Dave Wickenden has spent time in the Canadian Armed Forces before the Fire Service, so is as comfortable with a rocket launcher as a fire hose. He has brought six people back from the dead utilizing CPR and a defibrillator, and has helped rescue people in crisis. He has learnt to lead men and women in extreme environments. He loves to cook, read and draw and write. Dave ran his own home-based custom art business, creating highly detailed wood and paper burnings called pyrography. One of his pictures of former Prime Minister Jean Chretien graces the walls of Rideau Hall in Ottawa. After 31 years in the Fire Service and attaining the rank of Deputy Fire Chief, Dave retired to write thriller novels full time. He is a member of the Writer’s Union of Canada, the International Thriller Association, and the International Screenwriter Association. His works consist of IN DEFENSE OF INNOCENCE, 2018, HOMEGROWN 2018, and DEADLY HARVEST 2019, MAD DOG 2020 through Black Rose Writing, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE 2020, THE HOME FRONT 2022, and THE ORIGAMI DECEPTION 2024. He has adapted five of his manuscripts into feature screenplays. Currently, Dave offers Professional Beta Reading Services and is working on his seventh political thriller.
I discuss my writer's life, habits, processes and how to overcome obstacles. Writing is not just writing down your story. It is planning, character development, setting, plot, story arc, genre and a hundred other details that, when pulled together, create a complete story. I discuss these and many more.
I discuss the publish routes I have travelled; traditional and self-publishing. I examine both the good and the bad for both routes, and answer any questions.
Workshops can deal with any of the writing subjects, such as character development, setting, plot, story arc, publishing routes, marketing, and obstacles and solutions that writers must consider. Each topic is a workshop on its own.
I can explain my writing process to students or outline the publishing process. Happy to work with teachers to bring authentic information to educate and motivate young writers.
