What do the objects that surround us say about who we are? How do the places we move through shape us? What do the things we notice about our surroundings reveal about our  emotional landscape? In this 3-hour generative fiction workshop, we will explore setting as a tool for character development. The parts of town a character moves through and how they perceive it can tell us a lot about their socio-economic background. The way they choose to decorate their house can reveal things about their religious and political beliefs. The things they notice about the natural world can give us insight into their emotional interiority. This workshop will begin with a discussion of craft, which will explore the relationship between setting and character development. We will then move into a series of timed writing exercises, where participants will be provided with prompts to help apply concepts discussed in the workshop to their own writing practice. Participants will have an opportunity to share what they’ve written with the group.

Date: Saturday, July 25

Time: 1 - 4 p.m.

Registration fee: $35 plus GST for non-members ($36.75) and $30 plus GST ($31.50) for members.

Location: McLoughlin Gardens, 814 Tasman Road, Merville, BC

The workshop will either be held in the studio adjacent to the cottage at McLoughlin Gardens or on the grassy lawn on the north side of the house. Since the park is pedestrian-access only, participants are asked to park near the gate and walk down the hill. However, if mobility is an issue, let us know if you will need to drive down, or we will arrange to bring you to the site.

Registration is limited, so please sign up early!

Like real people, complex characters have conflicting beliefs, motivations, and desires. These contradictions create depth and dynamism, they are the sparks that bring characters to life. This three-hour, generative fiction workshop will focus on how to illuminate internal tensions in order to create a convincing character. Just like us, complex characters reveal and conceal different parts of themselves in different situations. Exploring subtle shifts in a character’s behaviour is an opportunity to shed light on what they believe to be desirable traits and what they find shameful. We will think about how power dynamics influence what a character hides or makes visible about themselves.
The workshop will begin with a brief discussion of craft, where we will explore tools for bringing a character’s multiplicity to the page. Then we will move into timed writing exercises, where participants will be provided with prompts to apply concepts from the discussion to their own writing. Participants will have an opportunity to share what they’ve written with the group.

 Date: Saturday, July 18

Time: 1 - 4 p.m.

Registration fee: $35 plus GST for non-members ($36.75) and $30 plus GST ($31.50) for members.

Location: McLoughlin Gardens, 814 Tasman Road, Merville, BC

The workshop will either be held in the studio adjacent to the cottage at McLoughlin Gardens or on the grassy lawn on the north side of the house. Since the park is pedestrian-access only, participants are asked to park near the gate and walk down the hill. However, if mobility is an issue, let us know if you will need to drive down, or we will arrange to bring you to the site.

Registration is limited, so please sign up early!

Join us for a fun and creative morning exploring the art of leaf printing. This is a truly accessible art form that anyone can do. Leaf prints can be used to create cards and stationary or to create a record of different plant species. Participants can bring some leaves to print (kept flat in a plastic bag) or collect a few of the amazing variety of leaves available in the gardens and surrounding forest. Space is limited to 12 participants. Children are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult. Please bring $10 for each participant to cover materials provided.

Registration fee: $40 (+ GST) non-members, $30 (GST) members.

It’s a myth that scenes get written fully formed. Quite often, writing a scene involves more of a layered approach. This ensures all elements of a scene are included, which in turn helps immerse our readers in the fictional dream.
In this workshop we will do several hands-on exercises to explore:
- how to write dialogue to enhance conflict
- telling versus showing
- the importance of setting and sensory detail
- beats, and how to avoid generic gesture
- how to start and end a scene
- the importance of POV and how character changes everything
- filtering phrases and why you don’t need them
Come prepared to write—and maybe even do some improv!

Michelle Barker is an award-winning author and a senior editor with The Darling Axe. Her most recent publication, co-authored with David Brown, is Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling. Her YA historical novel My Long List of Impossible Things (Annick Press) was a Junior Library Guild gold standard selection. Michelle holds an MFA in creative writing from UBC and lives in Vancouver on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations.

Registration fee: $40 (+ GST) non-members, $30 (GST) members.

While good writing is a necessity for any genre, when it comes to writing for teens there are some special considerations:
- how to handle the POV
- why the age of your protagonist matters
- how to nail the emotional landscape
- sex, drugs, violence, and other touchy subjects: what is and isn’t allowed
- avoiding preachiness
- ending with hope
We will look at the differences between middle-grade, young adult and adult novels, and we’ll discuss several issues that teen readers apparently feel adult writers of YA get wrong. We’ll also look at variations in structure, from basic three-act structure to the episodic structure that is an option in coming-of-age novels. Several YA novels turn structure on its head—we’ll look at those as well.

Michelle Barker is an award-winning author and a senior editor with The Darling Axe. Her most recent publication, co-authored with David Brown, is Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling. Her YA historical novel My Long List of Impossible Things (Annick Press) was a Junior Library Guild gold standard selection. Michelle holds an MFA in creative writing from UBC and lives in Vancouver on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations.

Join Glenn Gustafson, local environmental educator, for a walk through the forests and gardens of the McLoughlin Gardens, looking at the wild and naturalized plants (plus other features) that gardeners can add to their landscapes to attract and sustain wildlife.  Meet at the upper gate on Tasman Road - bring sun hat, water, and good walking shoes.

All participants must register prior to the walk. There is no fee for this program. Minimum 6. Maximum 12 participants.

You are cordially invited to the McLoughlin Gardens first annual garden tour fundraiser. Come explore some beautiful hidden gems in the neighbourhood. A detailed tour map will be emailed to registrants before Sunday, May 25. The gardens are pedestrian access only. Please wear appropriate footwear. Our friendly garden sitters will show you where to park.

Cost $20.00

Please e-transfer to mcloughlingardens16@gmail.com

Make sure to mention Garden Tour in the message box.