Quebec Writers' Federation

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (Virtual)
2026-09-12 10:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Free, open to QWF members
Register for the session by filling out the RSVP form below.
Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space?

Register below to do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25-minute bursts, with 5-minute breaks in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

The Zoom link will be sent out a day or two before the session.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

10:00–10:25: Writing 110:25–10:30: Break10:30–10:55: Writing 210:55–11:00: Break11:00–11:25: Writing 311:25–11:30: Break11:30–11:55: Writing 411:55–12:00: Break12:00–12:25: Writing 5

To receive the Zoom link, RSVP below. You will receive the Zoom link a few days before the session.

Note: RSVPs for virtual Shut Up & Write! sessions close 24 hours before the session begins. If there is no option to RSVP, RSVPs are closed.

If you are registered but can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org.

between worlds: words & music show
2026-09-14 18:30 - 21:00 | P’tit Ours, 5589 Av. du Parc, Montreal, Quebec, H2V 4H2, Canada
An evening of multi-disciplinary storytelling about rejecting binary propositions of existence and finding home in the space between. This event format is meant to collapse the perceived divide between artist, audience and the human condition at large.
Expect to notice, react and alchemize with us in real time.

Readings and performances by

Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch
Josiane Ménard
Eve-Parker Finley

Curated & hosted by
Alexandra Apple
Doors at 6:30 p.m.
Performances at 7:00 p.m.
Accessibility: The venue is in the basement and can only be reached by walking down a set of stairs. There is a handrail. Bathrooms are on the same level as the venue. There is seating reserved for those who need.

—
Every audience member will receive a mini zine of prompts to guide you through the evening, readings and performances. You’re invited to express yourself on the pages as the show rolls on.
After the integration period (aka intermission) we’ll step into embodiment by meeting our neighbours, swapping zines with each other and sharing our favourite pages.
*Note that there is a segment where scent is involved, more specifically a few scent strips will be passed out during one of the performances. you are welcome to opt-out if you are scent sensitive.
Get Tickets

Shut Up & Write! with QWF (In Person)
2026-09-18 12:30 - 15:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Free, open to QWF members
Register for the session by filling out the RSVP form below.

Looking for some dedicated, quiet writing space?

Join us for an in-person Shut Up & Write session at the QWF office!

Do all that writing you’ve been meaning to do, and meet a few of your fellow QWF members. Using the Pomodoro technique, participants write in 25-minute bursts, with 5-minute breaks in between.

This event is for QWF members only. Not a member? Learn about becoming a member.

Please note that these sessions are designed for silent writing, rather than discussing or getting feedback on work.

12:30–12:55: Writing 112:55–1:00: Break1:00–1:25: Writing 21:25–1:30: Break1:30–1:55: Writing 31:55–2:00: Break2:00–2:25: Writing 42:25–2:30: Break2:30–2:55: Writing 5

To register, RSVP below.

Getting to the QWF Office

Our office is located on the top floor of the Atwater Library and Computer Centre, in Room 3.

Address: 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3Westmount, QC H3Z 1X4

Closest Metro: Atwater Station

Closest Bus lines: 24, 63, 90, 104, 138, 144, 150

Accessibility:

The QWF Office is fully accessible by wheelchair from the side entrance on Tupper Street. Once inside, there is an elevator to the second floor, where the QWF office is.

Learn more about the office location and accessibility.

If you registered for the session but can no longer attend, please email john@qwf.org.

Conversations & Book Signing with R.F. Kuang
2026-09-29 19:00 - 2026-10-29 21:00 | Rialto Theatre, 5723 Av du Parc, Montréal, Québec, H2V 4G9, Canada
On September 29, internationally bestselling author R. F. Kuang will make her first-ever Montréal appearance at the Théâtre Rialto to celebrate the release of her highly anticipated new novel, Taipei Story.
Best known for Yellowface, Babel, and The Poppy War, Kuang has become one of the defining literary voices of her generation, with work that explores identity, language, culture, and belonging.
This one-night-only event will feature a live conversation about Taipei Story, followed by a book signing. Every ticket includes a deluxe limited-edition copy of the novel, and attendees will also have the opportunity to have one book personalized.

