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Chapter by Chapter
A 10-Month Manuscript Project Are you ready to write? Submit your Expression of Interest by June 27, 2025. AWCS Members: $1650 | Non-Members: $2250 38 weeks - September 2025 to June 2026 Enjoy the consistency, accountability, comradery, and support, of a small group for ten months as you work on your writing project. Chapter by Chapter is designed to encourage and motivate writers to complete a first, second, third, or final draft of their current work in progress. This is a weekly commitment with one class focused on discussion, skill building, exercises, and the next class focused on workshopping. You will be expected to write a lot of words, edit your existing work, give and receive feedback in a way that keeps one another motivated. |
This class is recommended for intermediate to advanced level writers with a significant piece of work in progress – at least a first draft – previous participants in an AWCS novel writing course and those familiar and comfortable with group critique. You should be committed to finishing a bigger project and comfortable giving feedback on a variety of genres – such as, but not limited to narrative nonfiction, memoir, mystery, literary/upmarket, speculative fiction, romance – from young adult to adult – short story or essay collections.
Note: This class is not recommended for picture books, poetry or academic non-fiction.
CLASS START DATES & TIMES
Online Classes (Zoom)
Instructor: Finnian Burnett | Wednesdays, Begins September 17, 2025 | 6pm-8pm PT | 7pm-9pm MT | 8pm-10pm CT | 9pm-11pm ET
Instructor: Sarah Pratt | Fridays, Begins September 19, 2025 | 9am-11am PT | 10am-12pm MT | 11am-1pm CT | 12pm-2pm ET | 1pm-3pm AT
In Person Class (Alexandra Writers Centre)
Instructor: Tina Petrick | Wednesdays, Begins September 17, 2025 | 7pm-9pm MT
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS
Dr. Finnian Burnett (they/them)’s work explores the intersections of the human body, mental health, and gender identity. They are a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts grant, a finalist in the 2023 CBC nonfiction prize, and a 2024 Pushcart nominee.
Their work appears in Blank Spaces Magazine, Reflex Press, The Daily Sci-Fi, CBC, and more. Their two novellas-in-flash, The Clothes Make the Man and The Price of Cookies, are available through Ad Hoc Fiction and Off Topic Publishing respectively. Finnian is represented by Stacey Kondla of The Rights Factory. Their collaborative work with author Andrew Buckley, Queer Tales of Shakespearean Proportions is represented by Terrie Wolf.
When not writing or teaching, Finnian enjoys walking, Star Trek, and cat memes. Finn can be found at www.finnburnett.com
Tina Petrick (she/her)'s humor essays on leaving law, appearing on reality TV, dating in Calgary, and living on a boat have been published in Canada’s The Globe and Mail, in travel magazines, and in literary journals. Her essay “Lovesick Leftie Blues” went viral as The Globe and Mail’s most shared essay of the year on social media. Her first novel, Avery the Dogless Orphan & the Interdimensional Stray (Chicken Scratch Books), released in April 2023 under the pen name, Prim Pawn. Her second novel is presently on submission. She teaches as a sessional instructor at the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business and at the Alexandra Writers’ Centre.
Sarah Pratt (she/her) is a bookseller, literary events coordinator, editor, publisher, and creative writing instructor. An Alberta Magazine Publishers Association finalist, her short fiction has appeared in Room, Plenitude, On Spec, and the Shirley Jackson award winning anthology TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS (Haverhill Press, 2019). She is the author of one collection of short stories SUICIDE STITCH (EMP Publishing 2015) and her debut novel, INFRACTUS (Coffin Hop Press, 2017). She is co-editor at The Seventh Terrace, a small press for horror fiction. Watch for her next book, THEY'RE ALL NAMED POPPY, forthcoming from (Radical Books, 2025)
Expressions of Interest NOW OPEN
Chapter by Chapter is an intense commitment. In previous (or similar) runs of this program, we have seen writers who have joined prematurely. Although they start with a lot of enthusiasm, their energy fizzles out quickly with the realization that writing is a lot of work. On the other hand, some intermediate or advanced writers don't realize they are at a more advanced level and think they are only beginners, so they won't register. The form below is a way for us to help guide you to get the most out of this program.
No matter what level you are or think you are at, if you are interested in this class, please submit an Expression of Interest. We will review all expressions of interest and if we agree you are ready, you will be invited to register. Registrations will be open for a limited time and on a first come, first served basis, so if you are selected, you will have to register quickly to secure your spot.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE GOING INTO THIS PROGRAM
WHO SHOULD SUBMIT
The ideal candidate for this course:
HOW TO SUBMIT AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
1. Click the link below
2. Fill out the form.
3. Include a 10 page writing sample from your project that you want to work on during the class. (11 or 12pt font, Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial etc., pages numbered, double-spaced)
4. Click Submit
If you register and start the class but then discover it isn’t what you thought it would be, you just don’t mesh with other participants, or an emergency comes up and you can’t attend, we will give you a grace period to the end of October to withdraw and receive a 75% credit. No credits will be given after October 31.
All other withdrawal/refund policies apply.
