Writing is stereotyped as a solitary hobby. The default image of a writer is an individual sitting at a desk, typing for hours every day. In many ways, it is true – writers do spend plenty of time writing and editing manuscripts.
Working alone makes improving your craft difficult. You cannot get feedback on your work or understand how other authors are innovating in your field. This is where courses and conferences come in.
Courses
Courses are a useful way to develop your writing skills. Some courses are focused on specific writing skills, while others are more general. They can last from a one-day intensive to year-long programs.
Colleen McCubbin interviewed Marcia Laycock about her summer courses (camps) with Siretona.
Conferences
Conferences are another great way to work with others. At conferences, there are workshops with experts in your genre, meetings with industry professionals, feedback workshops, updates on industry trends, and writing exercise sessions.
Some of these are general, like the When Words Collide conference in Calgary each August. (They have a great YouTube channel of replays from past conferences.)
Other conferences target a more specific type of writer, like the Inscribe Christian Writers Conference.
Working with other authors can help you develop your craft. Your language choices will become more vivid, your scenes will become sharper, and your messages will be clearer.
Camps
We are hosting two weeklong online writing camps in August.
Poetry Camp: Dwell in Possibility
Four day writing camp: Mon, August 12 - Thu, August 15
Why write poetry?
Because every writer needs to sharpen the skill of concise writing.
What we will do:
Write a poem a day, taking into account the specific skills taught.
Each poem will be critiqued by award-winning writer, Marcia Lee Laycock
What we will learn:
How to use the elements of good poetry: concrete imagery, interior rhyme, alliteration, repetition and others.
We will investigate traditional and modern forms, looking at examples of good poetry.
How we will do it:
Daily Teaching in-person with Marcia + PDF download. Replays to follow.
Daily Exercises:
Write at least one poem per day
Submit one poem each day for Marcia to critique
Marcia's Picks
Marcia will choose one poem per person
We will publish the poems on the Siretona blog.
We will include one relevant link per person if desired (blog, website, social media profile, etc.
We will also publish or promote the poems on Siretona's social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, The Book Hatchery community)
We will mention the poems in Siretona's newsletters
REGISTRATION BONUS: PDF download of Marcia's book writer's journal Abundant Rain, volume 2.
Register online at this link.
Fiction Camp: Flash Fiction
Five-day writing camp: Mon, August 19 - Fri, August 23
What we will do:
Write a story a day, using all the necessary elements of short story writing, starting with the highest word count (1000 words) and moving on to shorter and shorter stories.
Each story will be critiqued by award-winning writer, Marcia Lee Laycock.
What we will learn:
Practice the elements of a good piece of fiction – show don’t tell, using devices like metaphor and simile, honing the emotional punch.
Develop the valuable skill of making every word count. Every word must move the story forward. Practicing this skill will help you hone your writing no matter what genre you are working in.
How we will do it:
Daily Teaching in-person with Marcia + PDF download. Replays to follow.
Daily Exercises:
Write at least one story per day
Submit one story each day for Marcia to critique
Marcia's Picks
Marcia will choose one story per person.
We will publish them on the Siretona blog.
We will include one relevant link per person if desired (blog, website, social media profile, etc.)
We will publish or promote them on Siretona's social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, The Book Hatchery)
We will mention them in Siretona's newsletters
REGISTRATION BONUS: PDF download of Marcia's book writer's journal Abundant Rain, volume 2
Register at this link.
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