Book Launch: The Roughling
2026-10-04 16:00 - 18:00 | WILLS Brewery, 6729 Avenue de l’Esplanade, Montreal, Quebec, H2V 4P9, Canada
Join Linda Leith Publishing and author Alex Costa for the Montreal launch of THE ROUGHLING, a fantasy adventure for 8 to 12 year olds!
About the Book
“You must find the Key. You are the only one who can.”
With these words, Ambrose Peters learns that the bedtime stories his parents told him are real.
On his twelfth birthday, he and his friends Stan and Aurora discover a curious note in the library of his home, an old estate in the heart of Toronto. When peculiar creatures start turning up, the three of them stumble on a mysterious world hidden in the wild spaces of their once-familiar city.
But Ambrose’s time is running out. With an ancient menace closing in on him, Ambrose must find the key to save himself, his friends, and the extraordinary––and dangerous––new world they only just discovered.
The Roughling is an epic adventure teeming with mystery, friendship, action, unforgettable characters and perilous secrets.
About the Author
Alex Costa has degrees in biology and dentistry from McGill University. Born and raised in the neighbourhood of North Toronto, she grew up near the ravines that inspired this story. She now lives in Montreal with her husband Mark, also a dentist, her two sons, and a big shaggy dog named Rookie who has excellent teeth. The first in a planned trilogy, The Roughling is her first novel.

The Art of the Braided Essay
2026-10-05 20:00 - 22:00, 2026-10-19 20:00 - 22:00 | Online via Zoom
Eight Mondays, Oct 5–Nov 30, 8:00–10:00 p.m. (no meeting Oct 12)
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants

Creative 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!

But 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?

That’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.

Whether 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.

Before our first meeting, please read “The Braided Essay as Social Justice Action” by Nicole Walker and come prepared to write!

Erika 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.

https://linktr.ee/ethorkel

Getting Elemental: Fundamentals of Short Fiction
2026-10-06 20:00 - 22:00, 2026-10-13 20:00 - 22:00, 2026-10-20 20:00 - 22:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
Hybrid workshop*

Workshop Description: Getting Elemental: Exploring the Fundamentals of Short Fiction is a two-month long, weekly 2-hour workshop that focuses on a different element of style each week. These topics include; setting, character development, dialogue, description, voice, theme, point of view, and structure.
In a satisfying short story, all the elements of fiction listed above are working in concert to create an immersive world populated with complex characters. Of course, all of these elements are overlapping and influencing each other. However, by focusing on one element per week, we can try to understand how to make sure each element is in harmony with the others.
Over the course of the workshop, participants will submit one full-length story (2500-3000 words) to the group for discussion. In addition to the full-length story, participants will have opportunities to share scenes generated in response to weekly prompts.
The critique of short scenes will focus on the elements of short fiction discussed in the exercises as well as on sentence-level decisions about diction and rhythm. By flipping between critiques of full stories and shorter pieces, we will be able to have conversations that both delve deep into sentence level concerns and address big-picture structural questions. This format also allows participants multiple opportunities to share their work with the group.
This workshop centers on delivering and receiving feedback. Isolating what is and isn’t working in other people’s work is crucial to honing your own craft. Further, learning to give incisive and compassionate feedback is a valuable skill that will help you build a writing community.
Participants should have a short story of 2500-3000 words prepared in advance of the first session of the workshop.

*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.

Eva Crocker is a writer and editor based in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). She is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, Back in the Land of the Living (House of Anansi Press 2023) and All I Ask (House of Anansi Press 2020), which won the BMO Winterset Award. Her debut short story collection, Barrelling Forward (House of Anansi Press 2015), won the Alistair MacLeod Prize for Short Fiction and the CAA Emerging Writer Award, was a finalist for the Writers’ Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ Emerging Writers and the NLCU Fresh Fish Award for Emerging Writers, and was a National Post Best Book. Her new short story collection, Bargain Bargain Bargain, will be published by McClelland & Stewart in 2027.

