The Writing Life, Powning Style
written by Marilyn Lerch; photography by Deborah Carr
Recently I attended a unique workshop during the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick’s WordsFall in Sussex. In all the many years attending informative workshops, this one brought another dimension of meaning.
Ten of us were welcomed into the home of Beth Powning, one of New Brunswick’s most well-known and beloved authors. Powning was the recipient in 2017 of the first-ever New Brunswick Book Awards for Fiction for her new novel, “A Measure of Light”.
Read More»WordSpring 2017: Finding your Voice
WordSpring is here! Well, it will be – May 26 – 28 at the Hilton Saint John.
This year, our theme is Finding Your Voice.
Friday afternoon starts with a Meet & Greet at York Bistro & Pub in the Hilton. We offered this at WordsFall in Shediac and it was a wonderful warm-up to the weekend. If you’re new to WFNB or if you haven’t attended one of our events, come Friday and meet the writers and presenters you’ll be rubbing shoulders with in the workshops.
Read More»WordSpring is fast approaching
Today is May 1, the traditional time of spring renewal. That means only 26 more sleeps until WFNB’s own spring festival, WordSpring 2016. The event takes place on May 27-29 at Miramichi City. And it promises to be a blast!
At WordSpring 2016, you can renew your writing dreams, whether you want to self-publish your work, boost your dialogue-writing skills, create your own website – or just see old friends.
Read More»Warming up with A Winter’s Tale
A three-inch binder sits on the shelf above my writing desk, stuffed full of hopeful notes on different aspects of grammar, poetry, writing for the screen, writing for children, young adult , romance and historical novels. My inspiration wall keeps inspirational snippets collected from here and there in safekeeping. Most of these wise nuggets were all gleaned from ten years’ worth of attendance at weekend writing workshops, squeezed in between all the busiest parts of my life.
I admit it: I’m a workshop junkie.
Read More»Write on! Workshop
Write On! A creative writing workshop to kickstart your imagination, and get you on the ‘write’ track.
To paraphrase Ruth, one of the great characters in Louise Penny’s newest book, “The Long Way Home”, a poem begins as a lump in the throat. I think the same can be said for all good writing. Which begs the question…
What is stuck inside of you that needs expressing through your pen?
Read More»WordTravels in Rexton and Sussex
Katherena Vermette, winner of the 2013 Governor General Award for Poetry, arrived to sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures for November. This allowed for relatively easy touring between Rexton and Sussex, with detours to Belleisle and Elsipogtog.
At Elsipogtog School, Katherena read from her collection, North End Love Songs. Students from Gr. 3-8 had many questions for Katherena about her family, her poems and her home, the North End of Winnipeg. Then it was off to Rexton where she read with Miramichi writer, Elizabeth Copeland, and several local authors.
The WFNB thanks Jason Lawson, our regional representative for that area, for organizing the event.
Katherena’s time in Sussex began with a reading at Dawn’s Café, with poet Allan Cooper and other local authors. The evening was intimate and open, and set the tone for Katherena’s workshop the following day. The workshop, called Finding Genre, was delivered to almost twenty people.
Participants ran the writing gamut – poets, fiction and creative non-fiction authors, playwrights, screen and journal writers; you name it, they were there. The WFNB thanks our regional representative, Janie Simpson, Rosalyn Hyslop and Kelly Cooper for helping to promote and deliver this event.
Katherena’s workshop in Sussex was a combination of writing exercises and discussion about genre. Her approach encouraged an openness to move between the various types of writing. The snow fell in big flakes for Katherena’s last afternoon in New Brunswick, a sharp contrast to the sunshine that brought her here.
Thanks to all who braved the weather and drove the distance to attend a workshop delivered by one of the top writers in the country.
WordTravels was the brainchild of Board Member, Kelly Cooper, who inspired us all with her vision. We thank her for taking this outreach initiative from concept to reality.
