calendar of events
FWG is a supportive community where members come together and learn from one another. Together, we grow our writing skills, deepen our understanding of the industry and book market, and participate in events that showcase local authors. Here's what's coming up this year.
January 2025
January 16th, 2025 — FWG Monthly Meeting (Details)
Brainstorming Meeting.
This meeting will be an opportunity to plan for the 2025 year
February 2025
February 20th, 2025 — FWG Monthly Meeting (Details)
Education Session: Jackie Lewis from Spotlight Editing.
During this session Jackie will talk about ‘self publishing.’
March 2025
March 20th, 2025 — FWG Monthly Meeting (Details)
April 2025
April 17, 2025 – FWG Monthly Meeting (Details)
Educations Session:
Presenter-Dana Goldstein
Dana has published three memoirs: The Girl in the Gold Bikini, Murder on my Mind, and Spent. Her first middle grade novel, Shift, was published in August of 2023. Dana lives and creates from her home in Calgary.
Presentation:
Genre Switching for Better Writing
Is your writing in a slump? This month, we’ll talk about and try our hands at genre switching. Changing course for a while might just be the boost you need.
April 23rd, 1- 2:30 Branding/Marketing webinar hosted by Community Futures. Contact FWG for details
May 2025
May 15th , 2025-FWG Monthly Meeting
Third Anniversary Party
Speaker: Angela Ackerman
Angela is a story coach, international speaker, and bestselling author living in Okotoks, Alberta. Her Writers Helping Writers® Description Thesaurus Guides are a favorite among writers, editors, and screenwriters. The series has collectively sold over a million copies worldwide.
Education Session:
Join Angela as she dives into Internal Conflict, its role in the story, and most importantly, how to put your character’s personal struggle onto the page.
June 2025
June 19th, 2025– FWG Monthly Meeting (Details)
Education session: Hisorical Fiction Writing
Speaker Lise Mayne
Lise Mayne (aka LG Pomerleau) B.Ed., M.Ed., writes historical fiction and poetry in Nanton. Her second novel, Time Enough, Oprelle Publishing is available now. Her poetry appears in nine international literary publications, receiving fiveawards.
Course Details:
Dialogue is “tricksy,” ain’t it, Hobbitses? And so precious! Especially, when writing a past era, as
in Historical Fiction, but in any alternate world-building. Readers must become lost in place and
time through believable interchange of emotional words and gestures.
Depending on the era, is it okay to say “OK?” Did people shout, whisper, laugh out loud or
twitter? Is the speaker a child, teen, adult or senior? Are they crass or polite, shy or a bully?
Then there are “Tags,” “Beats,” “Dialect,” “Idiomatic Expressions,” “Curse Words,” “Ill
Wishes,” “Nicknames,” “Internal Dialogue” – italics or no? “Cadence?”
What do these terms mean? How do you determine what’s working and what’s not? Where can
you check the etymology of words and expressions extant at the time? Then how can you create
a unique “voice” for each character to create the emotional connections you seek?
A hallmark of Lise’s writing is the authenticity and immersive quality of her dialogue. Lise will
provide tips for research and resources for developing each character’s manner of speaking to
drive your narrative forward. Bring an example of dialogue to share aloud, so we can work
together to strengthen the voices in your story and make them sing.
July 2025
August 2025
August 21st, 2025 – FWG Monthly Meeting (Details)
Education Session: TBD
August 15-17th, 2025
When Words Collide
September 2025
September 18th, 2025 – FWG Meeting (Details)
Educations Session:
I swear, it’s just research! Hiding bodies, finding poisonous plants, designing a trebuchet, etc.
Have you ever picked up a book with a promising premise, only to be disappointed when the writer gets crucial details wrong? To avoid this, join librarian Cheryl Bain for a presentation on effective research to support strong narratives.
Whether you need to plot a believable murder, explore theories about black holes, or find accurate details for a mid-1800s battlefield, this session will provide the tools you need. Cheryl will guide you through evaluating information sources and introduce you to high-quality, free or nearly free resources beneficial to writers.
These tips will be valuable for both fiction and nonfiction writers in any format. (Not intended for aspiring supervillains or criminals!)
October 2025
October 16th, 2025 — FWG Monthly Meeting (Details)
Education session: “So funny I forgot to laugh” – Ali Bryan will share tips and strategies on weaving humour into fiction (and nonfiction) that will leave readers literally laughing out loud.
Speaker: Ali Bryan
Ali Bryan is an award-winning novelist and creative nonfiction writer who explores the what-ifs, the wtfs and the wait-a-minutes of every day. Her first novel Roost, won the Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction and was the official selection of One Book Nova Scotia. Her second novel, The Figgs, was a finalist for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and has been optioned for TV by Sony Pictures. She won the 2020 Howard O’Hagan Award for Short Story and is a Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Emerging Artist recipient. Her fourth novel, Coq was a finalist for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and won the 2024 BPAA Trade Fiction Book of the Year.
November 2025
November 20th, 2025 — FWG Monthly Meeting (Details)
Educations Session: TBD