Eva holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities from Concordia University.

Writing Outside the Box: An Edgy Fiction Workshop
2026-10-07 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-10-14 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-10-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Online via Zoom
Eight Wednesdays, Oct 7–Nov 25, 5:45–7:45 p.m.
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
Online workshop*
Due to the content in some of the exercises, this workshop is restricted to participants aged 18+.
Looking to shake up your process? Interested in breaking the rules a little? Designed to inspire unique approaches to creative writing, this workshop will help squash your inner editor and provoke your inner rebel, giving you the confidence you need to write more openly and honestly.
Over the course of eight weeks, you’ll explore the work of unconventional writers like Italo Calvino, Zsuzsi Gartner, Kelly Link, John Elizabeth Stintzi, Tamas Dobozy, and George Saunders. You’ll learn tips and techniques for producing work quickly and fearlessly while dabbling in ekphrasis, magic realism, and second-person perspective. You’ll also hone your ability to give and receive constructive feedback in a creative working environment.
This is a fun, provocative, and productive workshop that’s generated award-winning fiction and long-term friendships. It’s suitable for writers of any experience level, working in any medium or genre—from the shy beginner to the established professional. And while filled with lesson-based exercises and guided assignments, this workshop is happily (and willfully) anti-academic. Participants are not taught writing theory but are encouraged to develop their skills through the acts of reading and writing alone.
There is no submission required prior to the first session. Participants will be expected to share fiction with the group as the workshop progresses.
This is the perfect way to kickstart a project, rejuvenate your existing process, or to simply step outside of your comfort zone by experimenting with new approaches to creativity.
Come play with the weird kids of the writing world.
(One of us. One of us.)
*This workshop will take place online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants a week or so prior to the first session.

Tracey Waddleton is a Newfoundland writer living in Montréal. A finalist for the NLCU Fresh Fish Award for Emerging Writers and recipient of the 2015 Lawrence Jackson Writers’ Award, Waddleton’s work has been described as weird minimalist dark realism. Her first book, Send More Tourists… the Last Ones Were Delicious, was published in July of 2019 and won the 2020 ReLit Award for Short Fiction. Tracey was the inaugural recipient of the Quebec Writers’ Federation Max Margles Writing Residency in 2020 and was awarded a Hawthornden Fellowship in May of 2023. She is finishing her first novel.
www.traceywaddleton.com

Narrative Non-Fiction: Creating Scenes
2026-10-07 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-10-14 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-10-21 17:30 - 19:30 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Eight Wednesdays, Oct 7–Dec 2, 5:45–7:45 p.m. (no meeting Oct 28)
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
Hybrid Workshop*
Narrative non-fiction took off in the 1960s, when writers like Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion, and Gay Talese started using the techniques of fiction writers to tell true stories. Sometimes called New Journalism, the genre exploded when fiction writers like Truman Capote and Norman Mailer switched over to non-fiction, attaining major critical and popular success. The ever-increasing demand for non-fiction writing highlights readers’ desire to connect with stories that make sense of their surroundings.
Narrative non-fiction blends reporting, research, and storytelling. In this workshop we’ll learn about how to write scenes that are true to life. Instead of simply stating what
happened, or recounting events chronologically, we’ll explore how to create a scene, as a screenwriter or novelist or non-fiction author might. Your task will be to impose a narrative on reality – and make it interesting to readers. We’ll talk about the techniques behind writing about your own experience, and about documenting other people’s lives. We’ll discuss what constitutes non-fiction – and what doesn’t. We’ll also speak about mining rich veins of source material from dusty old books, or weird scientific studies, or unusual academic treatises.
Each of you will be asked to present one piece of writing to the group, which will be workshopped by the group. (Participants will read and discuss each other’s writing.) I will also hand out some examples of narrative non-fiction to illustrate what it is we’re speaking about. These will also inform and inspire your own work in the workshop. No advance work is required for the workshop, but do have an idea of what you’d like to work on in our time together. In our second session, we’ll be discussing what each student plans on workshopping.
*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.

