CNFC MONTHLY WEBINARS

 

All sessions are free for members. If your membership is expired or you wish to become part of our community, you can renew or join us HERE.

The Creative Nonfiction Collective Society (CNFC) is a national organization for Canadian literary nonfiction writers that educates, supports, develops and promotes the CNF genre.

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Upcoming Webinars

 

Writing Risk In Memoir

Friday, February 7th, 2025 at 11:00am mountain/1:00pm eastern

Join CNFC Executive Director Heidi Klaassen for an intimate conversation with authors Ruby Swanson, Donna Besel and Dr. Mandi Gray about the risks we take when we write about our lives. Learn about three separate journeys navigating post-publication issues—like having books banned or killed, or being sued for writing your truth. What have these authors learned about risk, rights and writing true stories? And what can be gained from being vulnerable in our storytelling?

PLEASE NOTE: The information contained within this webinar is not intended to provide legal advice. Please seek professional legal counsel for matters related to writing nonfiction.

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Donna Besel loves writing of all kinds, and does presentations for schools, libraries, universities, conferences, and retreats. Her work has gained recognition from CBC Literary Awards (three times), won national contests, and appeared in literary journals, magazines, and anthologies. Both of her books, a short story collection and a memoir, have been bestsellers.In 2021, Manitoba Arts Council awarded her their Rural Recognition Prize to acknowledge her writing career and recognize her volunteer work to promote the arts. For five years, along with author Lauren Carter, she has organized and hosted “Wild Writing in the Boreal,” an annual retreat for women writers. The forests of Eastern Manitoba, where she has always lived, provide endless ideas and settings for her “boreal stories.”

Dr. Mandi Gray is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, Criminology Program at Trent University, and an anti-violence activist. She is regularly featured in Canadian media on issues pertaining to sexual violence, including in the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Toronto Life, and on the CBC. She is also the co-host of Diva Voce, a podcast that explores all things law, gender, and pop culture. Visit her websitewww.mandigray.com for more information.

Ruby Remenda Swanson was born and raised in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. She has worked in public broadcasting at the CBC, and at the Children’s Television Workshop in New York City. Ruby has travelled to Ukraine six times. Twice in 2016 she met with Ukrainian LGBTQ activists and parent allies and presented sessions in Kyiv at the 2nd International Conference of Parents who have LBGTQI children. The translated version of her book, A Family Outing,was launched in 2019 at Kyiv Pride in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ruby was recognized by the University of Alberta Office of Safe Disclosure and Human Rights for her work to promote the rights of the LGBTQ community across campus. She was General Manager of the University of Alberta Botanic Garden and was a long-time director of PFLAG Edmonton. In the fall of 2023 Ruby was banned from presenting her book at her hometown high school in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Ruby lives in Edmonton with her husband.

 

Past Webinars

Friday, December 13th at 11:00am mountain/1:00pm eastern – Member Readings

Celebrating the achievements of CNFC members who had work published over the past year! Readers include Adelle Purdham, Eve Krakow, Dr. Margaret Nowaczyk, Angus MacCaull, Margaret Lynch, Doley Henderson, Nancy O’Rourke, Genia Blum, Jessica Payne, and Heidi Klaassen.

Friday, November 22nd, 2024 at 1:00pm EST  – Promotion Practices For Writers
with Carolina Ortiz, Tim Blackett, and Hollay Ghadery

Curious about BookTok? Wondering how to get attention for your book in today’s media? Join us at our November webinar when we will have three specialists in book publicity. Carolina Ortiz, Marketing Coordinator of NeWest Press, Holllay Ghadery, founder of a Canadian book PR firm that specializes in amplifying smaller press titles and Tim Blackett, TikTok influencer, will all be on the panel sharing with us best practices for promoting our work.

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024 at 1:00pm EST  – The Evolution of Creative Nonfiction: What is CNF Today?
with Bonny Reichert, Kim Pittaway, and Dean Jobb

Kim Pittaway, director of the creative nonfiction cohort at the University of King’s College MFA program, historical true crime author Dean Jobb, and memoirist Bonny Reichert explore the vast spectrum of creative nonfiction and how the genre’s definition has evolved.

