september
Guest Speaker - via Zoom
Caitlin Jans (née Thomson)
Tuesday September 17, 7 PM
Breaking Through Publishing Blocks in the Literary World
Caitlin Jans has an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. She is the co-founder of Authors Publish and The Poetry Marathon. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies and literary journals including: The Literary Review of Canada, The Fiddlehead, Eleven, Eleven, The Adroit Journal, and Killer Verse. Her prose and poetry has been nominated for The Pushcart Prize, BILiNE, The Best Small Fictions Anthology, and The Best of the Net. You can learn more at www.caitlinthomson.com.
In-person Workshop
Neil Saravanamutto
Monday September 23, 6 PM
Is it Time to Start a Substack?
For writers looking for an audience, Substack is probably the first platform that gets it. Substack makes three things really easy. Publishing. Monetization. Outreach. It lets writers focus on writing. Neil Saravanamuttoo is an Ottawa community organizer and former G20 chief economist for infrastructure with over 7,000 Substack subscribers. Learn what Neil has figured out about finding an audience and engaging with them through Substack.
Details are emailed to OIW members
october
In-person Event
Movie Night
Saturday October 5, 5 PM
Free Trip to Egypt
We're thrilled to host Tariq Mounib, the visionary creator behind "Free Trip to Egypt," a profoundly touching documentary that transcends boundaries and bridges gaps.
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As writers, we know all too well how ideas can simmer; learn from Tariq how he nurtured these sparks into flames.
Join the OIW community for an extraordinary evening of film and inspiration.
Details are emailed to OIW members
Guest Speaker-via Zoom
Barbara Leimsner
Tuesday October 15, 7 PM
10 Things I Learnt on my Memoir Journey
Barbara Leimsner's memoir, 'Quitting the Master Race: A Daughter's Journey to Break the Bonds of Hate', was six years in the making and was independently published by Friesen Press in September 2023. She will talk both about what she learned during the writing, editing, revision and publishing process, and about the advantages, drawbacks--and the joys!--of marketing an independently published book. Her book is a finalist in the juried Whistler Independent Writing Awards.
Details are emailed to OIW members
OIW currently meets on Zoom and in-person depending on the event.
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For on-line meetings, a link is sent to paid members before the meeting.
Our in-person events are spread throughout the year with plenty of workshops, book launches, reading nights, and get-togethers that encourage members to meet, network, and share writing, and publishing experiences. Our Events page has all the details!
Interested in joining? Visit our Membership page to learn more.
OUR MEETINGS
MONTHLY MEETINGS
OIW holds nine monthly program meetings from September to June each year on a wide variety of writing related topics, normally with a speaker and plenty of opportunity for questions.
CURRENT MEETINGS
OIW gathers every third Tuesday of the month with presentations starting at 7 pm, lasting until 9 pm. The meetings currently take place on the Zoom virtual platform.
Visit our membership page to sign-up now!
OUR MEMBERS
Meet a few of our writers
Mike Young
Kirk's Landing
Mike was born and raised in Kirkland Lake, a small northern mining town with a nearby First Nations reserve. He grew up with a love of the north, even in the midst of winter, exploring the surrounding woods with his friends, and his grandfather. Kirk's Landing, a crime novel, was his first book. In 2016, he published a sequel, Return to Kirk's Landing.
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Patricia McCarthy
The Crimson Man
Author of the wildly imaginative Crimson vampire series, currently consisting of (6) novels: The Crimson Man, The Crimson Boy, The Crimson Woman, The Crimson Time, The Crimson Crimes, and her latest in the series The Crimson Dream. The Crimson vampire series takes place in Ottawa, Canada.
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Craig Munro
Bones of the Past
Craig has spent his life traveling and moving from one field of work to another. A voracious fan of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, it was only a matter of time before he turned his mind to creating a world of his own. The Bones of the Past is the first installment in the epic fantasy series - The Books of Dust and Bone.
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Melissa Yuan-Innes
Human Remains
Melissa Yuan-Innes (Melissa Yi) is an emergency room physician. Her newest Hope Sze crime novel is HUMAN REMAINS. THE STOCKHOLM SYNDROME, a previous Hope Sze novel, was selected by CBC Radio as a best crime novel of the season.