Violette Malan

Brooke Valley Summer School
Saturday July 14th, Sunday July 15th, and Monday, July 16th
Three days, three classes. On Saturday, Plot and Character. On Sunday, Dialogue and Setting. On Monday, Revising, Editing, and Getting Published. Sign up for the day of your choice, or for all three. Registration information is found at www.brookevalley.ca

PORTLAND WORKSHOPS

All Portland workshops take place in the activity room of the Country Roads Community Health Centre, corner of Hwy 15 and Cove Road

Note: I've changed the location of my Kingston workshops to As the Plot Thickens Mystery Bookstore. This doesn't mean you have to be a mystery writer to come to workshops, though. It's just a great place to meet, with plenty of free parking on Sundays.

TOPIC: A Fixit How-To: Tools And Techniques For Editing And Revising
WHEN: Sunday, May 6th 2007
WHERE: As the Plot Thickens Mystery Bookstore 66 Brock Street
Registration: $30.00 in advance, $35.00 at the door
What's the difference between professional and amateur writers? Professionals know how to revise. Come and pick up a few tricks of the trade in this in-depth workshop. To register, or for more information, contact Violette at violette@violettemalan.com

WHEN: Saturday May 12th, 2007 10:00am to 5pm, lunch provided
WHERE: Violette's house (sign up and you'll get directions)
Registration: $100.00

Do you have a story that isn't working? Or just like to get some feedback? This is your chance to "workshop" your story with other writers, and sharpen your own critiquing skills, under the guidance and supervision of a published author and editor.

Requirements: A maximum 25-page short story, or 25-page first chapter of a novel with 5 page synopsis to be emailed to me as a Word attachment for distribution to all participants by April 15th. This will give everyone in the workshop time to read everyone else's story and prepare constructive comments. For example: the 3 best things about the story, the 3 things that need some work.

REMEMBER: everyone gets a chance to read and critique everyone else's story. We'll all be working together to improve our work, and increase our skills.

If you're not sure whether you can benefit from this type of workshop, please feel free to contact me and we'll talk it over (see contact information below).

The workshop is limited to 8 participants, and places will be booked on a first-come-first-served basis.

To register you must email me your story and mail me your cheque by April 15th, 2007

TOPIC: How to get Published
WHEN: Sunday, March 25th, 2007
WHERE: Violette's house
Registration: $30.00 in advance, $35.00 at the door

Do you have a story or novel finished and ready to go . . . but you don't know where to send it or how? Do you need an agent? Do you know how to get one? At this this workshop you'll learn everything you need to know, from formats to contracts.

TOPIC: Where Am I? How Setting Makes Fiction A Reality
WHEN: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 2006, 1:00 PM TO 5:00 PM
REGISTRATION: $30.00 in advance, $35.00 at the door
PD James once said that she begins all her award-winning mystery novels by choosing the best setting. Come to this workshop and learn what the right setting can do for your stories. These interactive workshops will include writing exercises and are open to all, no experience necessary. To register, or for more information, contact Violette at violette@violettemalan.com

TOPIC: A Fixit How-To: Tools And Techniques For Editing And Revising
WHEN: Sunday, November 26th, 2006. 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
REGISTRATION: $30.00 in advance, $35.00 at the door What's the difference between professional and amateur writers? Professionals know how to revise. Come and pick up a few tricks of the trade in this in-depth workshop. To register, or for more information, contact Violette at violette@violettemalan.com

TOPIC: Plotting Your Story or Novel
WHEN: Saturday, November 18th, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
REGISTRATION: $30.00 in advance, $35.00 at the door What turns great ideas and characters into a story? PLOT! Come and find out how. Together, in this in-depth workshop, we'll use writing exercises to practice the techniques of plotting. This workshop is open to everyone, and previous writing experience is not required. To register, or for more information, contact Violette at violette@violettemalan.com

Violette presented the six-week course "Basics of Writing Fiction" in the Seniors Education Program, St. Lawrence College, Brockville Campus, Wed. 28 September to 2 November 2005, 1pm -3pm.

The Trenton "Character" workshop has been rescheduled:
When: Saturday, January 17^th, 2007
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm (refreshments provided)
Where: Upstairs at Smylie's

How do you choose your point of view character? How do you find the best story for them? Can there be too many characters? Too few? Come and find out in this indepth workshop. Together, we'll use writing exercises to practice the techniques creating characters. The class is open to everyone 12 years of age and older, and previous writing experience is not required.