Friday, Sept. 27th 2024 at 1:00pm EST  – Creating Atmosphere: Writing the Senses
with Jessica Payne and Jane Silcott

Every work of literature has an atmosphere. More than mood or tone, atmosphere is the overall feeling a text evokes. It can be a shimmery thing, an aliveness, that we can’t quite pin down. But if we look closely, we’ll see it in sounds and images, a clash of consonants, a slow-moving river of long, languid sentences, and the rat-a-tat-tat of short, sharp ones. A strong atmosphere often occurs when the setting and narrative are deeply involved with one another. The reader feels the world, not because the emotion is named but because there’s a current running through the writing that ties character to story, to voice, to setting. All of it in the same atmosphere. Rain or sun.

Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 1:00pm EST – CNFC-Humber Literary Review Creative Nonfiction Contest

Readings from the shortlisted writers and the announcement of our winners by contest judge, Lisa Bird-Wilson.

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 1:00pm EST  – Lighten the F@ck Up: 7 tips to make your creative nonfiction funnier, with Amy Fish

As creative non-fiction writers, our writing tends to tackle difficult topics including but not limited to childhood trauma, illness, death, assaults and violence of all types. Our stories are important but can be difficult to read. How do we give our readers a break? Join me in this workshop where we will discuss 7 practical tips for lightening up some of the darkness.

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 1:00pm EST – The Modern Writer’s Tech Toolbox, with Omar Mouallem

Omar Mouallem cracks open his toolbox to demo the latest gadgets, software and phone apps designed to make 21st Century writing more efficient. He’ll introduce you to prose-polishing A.I., intricate story timeline/plotting software, word processors designed for managing huge projects, and distraction-killing apps to keep your butt in your seat. He’s also give advice on optimizing basic tools like spreadsheets and maps to organize bounties of research and demo some of the scary ways that Chat GPT might help you.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 1:00pm EST – Self-Care For Writers: In The Courage Room with Karen Connelly

In Self-Care for Writers, The Courage Room facilitator and writer Karen Connelly will lead us on an inspired, challenging and creative exploration into the meaning and practice of ‘self-care.’ How do we “take care” of ourselves as writers? Is ‘self-care’ the same or different for creative people as it is for anyone else? Is ‘self-care’ a form of indulgence? How can we assuage some of the more intense and painful emotions that writing might stir up for us, especially after we’ve finished writing?

Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 1:30pm EST – Member Readings

Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 1:30pm EST – “Scoring and Reciprocity: Deepening our Reader’s Engagement” with Betsy Warland.

The purpose of this workshop is to learn how to assess pacing, or scoring in your own writing. Betsy leads us through scoring our own texts with questions like: Are the sentences/poetic lines essentially all the same length? Are the dramatic and evocative strategies too similar, even predictable?

Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 1:30pm EST – “In Conversation with Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii) and Andrew Stobo Sniderman: Craft, Collaboration, and Reconciliation”

The authors of Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, A White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation talk about how they collaborated on this highly-acclaimed bestseller.

Saturday April 22, 2023 at 1:30 pm EST – “The Joys (and) Challenges of Children’s Nonfiction“

Wanda Taylor and Nimbus Books editor and author, Whitney Moran, discuss the joys (and) challenges of writing and publishing children’s nonfiction books.

Saturday February 25, 2023 at 1:30 pm EST – “The Art of Deeply Researched Nonfiction Science Writing“

Gregor Craigie, Krista Lamb, and Dan Werb in a discussion on the art of deeply researched nonfiction science writing.

January 21, 2023 at 1:30 pm EST – “Ukrainian Canadian Writers in a Time of War”

Myrna Kostash in conversation with Ruby Swanson and Lianna Makuch.

Saturday December 10, 2022, 1:30 pm EST – Member Readings

Join writer and CNFC vice-president Chris Moore for our annual Member Reading event, featuring CNFC members Tim Christian, Rowan McCandless, Myrna Kostash, Bruno Cocorocchio, Kimberly Fraser, Sunita Devi Alves, Pat Butler, and Miriam Edelson reading excerpts from their newly-released books.

Saturday, November 12, 2022, 1:30pm EST – “Survival Stories”

From pandemic narratives to stories of overcoming family trauma, creative nonfiction offers writers a nuanced way to tell detailed accounts of survival. Jenna Butler looks at narratives of surviving and thriving in connection with the land through her Governor General’s shortlisted book, Revery: A Year of Bees.