Adam Leith Gollner is the author of The Fruit Hunters (a New York Times Editors’ Choice) and The Book of Immortality (recipient of The QWF’s Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-Fiction), as well as several collaborative books on nature, art, and literature. A contributing editor at Vanity Fair, and the former editor of Vice Magazine, his work has been published by The Paris Review, The New Yorker, GQ, and The New York Times. His forthcoming non-fiction book is the story of an amateur art sleuth who tracks down lost masterpieces—and who cracked one of the most confounding art heists in American history.
social media: @adamgollner

Expanding Our Poetic Range Through Memory, Place, and the Senses
2026-10-08 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-10-15 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-10-22 17:30 - 19:30 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Eight Thursdays, 5:45–7:45 p.m.
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
Hybrid workshop*

How, as writers, can we break the surface of the everyday and go deep? This workshop is for poets of any level of experience who are seeking to expand the range of their subject matter. Over the eight sessions of the workshop, we will take some time to dwell in the places our writers’ sensibility can travel when we tune into our senses and journey into memory and place.

The aim of the workshop will be to generate a rich pool of new material, from which our best work can emerge. Workshops will consist of in-class writing exercises, weekly writing assignments, and time for participating poets to receive constructive feedback from the workshop leader and their peers. As a group, we will also perform close readings of works by a range of published writers that constellate around a series of themes selected to help us mine our own memories and sensory experiences of the world around us. Some proposed themes include: a child’s-eye view: writing through the lens of childhood; lost and found: orienting through poetry; (re)mapping our world: a sense of place; entering the myth: poetic exchanges with mythology; and mapping the landscape of the body.

You will be encouraged, for the duration of the course, to “apprentice” yourself to the work of a published poet of your choice, whose voice will be a steady and nourishing guide as you work on your own material. You will also have the opportunity (though it is by no means obligatory) to read your own work aloud, both as a practice tool for giving future poetry readings, and to “lend an ear” to the editing process. The workshop will be a safe and friendly space, with an emphasis on diving into the messiness of creation and getting excited about new ideas.

*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.

Kelly Norah Drukker is a Montréal-based poet and nonfiction writer. Her poetry collection Small Fires (McGill-Queen’s University Press) won the A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry and the Concordia University First Book Prize, and was a finalist for the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal. Petits feux, the French-language translation, was published by Le lézard amoureux in 2018. Most recently, Kelly’s work has appeared in The Goose: A Journal of Arts, Environment, and Culture in Canada, The Temz Review, Burning House Press (UK), and Rabbit Poetry (Australia). Kelly holds an MA in English and Creative Writing and a PhD in interdisciplinary Humanities from Concordia University.

Writing for Games and Interactive Media
2026-10-08 20:00 - 22:00, 2026-10-15 20:00 - 22:00, 2026-10-22 20:00 - 22:00 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Eight Thursdays, Oct 8–Nov 26, 8:00–10:00 p.m.
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
Hybrid workshop*

Interactive storytelling isn’t just for videogames, tabletop or board games. Immersive theatre, public art installations, museum exhibits, and educational experiences can all spring to life from narrative techniques that place the audience at the centre of the experience.
In this workshop, we’ll develop foundational storytelling skills that you can use in your own interactive projects, or to build your knowledge to work as a storyteller in interactive media, including games.
We’ll begin with evergreen writing skills, like character, worldbuilding and dialogue, and then consider the audience as a character, branching narrative and stories that respond to audience inputs and actions, and what all of this means for plot and structure.
Finally, we’ll discuss how to collaborate with other disciplines to make each part of an experience tell one great story.

