Hello, Members and Friends.

As I write this on Thanksgiving Monday, I hope you enjoyed some fabulous turkey this weekend, and maybe a drive to enjoy the fall colours? However you spent it, I hope the cooler weather and lovely scenery are serving to inspire you.

Upcoming WFNB Events, News, and Requests

WordsFall is only a couple of weeks away!

...and we would love to see you there. Numbers are down this year, so if you’re thinking of attending some or all of the events, please register now. What a great lineup of workshops we have to offer this fall in the charming little town of Sussex. Don’t miss the readings, music and professional development sessions.

Arts Atlantic Symposium is this coming weekend.

The Arts Atlantic Symposium, a production of ArtsLink NB, takes place October 18-20 in Moncton. During this time, the region’s top artists, performers, and industry professionals come together for three days of art installations, exhibitions, performances, workshops, and panels that celebrate the power of Atlantic Canadian art. The WFNB will be involved in the Arts Atlantic Symposium marketplace (read: trade show) at the Crowne Plaza Moncton on Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm. 

Donations needed! I’d like to put together a gift basket for our table and sell raffle tickets with a winner to be drawn that day. If you have any NB books (signed by the author would be awesome!) to donate, or any other pleasing addition to a writing-related basket, please drop me a line at info@wfnb.ca.

LIMITED TIME OFFER for members and friends

We were pleased to present three online workshops led by Frances Peck this year, Sentences with Style in May, Show Don’t tell in July, and From Editor to Author, a Journey in Three Parts in September. For those folks who missed those sessions, we have bundled those three zoom sessions and the accompany notes for a very low price. We have permission to share these sessions until summer 2025. Visit our online store for details.

You can register now for winter retreat

with poetry mentor Art Moore. January 17 – 19 at Villa Madonna. Get back into the swing of things after the busy Christmas rush – last winter’s retreat was a cozy and inspiring time for everyone, and I hope you’ll join us.

A note from Christine Lovelace, WFNB member and Head of UNB’s Archives & Special Collections.

Hello New Brunswick authors and publishers! UNB’s Special Collections (a unit of UNB Libraries), is committed to collecting New Brunswickana, which includes literature written by or about New Brunswickers, or published by New Brunswick businesses.  UNB Archives collects New Brunswick authors’ literary papers and the business papers of New Brunswick publishers. 

 If you think your book or archival papers should be included in the UNB Libraries collections, please send an email to UNB’s Archives & Special Collections at archives@unb.ca. 

You can check to see if we have a copy of your work in our library catalogue.  You can search the UNB Archives' catalogue to see whose papers are located at UNB - Christine Lovelace, UNB Archives and Special Collections

Advertise with us

Remember that if you are not a member, you can still advertise your workshops or other events in Inkspot, for the low price of $15 per monthly edition. Members, of course, can advertise their news and events for free. Contact info@wfnb.ca to place a notice in the next Inkspot, which is published (most of the time!) on the 13th.

Submissions are still open for the NB Book Awards

...until December 1. You’ll find the submission form on our NBBA page. Please send two copies of your book to me before mid-December, when I’ll box them up and mail them to this year’s stellar judges.

That's it for me - I hope to see you at WordsFall, or another event in the near future.

WordWorthy - If you feel safe in the area that you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting -- David Bowie

Welcome New Members

Andrew MacDonald - All we know about Andrew is his pen name - A.D. MacDonald. Welcome, Andrew! :)

Mike Thorn (https://mikethornwrites.com/) is a fiction writer and film critic in Fredericton, NB, where he is also currently a doctoral candidate in the Department of English (Creative Writing). He has published three books and has appeared in many literary publications, particularly in the horror genre. He is interested in the genres of editing, essays, fiction, horror, speculative fiction, freelance writing, and short stories. Welcome, Mike!

Member News

WFNB member (and former president!) Zev Bagel would like to announce the recent launch of his cozy mystery, The Romanian Cleaning Lady, the first in a series of Bright and Breasy Mysteries. The novel is the second publication announced by Merlin Star Press.

The gala launch took place on Oct. 10, and you can purchase his novel at merlinstarpress.com

WFNB member Barb Parker is excited to share that she will be holding her BOOK LAUNCH for her third non-fiction book on October 26, from 2-5:30. The launch party will be held in our social room in her complex on McKnight Street, Fredericton, N.B. Follow Barb on Facebook for more dates of upcoming events.

She is booked for a signing at Partridge Island Publishers, October 23, 2024. (Weather permitting) at the Area 506 container village.

Barb will be at Grand Manan Community Market November 16 and at Immanuel Family Church November 17 with her books.

Finally, she will be at Marysville Heritage Center on November 24 from 1-4.