TOPIC: Creating Characters, or, Whose Story is it, Anyway?
WHEN: Sunday, April 8th, 2007
WHERE: As the Plot Thickens Mystery Bookstore 66 Brock Street
Registration: $30.00 in advance, $35.00 at the door
What do you need to know about your characters to tell their stories in the most effective way? How do you choose your point of view character, and which part of their story should you tell? Join this indepth workshop and find out. To register, or for more information, email me at violette@violettemalan.com

Saturday, October 10th, 2009
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Chapters Rideau
47 Rideau Street
Ottawa, Ontario
For pre-orders call: 613-241-0073

Saturday, October 17th, 2009
3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
BAKKA-PHOENIX Books
697 Queen Street W.
Toronto
To pre-order your copy of The Storm Witch: 416-963-9993

Saturday, September 20th, 2008
10:00am to 4:00pm
Lindhurst Turkey Fair
Lindhurst, Ontario
This is the annual agricultural fair for the town of Lindhurst. Violette will be there with other local authors in the signing room at the rear of the library.

Thursday, September 25th 2008
7:00pm to 9:00pm
Novel Idea Bookstore
156 Princess Street
Kingston, Ontario
Refreshments

Saturday, October 11th, 2008
1:00pm to 5:00 pm
Chapters
Rideau 47 Rideau Street
Ottawa, Ontario

Saturday, October 25th, 2008
3:00pm to 5:00 pm
Bakka-Phoenix Books
697 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario

Sunday October 26th, 2008
2:00pm to 5:00pm
World's Biggest Bookstore
20 Edward Street
Toronto, Ontario

Saturday, December 13th, 2008
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Chapers Kingston
2376 Princess Street
Kingston, Ontario

Sunday, January 13th, 2008 2:00pm to 4:00pm
World's Biggest Bookstore
20 Edward Street
Toronto, Ontario
Far from a regular book-signing, this is a Science Fiction and Fantasy Author Event, featuring
Patricia Bray, S.C. Butler, Barbara Campbell, Jim C. Hines and Joshua Palmetier. Come and join in the fun!

Come and help me celebrate the launch of my new FANTASY NOVEL, THE SLEEPING GOD

Where: NOVEL IDEA BOOKSTORE 156 PRINCESS STREET, KINGSTON
When THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH 7:00 TO 9:00 PM

YES! THERE WILL BE REFRESHMENTS!
If you can't make it to the launch, but would like to purchase an autographed copy of the book, call Novel Idea at 613-546-9799 and reserve your copy.
Or contact Violette at violette@violettemalan.com violette@violettemalan.com

Saturday September 8th, 2008
World's Biggest Bookstore 20 Edward Street Toronto, Ontario
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Just in time for back to school! Okay, seriously. This will be your first chance to get a signed copy of The Sleeping God in the City of Toronto. Come and join me at the World's Biggest Bookstore.

Wednesday, September 19th
International Plowing Match, Crosby, Ontario
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Everyday at noon there will be authors in the activities tent to help you while away your lunch hour with readings, and to answer your questions about their craft. I'll be on stage on Wednesday the 19th, but I'll be around on other days as well, so keep on the look out for me. Books will be on sale. For more information on the Plowing Match, see their website: www.ipm2007.com

Friday, November 30th, 2007 7:00pm to 10:00pm
Chapters
2376 Princess Street
Kingston, Ontario
Just in time for Christmas! (No, I haven't started my shopping yet either)
I'll be signing copies of The Sleeping God, The Mirror Prince, and Dead in the Water.

Saturday July 21st
Hotel Kenny, Jones Falls, Ontario,
1:05pm to 4:00pm
No, that's not a typo, we're really starting at 1:05 pm, 'cause it's 175 MINUTES OF MURDER, MAYHEM, AND MIRTH, along the Rideau Canal -- which just happens to be 175 years old this year, and has just been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I'll be reading from The Mirror Prince, and my new novel The Sleeping God. I'm the "mayhem" in the afternoon's entertainment, if you hadn't already figured that out. Along with me will be Sue Pike, Vicki Cameron, Mary Jane Maffini, Barbara Fradkin, and Therese Greenwood. Books will be available for sale and signing. Don't know where the Hotel Kenny is? Contact me at violette@violettemalan.com, and I'll do my best to fill you in. Oh yeah, and there's free ice-cream.

Con*Cept,
13-15 October,
Montreal, Quebec
Violette will be reading from The Mirror Prince.

BOOK SIGNING: SCENE OF THE CRIME AUTHORS
11:00 am to 1:00 pm, Sunday, August 22nd, 2006
Chapters Bookstore, 2376 Princess Street, Kingston, Ontario
Come join the authors from this year's Scene of the Crime Festival, legal crime novelist Jeffrey Miller, cozy crime writer Joan Boswell, and vampire-detective fantasist Tanya Huff, along with Festival organizers and deadly dames Sue Pike, Violette Malan, and Therese Greenwood.

