ENCOURAGING, EQUIPPING AND EMPOWERING
WRITERS AND EDITORS WHO ARE CHRISTIAN
Information for:
Creative Nonfiction Intensive for Write Canada June 2015
Carolyn R. Wilker & Steph Beth Nickel
Upon payment of your conference fee, please send your manuscript of 1500–2000 words to the
Registrar at registrar@thewordguild.com. Your manuscript should be unpublished work in the
creative nonfiction genre, a memoir piece or personal essay, it should be double spaced, and
typed in 12 point Times New Roman font.
Our Registrar will send your manuscript via email to Carolyn R. Wilker and Steph Nickel with
“Intensive Submission” in the subject line. She will also send your writing to the other
participants of the class when payment has been processed. Instructors and fellow participants
will receive a copy of each piece of work by May 1 (May 15 at latest), so everyone will have
time to review each person’s work.
Prior to Conference:
Participants should read submissions sent from their fellow writers prior to Write Canada and if
possible, write a few notes that will help their fellow writers improve their work. They are to
relay comments to their fellow participants after the particular session in which the work has
been reviewed. This is part of the learning experience.
For Conference:
Please bring 12 hard copies of your work to the conference to be distributed during your class.
Please also bring a hard copy of your comments for each of the other participants to be given to
them after their work is discussed in class.
Session Process:
Instructors will review participant’s work before conference and prepare a written summary
critique. During the conference, they will provide verbal feedback provide summary notes at
the end of their critique. Each participant will leave with clear ideas on how to improve their
writing.
Guidelines for Each Session (instructors will share these at the opening of the class):
It’s about the writing, not the person, and all critiques will be offered with respect. Positive
encouragement and areas to work on will end on a positive note.
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This is a critique, not an edit. Punctuation will only be noted if it skews the meaning.
The sessions will not be recorded and “everything said here, stays here.”
P: 800-969-9010 x 1 | E: info@thewordguild.com | Suite # 226, 245 King George Rd, Brantford, ON N3R 7N7
ENCOURAGING, EQUIPPING AND EMPOWERING
WRITERS AND EDITORS WHO ARE CHRISTIAN

Instructors lead the workshop, and as we will have time constraints, participants will be
asked to relay their comments to fellow participants after the session in which the
person receives the critique.
Follow up:
Participants are asked to sign up at the conference for one-on-one faculty appointments with
the instructors for answers to any additional questions they may have.
Special notes on critiquing:
Acknowledging what has been done well. Offer balanced feedback. Rather than saying
something is wrong, offer a way to make it better and more readable. Please show the same
respect you wish to receive.
Recommended Books or Readings (conference handout):
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Writing Creative Nonfiction, eds Carolyn Forché and Philip Gerard, 2001, Story Press
https://davehood59.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/how-to-write-creative-nonfiction/
Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life, Philip Gerard, 2004
Keep it Real, ed, Lee Gutkind, W. W. Norton. 2008.
You Can Write a Memoir, Susan Carol Hauser, Writers Digest, 2001
You Can't Make This Stuff Up: The Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction - from
Memoir to Literary Journalism and Everything in Between, Lee Gutkind, 2012
Crafting The Personal Essay: A Guide for Writing and Publishing Creative Non-Fiction,
Dinty W. Moore, 2010
P: 800-969-9010 x 1 | E: info@thewordguild.com | Suite # 226, 245 King George Rd, Brantford, ON N3R 7N7