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Strengths for Writers Masterclass with Becca Syme, Sunday, November 3 · 2 – 4pm EST
Strengths for Writers Masterclass with Becca Syme, Sunday, November 3 · 2 – 4pm EST Have you ever taken a workshop, and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t make the outcomes that the workshop promised happen? Strengths for Writers Masterclass with Becca Syme Have you ever taken a workshop (marketing, plotting, productivity) and…
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LIVE Meta Ads Q&A session with Matt Holmes Sunday, October 6 · 2 – 4pm
Get answers to your burning questions about all things Meta Ads. Join Matt Holmes for a LIVE Meta Ads Q&A session. Get answers to your burning questions about all things Meta Ads. Need some feedback on an Ad? Not sure of the most effective campaign structure? Confused about all the targeting options? What are the…
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Critique Partners Workshop, Sunday; September 8 · 2 – 4pm EDT
The founders of Team Awesome™, Maggie Wells and Julie Evelyn Joyce, are here to chat about forging a successful partnership. Sunday, September 8 · 2 – 4pm EDT Critique Partners Workshop + Q&A with Maggie Wells and Julie Evelyn Joyce The Care and Feeding of Your Beloved Critter Curious about how to work with a…
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The Foundations of a Sovereign Author with ; Michael Evans; Sunday, June 2 · 2 – 4pm EDT
The Foundations of a Sovereign Author with Michael Evans; Sunday, June 2 · 2 – 4pm EDT Learn tips and insights on how to build a strong foundation for your business with subscriptions, direct sales, and more Subscriptions, Direct Sales, and more are helping authors build business outside of the publishers and take control of…
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Ins and Out of Email Marketing with Holly Darling; Sunday, May 5 · 2 – 4pm EDT
Ins and Out of Email Marketing with Holly Darling; Sunday, May 5 · 2 – 4pm EDT 2024 has once again flipped the rules of email marketing upside down. Inside this workshop you’ll learn what those new rules are, why they’re a good thing and how to build a thriving email system that sells more…
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Worldbuilding through Culture with J.M. Frey Sunday, April 7 2024 · 2 – 4pm EDT
Worldbuilding through Culture with J.M. Frey Sunday, April 7 2024 · 2 – 4pm EDT Every memorable speculative fiction story has a world we wish we could live in – from Westeros to Middle Earth, from the USS Enterprise to Panem. The geography of your secondary world is key, but the culture and the way…
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The Dos and Don’ts of Being a Romance Novelist Sun, Mar 3, 2024 2:00 PM EST
The Dos and Don’ts of Being a Romance Novelist Sun, Mar 3, 2024 2:00 PM EST Join romance editor and book coach Sarah Pesce as she walks you through what you should and shouldn’t be doing as a romance writer. Join romance editor and book coach Sarah Pesce as she walks you through what you…
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Feeling Extra Crispy? with Liz Lincoln Sun, Feb 4, 2024 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST
Feeling Extra Crispy? with Liz Lincoln Sun, Feb 4, 2024 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST “Feeling Extra Crispy?” will help authors navigate the challenges of creative burnout. Discover practical strategies for renewing inspiration, from mindfulness techniques to playful writing exercises. Engage in a supportive environment where you can share experiences and learn from…
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Creating Social Media Content for Wizards Sun, Jan 7th, 2024 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST
Creating Social Media Content for Wizards Sun, Jan 7th, 2024 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST This workshop will cover the ins and outs of what Mona Storm has personally found to be effective. Does the word hashtag strike terror in your bones? If so, come along, young wizard, and I will guide you through…
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Universal Fantasy is why some authors get gobs of gushing reviews and some authors who write “way better” get crickets. Sun, Nov 5, 2023 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST
Universal Fantasy is why some authors get gobs of gushing reviews and some authors who write “way better” get crickets. Sun, Nov 5, 2023 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST Universal Fantasy is why my sales tripled when I “accidentally” wrote three books that landed in the Amazon Top 100. Universal Fantasy is why some…
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Book Brush: Upgrade Your Author Marketing with Kathleen Sweeney Sun, Oct 1, 2023 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT
Book Brush: Upgrade Your Author Marketing with Kathleen Sweeney Sun, Oct 1, 2023 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT Upgrade your author marketing: Maximize profits with Book Brush at your fingertips! This one-hour workshop is designed for authors who want to take their book marketing to the next level. Participants will learn how to leverage…
