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SUMMARY:Narrative Non-Fiction: Creating Scenes
DESCRIPTION:Eight Wednesdays\, Oct 7–Dec 2\, 5:45–7:45 p.m. (no meeting Oct 28) \nOpen to all\nLimited to 12 participants\nHybrid Workshop* \nNarrative 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. \nNarrative 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\nhappened\, 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. \nEach 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. \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. \n  \nAdam 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. \nsocial media: @adamgollner
URL:https://qwf.org/event/narrative-non-fiction-creating-scenes-2/2026-12-02/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261207T053000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261207T200000
DTSTAMP:20260731T122319Z
CREATED:20260723T202938Z
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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/2026-12-07/
LOCATION:QWF Office\, 1200 Atwater Avenue\, Room 3\, Westmount\, QC\, H3Z 1X4\, Canada
CATEGORIES:QWF Workshops
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20271105T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20271112T060000
DTSTAMP:20260212T160413Z
CREATED:20260212T160407Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260212T160413Z
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SUMMARY:Ireland Castle Writing Retreat 2027
DESCRIPTION:Join CMarie Fuhrman (workshop leader) for a week in an Irish castle\, November 5-12\, 2027. Details: https://www.nature-culture.net/ireland-castle-retreat-2027
URL:https://qwf.org/event/ireland-castle-writing-retreat-2027/
LOCATION:Drumcollogher\, County Limerick\, Ireland\, Springfield Castle\, Drumcollogher\, County Limerick\, Ireland
CATEGORIES:Retreat
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