Blog
Writing Historical Fiction – Alexandra Writers’ Centre
6 Weeks | Wednesdays | Begins May 7, 2025 | 1pm-3pm MT Historical fiction combines the events of the past with characters and stories from the writer’s imagination. This course examines the art of writing historical fiction and the need to fully immerse yourself in a particular time period to make your storytelling more believable. Learn how to write effective, authentic and appealing historical fiction and how to turn your ideas into compelling stories. Understand what defines historical fiction and different historical time periods, create...
read moreWhat’s it all about? An excerpt from The Time Traveler’s Guide
“The Time Traveler’s Guide is a great resource for any writer wanting to improve their craft.” Chapter One: What is time travel? Time travel is defined as taking place when there is movement between specific points in time. This is achieved in the same way that objects and living things move through space. In fiction, this kind of travel is made possible by the use of a time machine, device, or method. While nothing is carved in stone, I tend to think that time travel involving machinery or some kind of technology should be...
read moreWriting Fiction for Children and Youth – University of Calgary
My online course Writing Fiction for Children and Youth will be running online in May and June at the University of Calgary. Writing for children and youth is a rich and vibrant global market. The focus is on writing fiction for readers aged 8 to 12 years. Students examine the writing process from initial concept to finished work including turning ideas into stories, story structure, developing characters, creating outlines, and the importance of editing and revision. Registration is available here at the University of...
read moreSettings and Historical Eras
I’m honoured to now be a Contributing Editor at Write By The Sea, where you’ll find all sorts of helpful resources for writers with new materials added to the library regularly. The latest post is all about settings and historical eras when writing historical fiction, which is also an excerpt from my book The Time Traveler’s Guide. You can learn more about the post here...
read moreSuper Sonya vs the Woodpecker
Check out the latest release from my fellow Calgary author, Mike Plested, Super Sonya vs. the Woodpecker. When Sonya learns that a woodpecker is putting holes in her playhouse at Nana and Papa’s house, she dons her super persona and does everything in her power to protect the yard while Papa goes to the store to get repair supplies. Sonya is a curious and imaginative young girl who transforms into her superhero alter ego, Super Sonya, when faced with challenges. She embodies bravery and problem-solving skills, making her a great...
read moreWriting Historical Fiction – Alexandra Writers’ Centre
6 Weeks | Wednesdays | Begins May 7, 2025 | 1pm-3pm MT Historical fiction combines the events of the past with characters and stories from the writer’s imagination. This course examines the art of writing historical fiction and the need to fully immerse yourself in a particular time period to make your storytelling more believable. Learn how to write effective, authentic and appealing historical fiction and how to turn your ideas into compelling stories. Understand what defines historical fiction and different historical time periods,...
read moreAn Untimely Death
An Untimely Death is an exciting science fiction and fantasy adventure for young adults. When Peter’s great-grandfather, Ted, passes away, Peter is looking through his belongings in the attic. Peter knows about Ted’s experiences with the Canadian Army in World War II and absentmindedly flips a coin. To his astonishment, Peter finds himself in the heat of battle in 1944, where he embarks on a highly dangerous mission to ensure that history is placed back on track. Learn more...
read moreThe Stone of the Seer – Where Magic and Historical Fiction Collide
The Stone of the Seer is an exciting historical fantasy series of adventure novels for young adults, primarily set in the turbulent era of the English Civil War. “Magic and Historical Fiction Collide – This book combines historical fiction with a world of magic. It is set in the period of the English Civil War and incorporates magic, mystery and witch hunting. This book engages the reader with action and interesting characters. It is the first in a series and will leave the reader looking for book 2.” “Royal Blood: Book...
read moreWriting Fiction for Children and Youth – University of Calgary
My online course Writing Fiction for Children and Youth will be running online in May and June at the University of Calgary. Writing for children and youth is a rich and vibrant global market. The focus is on writing fiction for readers aged 8 to 12 years. Students examine the writing process from initial concept to finished work including turning ideas into stories, story structure, developing characters, creating outlines, and the importance of editing and revision. Registration is available here at the University of...
read moreHow to Write Great Stories for Children and Young Adults
The Writing for Children and Young Adults course focuses on writing for children aged 8 to 14 years. However some of the material also covers older and younger age groups. Learn how to write effective, authentic, and appealing fiction for children and young adults and how to turn your ideas into compelling stories. The course explores the writing process from initial concept to finished work including story structure, developing plausible characters and dialogue, the creation of outlines and the importance of research, editing and...
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