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Diversity and Inclusion in Literature with Finn Burnett, Sun, Sep 10, 2023 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT
Diversity and Inclusion in Literature with Finn Burnett, Sun, Sep 10, 2023 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT This presentation is an important exploration of the need for representation in literature. I’ve presented this at conferences and as one of the keynote speakers at the Library of Michigan’s Conference, the Wine Country Writer’s Festival, and…
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Character Development Q&A, June 4th 2023
Character Development Q&A, June 4th 2023 Learn how to make your characters come to life with Sharon Short (aka Jess Montgomery) Creating believable characters is the engine that drives stories, novels, essays and memoirs. It’s also one of the most challenging writing craft tools to master. In this session, award-winning author Sharon Short (a.k.a. Jess…
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Even Superman Has A Day Job with Maggie Wells, may 7th 2023 14:00EST
Even Superman Has A Day Job with Maggie Wells, may 7th 2023 14:00EST Explore various methods of dealing with uncertainty, defining success, writing practices, motivational tools, and practical tips. I just want to spend my days writing. Who among us hasn’t said something along those lines? But, for many of us, this dream may never…
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Q&A with KT Literary agent Sara Megibow, April 2nd 2023
Q&A with KT Literary agent Sara Megibow, April 2nd 2023 KT Literary agent Sara Megibow will chat about profit strategy, trends, successes, and pitfalls specific to romance publishing in this new year. The conversation will include a Q&A and lots of data analysis sprinkled with jokes and hope. Our romance readers are voracious for your…
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Creating Realistic Companion Animals in Fiction with Mona Storm Sun, Feb 5, 2023 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST
Creating Realistic Companion Animals in Fiction with Mona Storm Sun, Feb 5, 2023 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST Creating realistic companion animals in fiction. Toothless, Ghost, Drogon and Hedwig. From the innocent Wilbur to the Rats of Nimh, animals have captivated our interest and let us explore topics from a unique perspective. Some of…
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Virtual Open House Sunday, January 8 2023
Virtual Open House Sunday, January 8 2023 Ottawa Romance Writers is hosting a virtual open house. Bring 2 pages of your manuscript. Meet the members and participate in a mini-critique.
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A Zoe York Double Feature: Writing A Genre Fiction Series & Marketing Sunday, June 5, 2022 · 2 – 5:30pm EDT
A Zoe York Double Feature: Writing A Genre Fiction Series & Marketing Sunday, June 5, 2022 · 2 – 5:30pm EDT A double workshop from 13 time USA Today bestselling author Zoe York Writing a genre fiction series: turning a writing dream into a writing career Start planning your next series to build on your…
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Goal, Motivation, Conflict: creating stories that keep the pages turningSun, April 3, 2022; 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT
Goal, Motivation, Conflict: creating stories that keep the pages turningSun, April 3, 2022; 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT Maureen Fisher shares the secrets of creating a compelling story through each character’s goals, motivation, and conflict. About this event The key to an engaging story has always been the characters and how they interact. A writer…
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Love Languages with Jennifer Carole Lewis Feb 6th 2022:
Love Languages with Jennifer Carole Lewis Feb 6th 2022: 70 to 93 percent of all communication is non-verbal, which means that body language is the ultimate love language! Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Jennifer Carole Lewis will go in-depth about how body language can show how a character is feeling. Join ORW to learn…
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Saturday, Oct 2 – Mini Fall Virtual Retreat
Registration is limited to 100 participants (30 for RWAC, 30 for ORWA, 30 for everyone else, 10 for presenters and wiggle room) Saturday, Oct 2 – Mini Fall Virtual Retreat 1030 AM -12:00 PM – Using Character Emotion to Wow Readers: Becca Pugilsi, co-author, The Emotion Thesaurus 12:00-1:00 Lunch break (we’ll leave the meeting live…
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Sept 12, 2021 Workshop: Kobo’s Latest Innovations with Tara Cremin
Learn how Kobo is making it easy for authors to reach readers. This year Kobo has been busy reaching new readers through innovative new eInk devices and the expansion of Kobo’s subscription service Kobo Plus, into strategic new markets. Learn how Kobo is making it easy for authors to reach these readers by offering non-exclusive…
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June 6, 2021 Workshop: Zero Dollar Marketing & FB Ads for Authors with Skye Warren
How can you sell more books every day? Learn some key tips and tricks for marketing your books from New York Times bestseller Skye Warren Paid advertising works great, but what do you do to promote your books if you can’t afford ads? Can you make money without spending it? Skye’s experiments show what happens…