Each session will include:

A lecture and discussion of the topic of the week
A participant-led analysis of an interactive story
A generative writing exercise for hands-on practice
Time for advice and Q&A about personal interactive projects

Notes:
Sharing in-session writing is optional. Given the collaborative nature of interactive media, occasional group work will be encouraged.
No special equipment is necessary. Please bring a notebook, pen, and all the curiosity and enthusiasm you can muster. You may bring a laptop or tablet if it’s your preference, but all exercises can be completed with a pen and paper.
This is a human-led workshop about human-made experiences for human audiences. While we may employ technology in the pursuit of this goal, this is not an appropriate space to use AI (like LLMs) or to undertake AI projects.

Recommended Reading:
The Game Narrative Kaleidoscope, collated by Jon Ingold (https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/)
This anthology of over 100 current narrative practitioners, writing about the topics that move them also has a free podcast, in which contributors are interviewed.
Emily Short’s Interactive Storytelling: Narrative and games and new media (https://emshort.blog)

*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.

Former theatre kid Jill Murray has designed and written for videogames since 2011. She has over 25 games to her name, from AAA titles (Shadow of the Tomb Raider) to big indie games (Subnautica: Below Zero), and small ones (The Big Con). Her art games have been showcased at the Young V&A museum, and poetry festivals in the UK. She previously published two young adult novels and is now completing her MFA in Creative Nonfiction. She has taught game design and writing in workshops and classes to writers of all stripes and is excited to do it again.

Social Media: Bluesky: @jillmurray.bsky.social, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-murray/

Book Marketing: From Foundations to Fun
2026-10-10 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-10-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Online – Please RSVP to receive a Zoom link
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
Online workshop*

Session 1—Marketing Foundations and Reaching Readers

First hour: The basics of marketing—your foundations. Ten steps to take to ensure you hit the ground running. Important for new writers but also the core to which established authors should return to upgrade before moving on to other marketing efforts. These are crucial to your success, but many people overlook or do them poorly, which often leads to more expensive marketing failing. Get these in place so you can build higher.
Second hour: Reaching out and collaborations. Adding a mailing list and newsletter to your marketing tools and using paid newsletters while you build up your own subscribers. Seeing other authors as allies, not competition as you reach out to wider audiences, finding ways in which you can collaborate.

Session 2—Cheap, Free, Fun and Unusual Marketing

First hour: 20 cheap and free marketing moves to make—this will get you moving and keep your efforts refreshed when you’re feeling stuck or tired of marketing (as we all do from time to time!). Most are free, the rest are cheap so there’s no excuse for not having a go!

Second hour: Unusual marketing moves to make. Bored of all the standard marketing, no matter how important it is? Then liven things up with creative and fun ideas that can be implemented without a vast marketing budget. These will speak to your creativity and help you stand out from the crowd.

What should I do to prepare?
Nothing at all! Bring pen and paper so you can make copious notes and enjoy. We have a lot of material to get through but I love questions, so ask plenty as we go along!
All attendees will also receive a free 1-hour recorded webinar on productivity and my book on developing your own author merchandise/swag.

Feedback from previous workshops

Loved it – thank you. Very knowledgeable and experienced tutor, brilliant advice and tips.

Picked up so many great ideas—can’t wait to put them into practice!

Concise, practical presentation, good advice, delivered with enthusiasm and credibility.

*This workshop will take place online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants a week or so prior to the first session.
Melissa Addey writes richly researched historical fiction. Her novels span Ancient Rome, medieval Morocco, 18th-century China, and Regency England. She has a PhD in Creative Writing, was Writer in Residence at the British Library, and lives in London with her family. She runs workshops and webinars for authors wanting to take an entrepreneurial approach to their writing careers.

