Creative Academy virtual “Writing Cruise”

When all the spring writer’s events, conferences, meetings, and alas our beloved SiWC @ Sea writer’s cruise were cancelled, we decided to do what we do best here at the Creative Academy and bring writers together virtually so we can all still experience the value of being in a community while we practice responsible social distancing.

And, in the spirit of being the most amazing humans on the planet, all kinds of fabulous people in our community offered to host events, conversations and even a party or two for us—and for you!

Sessions were recorded so if you are just finding out about the Academy you can access the recordings by joining us now.

Our Crew for this Writerly Voyage

Author
Liza Palmer

Author
Julia Ember

Finishing Your Book Masterclass with Elizabeth Boyle

The most daunting and daring task in writing isn’t starting a book, but finishing one. And finishing a book doesn’t have to be a faraway and impossible goal—it is a skill set like any other that a savvy author learns along the way and applies every day to their writing. In this workshop, we’ll identify your obstacles to finishing, getting back on track, building a roadmap, Jedi tricks to get your story unstuck, and rekindling that story spark.

Elizabeth Boyle has penned 26 novels, (with 22 of them hitting bestseller lists including the New York Times and USA Today), along with a myriad of novellas and short stories. Basically, she likes writing, learning about writing, and talking about writing.

Author Business Q+A with Crystal Hunt

Drop in Q+A session where you bring your questions about various aspects of your author business (project management, prioritization, organization, business structure etc.), and Crystal connects you with answers 🙂 

Strategic Authorpreneur Podcast Launch with Crystal Hunt & Michele Amitrani

Come on out to the virtual launch party of a brand new podcast called The Strategic Authorpreneur and help us celebrate.

Podcast hosts Crystal and Michele will be welcoming any questions you want to fire at them about starting a podcast, working collaboratively, writing, publishing, and life! (Michele is Italian so his perspective includes song!)

Chat with Agent Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Agency

Barbara Poelle will be coming by to discuss her book: Funny You Should Ask: Mostly Serious Questions to Mostly Serious Questions About the Book Publishing Industry. Now is your chance to find out everything YOU want to know about traditional publishing. Eileen Cook will be leading the interview with Barbara, but we invite you to leave your own questions in the RSVP chat area.

Motivation & Accountability Mastermind with Donna Barker

This is the place to come when you need to be with your people, other writers who know what it’s like to be stuck and understand how to honour your successes and setbacks in a way that feels supportive. Whether you’re celebrating a win, big or small, or fighting with your inner critic, this group is where you can be your most vulnerable self one week and your most confident self the next and know that everyone in the room understands and is rooting for you to reach every writing target you’ve got.

Don’t be a Fool: Craft Mistakes to Avoid with Eileen Cook

Celebrate April Fool’s Day by exploring what are the most common mistakes writers make and how you can avoid them.

Heroes and Villains with Liza Palmer

The more similar your hero and villain are, the better. Unlocking this relationship leads to deeper and richer stories. But how do you do this? Join Liza Palmer to find out.

About Liza Palmer
Liza Palmer is an internationally bestselling author of eleven novels, including Conversations with the Fat Girl and the Captain Marvel Young Adult novel, Higher, Further, Faster. An Emmy-nominated writer, she lives in Los Angeles and is a Creative Executive at BuzzFeed.

Motivation & Accountability Mastermind with Donna Barker

This is the place to come when you need to be with your people, other writers who know what it’s like to be stuck and understand how to honour your successes and setbacks in a way that feels supportive. Whether you’re celebrating a win, big or small, or fighting with your inner critic, this group is where you can be your most vulnerable self one week and your most confident self the next and know that everyone in the room understands and is rooting for you to reach every writing target you’ve got.

Plotting and Planning Your Series Masterclass with Crystal Hunt

We’re going to take a deep dive into plotting and planning your series. We’ll talk about different kinds of series, why a series is a great business tool, and how to build out your story world and track the details of your settings, characters and timelines.

Webinar style session with a Q+A at the end. Leave your questions in the comments on the event’s RSVP page.

Perfecting Your Query with Agent Nephele Tempest of the Knight Agency

Ah, query letters, every writers favorite thing. Lit Agent Nephele will walk us through what works in a query letter and be available to answer questions. You’re welcome to leave your questions for Nephele ahead of the session when you RSVP! 

No More Sh!tty First Drafts Workshop with Donna Barker

Join us for a fun and interactive workshop to rename the way you think about and refer to your work-in-progress. With all due respect to Ann Lamotte, you will figure out a more empowering short-hand than shitty first draft, one that speaks to the kind of writer you are and the specific book you’re working on. 

Talking Craft with Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette, Hugo award winner and co-host/founder of the Writing Excuses podcast joins us to talk about MICE, a story structure tool that will help you level up your writing. 

Y/A Panel with Eric Smith, Olivia Chadha, Rebecca Podos, and Julia Ember

Come and chat writing and YA books with four distinct voices in the field, including two literary agents.

Moderator:
Eric Smith Literary Agent at P.S. Literary and young adult author. His most recent novel, Don’t Read the Comments came out in Jan 2020

Panelists:
Olivia Chadha: Writer of science fiction, fantasy and literary novels for YA and adult audiences
Rebecca Podos: Literary agent at Rees Literary Agency and author of YA fiction including the Lambda award winning novel Like Water
Julia Ember: Author of YA fantasy fiction best known for her creative retellings of classic works. Her books include The Seafarer’s Kiss

Susanna Kearsley: The Armchair Researcher AMA (Ask Me Anything)

Whether you’re trying to do on location research while on lockdown, or searching for sources of new information, Susanna might just be able to help. A former museum curator and amateur genealogist with over twenty-five years of experience researching her own novels, she’ll try to set you on the right path and share her personal tips and techniques for finding what you need.

New York Times, and USA Today and Globe and Mail bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is a former museum curator who loves restoring the lost voices of real people to the page, interweaving romance and historical intrigue with modern adventure. Her award-winning books are published in translation in more than 20 countries. She lives near Toronto.