2:00 pm, ET
11:00 am, PT
***Time zone note: This webinar runs from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET.
Registration: $25 +HST / Free for TWUC members
Every story has characters that readers don’t want to forget. What makes a great character in fiction, nonfiction, and children’s stories? Are there basic differences in creating characters from different writing types and genres? Join our panel of fiction, nonfiction, and children’s writers exploring different ways to create compelling and memorable characters. Our panel will include crime writer N.L. Blandford, memoir and nonfiction author Denise Chong, and best-selling children’s author Paul Coccia. Moderated by writer and podcast host Lauren Best, this webinar runs 60 minutes including a Q&A period.
Members of The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) will have access to a recording of the webinar for a limited time. Non-members will only have access to the live event.
Award-winning crime fighter by day and crime writer by night, N.L. Blandford crafts gripping, high-tension thrillers that captivate readers and play on their emotions. Based outside of Lunenburg, she leverages her unique background to write stories rooted in truth, using fiction to raise vital awareness around complex social issues. When she isn’t leading fearless characters through thrilling journeys, she mentors authors through Novel Bound Consulting, providing the personalized coaching needed to turn creative sparks into published realities. In her downtime, she’s an avid reader and snuggler of two cats, a dog, and her partner.
Denise Chong has published five books of literary nonfiction. They include The Concubine's Children; The Girl in the Picture; and most recently, Out of Darkness, which unravels the cultural, political, and personal circumstances surrounding a domestic assault of a Bangladesh academic which made international headlines. A recipient of the Order of Canada “for writing books that raise our social consciousness,” Denise has been a writer in residence at the University of Calgary, has mentored BIPOC writers for The Writers’ Union of Canada, and often gives talks about working with the tool of memory and about looking at a story through the lens of the nonfiction writer.
Self-proclaimed author of Glitterature, Paul Coccia writes primarily for young readers of all ages (although sometimes adult readers sneak in), with titles including Recommended Reading and The Bear Fairy. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and is often found baking in his Toronto kitchen with his nephew, dogs, and parrot who loves French fries.
Lauren Best is a writer, musician, and creative instigator based in Owen Sound, Ontario. Her work moves between poetry, performance, music, sound, and participatory experiences, bridging connections between forms. She is the author of Just (2023) and has a publishing practice that includes poetry, recorded work, and podcasting. Lauren served as Owen Sound’s Poet Laureate from 2017 to 2019. She loves bringing people, ideas, and creative possibilities into conversation while facilitating, collaborating, and creating solo.
This event is generously supported by Access Copyright Foundation.