Discover her books (and get a free novella) at www.melissaaddey.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaaddey/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaAddeyAuthor

The Secrets of Writing Hit TV Series
2026-10-13 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-10-20 17:30 - 19:30 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Eight Tuesdays, Oct 13–Dec 1, 5:45–7:45 p.m.
Open to all (application required—see below)
Limited to 12 participants
Hybrid workshop*
Do you have a brilliant idea for a TV show but no clue how to write a standout pitch document?
Do you have a strong pilot script but don’t know how to flesh it out into a long-lasting series?
Do you secretly think you’re the next Aaron Sorkin or Shonda Rhimes, if only you knew the keys to writing hit TV shows?
Then this workshop is for you.
Most TV writing courses focus on writing a pilot script. Mine starts one step earlier—because before you can write a great pilot, you need a great series concept.
Drawing on my 20+ years in the TV and film industry and my work as a writer, showrunner, development executive, creative consultant and mentor, I will teach you the essential building blocks of television writing and guide you through the process of developing your own original series.
Topics include:

Story engine, logline & hook
Series concept & theme
Characters & world
Pitching your show: on the page and in the room
Tips for writing a standout pilot
Building or advancing a career in television

Throughout the workshop, you’ll apply what you learn to your own project and you’ll receive ongoing feedback and guidance from me to strengthen your concept, sharpen your story engine, and create a professional pitch document—the blueprint for your series and an essential tool for pitching your show.
Applying & Preparing
To apply, please submit a logline and synopsis (1 page max) for the TV series you’d like to develop during the workshop.
There is no required reading for this workshop. However, I strongly encourage you to read a few articles on writing effective loglines. A logline is one of the most important tools in television development, yet it’s often overlooked or underestimated.
By the end of the workshop, “logline” will probably become your favourite—and most dreaded—word!

*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.

Cynthia Knight is a writer, story editor, and showrunner with over 20 years of experience in film and TV. The co-creator and showrunner of the critically-acclaimed, award-winning comedy series Mohawk Girls (CBC GEM / Peacock), Cynthia was recently a consulting producer on the show My Dead Mom for Crave, a writer on the animated series By Bunny for Sphere Media, and she wrote the international co-production feature film The Otter Club, which just wrapped production in July, 2026. A former development executive for Attraction Images and Muse Entertainment, Cynthia is also a creative consultant and teacher who offers courses, talks, and workshops on TV writing in the US and Canada.
Webpage: https://cknightfilms.com
Social media handles:

https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.knight.393

https://www.instagram.com/cynthiaknightfilms/

2026 Knowlton Literary Festival - October 15-17, 2026
2026-10-15 18:00 - 21:00 | Brome Lake Books, 45 Lakeside, Knowlton (Lac-Brome), QC, J0E1V0, Canada
Frank Nixon is delighted to announce that he will be participating in the 2026 Knowlton Literary Festival in Knowlton (Lac-Brome), Quebec, on October 15, 2026.
An author and former journalist with deep roots in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, Frank spent many years covering the people, places, and events that shape life in the region. A graduate of McGill University and Concordia University, he contributed hundreds of articles to community newspapers throughout the Townships.
His debut novella, Wayward Voices, draws on those experiences. Set in the fictional town of Wayward, the story follows a disgraced Montreal reporter seeking refuge in a small Eastern Townships community while confronting the mistakes, memories, and relationships that continue to haunt him.
Frank looks forward to meeting readers and discussing the inspiration behind Wayward Voices at this year’s festival.
Learn more at www.franknixon.com.

Experiential Writing: An Introduction to Immersive Storytelling
2026-10-17 10:30 - 16:30 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Saturday, Oct 17, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
Hybrid workshop*
How do you write a story that surrounds your audience and places them at the center of the experience? In this one-day workshop, we’ll explore the foundations of immersive storytelling, a growing creative practice that blends narrative with space, sensory detail, and audience engagement. From audio walks and site-specific theatre to interactive installations, immersive writing invites audiences to step into the story.
We’ll break down real-world examples, play with writing prompts inspired by spatial and sensory environments, and begin shaping our own immersive narratives. Designed for writers of all backgrounds, this hands-on session offers both inspiration and tools to imagine your stories beyond the page.
By the end of the day, participants will:

Understand the key principles of immersive storytelling
Learn about a range of immersive formats, including audio walks, site-specific theatre, interactive installations, and XR/MR experiences
Experiment with writing exercises that reframe story through environment and audience experience
Develop a short concept or scene for an immersive piece

