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SUMMARY:Lunch and Learn: Surviving the Slush Pile
DESCRIPTION:Agents read hundreds of submissions each week\, and small mistakes often bury a promising manuscript. \nIn this Lunch and Learn\, join us as we hear from Michelle Barker and David G. Brown\, senior editors of The Darling Axe\, who will discuss what makes for a strong query letter to literary agents. Participants will examine an intentionally flawed (and fake) query letter and synopsis for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter\, as well as the (real) opening of the book\, and diagnose the problems that weaken them. We will then look at improved versions of the query and synopsis and discuss some important components of an opening. A Q&A will follow the presentation. \nLearn more about The Darling Axe. \nRegister to get the Zoom link\nAbout the Presenters\nMichelle Barker is an award-winning author and poet. She is the co-author of Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling\, Story Skeleton: The Classics\, and Fake Query Letters by Dead Authors. Her fiction\, non-fiction\, and poetry have appeared in literary reviews worldwide. She has published three YA novels (one fantasy and two historical fiction)\, a historical picture book\, and a chapbook of poetry. Her latest project is a poetry collection called Chef (Caitlin Press\, 2027). Michelle holds a BA in English literature (UBC) and an MFA in creative writing (UBC). Many of the writers she’s worked with have gone on to win publishing contracts and honours for their work. Michelle lives and writes in Vancouver\, Canada. \n\n \n\nDavid Griffin Brown is an award-winning short fiction writer and co-author of Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling\, Story Skeleton: The Classics\, and Fake Query Letters by Dead Authors. He holds a BA in anthropology from UVic and an MFA in creative writing from UBC\, and his work has appeared in literary magazines such as the Malahat Review\, White Wall Review\, and Grain. He has published three novels: When the Sky Breaks\, We’ve Come for Your Eggs\, and No Country for Old Dragons. David founded Darling Axe Editing in 2018\, and\, as part of his Book Broker interview series\, he has compiled querying advice from over 100 literary agents. As an editor\, he pays special attention to structure\, relationship arcs\, and voice. David lives in Victoria\, Canada\, on the traditional territory of the Songhees and Kosapsum Nations. \n\n \n\nNote: The session will not be recorded.
URL:https://qwf.org/event/lunch-and-learn-surviving-the-slush-pile/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:Lunch & Learn
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UID:10005554-1790791200-1790791200@qwf.org
SUMMARY:Book Launch: Missy Whynought by Elizabeth Ball
DESCRIPTION:Join us to launch a new and unique voice: Missy Whynaught by Elizabeth Ball. \nABOUT THE BOOK\nRaw and unfiltered\, Missy Whynaught conjures her own magic in a world that treats her like a punchline. A darkly humourous coming of age story that explores issues of sexuality\, childhood neglect\, poverty and the racist legacies of colonialism. \nABOUT THE AUTHOR\nElizabeth Ball is a writer\, social worker and mother of three living in Montreal. She was shortlisted for the 2026 CBC Short Story Award\, Room Magazine’s 2019 Fiction Contest\, nominated for the 2019 Journey Prize\, and in 2022 shortlisted for the Commonwealth Fiction Prize. Her writing has been financially supported by Le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council of the Arts. Missy Whynaught is her first novel and she is currently at work on her second. \nFree \nRefreshments will be served
URL:https://qwf.org/event/book-launch-missy-whynought-by-elizabeth-ball/
LOCATION:Le Depanneur Cafe\, 206 Rue Bernard O\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H2T 2K4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Book Launch
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