I’m thrilled to be leading a couple of workshops and participating in a conference panel at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference this year. The Surrey conference is a big deal and this is my first time there, so I’m pretty excited about it.

Friday, Oct. 23, 10 a.m.

Are You Talking to Me?

Are you talking to me? Dialogue is one of the most important parts of any novel or story, but it’s often the most overlooked thing in writing. Too often dialogue between characters is just a mundane conversation to set up plot points or reveal information. Dialogue can be and should be so much more, though. Dialogue can be a weapon for characters, and it can create tension and surprise. It can create characters or conceal their true selves. It can even control the reader. Peter Darbyshire draws on his theatre background to help you bring your stories to life through dialogue.

Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m.

Building Connections

Panel Members:
Peter Darbyshire
Jasper Fforde
Sarah Wendell

Sunday, Oct. 25, 11:30 a.m.

What’s Your Voice?

Voice is the most important part of any book. Do you write with the fallen angel lyricism of Raymond Chandler’s detectives? The storytelling magic of Annie Proulx? The pop culture playfulness of Cory Doctorow? Voice tells us what we need to know about the world of the book, who the characters are and what they want. Voice tells us what’s important to the writer — and that tells us what’s important to the reader. The hardest part of learning to write is finding your voice, but once you have it you’ve arrived. Let’s find your voice together.

You can register here. Hope to see you there!