Events & Workshops

Please ensure you are logged in as a member to access the member rate for the session.
If this workshop is sold out, please email swgevents@skwriter.com to be placed on the waitlist.

 

Please note all times listed are Saskatchewan time. Find your time zone here: https://dateful.com/time-zone-converter

This event will not be live-streamed or recorded.

Workshop registration refund policy:

Please be certain you will be able to attend before you register. Registered participants must promptly email the SWG staff person responsible for the event (Cat Abenstein, Program Manager, swgevents@skwriter.com) to cancel their registration. Otherwise, no refunds will be issued.

• A full refund is available if you cancel your registration one week prior to the start of the workshop (by 11:59 p.m. on December 4, 2024)
• A 50% refund is available if you cancel your registration less than one week and more than 48 hours before the workshop. (For cancellations between December 5 and 10 at 11:59 p.m. SK time)
• There is no refund for registrations cancelled within 48 hours of the workshop or no-shows. (Beginning at midnight on December 11)
• If you would like to donate your registration fee to the SWG’s accessibility fund so others can attend events like this in the future, please let us know in your email.

Accessibility Measures in this workshop

• Live auto-captions through Zoom
• Presenter self-descriptions
• Limited Zoom technical support is provided by SWG staff to assist participants while they’re in the Zoom meeting.

To help you prepare, here are the expectations for participants in this workshop:

• Camera required workshop (participants are asked to be on camera if possible.)
• Participant discussion is appreciated in the second hour of the workshop.
• Participants are not expected to share writing during the workshop with the group, but they can reference their work as an illustration of a problem or an inspiration.
• There is no participation expectation in this workshop – participants can engage as much or as little as possible.

The Art of Characterization with Gail Bowen

Virginia Woolf wrote "I dig beautiful caves behind my characters.  I think that gives exactly what I want: humanity, humour, depth.  The idea is that the caves shall connect & each comes to daylight at the present moment." 

This workshop will explore methods by which you can create major characters with backstories that will engage readers' interest and stay in their minds forever.  Every secondary character must earn their right to play a role in your novel.  We will discuss how to use secondary characters most effectively.

Workshop Facilitator

Gail Bowen is known best for her Joanne Kilbourn Shreve mystery series.  The Solitary Friend is the twenty-third novel in the series. Bowen has written four Rapid Reads novellas in the Charlie Dowhanuik series. As well, Bowen wrote Sleuth, a text to guide emerging mystery writers as they produce publisher-ready manuscripts.  Bowen has written four plays that have been produced across Canada.  Bowen lives in Regina with her husband, Ted and cat, Ollie.

Funding by:

               

In partnership with: