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September 2017: Advanced Writing Workshop with Alicia Rasley
September 2017 Workshop Description Workshop 1: Emotion without Sentimentality In this interactive workshop, bestselling author Alicia Rasley will help you explore two “non-purple-prose” ways of creating a compelling emotional experience for your reader: Story Design and Scene Design. You will leave with some seriously useful (but easily applied) strategies to deepen your story and scenes,…
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Church Mouse on his Motorcycle by Alexandra Isobel, 19-August-2017
Church Mouse on his Motorcycle by Alexandra Isobel, 19-August-2017 VANESSA’S time is up. She has to return home and face her ex-deacon father, but before she does is determined to fulfill her graduation bucket list first. SPIKE, dispatched to escort the boss’s daughter home, is not used to this new crazy Vanessa but will…
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RTC 2017
This year was the third annual Romancing the Capital event, organized by Eve Langlais. It was held at a great time for us, since July and August are months our meetings and workshops are on summer hiatus, so it was nice to have an event where we got to see each other. RTC is more…
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ORWA’s 2017 Social
Recap by Jennifer Carole Lewis Every June, the Ottawa Romance Writers’ Association gets together and spends an afternoon laughing, celebrating one another’s achievements and enjoying each other’s company. This year was no exception. Hosted at Lucy Farago’s lovely home, ORWA members quickly settled in to trade suggestions, ideas and share anecdotes. We swapped opinions on various…
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May 2017: Writing Active Setting with Mary Buckham
ORWA officers gave us the great opportunity of participating in a webinar with Mary Buckham on writing active setting in May 2017. It was a two-part webinar, with an initial presentation followed by a Q&A session a week later. This gave us plenty of time to review the information she gave us, re-watch the presentation,…
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June Social 2017 Announcement
Attend the ORWA spring social on June 11, 2017. It will be our last event until we reconvene in the Fall. Professional Headshots We will be offering the opportunity at the June Social to have a professional headshot done for each interested member. Anna Jones, an Ottawa wedding photographer, will take a number of different poses,…
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Pitch Session with Pamela Harty
This month is our first ORWA member pitch session! This is your chance to skip past the slush pile and get quick feedback. On Sunday April 30, 2017 you can pitch to Pamela Harty from the Knight Agency. Pamela is looking for: contemporary and historical romance, romantic suspense, women’s fiction, young adult, business, motivational, diet and health,…
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April 2017: You’ve written a book… now what?
Our April 2017 workshop this week was “You’ve written a book… now what?” and was led by two bestselling and prolific ORWA authors, Eve Langlais and Mandy Rosko. They discussed the pros and cons of traditional and indie (self) publishing, and what to do if you want to submit to a small, medium or large…
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March 2017: Serialized Success with Linda Poitevin
March 5, 2017 Workshop: Wattpad with Linda Poitevin Serialized fiction goes back to the time of Charles Dickens and is currently undergoing a revival in today’s digital world. Savvy authors around the globe are exploring this “new” way of publishing and reaping significant dividends. Join author Linda Poitevin for a look at Wattpad and Radish, two of the models currently…
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February 2017: Bloody Believable With Sgt. Ugo Garneau
Workshop Description Bloody Believable: Using forensic science to add depth to villain motivation, create realistic scenes and ensure that readers experience the terrifying details that go into crafting bloody believable book. About the presenter Sgt. Garneau is a Forensic Identification Officer specializing in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis. He is actively involved in crime scene examinations/reconstructions and…
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January 2017: But What Comes Next?: ORWA’s Brainstorming Workshop
By Jennifer Carole Lewis All writers have had the horrible experience of staring at a blank page and wondering: what comes next? For our January 2017 workshop, ORWA authors got together to help answer that question for one another. Sitting close at a table, we brainstormed ideas for a suspense-filled escape through isolated woods and…
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December 2016: Holiday Social and Six Secrets to Create a Successful Bestselling Franchise
