Now Accepting Applications for 2013/14

The Program

A Novel Approach is an advanced year-long novel course designed for serious novelists/writers of fiction to encourage and motivate the writer to the completion of the first draft of a novel. Through instruction, writing exercises, work-shopping, group discussion and mentorship this program will get you well on your way to completing the first draft and depending on how far along you are, maybe even the second draft.

Throughout the year, you will discuss common obstacles to finishing your draft from beginnings, plot, story, POV, voice, structure and endings. Elements of flashbacks, sex scenes, symbolism, dialogue, character development, research and methods of submitting to publishers/agents will also be discussed with more emphasis on specific needs of the participants, but all areas will be covered.

Students will also have the opportunity to meet one on one with their instructor throughout the year to discuss their manuscript.

Please note: There is an extensive critique/workshop component to this course.

The Pre-Requisites

Successful applicants must:

Have a novel-in-progress
Have completed A Novel Idea, the AWCS 10-week intermediate novel course, or equivalent at another institution ; or have previously published short stories.

The Application Guidelines

There is a non-refundable application fee of $25 which must accompany each submission.
There are limited spaces available, so send us your best, well-edited submissions.
Submit up to 10 pages of your novel in-progress along with a brief (1 page)synopsis or outline of the story. Manuscript submissions should be typed in an easy to read font, double-spaced on one side of the page, numbered.
Include a cover page with your name, contact information and writing experience along with a brief paragraph about why you should be considered for this program, how far along you are in your novel, previous courses you’ve taken and/or publishing credits and your level of commitment to the program.
Send to: AWCS, A Novel Approach, 922, 9th Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0S4
Or email as an attachment in .doc, .docx, .pdf or .rtf to: anovelapproach@alexandrawriters.org
Applications and fee must be received by July 1, 2013 (applications will not be processed until application fee is received.) Payments can be made by credit card over the phone, online through PayPal, cash or cheques made payable to: AWCS
You will be notified of your acceptance by August 15, 2013

The Placement

Student placement in a specific class is based on a variety of factors. We first consider your story: genre, writing experience, current manuscript length, and who we think would be the best instructor to guide you. Other consideration is given to your preference of instructor, day of the week etc. If you have a preference for instructor or a certain day is better than another, please state in your cover letter, otherwise, we will find the best fit for you as a writer.

The Fees

Application Fee: (non-refundable) $25

Course Fee (due upon acceptance): AWCS Members: $600 | Non-Members: $660 (includes membership)

The Instructors

Theanna Bischoff is a novelist, creative writing instructor, and freelance editor who currently lives in Calgary, Alberta. She is the author of two novels: Cleavage (NeWest Press, 2008), which was shortlisted for both the 2009 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book – Canada & the Caribbean, and the 2009 Re-Lit Awards; and Swallow (NeWest Press, 2012). Theanna holds a Concentration in Creative Writing from the University of Calgary (2006) and a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology (2007). She is also the co-author of a commentary entitled “Social Cognition in the Literary Arts.” www.theannabischoff.com

Anne Metikosh has lived in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and the NWT. For the past fifteen years, she has made her home in Calgary. With an honours degree in languages, she found early on that a career in finance allowed for more portability. Writing became a passion about twenty years ago. Anne’s first novel, Terra Incognita, was published in 2000. It’s a YA historical fiction that has been used to supplement the social studies curriculum in several schools. Undercurrent, a mystery, came out in 2005 and was a Take a Joy Read Canada selection. Shifting to creative non-fiction, Chance appeared in 2008, and in the fall of 2012, her first e-book, a romantic suspense called Trial Run, became available online. Anne’s short stories and articles also run the gamut of genre. The most recent is A Voice in the Wilderness, which has been nominated for the James H. Gray Award for short nonfiction. So far, she’s avoiding a web presence but fears one will soon be inevitable.

Susan Calder grew up in Montreal and moved to Calgary in 1996. Her first novel Deadly Fall was published in March 2011 by TouchWood Editions. Deadly Fall launches a murder mystery series featuring insurance adjuster Paula Savard and set against a backdrop of the latest Calgary economic boom. She is currently working on a sequel.

Susan has a degree in Urban Studies from Concordia University and worked as an insurance claims examiner. She came to writing twenty years ago and honed her writing skills at Concordia University, the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society, the Banff Centre for the Arts, The Sage Hill Writing Experience and Booming Ground. At Mystery Writers’ INK and the Calgary Citizens’ Police Academy, she learned about crime, police work, guns, poisons and assorted ghoulish matters useful to mystery writing.

Her short stories and poems have won contests and been published in Other Voices, Alberta Views, The Prairie Journal and the Silver Boomers Anthology. She is a past-past president of the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society, where she teaches courses and workshops in Short Fiction, Dynamic Dialogue, Mystery Writing and Manuscript Revision. www.susancalder.com