A chilling collection of stories unravelling the consequences of longing, broken trust, and deceit.
When our own darkness is mirrored in multi-faceted characters, do we look away in disgust or find the humanity within them? In his debut short fiction collection, John Mavin has slyly exposed themes hidden deep below the surface with breathtaking potency, eloquence, and wit.
This coming Saturday (June 15), I'll be presenting an expanded version of Extraordinary People: The Essential Qualities of Good Characters for the Greater Vancouver Writers Association: Romance and Beyond (10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jubilee United Church at 7551 Gray Ave. in Burnaby). I've been told membership in the GVWA isn't required to attend--although if you are thinking about becoming a member, you're invited to drop in as a guest, participate in a workshop, and get to know them (I've met them before and I can attest they're all very welcoming and incredibly supportive--plus they host the most amazing potluck lunches). To learn more about the GVWA: Romance and Beyond, check out their website.
And oh yeah, here's the workshop description so you'll know what you're getting into:
Most readers look for stories about interesting (and preferably unique) people doing fascinating things in the most surprising of ways they'll always remember (as opposed to stories about ordinary people doing ordinary things in the most ordinary ways they'll soon forget). This workshop examines the essential qualities of all good characters, giving you the tools to populate your fiction with compelling and memorable people both heroic and villainous (and everything in between).
Joshua Pantalleresco and I conclude our conversation on his podcast Just Joshing after the events of Creative Ink. We talk about what people want, random elements in writing, my next book, my career approach and much, much more.
Joshua Pantalleresco invited me to return to his podcast Just Joshing at this year's Creative Ink Festival. Check out episode 247 as we talk about the role of teachers, whether or not people get what they want, my current work in progress, and Josh being published in OnSpec--all while running the merchants' table in the final hour of the festival. Hear us chat before we get overrun!