Packaging Your Imagination
A day of workshops for those interested in writing, illustrating or performing for children
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Registration: 8:15 am
Workshop location: Victoria College
University of Toronto
73 Queen's Park Cres. East
Toronto, Ontario
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Packaging Your Imagination, now in its 27th year, is a day of workshops covering the three main areas of CANSCAIP’s interests—writing, illustrating and performing—conducted by professionals successful in their fields.
New this year:
- Master-level sessions: Intended for established writers and illustrators—as well as a session for Beginners. All others sessions are at the Intermediate level.
- Pitch Perfect Manuscript/Portfolio Critiquing Sessions: Whether you’re an established professional, a novice or an interested onlooker, our presenters will stimulate and inspire you to new challenges.
Choose three workshops in your special area of interest, then join with the whole group for an inspirational talk from renowned author Kathy Stinson.
Lunch will be provided for all. See details on the registration coupon.
Books will be available for sale throughout the day. Join us at 4:30 for book signings by the presenters.
The fee is $155.00, which includes the Welcome address, three sessions, morning coffee, lunch and the Keynote addresses.
Refund Policy: Cancellation fee is $35.00 before Oct. 15th. No refund after Oct. 15th.
For more information, please email office@canscaip.org or call (416) 515-1559.
Choose three workshops in your special area of interest, and then join with the whole group for an inspirational talk from renowned author/illustrator Kathy Stinson.
REGISTRATION
8:15 a.m.
WELCOME ADDRESS
Sarah Ellis 9 a.m.
WORKSHOPS
Group A: 9:30 – 10:45 Choose one of 1, 2, 3, 4
1. Mahtab Narsimhan
Nuts ‘n Bolts of Publishing for Beginners
Have you spent far too long on the outside, looking in? Mahtab describes her journey to publication—mistakes, victories and all—and provides tips and tools to build your writing career. This workshop contains painful subject matter. Audience discretion is advised.
2. Sarah Ellis
The Nitty-Gritty About Style
Master Class For Writers
As fiction writers, our stock-in-trade is pretending. Let’s apply those pretending skills to our own writing styles. Sarah will provide delicious examples from contemporary master children’s/young-adult writers and then we’ll pretend to be them. Bring along a work-in-progress.
3. Jim Zubkavich
3. Graphically Speaking: Graphic Novel Creation for Artists and Writers
Learn how the graphic novel combines elements of art and prose to achieve unique storytelling results that neither format could do on its own. Both artists and writers will find useful tips and strategies on form and formatting.
4. Catherine Rondina
Six Degrees of Separation: Making Connections Through Non-Fiction Writing
Just how connected are you? Could non-fiction writing be your springboard into the children’s writing market? This workshop is designed to help writers explore the opportunities that creative non-fiction can hold.
Group B: 11:00 – 12:15 Choose one of 5, 6, 7, 8
5. Frieda Wishinsky
Dig Deep, Write Short: Crafting a Picture Book
How do you craft a picture book so it’s fresh, riveting and publishable in a tough market? Join Frieda for an in-depth look at picture books and how to focus, tighten and polish your own.
6. Caroline Pignat
Writing Hearty Historical Fiction
Writing historical fiction is like making stew. Do your characters need beefing up? Is your setting thin, rich or clotted with trivia? Does your plot have juicy tidbits? Enough spice? Diction, details, research—learn the recipe for writing hearty historical fiction.
7. Bill Slavin
Building Character: The Illustrator’s Role in Character Development
Bill will examine the role that illustration plays in character development and how he works to communicate narrative in expression and body language while getting to the essence of a story with honesty and humour.
8. Hélène Boudreau
Online Book Marketing
Twitter, Facebook, websites, blogs: social media isn’t just for poking friends or posting pictures of your cat. It’s also a powerful way to connect with potential readers and the book industry at large. A click-by-click guide to effective social networking.
Group C: 1:45 – 3:00 p.m Choose one of 9, 10, 11, 12
9. Kevin Sylvester
How to Kill Someone in 300 Pages (or Less) and Get Away with It!
Kevin will provide some of his own insights and experiences in terms of how to write a compelling middle-grade mystery novel. Come learn from his mistakes.
10. Kelley Armstrong
Young at Heart: Writing for Teens
YA is one of the fastest growing subgenres, yet there’s a lot of misinformation about writing for teens. This workshop will demystify YA and give you all the tips you need to help recapture your inner teen and captivate teen readers.
11. Ruth Ohi
Knocking on Wood: Ow! My Head Hurts
Master Class For Illustrators
Ruth shares career, presentation and artistic-approach decisions as well as how technology has helped and hindered. This session is for those whose passion for pictures equals their need for steamy, hot beverages. Contact Ruth at www.RuthOhi.com for topics you’d like covered.
12. Gail Winskill and Ali McDonald
Make Your Submission Shine
Editor Gail Winskill and agent Ali McDonald reveal what’s hot and what’s not, how to pitch, and query letter dos and don’ts, as well as providing first-page critiques for anonymous submissions. Submit your first page, including genre, to canscaipfirstpage@gmail.com by October 1.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: 3:15 p.m.