Don't let finances be a barrier to your learning. Please consider the J. Michael Fay Subsidy Program, if necessary.
* If you submitted an expression of interest and meet the general criteria for the class, you will be invited to register. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. There are only 8 seats available in each class. If you receive the notice to register, we recommend you do so quickly, as these seats will fill quickly.
Note: This class is not recommended for picture books, poetry or academic non-fiction.
CLASS START DATES & TIMES
Online Classes (Zoom)
Instructor: Finnian Burnett | Wednesdays, Begins September 17, 2025 | 6pm-8pm PT | 7pm-9pm MT | 8pm-10pm CT | 9pm-11pm ET
Instructor: Sarah Pratt | Fridays, Begins September 19, 2025 | 9am-11am PT | 10am-12pm MT | 11am-1pm CT | 12pm-2pm ET | 1pm-3pm AT
In Person Class (Alexandra Writers Centre)
Instructor: Tina Petrick | Wednesdays, Begins September 17, 2025 | 7pm-9pm MT
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS
Dr. Finnian Burnett (they/them)’s work explores the intersections of the human body, mental health, and gender identity. They are a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts grant, a finalist in the 2023 CBC nonfiction prize, and a 2024 Pushcart nominee.
Their work appears in Blank Spaces Magazine, Reflex Press, The Daily Sci-Fi, CBC, and more. Their two novellas-in-flash, The Clothes Make the Man and The Price of Cookies, are available through Ad Hoc Fiction and Off Topic Publishing respectively. Finnian is represented by Stacey Kondla of The Rights Factory. Their collaborative work with author Andrew Buckley, Queer Tales of Shakespearean Proportions is represented by Terrie Wolf.
When not writing or teaching, Finnian enjoys walking, Star Trek, and cat memes. Finn can be found at www.finnburnett.com
Tina Petrick (she/her)'s humor essays on leaving law, appearing on reality TV, dating in Calgary, and living on a boat have been published in Canada’s The Globe and Mail, in travel magazines, and in literary journals. Her essay “Lovesick Leftie Blues” went viral as The Globe and Mail’s most shared essay of the year on social media. Her first novel, Avery the Dogless Orphan & the Interdimensional Stray (Chicken Scratch Books), released in April 2023 under the pen name, Prim Pawn. Her second novel is presently on submission. She teaches as a sessional instructor at the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business and at the Alexandra Writers’ Centre.
Sarah Pratt (she/her) is a bookseller, literary events coordinator, editor, publisher, and creative writing instructor. An Alberta Magazine Publishers Association finalist, her short fiction has appeared in Room, Plenitude, On Spec, and the Shirley Jackson award winning anthology TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS (Haverhill Press, 2019). She is the author of one collection of short stories SUICIDE STITCH (EMP Publishing 2015) and her debut novel, INFRACTUS (Coffin Hop Press, 2017). She is co-editor at The Seventh Terrace, a small press for horror fiction. Watch for her next book, THEY'RE ALL NAMED POPPY, forthcoming from (Radical Books, 2025)
Expressions of Interest NOW OPEN
Chapter by Chapter is an intense commitment. In previous (or similar) runs of this program, we have seen writers who have joined prematurely. Although they start with a lot of enthusiasm, their energy fizzles out quickly with the realization that writing is a lot of work. On the other hand, some intermediate or advanced writers don't realize they are at a more advanced level and think they are only beginners, so they won't register. The form below is a way for us to help guide you to get the most out of this program.
No matter what level you are or think you are at, if you are interested in this class, please submit an Expression of Interest. We will review all expressions of interest and if we agree you are ready, you will be invited to register. Registrations will be open for a limited time and on a first come, first served basis, so if you are selected, you will have to register quickly to secure your spot.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE GOING INTO THIS PROGRAM
- It is a heavy commitment.
- You must be open-minded to reading a variety of genres even if it's not a genre you would normally read. If you don't feel you can review outside of your genre, this class is not for you.
- One week is craft, one week is critiquing. It's up to you to find your own balance and process to still put in the work to complete your own manuscript.
WHO SHOULD SUBMIT
The ideal candidate for this course:
- has a few publications under their belt
- is currently working on a full length manuscript
- should have a completed first draft
- experience critiquing/workshopping
- evidence of a proven commitment to their craft through courses and workshops, mentorship and writer in residence opportunities
HOW TO SUBMIT AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
1. Click the link below
2. Fill out the form.
3. Include a 10 page writing sample from your project that you want to work on during the class. (11 or 12pt font, Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial etc., pages numbered, double-spaced)
4. Click Submit
If you register and start the class but then discover it isn’t what you thought it would be, you just don’t mesh with other participants, or an emergency comes up and you can’t attend, we will give you a grace period to the end of October to withdraw and receive a 75% credit. No credits will be given after October 31.
All other withdrawal/refund policies apply.
Don't let finances be a barrier to your learning. Please consider the J. Michael Fay Subsidy Program, if necessary.
* If you submitted an expression of interest and meet the general criteria for the class, you will be invited to register. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. There are only 8 seats available in each class. If you receive the notice to register, we recommend you do so quickly, as these seats will fill quickly.