Our yearly annual social will be a potluck, beginning at noon, followed by a workshop. Six Secrets to Create a Successful Bestselling Franchise What do Star Wars, J. D. Robb’s Eve Dallas books, and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series have in common? They are all highly successful franchises. Join NYT bestselling author Sharon Page to learn…
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November 2016: Building Your Readership
USA Today and New York Times Bestseller Eve Langlais answers all your questions about how to engage your readership to create a dedicated fan base to drive your books to the bestsellers list! Eve Langlais is a stay at home mom who writes full time in between juggling her three kids, hubby, and housework, creating…
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October 2014: Full Day Craft Workshop with Molly O’Keefe
The Plot and Sub-Plots Connection (10:00 – 12:00): No matter what your word count, subplots help create a rich, multi-dimensional world for your reader to escape to. In this workshop, using interactive exercises, RITA-winning and Bestselling Author Molly O’Keefe will help you figure out how to build subplots that will in turn create drama and conflict…
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October 2016: From Idea to Execution: Plotting Your Next Bestseller
Today’s publishing marketplace is more competitive than ever, demanding consistent—and accelerated—output from authors. Award-winning author Vanessa Kelly shows you how to plot and write your next book, novella, or short story with a minimum of angst and a maximum of efficiency. Bio: Vanessa Kelly is an award-winning author who was named by Booklist, the review journal of…
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September 2016: So you want to write a romance novel?
Have you always wanted to write a romance novel and don’t know where to start? Are you already working on becoming the next Nora Roberts? Or maybe you’ve already got a manuscript ready and now it’s time to learn more about the industry? This meeting, organized by members of the Ottawa Romance Writers Association,…
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June 2016: Prose in the Park and Social
Join ORWA members June 4 for Prose in the Park. Several of our published authors will be present so be sure to drop by Parkdale Park between 11 AM and 6 PM to say hello. June is also the month we hold our traditional social before breaking for the summer months. The June social is…
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The Emergency Doctor’s Guide to a Pain-Free Back, by Melissa Yuan-Innes, 21-Apr-2016
The Emergency Doctor’s Guide to a Pain-Free Back, by Melissa Yuan-Innes, 21-Apr-2016 Most back pain books are boring. Life is short. Read this one instead.Back pain bites. It affects almost every adult in industrialized countries.Emergency physician and Medical Post columnist Dr. Melissa Yuan-Innes delivers a fast-paced book, based on the most recent scientific research, on…
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May 2016: Facebook: A Self-Help Workshop for Writers
“It’s got ‘book’ in the title, so it must be for me!” Facebook: A Self-Help Workshop for Writers Did you know that five new people join Facebook every second? Worldwide, there are over 1.35 billion monthly active users on Facebook. With staggering numbers like these, there’s no doubt your potential readers are on Facebook.So,…
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April 2016: Edit Like a Pro with Laura Byrne Paquet
Edit Like a Pro with Laura Byrne Paquet In addition to writing eight Regency romances for Zebra and four non-fiction books, Laura Byrne Paquet worked as a freelance copy editor for Harlequin for several years. A member of the Editors’ Association of Canada, she also writes freelance articles and runs a local travel website called…
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March 2016: Slay Your Writing Dragons to Make your Personal Goals Happen!
Cynthia Boyko is a Co-Active Life Coach based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada who works with clients across North America. Coaching is something that comes very naturally to Cynthia. Her calm presence easily invites people into a process of clarity, balance and fulfillment. Cynthia is a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF). She completed her…
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February 2016: Legal Issues for Writers
Can you quote song lyrics in your book? What should you do if someone plagarizes you? Can you name a character after someone you don’t like? In today’s face-paced digital world, writers face a variety of legal issues, and it’s not always easy to get them right. This workshop can help. Please…
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The Jaguar Legacy by Maureen Fisher 2016
The Jaguar Legacy by Maureen Fisher 2016 A journalist on track for the scoop of the century tangles with an archaeologist determined to prevent a premature press-leak of his discovery—an ancient Olmec city buried in the lush and mysterious jungles of Mexico. Little do they realize the ruins contain secrets best left untouched.