BOOK SIGNING
Saturday September 9th, 2006
World's Biggest Bookstore
20 Edward Street, Toronto, Ontario
Join Violette and well-known Canadian fantasist Tanya Huff as they sign their latest releases in Canada's biggest store.

BOOK SIGNING
Saturday, September 16, 2006 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Lindhurst Turkey Fair
Violette and Therese Greenwood will be joining the Ladies Killing Circle to sign Dead in the Water.
Violette will also be signing Mirror Prince for you fantasy fans.

7:30 pm, Thursday April 20^th, 2006. National Arts Centre, Fourth Stage, Ottawa, Ontario
The Ottawa Storytellers present an evening of "Murder and Mayhem", featuring stories selected from the Ladies Killing Circle's anthologies. Violette's story "Let Me Drive", from the anthology Bone Dance, will be told along with stories from Vicki Cameron and Jane Tun. Books will be available for purchase and signing from Ottawa's Prime Crime Bookstore.
For more information, or to order tickets, see their website: www.ottawastorytellers.ca or phone them at 613-722-2606.

1:00 pm to 4 pm, Sunday April 30^th, 2006. Ontario Breast Screening Program and Friends
Wellington Street Theatre, Kingston, Ontario
Join the Ontario Breast Screening Program in celebrating its 15^th year in Kingston!
Violette Malan and Therese Greenwood, along with local authors Joanne Page and Merilyn Simonds will be participating in a get together at the Wellington Street Theatre. Violette and Therese will be reading from their latest anthology, Dead in the Water, and books will be available for purchase and signing from Novel Idea Bookstore.
The gathering is free to the public, but attendance is limited, so register soon by phoning the OBSP at 613-384-4284.
Remember: Early detection saves lives!

REAL LIVE AUTHORS ON THE RIDEAU
1:00 to 4:00 pm, Saturday, July 22nd, 2006
Hotel Kenney, Jones Falls, Ontario
Along with other local fiction and non-fiction authors such as Charles Gordon, Sue Pike, photographer Lynn Ball and Orland French, Violette Malan and Therese Greenwood will be explaining just how deadly the water is, and signing Dead in the Water. Books by all authors available for purchase on site.

BOOK SIGNING: THE MIRROR PRINCE
1:00 to 3:00 pm, Saturday July 29th, 2006
Chapters Bookstore, 2376 Princess Street, Kingston, Ontario

AD ASTRA March 27th to 29th, 2009 Toronto, Canada
Yes, Toronto in March is much better . . . unless there's a blizzard. Great hotel, great location, great con. What more can I say? You'll find me on a panel, giving a reading, or hanging out in the lobby bar. Oh yeah, GOHs will be David Drake, Joanne Mutch, Tamora Pierce and Timothy Zahn. Website: www.ad-astra.org

ANTICIPATION: 67th WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION
August 6th to 10th 2009 Montreal, Canada
This is the big one. Everyone in the science fiction, fantasy and horror communities who can make will be there. Editors, agents, publishers. Authors you want to meet. For me, it's just a leisurely train ride away to one of my favourite North American cities. For you? Who knows, maybe something less leisurely and more exciting. The Guests of Honour include Neal Gaiman (yes, that's what I said) and Canada's own Elizabeth Vonarburg, with Artist GOH Ralph Bakshi. The website: www.anticipationsf.ca

SCENE OF THE CRIME FESTIVAL
Wolfe Island Ontario, Saturday, August 15th 2009
Most of you know that I'm one of the organizers of the Scene of the Crime, so you won't be surprised that we've changed the regular date of the Festival from the second Saturday in August to the third, so that I can attend Anticipation, World Science Fiction Convention (see above). But don't let that throw you off, we've got such a great line-up that you'll be sure to want to come. The Grant Allen Award for pioneering work in Canadian mystery and crime writing is going to Peter Robinson, and joining Peter will be Rosemary Auberg, Rick Blechta, Barbara Fradkin and David Rotenberg. Keep checking our website for updates: www.sceneofthecrime.ca.

CON*CEPT October 17th to 19th, 2008 Montreal, Canada
Quebec's only fan-run science fiction and fantasy convention, set in beautiful downtown Montreal. Come check it out, 'cause this is the city where World Con is going to be in 2009. This year's author Guests of Honour are great favourites of mine, David Brin and Yves Meynard, along with Media Guest of Honour Samantha Farris. I'll be there doing panels, giving talks and generally hanging around. Come join in the fun. See the website: www.conceptsff.ca See photos from the event!

