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SUMMARY:The Playwright's Toolkit: Transferable Skills for Creative Writers
DESCRIPTION:Whether or not you’ve caught the theatre bug\, certain skills from the world of playwriting can serve you well in multiple forms of literary creation: well-developed characters; crisp yet believable dialogue; a sense of a story in forward motion….  With a blend of craft talks\, readings\, and viewings\, and hands-on exercises in every class\, veteran playwright and translator Leanna Brodie will unpack what writing for the stage can teach us about writing for the page. \n\nTime\, Space\, Bodies: What Makes a Play? – After a brief introduction\, we will dive right into exploring the basic elements of theatre. What separates playwriting from other kinds of creative writing\, and what do they have in common?\nBuilding Character – How do playwrights think about character? How is our thinking shaped by our relationship to actors and directors? When approaching character in your written form of choice\, how might you benefit from an actor’s skill set as well as a playwright’s?\nFiring Up Action – How do playwrights (and our screenwriting cousins) set up narratives that propel the audience forward? Where do our methods differ? And how can you adapt our best strategies to tell stories through the written word?\nCrafting Dialogue – How do dramatic character\, action\, and dialogue shape each other\, and how do poetry and humour influence them all? What’s the relationship between text and subtext? What does writing dialogue for actors have to teach us about writing dialogue for readers?\nWrapping Up – Final thoughts and questions. Writers will have an opportunity to share a 10-minute section of a piece they have been working on during this class\, whether a dramatic scene or a literary form that makes use of theatrical elements such as characters and dialogue. We will also discuss resources for further exploration.\n\nOnce you have registered for this workshop\, please send the following by email to john@qwf.org: \n\nA brief writing-focused bio or resumé.\nA brief description (around 100 words) of what you are working on these days… or would like to be working on.\n\nThe subject line should read “For Leanna Brodie.” \n*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Westmount\, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default\, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot\, contact John at john@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot\, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you.  \nLeanna Brodie is an award-winning\, nationally-produced playwright. Salesman in China\, co-written with Jovanni Sy\, premiered in 2024 at the Stratford Festival and the  National Arts Centre to great acclaim: the Globe and Mail called it “a brilliant new play\, fully ready to take the world’s stages by storm.” Her modern Canadian classic\, Schoolhouse\, just received a major revival at the 4th Line Theatre. Brodie is also a leading translator of Québec and Franco-Canadian plays. She has taught playwriting at UBC\, Concordia\, and in workshops across the country. Awards: Playwrights Guild of Canada’s Tom Hendry Award (twice); Dora Mavor Moore Award; QWF Prize for Playwriting. www.leannabrodie.com \n 
URL:https://qwf.org/event/the-playwrights-toolkit-transferable-skills-for-creative-writers/2026-11-23/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops
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SUMMARY:The Art of the Braided Essay
DESCRIPTION:Eight Mondays\, Oct 5–Nov 30\, 8:00–10:00 p.m. (no meeting Oct 12)\nOpen to all\nLimited to 12 participants \n  \nCreative nonfiction thrives on surprising connections and shocking twists. The essay in particular is a form that often seeks to find truth by bringing together disparate narratives. Creating depth and tension through unexpected juxtaposition of themes\, images and even styles\, it allows us to examine a subject anew from multiple angles–personal\, historical\, cultural\, whatever catches your imagination! \n  \nBut how do you find those different threads\, and once you’ve got them\, how do you structure your thoughts? How do you go from a mass of disparate observations to a cohesive\, powerful and surprising work of creative nonfiction? \n  \nThat’s where braiding comes in. As essayist Nicole Walker writes\, “radical braiding is a foundation of creative nonfiction.” It exists in almost every mode\, from personal essay to literary journalism. It even pops up in fiction. Braiding narratives can bring breadth to a personal story\, intimacy to a scientific subject\, and drama to the mundane. As with the hairstyle\, a braid can be neat or messy\, simple or endlessly complex\, with a pattern that breaks apart only to come together in the end as a fascinating\, unexpected whole. \n  \nWhether you’re starting a new project or looking to bring fresh complexity to a work in progress\, this eight-week workshop will offer a deep dive into the craft of braiding. Through readings\, writing activities and peer and instructor feedback\, participants will learn from writers who use the form with great skill and apply that knowledge to their own work. Participants should be prepared to complete the session with a draft of a braided essay. \n  \nBefore our first meeting\, please read “The Braided Essay as Social Justice Action” by Nicole Walker and come prepared to write! \n  \nErika Thorkelson is the author of two forthcoming books of creative nonfiction: How to Look at a Volcano\, an essay collection that explores the intimate effects of large-scale instability and disaster\, both human made and natural (Book*Hug Press 2027)\, and Clumsy\, a memoir about growing up poor and nerdy on the prairies at the end of the 20th Century (NeWest Press 2028). Her work has appeared in local and national publications including Geist\, Prairie Fire and The Walrus. Her essay “A Girl Needs a Mech Suit” will appear in the Best Canadian Essays 2027. \n  \nhttps://linktr.ee/ethorkel
URL:https://qwf.org/event/the-art-of-the-braided-essay/2026-11-23/
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops
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