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May 2, 2021 Workshop – Book Brush with Kathleen Sweeney
A look at some tools to help writers market their work. There’s lots of advice out there on how to be a successful author: write a great book, know your audience, appeal to your audience with compelling ads, spend lots of money on ads, don’t spend lots of money on ads, market on social media,…
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March 7, 2021 Workshop – Writing a Strong Second Draft of Your Novel
Learn practical tips and techniques for evaluating the first draft of your fiction manuscript Writing a Strong Second Draft of Your Novel In this seminar, Maggie Morris, The Indie Editor, who will share practical tips and techniques for evaluating the first draft of your fiction manuscript from both a stylistic and substantive perspective so you…
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February 2021 Workshop – Giving a Good Critique
Learn how to provide useful critiques without tipping into either bland applause or painful discouragement Everyone wants a good critique for their manuscripts, but it can be overwhelming to try and provide useful information without tipping into either bland applause or painful discouragement. This workshop will include suggestions on: developing an initial framework for what…
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WIP into Shape – 2020 Edition
New year, new WIP? Join us for tips and tricks to get your WIP into shape! ORW authors will be on-hand to help you out with the following topics: Brainstorming (Christine Gallimore and Lucy Farago) Stuck on your WIP? Unsure of where to take the plot? Have your characters worked themselves into a corner and…
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“Let’s Talk Publishing” with Carina Press.
Event description Whether you’re a new author or a seasoned author, looking to join a publisher or publish independently, the ins and outs of the publishing industry can seem mysterious and convoluted. In this candid Q&A and casual discussion session, editor Kerri Buckley, of Carina Press, will answer your questions in a WebEx presentation on…
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WIP into Shape – 2020 Edition
EVENT CANCELLATION: GIVEN THE ISSUES THAT HAVE ARISEN CONCERNING RWA, WE ARE CANCELLING OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED JANUARY WORKSHOP AND HOSTING A TOWN HALL FOR MEMBERS ONLY.PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APOLOGIES.
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December 2019: Writing with others: Co-writing and collaboration
Want to know how to work with other authors to create new and exciting stories? There are many exciting opportunities out there, whether you want to co-write a book, write in a shared world or shared branding, or participate in an anthology or multi-author box set. In this panel workshop our authors will share their…
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2019 December Social and Elections
FOR ORWA MEMBERS ONLY. Join us for our Holiday Gathering and then be a part of the ORWA elections, December 1 2019. Reservations have been made for 11am to 1pm at the Royal Oak, right next to the Ben Franklin place. Take this opportunity to eat, relax and socialize with your peers, before heading over…
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November 2019: Writing the Happy into your Happily Ever After
One of the most common challenges of writing romance novels is ensuring the relationship feels authentic while mixing in enough drama to keep the reader intrigued. But how can an author ensure the relationship doesn’t cross any lines, and that conflict is resolved satisfactorily? Dr. Brenda Saxe will share her experience as a couple’s counsellor…
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October 2019:
Candid Cold Reads and Q&A – CANCELED Due to unforeseen circumstances, Carina Press with Angela James will not be presenting. All tickets have been refunded. Please keep reading for more about the replacement workshop. Making It Real (October 6) Creating a fictional world can be a challenge, whether you’re choosing to place your story in…
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September 2019: Selling more books with ads on Facebook and Amazon
Do you know how to use Facebook and Amazon ads to sell more books? Have you tried using them but not seen any sales? The most successful indie authors are using these ads to sell new and backlist books. In this panel workshop you’ll learn about keywords for your genre, creating ad content, audience targeting,…
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May 2019: Selling Books with Kobo Writing Life: Global Distribution & Exclusive Promo
Want to distribute your books globally, from your local library to big box retailers like Walmart? With Kobo Writing Life, you can sell your book in over 190 countries, and access promotional opportunities puts them in front of millions of Kobo users. This free distribution tool lets you keep the rights to your books and…
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2019 June Social