Kathy Stinson
An Intimate Examination of Sock Fluff
NEW! Pitch Perfect!
Manuscript/Portfolio Critiques
$40 Additional Fee
Get a one-paragraph pitch plus 1000 words critiqued by an agent or editor in a ten-minute private session. Or get five portfolio pieces critiqued by an art director. Space is limited.
- Manuscript Critiques: You will receive a one-paragraph critique letter, plus an appointment for a ten-minute, one-on-one session with either editor Gail Winskill or agent Ali McDonald. (We regret that participants may not specify a preference.) One-paragraph pitches and 1000 words must be emailed to canscaipcritique@gmail.com by September 1, 2011. Submissions should include: name, email, phone and genre.
- Portfolio Critiques: You will receive a ten-minute, one-on-one critique of five portfolio pieces with art director Andrea Casault. Please bring your illustrations to your session.
Attendees will receive an appointment between 4:15 and 6:15 p.m. Please do not sign up for Pitch Perfect if you will not be available during those times. Spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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A Bargain You Shouldn’t Miss
Keep growing as a writer or illustrator. Expand on what you learn from our exciting lineup of workshops.
How? By joining CANSCAIP as a Friend.
As a Friend you receive our quarterly newsletter, The CANSCAIP News, featuring profiles of our professional members explaining how they practice their craft, up-to-date marketing information and cross-country news about what’s happening in the children's literature community.
Also—On our website, you have access by password to a Members/Friends-only section that includes useful and informative articles plus a Critique Exchange.
As a first-time Friend, join at the one-time bargain fee of $35 (ordinarily $45) when you send your application with your registration form.
WORKSHOP LEADERS
Mahtab Narsimhan is the author of The Tara Trilogy and winner of the Silver Birch Fiction Award 2009 for her debut novel, The Third Eye. Her latest novel is The Tiffin.
Sarah Ellis is a Vancouver writer, reviewer and college teacher. Her books have won the Governor-General’s Award and the TD Canadian Children’s Book of the Year award. Her latest publication is That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton.
Jim Zubkavich is a Professor of Animation at Seneca and has worked in the comic-book industry for ten years on titles including The Makeshift Miracle, Street Fighter Legends and his latest, Skullkickers, an action-comedy series about two bumbling monster hunters.
Catherine Rondina is a writer, researcher, writing instructor and speaker, who has published over 1,700 articles and nine books in six different languages. Her latest book is Don’t Touch That Toad and Other Strange Things Adults Tell You.
Frieda Wishinsky is the author of over 50 books. Her picture books have won many awards and received excellent reviews from the CBC Book Panel and international media. Her latest picture books are Where Are You, Bear? and The Queen’s Secret.
Caroline Pignat is the Governor-General’s Award winning author of the highly acclaimed novels Egghead, Greener Grass, Wild Geese and the newly released Timber Wolf. Her freelance work appears in numerous publications for children, teens and adults.
Bill Slavin has illustrated over 70 award-winning books for children. His titles include the Stanley series by Linda Bailey, Transformed—How Everyday Things are Made, and recently, Big City Otto, a graphic novel that he wrote and illustrated.
Hélène Boudreau has written several fiction and non-fiction books for young people including Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings; a tween novel about a plus-sized, aquaphobic teen with mermaid tendencies. Acadian Star was nominated for the 2009/2010 Hackmatack Award.
Kevin Sylvester is the author and illustrator of several books, including the mystery series The Neil Flambe Capers, which began as a CBC radio play. Neil Flambe and the Aztec Abduction was nominated for the Silver Birch Award for fiction.
Kelley Armstrong is the New York Times #1 bestselling author of the Darkest Powers YA urban fantasy trilogy, the Women of the Otherworld paranormal suspense series and the Nadia Stafford crime series.
Ruth Ohi has illustrated 50 books, 10 of which she wrote. They’ve been nominated for almost every major award, including the Governor-General’s Award. Her latest book, Chicken, Pig, Cow Horse Around is on Toronto Public Library’s “First & Best” list.
Gail Winskill has worked for Scholastic Canada, Penguin Canada, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, and Cormorant Books, where she launched Dancing Cat Books. Children’s book publishing has always been at the heart of her career.
Ali McDonald has been an associate agent specializing in children’s literature at The Rights Factory since 2009. She is currently expanding her list of talented authors and welcomes submissions of all kinds.
PITCH PERFECT
Andrea Casault has been the Art Director for Scholastic Canada since 1990. She graduated in 1985 from Seneca College with a degree in Graphic Design.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Kathy Stinson is the renowned author of more than 30 titles for children, including picture books, young adult novels, historical fiction, horror, short stories, biography, and other non-fiction. Her triumphs include the classic picture book Red Is Best as well as her recent non-fiction title Highway of Heroes, which was nominated for the Ontario Library Association's 2012 Silver Birch Award. Kathy is also a dedicated workshop leader, working with writers in Liberia as well as in every province and territory of Canada.