WORLD FANTASY October 30th to November 3rd, 2008 Calgary, Canada
I'm really looking forward to this particular con, and not just because the theme is Mystery in Fantasy and Horror. No, there's more to it than that. First, I've never been to Calgary, and second two of my favourite authors are among the Guests of Honour this year. I've been reading and rereading Barbara Hambly's books for years, and Tad Williams (a fellow DAW author), will be the emcee for the banquet. To top this off, Todd Lockwood, who did the great cover for The Mirror Prince is the Artist Guest of Honour, so I can meet finally meet him. See the website for more details: www.worldfantasy2008.org See photos from the event!

CONFUSION January 23rd to 25th, 2009 Troy, Michigan
I know, I know, Michigan in January. But I'll tell you something, it isn't significantly different from Elgin in January. Actually, since it's a bit further south, the weather is relatively better than what I can expect at home . . . unless there's a blizzard. Well, so far so good, so I'll hope for the best this year as well. This year's con is called "Cryptic Confusion", and among the special guests are Cory Doctorow, Cat Rambo, and artist Guest of Honour Diana Harlan Stein. Should be a great con as usual.
I'm also going to try setting up some signings with fellow DAW author and Michigander Jim C. Hines (love those goblins!), so keep checking for updates on that front.
Website: www.stilyagi.org/cons/2009 See photos from the event!

Confusion
Friday, January 18th to Sunday January 20th, 2008
Detroit, Troy Marriot
I know what you're thinking, Detroit . . . January . . . doesn't add up. Believe me, it does. More information when it becomes available, but in the meantime you can check their website: www.stilyagi.org

August 11th, 2007
Scene of the Crime Festival, Wolfe Island Ontario
This is a day long Festival for mystery fans and writers alike. On the scene for this year are Giles Blunt, Peter Clement, Lyn Hamilton, Maureen Jennings, and short story master Ed Hoch. Every year the Festival gives the Grant Allen Award for pioneering work in Canadian crime fiction, and this year's award goes to Eric Wright, creator of, among other things, the Charlie Salter mysteries.
The day starts off at 9:00 am with my own writing workshop on Revising and Editing, but for those who don't want to get on the 8:30 ferry, you can join the authors for coffee at 10:00 at the Island Grill. The rest of the day is packed with readings from our guest authors; a fabulous country lunch; a panel discussion where the authors will talk about how they choose the location for their crime stories; a tour of the Anglican Cemetery where Grant Allen's family is buried; an interview with Eric Wright; and an intimate Q/A session with the authors at the Island Grill, followed by the ever popular church supper.
See the website, www.sceneofthecrime.ca, or contact me directly for more information at violette@violettemalan.com

For those of you who don't know it, Ad Astra is Toronto's annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention. This year it was held a month earlier than usual, to make way for the World Horror Con (see below). Ad Astra is what they call a "readers' con" in that the major focus of the events is on books and writing. The guests of honour were Phyllis Gottlieb and Cory Doctorow, the editor guest of honour was Stephen Jones, and the Artist GoH was Ed Beard. As usual, there were all kinds of events, everything from readings and meet-and-greets for the GoH's, to a complete day of anime, to Masquerades, and, of course, the panels.

With my usual luck, most of the panels and events I would have liked to attend -- like Guy Gavriel Kay's reading, or the Corset Workshops, or the Urban Fantasy Panel, or the Sunburst Auction -- were happening at the same time as panels on which I appeared myself.

My first panel was at 1:00 pm on Saturday, "Ongoing Settings, Recurring Characters". I shared the microphones with moderator Rick Wilber, Karin Lowachee, Alice Cooley and Jim C. Hines. Before the panel even started Jim Hines and I found out that not only are we both represented by the same agency, Jabberwocky, we also have the same editor at DAW. Even in SF and Fantasy the world is a small place. All of us on the panel are at various stages of writing SF or fantasy series, so it was great to hear what the others had to say about the pros and cons of the type of writing we do. The biggest pro is that once we've created a complex imaginary world, we get to use to over and over. The biggest con is remembering the details, and not contradicting ourselves in later volumes.

My next panel was "Horror Stories from the World of Publishing". I was lucky enough to share the panel with Editor Guest of Honour Stephen Jones. To a beginner like myself, the list of books, collections and anthologies (both original and reprint) that Steve has edited is frightening -- and not because most of it deals with the horror genre. Obviously, his anecdotes about the publishing industry, both first and second hand, are legion. His most frightening story involved corrections he'd spent an 8-hour plane trip making on a set of proofs. Unfortunately, none of them appeared in the published version -- apparently the publisher had neglected to pass them along to the typesetters. That's the kind of thing that makes their not bothering to show you the cover (even though you have it in your contract) seem small by comparison. The great thing about hearing what Steve had to say, strangely enough, was his being able to laugh about . . . well, most of it. His matter-of-fact attitude went a great way, along with his helpful advice, to de-mystify the process for the audience, and to help them feel that problems with publishers are surmountable -- or at least not fatal. On the other hand, maybe he just took away our groundless fears and gave us concrete things to worry about. Hmmm.