Attend the ORWA social on June 9th, 2019. It will be our last official event until we reconvene in the Fall. The location will be sent out via the Yahoo Group and will be celebrated at our president’s lovely home in Manotick. At the social, we will have a professional photographer and a mobile hair…
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Recap April 2019: Develop Your Unique Author Voice with Stefanie London
Event recap By Jennifer Carole Lewis Standing out in today’s market is one of the more challenging things for authors today but one of the most important thing for creating dedicated readers is an author’s unique voice. Stefanie London presented an informative workshop on how to best present your unique voice, concept and execution to…
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Recap March 2019: Full day writing workshop: Show, don’t tell and scene/sequel
Recap of March 2019 by Jennifer Carole Lewis Shirley Jump’s full day workshop on Show Not Tell and Scene and Sequel got ORWA and our guests buzzing and our keyboards clacking. Both were full of great practical tips on how to deepen our descriptions and create faster-paced scenes to hold a reader’s attention. She shared…
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Recap Feb 2019: Successful Author Mindset with Heather Elliott
Event recap by Jennifer Carole Lewis Heather Elliott of Mindful Change began her workshop on overcoming impostor syndrome with a powerful anecdote. She’d signed up for a program she was very excited about and when the feedback on her first assignment arrived and indicated she hadn’t fully grasped the material as yet, she was overcome…
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Recap Jan 2019: WIP into Shape
Event recap by Jennifer Carole Lewis We started the year getting WIPped into shape. Eve Langlais explained the many different online services and programs available for independent publishing today, such as Vellum, Draft 2 Digital, Findaway and Ingram. We didn’t get many takers on the first page critique with Jenn Burke, but if you’re interested,…
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Recap: Prolific Authors Share Their Secrets (Dec 2018)
Event Recap By Jennifer Carole Lewis Anyone who has ever sat in front of a keyboard to share the story in their head knows that writing is hard. But there are some amazing prolific authors who are able to write tremendous amounts and ORWA was lucky enough to have four of them share their secrets…
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Recap Nov 2018: Private Investigator and Security Guard
Before our workshop, we asked ORWA members who their favorite fictional detectives were, and if they write detectives in any of their stories! Workshop Recap Contributed by Jennifer Carole Lewis ORWA’s November workshop on the reality of private investigating and security was hugely informative. Our special guest, a private investigator with over 20 years of…
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Recap: Five Secrets to Painless Revisions (October 2018)
Recap by Callie Amo: On October 14, 2018, local Ottawa historical/erotica romance bestselling author Sharon Page came to our group to discuss her five secrets to revising a work-in-progress (WIP). She has given her workshop before to ORWA, but it has become so popular that we had her give it again! Her workshop was very…
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Recap: September 2018 Writing Workshop with Tanya Huff
We might have taken the summer off, but with the start of the fall, it’s time for ORWA to gather once again. We were delighted to break our long summer fast with Tanya Huff, a talented author who has written in multiple genres for the last thirty years. Tanya spoke to us about the challenges…
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Recap: RTC August 2018
The 4th annual Romancing the Capital (RTC) event, organized by ORWA’s own Eve Langlais, happened August 2 to 4, 2019! The event had over 40 authors and 250 readers, making it a unique and intimate event that allows new and meaningful connections. Several ORWA members were sponsoring authors of the event, including Lucy Farago,…
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2018 June Social
Attend the ORWA spring social on June 11, 2017. It will be our last official event until we reconvene in the Fall. Awards ceremony We will be awarding members with our annual awards, including: Audrey Jessup Award Jo Beverley First Book Award Indie First Book Award Phoenix Award First Impression Award Make sure to let us…
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May 2018 Workshop: Page-Turning Fiction with Kelley Armstrong
Genre fiction is all about entertaining and engaging the reader. This workshop will focus on ways to keep readers up into the night, turning the pages. #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Kelley Armstrong, will provide strategies for maximizing reader engagement starting with the planning stages and continuing through to tips and tricks for picking…
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April 2018 Workshop: Self-Publishing Tools Explained
Join Eve Langlais and discover what tools are out there to help you succeed in self-publishing! Event details Sunday April 15, 2018 (2:30-4:00 pm) Workshop presentation PDF. Recap coming soon!