We’re doing a lot this month at WFNB!

Read the Letter from the Director here.

Current and Upcoming Program News

WordCraft Workshop Series

Our hybrid workshop event with Beth Powning is this Saturday, March 16. Beth will teach a portion of her time on memoir and a portion on historical fiction. This event will take place at her home in Markhamville. There is still time to sign up for the zoom portion of the event, if you wish.

Beth lives in a rural area and uses satellite internet. We do not foresee any issues, but if we do experience connection problems, be assured that the session will be recorded so that you will be able to access her valuable insights afterward.

Seasonal Writing Retreats

The dates for our late summer retreat at Villa Madonna in Rothesay have been set for August 23-25. Mark your calendars, writers! Bring all your accoutrements, including your enthusiasm. Our weekend retreat is an economical way to develop your projects – and connect with other writers – in the waning days of summer. More details to come.

WordCraft Podcast is launching soon!

Our first season of the WordCraft podcast is very close to being ready to launch for your listening pleasure. This first season has been developed to provide a platform for successful working writers to share insights, experiences, and tips related to the craft and business of writing in our province.

The guests we have scheduled are amazing writers, and I know that you will benefit from their conversation with our wonderful host, Jenna Morton. All but one of the interviews is complete, so stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks!

Get Involved in the Community

Volunteer Opportunities

Thank you for the recent response to our request for volunteers at WordSpring, and for our upcoming major gifts committee. If you haven’t reached out yet - but would like to get involved - email Rhonda or I at info@wfnb.ca or admin@wfnb.ca respectively.

We will be contacting volunteers soon with a list of needs, as well as some potential times for orientation calls. Hopefully, we can slot you all in!

Register for Upcoming WFNB Events

You still have time (today) to register for online access to Beth Powning’s Fiction writing class this  Saturday. We’ll be in her cozy home, outside of Sussex - but you can join us from wherever you are.

Events in the Community

Mark your calendars: The Atlantic Book Awards Gala will be held at Paul O'Regan Hall in Halifax Central Library on Wednesday evening, June 5 at 7pm. A full list of events, links, and any applicable costs will be available by April Inkspot.

In an effort to better connect with and serve regional writers of sci fi, fantasy, horror, and other speculative genres, the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia is offering a series of virtual SFFH/speculative creative writing workshops this spring.

All five workshops are available to non-members at the rate usually reserved for WFNS members, and fee waivers are available for writers facing financial barriers - no questions asked.

Write from the Heart is an intimate, luxurious weekend writing retreat held in a chic and spacious farmhouse outside of Victoria-by-the-Sea in PEI. Combining writing workshops, group discussion, gourmet meals, and lots of quiet writing time, it will be held the weekend of May 24-26 and registration is limited to only 8 writers. As an incentive, leader Trevor Corkum is happy to offer WFNB members $50 off either regular or early bird registration prices. Simply indicate that you are a member hen you register. Learn more here.

Writing Groups

Cambridge-Narrows:

Bill Rowe has initiated a writing group in Cambridge-Narrows called Lemon Pie. The meetings are on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30pm at the Cambridge-Narrows Library. It is free and open to all. Contact Bill Rowe at 506-654-3349.

Submit to Inkspot

If you have an announcement for an upcoming event, opportunity, recommended writing resources or services or something you’re proud of - please reach out! We love to celebrate and share.

New Resources for you

InkSpot has grown into something of great value to our community, and we want to make the best use of its potential. We’re excited to be able to share this information with all of you, and we are very thankful for all of the folks in the arts and literature sector who share information with us regularly to give to you.

Nothing is going away! We’re trying to make this resource as usable and accessible as possible, so we are developing a Resource Page on our website to keep all of the information we have accrued over time about career opportunities, writing resources, and community connections. If we keep that library of information in one place, we can keep it up to date and easy to find for you.

As new information comes to us, and as important dates get closer, we will always include those highlights here in InkSpot, and we will maintain an ongoing resource list for you to check on at any time for more details.

Check out the Writers’ Resource Page here for information on contests, services, markets, and opportunities for publication.

Check out the Community Resource Page for information on events, writing groups, and opportunities to volunteer and/or provide feedback.

Upcoming Contests and Submissions

The Montreal International Poetry Prize is now open for submissions. Enter your poem of 40 lines or fewer for a chance to win a cash prize of $20,000. Submission fees for first entries are $20 until the early bird deadline of May 1st, and $25 after that. Every additional poem is $17 at any time. The final deadline is May 15th. Submit your work to the Montreal Prize to join a major poetry event this year.

Submit here. For more information about the jury, past winners, and more, visit www.montrealpoetryprize.com.

The 2024 Whistler Independent Book Awards are now open for submissions! 

Presented by The Writers’ Union of Canada, the literary contest recognizes excellence in Canadian self-publishing. Self-published authors of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books can enter and winners in each category will be announced at the annual Whistler Writers Festival. Each submission will receive a valuable, constructive critique of their submitted work which can be quoted for publicity and promotional purposes.

Award terms and details are on our website (www.independentbookawards.ca). Accepting submissions for the 2024 awards until April 30, 2024.

For Sunspot Lit’s Inception Contest, send your best opening of a novel, art collection, CNF, photo series, or any other artistic work. No restrictions on theme or category. Opens March 1st and closes on March 31st. The entry fee is $12.50 with a prize of $500 cash plus publication. See detailed guidelines here on Submittable, or on Duotrope.

The Fiddlehead’s 2024 Creative Nonfiction Contest is open for submissions! Send your best, unpublished piece by Monday, June 3 for a chance to win $2000 and publication in the fall issue of The Fiddlehead.

See the full contest details and rules here.

We are updating the permanent Resource Pages on WFNB.ca, and as we do - you will find all new writing groups, resources, recommendations, competitions, and other opportunities added and updated periodically.

Every new or timely resource will still be highlighted here in Inkspot, with a link to more info, and added to the resource pages when appropriate. As we make those resources more robust and searchable, we hope that they will become a reference you can use easily, at any time.

We’re really excited about the programs and events forming up for the coming year. As we add new information to our WFNB website and programs, we’ll let you know, so stay tuned!

Kris