Saturday, October 1, 2022, 1:30 pm EST – “What’s Wrong with History and Biography?” 

Charlotte Gray asks Ken Whyte (publisher, Sutherland House) and Dan Wells (publisher, Biblioasis) about the state of “researched nonfiction” in Canada.

Saturday, April 9, 2022, 1:30 pm EST – How to become a CNFC Nonfiction Contest Winner with Becky Blake and Margaret Nowaczyk

Contests are a terrific way to share your words and promote your writing. Join us for a lively discussion with past CNFC nonfiction contest winners who will share their craft tips and contest submission approaches.

Saturday March 12, 2022, 1:30 pm EST – Earth’s Intelligence: Three Nature Writers on Writing, Wonder and Wilderness with Camille Dungy, Harry Thurston, and John Vaillant (moderated by Rachel Rose)

We gratefully acknowledge support of this webinar from the University of King’s College Halifax.

Wednesday January 12, 2022: How to Write Winning Applications for Writer Residencies and Grants – Elizabeth Philips and Andrew Steinmetz 

Everyone struggles with those intimidating application forms for grants and programs that can make all the difference in our writing projects. This session will demystify the process of applying for writer residencies and supporting your writing with Canada Arts Council grants.

December 11, 2021: Members’ Reading Event with Moderator Lesley Buxton

Join us  for the annual Members’ Book Launch Webinar, featuring CNFC members reading a short excerpt from their newly-released books. Listen to readings from fellow CNF writers with the chance to win a copy of their book!

November 13, 2021: Writing Partnerships: Find Your Perfect Match – Cooper Lee Bombardier, Moira Dann, and Fiona Tinwei Lam

Join us for a fascinating discussion of how writers work together, from one-on-one writing partnerships to writing groups to formal mentoring. Whether you’re looking to consult, collaborate or critique, find the model that works best for you by understanding the accountability, boundaries, and trust involved in these types of partnerships.

October 2, 2021: From Hermit Crabs to Talking Skeletons: Playing with Form in CNF – Darryl Whetter

Where formal innovation in contemporary English-language fiction is rare, CNF offers a vibrant subset of formal innovations in which, for example, your creative prose can engage in a dialogue with found or curated text, from family letters to legislation to medical documentation to how-to writing and more. Novelist, poet, journalist and memoirist Professor Darryl Whetter will present a workshop which introduces numerous examples and opportunities for you to splice other texts into your own while discovering new modes of creativity and new opportunities for making nonfiction creative.

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March 20, 2021:  The Art of the Interview: Great interviews make great stories – Denise Ryan

Award winning essayist, feature writer and news reporter Denise Ryan will share her experiences, trade secrets and tips. Formatted as a dynamic interview and networking session where you ask the questions, this is an opportunity to ask what you’ve always wanted to know about how to get the interview, get informed consent, establish rapport, overcome hostility, work with a trauma-informed ethic, get past scripted answers and craft story-based lines of inquiry.

February 20, 2021:  Body & Soul: Writing About Spirituality – Susan Scott

Are there ways to write authentically and convincingly about a topic that makes some readers flinch? Spiritual memoirs can be off-putting; but if done well, they can unify the personal and cultural, the ineffable and embodied. Spiritual memoirs can help writers frame complex topics, from intergenerational trauma and explosive family secrets to experiments in shunning, skirting or switching faiths. Using lively discussion and writing prompts, we will examine how to craft an honest spiritual memoir that challenges convenient stereotypes and the confines of convention.

January 23, 2021: Writing About  Mental Health – Eufemia Fantetti and Lenore Rowntree

This craft-focused workshop will act as a model for writing about difficult topics, using mental health as an example. This webinar includes generative writing prompts, so come prepared to do some writing. The session will also be interactive with private breakout discussion groups. Participants can expect to receive a list of recommended readings at the end of the workshop.

December 5, 2020: CNFC Member Book Launch with host Betsy Warland

Esteemed Vancouver writer and one of CNFC’s founders Betsy Warland hosted the Member Book Launch Zoom Event, featuring CNFC members Joan Boxall, Kate Braid, Beth Kaplan, and Janet Love Morrison reading a short excerpt from their newly-released books.

November 19, 2020: Finding the Story – Ian Brown

This workshop will guide you to finding the story worth telling, then digging deeper, finding the actual best story within that story, and hewing to it, despite being terrified of same.