One-Day Writers Retreat

LPAC presents

In this one-day workshop, participants will immerse themselves in the craft of writing.

Join novelist and playwright, Fran Kimmel, as she welcomes participants. 

Author Leslie Greentree will guide participants in creating three-dimensional antagonists, adding richness, depth, and yes, even heart to their story in her workshop 'Think of Your Poor, Poor Villain'.

Playwright Blaine Newton will guide participants in his workshop, 'Writing Comedy is Nothing to Laugh About'. From sketches to stories to plays, comedy is often what will get the point across. And the sharper, the better.

Time will be set aside after each workshop for self-guided writing and sharing. Participants can stretch their legs and explore the facility and yard to find their perfect place to write. Writing prompts will be available to anyone needing inspiration.

Participants will be guided through a brief sound meditation, cleansing their palettes before breaking for lunch (provided).

The day will end with a panel discussion/Q&A session, “From Pen to Public – Creative Ways to Share Your Writing”. In this 45-minute session, seasoned authors will come together to delve into the art of building a writing portfolio. Whether you’re a novice looking to take your first steps or a seasoned writer seeking new avenues for exposure, this discussion promises invaluable insights and inspiration.
Panelists:
Fran Kimmel
Leslie Greentree
Blaine Newton
Jean Oram
Vonda Peterson

8:45am Mix & mingle with coffee & snacks
9:00am Welcome by Fran Kimmel
9:15am Workshop 1 followed by self-guided writing with time for sharing
11:45am Sound Meditation
12:15pm Lunch
1:00pm Workshop 2 followed by self-guided writing time with time for sharing
3:30pm Panel/Q&A Discussion: “From Pen to Public – Creative Ways to Share Your Writing” 

Sunday, June 2, 2024
$145
Price includes lunch. We are unable to accommodate allergies.
Limited spots available.
Ages 16 & Up
Sessions taking place in our SHUNDA Theatre have limited accessibility.

Facilitators:

Fran Kimmel has worked an eclectic mix of jobs including youth worker, career counsellor, proposal writer, and a ten-year stint as VP for a career consulting firm. Her short stories have appeared in literary journals from coast to coast, and her plays have been produced for both theatre and radio. Fran has published two novels. The Shore Girl landed on the CBC Top 40-Book List and won the Alberta Reader’s Choice Award. No Good Asking, shortlisted for the 2019 Georges Bugnet and ReLit Awards, has been translated for international markets. Fran’s third novel will hit bookshelves in the spring of 2025.

Leslie Greentree is the author of four books – Not the Apocalypse I Was Hoping For (University of Calgary Press, 2022), which was shortlisted for a High Plains Book Award, the award-winning short story collection A Minor Planet for You, and two poetry books: go-go dancing for Elvis, which was shortlisted for the 2004 Griffin Prize for Poetry, and guys named Bill. Leslie has won CBC literary competitions for short fiction and poetry, and the Sarah Selecky 2013 Little Bird short fiction competition.

Leslie is also an occasional essayist: “Tom Petty Just Isn’t There for You: Riffs on Waiting” appears in Waiting: an anthology of essays (University of Alberta Press, 2018); “Pink Smock Stories,” was shortlisted for a 2019 Writers Guild of Alberta award and the 2020 Humber Creative Nonfiction award.

Blaine Newton is an award-winning playwright, sketch writer, short story writer, actor, improvisor and sometime engineer whose plays have been seen by well under a million people. His most recent theatrical productions include: The Kyleness of Kyle, The Thin Grey Line and Five Stages of Death, all at the Edmonton Fringe Festival; Bravo, which was staged by Edmonton’s Shadow Theatre; and Oral Fixations, co-written with Leslie Greentree, which was staged by Ignition Theatre in Red Deer.

Blaine’s short story collection, Rag Pickers, is forthcoming from University of Calgary Press in 2025. One of the stories in the collection, "Coffee Break," was produced by CBC radio; another, "By the Numbers," was published in Freefall Magazine; and a third, "Life in a Bottle," was shortlisted for the 2021 Bristol Short Story Prize and appears in that year’s anthology.

Jean Oram grew up in an old schoolhouse in a Canadian town, population 100 (cats and dogs not included). She is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author of over 35 feel-good, tingle-inducing, heartwarming romances. Jean lives in Canada with her husband, two kids, cat, dog, and the wild neighbourhood rabbits who help themselves to her garden. She can often be found outdoors or reading a book.

Vonda Peterson
Co-Authored A Hole in Our Hearts with her son, Kelly Neville.

Vonda emerged from a career in health care administration to pursue art for 20 winters in Arizona. In 1991 she revealed her long time secret and search for the son she gave up for adoption. After spending years working toward open adoption records in Alberta, she was finally able to search and find her firstborn son who didn’t know he was adopted. The book was inspired by the many letters and chats as the two filled in the 40-year gap of getting to know each other. Vonda is currently living in Red Deer and working on a one-act comedy. She is a member of the Red Deer Arts Council, the Inkblots Writing Group, Storytelling Alberta (Red Deer Chapter), and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta. Vonda will soon mark her 84^th birthday.