Karin Lowachee moderated my 3:00pm panel, "What's in a Name?" Along with Tony Pi, Jana Paniccia and Hayden Trenholm, we talked about the challenges involved in coming up with not only names for our characters and the places they inhabit, but words in alien languages. Most of us draw from our own ethnic backgrounds -- even Tony who's a linguistics guy -- but everyone agreed that dictionaries of foreign languages (whether electronic or old school) for the fundamentals of a new language was the fantasy writers single most useful tool. Tony also had a great piece of advice: choose a letter from our alphabet and have it simply disappear from your new language.

After the 3:00 pm panel, I had a ½ hour break before my reading at 4:30. I'm relieved to say that it was well attended, with about 20 people present. I didn't even have to bribe anyone with chocolate! I read from The Mirror Prince, and I realized as I began -- nervously turning pages to the spot I'd marked -- that this was the first time I'd read from this work in public. All my previous experience, not counting academic papers, has involved my mystery writing. Reading a fantasy aloud is much more challenging, I think, since you aren't dealing with the primary world. You have to be even more careful to choose a part that the audience can immediately relate to, understand, and find entertaining or suspenseful. My academic experience did stand me in good stead, however, as I knew exactly how long a bit I needed to read to use up about 20 minutes, leaving time for questions.

Steve Jones and I were on another panel together on Sunday morning, "Editing Tips and Tricks". We talked so much that I'm afraid we didn't let moderator and editor Anna Paradox get too many words in. I'm glad to say that we were all more or less on the same page. There are two facets to editing, what writers do themselves to perfect their manuscripts, and what they do subsequently to get those manuscripts accepted. The first facet involves distancing yourself from the work, so that you can read it over with fresh eyes; the second means making sure your ego doesn't stop you from knowing a good suggestion when you hear it -- and making sure your self-doubt doesn't stop you from recognizing a bad one. Steve gave what was probably the two best pieces of advice anyone in the audience could hear. First, the writer makes the ultimately decision regarding changes. By all means listen to and consider any editorial suggestions, but it's your work, and you decide what to do. The second was a bit surprising, all things considered. He told us to remember that we don't have to be published. We always have to option of walking away if we feel we're being bullied rather than edited.

My final panel on Sunday, "What Happened to High Fantasy?" included Caitlin Sweet, Marc Mackay, and Shirley Meier. After arguing . . . I mean discussing what we thought High Fantasy actually was -- besides using elves as characters -- we settled down to figuring out what had happened to it. We were more or less in agreement that by "high" fantasy we meant epic fantasy -- that is, the modern equivalent of the Iliad or the Aeneid. For our purposes, we're talking Lord of the Rings. Shirley suggested that one problem with high fantasy is that writers aren't looking at source material for their ideas, but using fantasy novels as their source material, so that we end up with a lot of imitations of books, rather than good original work. We also thought that epic fantasy pretty much by definition meant dealing with the upper classes, and that modern fantasy is more likely to deal with what we might call working class heroes.

Con*Cept.
13-15 October, 2006, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Con*Cept is one of Canada's oldest regional science fiction conferences, held every October in the beautiful city of Montreal. Violette will be taking part in several panels as well as giving a reading of The Mirror Prince. For more information see their website: www.conceptsff.ca

Friday, June 9 – Saturday, June 10, 2006. Bloody Words VII
The annual conference of the Crime Writers of Canada, Toronto, Ontario. See their website: www.bloodywords.com

Saturday August 19^th, 2006. Scene of the Crime Festival V
Join Violette and the other organizers of the Scene of the Crime on Wolfe Island for their 5^th annual festival. For the fifth year in a row Violette will be giving her writing workshop, and this year's subject is "Dialogue". We sold out last year so sign up early. Guest authors will include Tanya Huff, Joan Boswell, Tim Wynne-Jones and Jeffrey Miller. Canadian mystery icon James Powell will be the recipient of the 2006 Grant Allen Award. For more details and how to register, see our website: www.sceneofthecrime.ca.

Wednesday, August 23^rd – Sunday, August 27^th, 2006. LACON IV
The 64^th Annual World Science Fiction Convention, Los Angeles, California. See their website: www.laconiv.com.