And this is just Sunday! Word on the Water floats to a new high!

Word on the Water Literary festival is going to be spectacular!!  I am amazed at the Sunday(October 23)  set-up.  The festival offers a great opportunity to get one- on-one feed-back from professional writers.  I have been to many writing conferences, but this is the first one I have seen with so many workshops of this kind.  Unbelievable!  It is worth driving to Kenora for this alone. These workshops require that you submit work in advance so note the instructions carefully.

For full list of all events and registration information, see the Word on the Water web site at  www.wordonthewater.ca,

Critique Sessions – $50 each session, no limit on number of sessions

Saturday One-on-One Sessions with Karen Dudley
Participants are asked to submit an up to 3,000-word sample of their work (double spaced, please) by 15 October. If the sample is part of a larger work, please include a page or two explaining the premise of the project. Karen will offer a critique and have a 20-minute one-on-one session with each participant on Oct. 22. Limited to 3 participants.

Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. One-on-One Sessions with Dennis CooleyPoets are invited to submit three or four poems totaling no more than 10 pages in length for Dennis Cooley to critique. The poets will then meet for a twenty-minute one-on-one session with Cooley, during which he will offer constructive criticism and ideas that will help the poets involved to take their work to the next level. Limited to six participants.



Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. One-on-One Sessions with Armin WiebeParticipants will submit up to 15 pages full double-spaced by Oct. 15 for evaluation. On Oct. 23 each participant will then spend a twenty minute one-on-one session with Armin Wiebe to discuss their submission constructively with an aim to improving the participant's writing style.
Limited to 6 participants.

Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 11 a.m. One-on-One Sessions with David AnnandaleParticipants are asked to submit an up to 3,000-word sample of their work (double spaced, please) by October 15. If the sample is part of a larger work, please include a page or two explaining the premise of the project. David will offer a critique and have a 20-minute one-on-one session with each participant on Oct. 23. Limited to 6 participants.
Sunday One-Hour Workshops - $20

Self-Publishing Workshop with Dave Friesen9:00 – 10:00 am or 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Dave Friesen of Winnipeg’s Hignell Printing has over 17 years experience in the printing business. He has seen it all when it comes to people wanting to self-publishing their book. He finds that most people have not educated themselves in the process of producing a book. This is his chance to guide people on the path of producing a book they could be proud of. He will outline what people need to know when they venture into self-publishing a book. This will give people a view into the publishing business.

Sunday Two-Hour Workshops - $35
12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Making the Poem Felt: Using concrete images, finding metaphors with Dennis Cooley
This workshop will include a teaching period with a writing session and an opportunity for participants to read a bit of their work to the group.
Dennis Cooley is “one of Canada's most important poets” (Vellum Magazine), founder of Turnstone Press and Manitoba’s Writers Guild, and established lecturer at the University of Manitoba. Don't miss this opportunity to stretch your poetic ability under the hand of a master! Limited to twelve participants.


1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Writing is an Active Sport: Getting a Story Started from Blank Page to Story Opening with Armin Wiebe

Writing is an active sport. Writers may call upon the muse, read and brood and dream and talk, fashion grand schemes in their imaginations, sharpen pencils and invest in computer software, but until words are set down on paper writers have nothing but thin air to show for their efforts. It is a rare muse which reveals itself at times other than during the writing act itself.

Beginning with the blank page I will lead participants through a series of writing activities designed to generate story material through mining memories, creative visualizations, exploring the place of the story, delving into what makes the characters tick, and looking for dramatic possibilities in the story situation. By the end of this hands-on workshop participants should have a new story started. For more information on the author visit www.arminwiebe.ca


1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Writing Genre Fiction Workshop with David AnnandaleLearn more about successful story writing within specific genres with David Annandale, an experienced lecturer in film and literature at the University of Manitoba. Limited to 10 participants. For more information on the author visit www.davidannandale.com

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Magazine Freelancing Boot Camp with Rick BrignallFreelance writer Rick Brignall will share his knowledge gained from his experience writing for magazines like Cottage Life, Outdoor Canada and Ontario Out of Doors. He is the author of nine books and has over 130 magazine publications in the past six years. His professional career started as a sports reporter and editor for the Kenora Miner & News.
During this workshop he will go through idea creation, market research, the querying process, researching, creating relationships with magazines, and give advice to any writer needs to become a better magazine freelancer. By the time you finish this workshop, you'll know all you need to find extra income to supplement your writing income!