WFNB member Harold Taylor, owner of TaylorinTime, announces the launch of his new book, MAKING WRITING WORK FOR YOU. Come to the Sussex Regional Library, 46 Magnolia Ave., Sussex, on Thursday, October 24, 2024 (the day before WordsFall!), 2:30 pm to 4 pm. At his free workshop, Harold will explain how writing can promote your business, further your career, provide passive income, improve your physical and mental health and self-esteem, and supplement your income during retirement. At ninety, he is still writing, volunteering, traveling, and enjoying whatever life has to offer. Call 506-432-4585 to register.

WFNB members Jen McGrath and Kelly Cooper are discussing picture books at the AX: The Arts & Culture Centre of Sussex Gallery, Sussex on Thursday, October 24. Check out axartscentre.ca

(Also, the AX Gallery will be the site of many WordsFall events that coming weekend! Kelly will be leading a session on Saturday, October 26 called Foraged and Formed: a workshop inspired by the AX Gallery. She'll be teaching about ekphrasis -- the act of describing a thing in vivid detail. Sign up here.

AWARD PROGRAMS

Announcing Inaugural Toby Awards:A New Prize for Self-Published Mystery Writers

Accepting submissions: September 17 - December 16, 2024

Canadian mystery authors who are self-published now have a new platform to showcase their work with the launch of the Toby Awards. The first of its kind in Canada, the award is open to self-published Canadian authors who have published trade paperbacks in the mystery genre in 2024. 

The 2024 Toby Award winning entry will receive $1,000 worth of printed copies produced by Vimi Corp. of Burlington, ON., to be generously donated to participating libraries. 

The judging panel comprised of authors, journalists, editors and librarians will focus on both the writing quality and originality of the entries. The winner will be announced at the May 2025 Little Branches Rural Roots Library Conference in Perth, Ont.

For more information on how to enter, including submission guidelines, please visit https://tobyaward.wordpress.com/

COMPETITIONS

The High Marsh Press (a micro-press operating at Mount Allison University) is putting out a call for the second annual Deborah Wills Chapbook Competition. It's free to enter, open to anybody who does not yet have a book publication (either trade collection or chapbook), and the winning manuscript will receive $500 and be produced as a limited-edition hand-crafted chapbook.

More information can be found on our website (www.highmarshpress.ca), and I've attached a poster for the competition.

***

The 2025 CBC Short Story Prize is currently open until Nov. 1, 2024. Writers can submit original, unpublished short fiction that is up to 2,500 words (there is no minimum word requirement). The winner will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and have their work published on CBC Books. All the details for the prize will be available here.

2024 Fiddlehead Poetry Contest:

Do you write poetry? Do you want to be published in one of Canada's premier journals? Do you want to win $2000 AND get paid for your publication?! The Fiddlehead's Ralph Gustafson Poetry Contest is open for submissions from now until Monday, December 2! Our judges this year are Meghan Kemp-Gee, D.M. Bradford, and Colleen Coco Collins. Guidelines and information: https://thefiddlehead.ca/contest

Twitter: https://x.com/TheFiddlehd/status/1843666076221222979

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/share/p/qdvgzvqHazoNqPC7/

SPECIAL OFFER TO WFNB MEMBERS!

The Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG) is at the start of a new season of Professional Development events for the remainder of the year and into 2025, as you can see from the list:

https://canadianfreelanceguild.ca/en/page/page-content/calendar-2/

CFG is also offering a new discount code for WFNB members, which can be found in the members-only section of the website. To access the members-only section, log in to the website with your username and password, and click “Members-Only” in the top menu bar of our website.

OPEN MIC!

Sunday, October 20th, 

3:00 - 4:00 pm,

Bill Johnstone Memorial Park Activity Centre, 

70 Main Street, Sackville, NB

The Writers’ Open Mic is a free, monthly event for writers of all ages and genres. Come out and read your poems, short stories, comics, novels, essays, twitter posts, stand-up comedy, etc. Or just come to listen. All are welcome.

A projector will be set up for those with comics or other images or videos they want to share. Files can be brought on a USB or emailed in advance. Accessibility concerns, general questions, and image or video files can be directed to laurawatsonartwork@gmail.com.

CALLS FOR SUBMISSION

Sunspot Lit, Novella-length Fiction and Nonfiction

For a limited time, Sunspot Lit is calling for single works of novella-length fiction or nonfiction in any category, including memoir, literary, genre, and historical. Open October 1 through October 31. Guidelines and submission forms at Submittable: https://sunspotlit.submittable.com/submit or Duotrope: https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/sunspot-literary-journal-LIXJW.

Fiddlehead General submissions:

The Fiddlehead is now open for submissions! The Fiddlehead publishes excellent writing in English, or translations into English, from all over the world and in a variety of styles, including experimental genres. Our editors are accepting new unsolicited works in fiction (including excerpts from novels), creative nonfiction, and poetry until November 30. The Fiddlehead pays $65 per printed page. Submission guidelines: https://thefiddlehead.ca/submit