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January 2016: Beyond the Furrowed Brow with Jennifer Carole Lewis
Tired of reusing the same expressions over and over for anger, love and surprise? There is a wide range of postures and subtle expressions which can convey your character’s emotions and reactions. How they stand, how they hold their hands, even the crinkling of an eyelid can show what they are thinking. Learn the subtle…
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December 2015: Bah Humbug! Character Arc, the Scrooge Way with Teresa Morgan
In December 1843, Charles Dickens published a little story that became a sensation. In it, a misanthropist misery turns into a philanthropic optimist… overnight. This beloved story has the widest and craziest character arc in all of Western literature (and the most flawless three-act structure). This workshop examines how Dickens pulled off making a character…
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November 2015: Intro to BDSM for Writers
This workshop will cover the basics of BDSM for writers, including discussion of the three basics of BDSM (bondage and discipline, D/s and S/M). The speakers will talk about things like why BDSM is popular in erotic romance fiction, a bit about the psychology, and how to incorporate BDSM into your writing through characters’ issues,…
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October 2015: Library Love: How Does Romance Stack Up?
Ann Archer, program manager of content services at the Ottawa Public Library will be presenting on placement within libraries, clarifying the selection process, the changing world of e-book sales and how authors, both traditionally published and self-published, can best position their books with library vendors for catalogue inclusion. Did you know the City of Ottawa…
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June 2015: ORWA 30th Anniversary
For ORWA’s 30th anniversary in 2015, we had author Kristan Higgins with us to present. The Jo Beverly First Book Award is presented to members upon signing their first publishing contract with a traditional publisher. Lucy Farago sold to Kensington. ORWA celebrates its members hitting that very important milestone in publishing their first book. Jennifer…
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Malena Able, former ORWA President
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT – A Personal Journey A few years ago, I got the notion into my head that I would like to write a book. I expect many of you at some point in your lives have had the same idea, or thought while reading, ‘this looks so easy even I could do…
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Wolf Ice by Melissa Yi, 26-May-2015
Wolf Ice by Melissa Yi, 26-May-2015 Wolf ice killed Leila’s best friend.Now it’s stealing Leila’s self-control. Leila Fan picks the perfect haven for her pack of Montreal werewolves, a campground by an Ontario river that seems perfectly peaceful—until someone murders her best friend. Leila joins forces with her infuriatingly delicious ex-boyfriend, paramedic Jack Meng, to…
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April 2015: How to Make Opportunities Happen: 6 Strategies to Success
Don’t wait for that great opportunity to present itself. Go find it! Be in charge of your own career and make opportunities happen for you. Keep ahead of the trends. Look around. Learn from your own experience and the experiences of others. Watch the bestsellers and what they’re doing. Build your network. Expand your reach…
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May 2014: How to Get Published: Tips from a New York Literary Agent
Jessica Faust of BookEnds, LLC will present a two-hour workshop open to the public free of charge. Learn how to find an agent, how to write a query, how to get published, and what an agent can do for you in today’s changing publishing environment. The presentation will be followed by an open pitch session…
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April 2014: Pitch Writing Practice and Critique
Have a fantastic idea for a novel or series? Have you started a novel you’re convinced is a winner? Have you thought about pitching it to an agent? Do you have a pitch prepared? Does the thought of pitching cause you to panic? Pitching to agents (in person or by letter) is a great way…
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March 2014: Goal, Motivation and Conflict with Madeline McBride
Are your characters’ goals and conflict strong enough to carry the story? This interactive craft workshop will help you describe what your characters want, the stakes, and what’s stopping them from reaching their goals. In an exercise using a simple template, you’ll identify your hero and heroine’s internal and external goals, motivations, consequences/stakes, and conflict…
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November 2013: Writing Professionally: How to Succeed as a Writer with Candice Vetter
Candice is a multi-faceted writer with broad experience in both the fiction and non-fiction writing worlds. She considers herself primarily a fiction writer (writing in genres that span romance to YA urban fantasy), but while waiting for the big book deal, she decided to put her skills as a writer to good use. Applying everything…
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October 2013: The Business of Writing with Deborah Cooke
