Troy Winn, Mike Plested
Readings from A Method to the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil. Lesser Evil Geniuses and Evil
Overlord wannabes should ensure they take this opportunity to listen to the words of wisdom directly
from the Great Evildoers themselves. Come learn how the experts from the Conclave of the Super Evil
manage their evil fashion and finesse while achieving world domination.