Stephanie Merulla is a Montreal-based writer, theatre-maker, and multimedia artist working across theatre, interactive media, and immersive storytelling. She has created site-specific audio experiences and participatory theatre projects presented in Canada and internationally. Her work includes The Neighbourhood / Le Quartier, an immersive audio fiction experience that was a finalist for the 2026 NUMIX Awards. She has also collaborated with immersive theatre companies, including Live Action Theatre Project on Meet Me, an interactive production that received the 2022–2023 META Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre, and she produced the Paris edition of Overhear with It’s Not a Box Theatre. Stephanie holds an MFA from East 15 Acting School (University of Essex) and a BFA in Theatre from Concordia University.
*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.

www.stephaniemerulla.com

What a Character! A Solo Sketch-Writing Workshop
2026-10-24 10:30 - 16:30 | QWF Office, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC, H3Z 1X4, Canada
Saturday, Oct 24, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
In-person workshop*

Get ready to get in touch with your silly side! In this 6-hour workshop, we will tap into your unique sense of humor through a mix of improv exercises, group discussions, writing challenges, and performance tips! I believe that everyone can be funny, and I aim to foster a safe environment for your inner child to come out and play! By the end of the workshop, each participant will have a 1-2-minute portrayal of a character inspired by themselves, someone they know, or their imagination! You will leave this workshop with a comedic bit you can share online, perform at your next hang with your friends, or just read and laugh at your funny ideas!
Agenda

Hours 1-2: Connecting: Using a mix of improv exercises and group discussions, we will shake off our jitters and tap into our funny ideas! In this part of the class, we will unlock your best ideas while laughing the entire time.
Hours 3-4: Writing. Once the ideas are flowing, it is time to write them down! I will share my method of outlining and writing my ideas so you can apply it to your own writing. I will spend time with each student helping them perfect their own funny character.
Hours 5-6: Performing. Sketches are best when performed. I will discuss performance strategies and how you can apply them to your own piece. Then each person in the class (if comfortable) will perform their sketch as we workshop together the best strategies for effective delivery.

Please bring an open mind and be prepared to laugh. No comedy experience required.
*This workshop will take place in person at the QWF Office (Room 3, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Westmount, Quebec).
Shanthony Exum is a multimedia artist who embraces creativity in all forms. She has been an improv & sketch comedy performer since 2018 and currently teaches, performs, and produces comedy around Montreal. Her troupe “Imploding” won the 2023 Threepio competition, and her sketch troupe 100% Human People was named “Best Local Troupe” in the 2024 edition of Montreal Sketch Fest. She has also performed at Ladyfest, OFF JFL, Montreal Fringe Festival, and the Big Pond Improv Festival.

EMBODIED WRITING: The Unhaunting edition
2026-10-24 14:00 - 17:00 | Studio 414, 10 Avenue des Pins West #414, Montreal
We’re all haunted somehow. Maybe it’s the deafening hush of something you’ve never dared speak out loud. Or a story you’ve carried for too long like an invisible weight on the heart. Or a sensation that returns, again and again, asking to be witnessed. The body holds all the answers we’ve been looking for, even if we have yet to formulate the right questions.
Haunting is that quiet (or not-so-quiet) persistence that lurks beneath the surface—unfinished, unrequited, unresolved. To unhaunt is not to dismiss or erase, but rather, to befriend our full selves, ghosts and all, gifting language to that which lurks in the darkest corners of our dreams.
This workshop invites you into a safe and sacred space. We will write from rather than about the body, allowing what stirs our depths to blossom onto the page. Allowing breath, movement, and sensation to lead the way, we will enter the shadows with great tenderness, witnessing ourselves in our truest, most creative form.
Our practice will interweave:
-Kundalini breathwork
-Stretches & light movement
-Creative writing prompts & exercises
-Meditation
-An optional sharing & discussion circle
-Homemade chai & a sweet treat
Full details: https://heartfirekundalini.com/#events