Deborah will be presenting an extended afternoon workshop to ORWA, with two sessions covering a broad range of information from the business side of writing. Her first session entitled the ‘the buffet of publishing options’ will cover single title and category print publishers, digital publishers and a number of alternative publishing options. She will also…
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September 2013: Five Secrets to Painless Revisions with Sharon Page
What do you do when your editor gives you the bad news: your heroine is unsympathetic, your hero isn’t dark enough, and the last half of your book has gone completely off the rails? What you do is revise your book. But what if you need to do it in two months? Or you’ve decided…
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President’s Message (May 2013)
Occasionally, prospective members question the need for membership in the Romance Writers of America. Does membership in the parent organization, they ask, truly provide enough benefits to warrant the additional cost? My answer is an unqualified yes. Speaking for myself, here are the benefits I receive from my membership in RWA. Benefits Due to ORWA’s…
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May 2013: Martial Arts with Dave LeGallez and Rick Lutes
Ever find yourself frustrated trying to plot out a bar fight or an escape? Do you want to inject realism into your hero and heroine’s fighting actions? Dave LeGallez and Rick Lutes have both earned black belts, competed in martial arts tournaments and taught students. Now they’re coming to ORWA to share with us. Common…
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May 2013: Publishing your Book
While several traditional publishers and bookstores have closed their doors, you have new opportunities to publish your book in print and digital formats. Successful traditionally- and self-published authors will describe the pros and cons of getting your book published by a traditional publisher versus using a self-publishing platform offered by Amazon Kindle Direct, Kobo, Smashwords,…
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April 2013: How to Sell More Books with Maureen Fisher
Self-published? Thinking of going indie? Seeking ways to promote traditionally published novels? This workshop provides common-sense tips to help sell more books, with particular emphasis on the marketing and promotion of e-books. The writer’s job doesn’t end when our masterpieces are posted on Amazon or sold to a publisher. Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning. We…
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March 2013: Story Structure with Marie Lilly
The seed for any story can grow from: * an image * a scene * a central conflict * a feeling * a character * a theme * a sound * a snippet of dialogue * a world. So, you have an amazing seed for a story. How do you discover if it will…
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Ottawa Life Article: 50 Shades of Romance
Candice Vetter has profiled several of our writers, past and present, for the January 2013 issue of Ottawa Life magazine. “50 Shades of Romance” The best-selling success of E.L. James’ 50 Shades erotic trilogy has raised the profile of erotic romance fiction. Although extensive attention is being paid to it now, erotic romance has been around for…
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December 2012: EFT Workshop with Madeline McBride
EFT Workshop: Tap away anxiety and self-limiting beliefs that block attainment of your writing goals with Madeline McBride Madeline McBride will teach you to apply the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). This “hands-on” healing modality involves tapping on your own acupressure points. After this interactive workshop you will be able to: 1. Scope your issue 2.…
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October 2012: Revising Your Manuscript with Roxanne St. Claire
This workshop is suitable for writers of all genres and levels. About Roxanne St. Claire Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times bestselling author of thirty novels of romance and suspense. A five-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious Award for outstanding romantic fiction, her books have also won the National Reader’s Choice…
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September 2012: Blog Tours 101 with Linda Poitevin
Blog Tours 101: The Essentials of Setting Up an Online Book Tour with Linda Poitevin Whether you’re traditionally published or an indie author, virtual book tours have become the norm in our increasingly tech-oriented world. But where do you start? How do you find (and approach) potential hosts? Do you do-it-yourself or hire an organizer?…
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May 2012: Homicide with Steve Roberts
Steve Roberts is very well known in the criminal investigation community and often consults and instructs concerning police procedures with agencies in the U.S. He has also worked on movies as the police expert and is acknowledged in several fictional mysteries for helping authors with correct police procedure. He will be talking about homicides, but from the…
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March 2012: Maggie Jagger’s Pitching Workshop
Pitching to agents and editors is part of writing life, no need to hyperventilate over it. We will first hone a synopsis, then we take turns pitching and hearing pitches. If you don’t want to pitch, then bring the first three pages of your ms. We will first split into small groups to gently critique…