Hello again, my faithful readers. If indeed you really do exist. (-:
The writing life is gearing up to fever pitch lately. So much going on. It’s time for a catch-all post once again.
As you may or may not know, I have a play being produced in the upcoming InspiraTO Festival! This year’s InspiraTO Theatre Festival, Canada’s largest ten-minute play festival, will be held at the Alumnae Theatre in Toronto, May 30-June 8, 2013. Please mark your calendars and be prepared to be AMAZED!
If you are an actor living in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), please note that InspiraTO is now holding auditions. They require 50+ actors for all the plays that will be in the festival. You can visit the following link to learn more about auditions. Plays are previewed on the site and instructions are pretty straight forward:
INSPIRATO FESTIVAL CALL FOR AUDITIONS!
I am heading into final edits on my own InspiraTO play. I’ve been working with a wonderful dramaturg…and I’ve been soaking up all the great insights she’s been offering me through the process. I’m in the festival this year because I was given one of the 12 Mentorship spots, so I’m getting a backstage pass to all the ins and outs of theatre I have missed with my past playwriting gigs. My play in the festival is called PERFECT TIMING.
Next up! I recently signed with a wonderful new agent. Stacey Donaghy of the Corvisiero Literary Agency. Stacey is currently busy shopping my Young Adult novel Half Dead & Fully Broken. I’m hoping for great things to come from our partnership!
I’m putting the finishing touches on my 2012 Muskoka Novel Marathon novel, Burn Baby Burn Baby. Hopefully, it will be ready for submission shortly.
AND novel number 3 will be released on April 19th! THE REASONS was my 2008 Muskoka Novel Marathon novel. It took the BEST NOVEL AWARD in the Adult Novel category. It will be released by MUSA PUBLISHING. They are also the publishers of my 2nd novel, SEBASTIAN’S POET…which is getting lovely reviews at the moment. It’s scary having your babies out there being poked at. All their scars and blisters are on view for the world to see. But I’ve been blessed so far with wonderful reviews for both Sebastian’s Poet AND Summer on Fire. My fingers are crossed for the reception of The Reasons. The family in this novel are pretty dysfunctional. Told from the POV of both the matriarch, MAGGIE REASON, and her son, TOBIAS REASON…The Reasons may have a few readers squirming in discomfort. But I certainly hope it’s good entertaining squirms! (-:
Amid my own writing deadlines and milestones, I am also acting as Registrations Coordinator for the 5th Ontario Writers’ Conference. I’m on the Board of Directors of the organization and have been with them since their inception in 2007. It is one of the most rewarding things I have participated in for these many years. It’s so amazing seeing it come together every year. We attract extraordinary speakers and facilitators. And we see so many writers getting motivated by the festivities. It’s such a great feeling to know these people are walking away from the conference each year ready and eager to take on the world anew. I see the glow in their eyes, and I KNOW why we do this thing.
The conference is still accepting registrations, but book soon. Classes fill up. Our Agent Pitches are already fully booked and the Blue Pencil Manuscript Mentors are also seeing a lot of action. If you want a spot with a mentor, it would be a good idea to register soon!
Don’t forget that the FESTIVAL OF AUTHORS is open to the public. You do NOT need to attend the conference to come hear our readers during this FRIDAY EVENING GALA. Here’s all the info for the festival:
ONTARIO WRITERS’ CONFERENCE FESTIVAL OF AUTHORS GALA FRIDAY MAY 3RD
You can check out the whole speaker/facilitator line-up here:
2013 SPEAKER/FACILITATOR LINE-UP
Here’s the day’s schedule:
Our Venue is the same. We stay with the DEER CREEK GOLF & BANQUET FACILITY because it is SO beautiful and they’ve been most accommodating to our needs as a world class conference! Here’s a look at the venue:
DEER CREEK GOLF & BANQUET FACILITY
If you are coming from out of town, we’re thrilled to be affiliated with 2 price point hotels this year. You can choose the one you wish to stay at, and there are discounts for attendees at both:
Register today! We put this event together for you. Here’s the registration page:
2013 ONTARIO WRITERS’ CONFERENCE REGISTRATION PAGE
If you have any conference related questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section of this post. (-:
NEXT WEDNESDAY (WED MARCH 13th 8-9pm ONTARIO TIME) I will be moderating a CHAT on TWITTER for the Ontario Writers’ Conference. If you live in Toronto, you’ve been frightened by posters of THE DEMONOLOGIST by Andrew Pyper by now. (-: The conference will be hosting a chat with Andrew next Wednesday. This is your chance to talk HORROR with Canada’s leading expert on the genre. I’m reading The Deomonologist now, and I have to say it is rocking my socks off! Come join us for the twitter chat next Wednesday. Follow the chat by following our hashtag #OWCChat Andrew will be answering your questions regarding reading/writing/etc. Talk to him about his new novel (which has been optioned for movie rights) or any of his past novels. One lucky CHATTER will win a digital copy of The Demonologist in their choice of KOBO or AMAZON KINDLE editions. Hope to see you there! Follow OWC on Twitter
Tomorrow is TRAFALGAR 24 – The annual 24-hour Play Creation Festival put on by Jeremy Smith and his DRIFTWOOD THEATRE GROUP crew. It is THE event in Durham Region. A fabulous night of 10-minute plays that actually begins behind the scenes TONIGHT. Late tonight 6 playwrights will enter the 19th Century Trafalgar Castle in Whitby, Ontario. They will be nervous and electric with excitement. They will spend 8-hours locked inside the castle walls—and they will each be required to write a 10-minute play from scratch. Tomorrow morning, Jeremy will take mercy on them and allow them to leave the castle. At this point, he will have more prisoners to torture. (-; The directors and actors will converge on the castle and be locked in for the next 8-hours! Rehearsals. After a short break, the audience will appear. I have my tickets! Can’t wait to see the 6 plays. And we get to vote on our favourite one, too! I know of at least two friends who are playwrights this year. I wish them luck and happiness with their castle experience. I know how much fun it is, because I had a play in each of the past 4 Trafalgar24 events.
I am also gearing up to teach a workshop at the May WCDR (Writers’ Community of Durham Region) Breakfast Meeting. More to come on that front!
Is that everything? I think so. Ooh…but I’m also editing another novel. The YA THAT’S ME IN THE CORNER has been shelved since 2011, when it won the MUSKOKA NOVEL MARATHON’S BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL AWARD. I will be pulling that down out of the dust and polishing it off to send to my agent soon. I really love this one…part of it takes place in Kenya. It really deals with some tough issues, so I’d like to fine-tooth comb it before letting it go. Soon, soon! My agent’s going to get sick of receiving so many manuscripts…but I can’t help it. I’m a manic writer just trying to get the words out of my head and onto the screen.
Good luck with your own writing endeavors, whatever they may be. Don’t be afraid to try new things and push the limits. You don’t know if you can do something until you try. Life is too short for weak “I would like to try…” statements. Get down there, into the thick of things, and have FUN!
I leave you now with the incomparable WAYSON CHOY. A beautiful soul AND the honorary patron since its inception of the Ontario Writers’ Conference!
KEVIN CRAIG 