Writers Smorgasbord at Camp Wapomeo in Yarmouth

Writers Smorgasbord at Camp Wapomeo
in Yarmouth, Sept. 29, 30 and Oct.1, 2006

WHAT TO EXPECT:

1. Very simple accommodations. Bunk beds in huts. Shared space. Think camping with an extended family! This is not fancy, folks. The leader’s hut sleeps 32 people. It has eight rooms with two bunk beds each. It is heated and has large washrooms with hot water/showers. First come/first served. (It’s unlikely that we can provide a room for less than three to four people) The remaining ten huts are not heated, and have five bunk beds and one small room with one bunk bed curtained off. A common large washroom is in the middle of the camp and has hot water/showers.

2. Y Camp’s upside is that it has a good cook and the location (on Lake Fanning) is gorgeous. You’ll be well fed and you can sleep, swim, canoe, go for hikes, or attend workshops (five in all!) … or just hole up somewhere and have a wee retreat.

3. The total cost for the weekend, including food and workshops is $99 plus tax. Spouses/friends/partners can tag along for $75 (plus tax) if they are not taking workshops.

4. If you want to attend a workshop but don’t want to stay overnight, the fee is $25 (plus tax) per workshop and includes one meal so you can have a bit of social time with the gang.


WHAT TO BRING:

Sleeping bag/pillow
Towel, flashlight
Warm clothing, boots and raingear “in case…”
Lots of paper to write on
Sense of humour
Some of your work for Saturday night “readings”
Musical instrument[s]


DIRECTIONS:

Camp Wapomeo is located at 323 Perry Road in Carleton, Yarmouth County. It’s a 25-minute drive from Yarmouth. Take Route 1 to Hebron then route 340 to Carleton. Turn right after Carleton Country Outfitters, go past the Bavaria Café, and turn left on the Perry Road. You can also come in from the Valley via route 340 from Weymouth and you will land in Carleton.

If you are coming from Shelburne/Halifax way: turn right at Exit 33 in Tusket. Go 1 k then take the road to Kemptville. Follow your nose until you run out of pavement and keep going until you come to the end of the gravel road at a T-junction. (About 15 k in total). Turn left onto a paved road, and watch for the Perry Road on your right as you come into the village of Carleton. If you get to the Bavaria Restaurant, you’ve gone too far.

If you feel lost call the camp at – 761-2000, Sandra’s at 648-0462 or the YMCA at 742-7181.

WEEKEND OVERVIEW:

Friday

Check in anytime after 4 p.m.
Dinner 5:30 p.m.
WORKSHOP 7-9:30 p.m. with Gwen Davies, “A sense of place.”

Saturday

Breakfast 8 :30 a.m.
WORKSHOP 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon with Judy Ferron, “Write a postcard story!”
Lunch 12 noon
WORKSHOP 2-4:30 p.m. with Glen Hancock, “Conquering that pesky point of view.”
Dinner 5:30 p.m.
Readings! 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to bring something to read around the campfire in the Rec
Hall. Can be poetry, fiction, non-fiction … silly or serious. Plan for 3-4 minutes (about 500-600 words). Depends on the number of people present.

Sunday

Breakfast 8:30 a.m.
WORKSHOP 9:30-12 noon with Sandra Phinney, “Making the most of memories.”
Lunch 12 noon
WORKSHOP 1:-3:30 p.m. with Thea Atkinson, “Fleshing the bones.”

4 p.m. Bye bye

For more information contact Sandra Phinney at 902 648-0462 or s.phinney@ns.sympatico.ca


WORKSHOP LEADERS:

Gwen Davies teaches creative writing and is the driving force behind Nova Scotia’s Community of Writers. Her stories appear in anthologies and literary magazines in Canada and Spain, the latest in the Winter 2006, Antigonish Review. She has published a body of non-fiction writing as a researcher-writer. Gwen is an expert in plain language, and has a background in teaching, journalism, and the performing arts.

Gwen loves the challenge of setting scenes. She says, “As music in a movie colours the way we see action, so setting in a story often shapes a reader's perception of characters and their actions. In this workshop, we will play with setting as an emotional context for character, and as a tool to help move a story forward.”

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Judith Green Ferron is a freelance writer. She also pursues her love of words through fiction and poetry. She's received recognition in the Postcard Story genre, by reaching the finalist list twice, in the Writer's Union of Canada Competition. In June 2006 Judith's postcard story Worm Raker was accepted in the Summer Short Shorts for the e-publication www.novascotiacanada.ca She also won first prize in the Magazine Article/Essay category of the Atlantic Writing Competition in 2002. Judith is a member of WFNS and a founding member of the Yarmouth Write Away group. She has workshopped twice with children and youth at the Kid's Writing Camp (summers) at the Yarmouth Library.

For this weekend gathering, Judith will talk about postcard stories and explain to you how they're akin to a poem or short story. You will also write your own postcard story as you learn the process that allows you to complete a story in 200 to 500 words. What you write can be fiction or non-fiction. Either way, count on having fun!

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Glen Hancock started to write when he was 15 years old, and in his youth had mystery stories and westerns published in Old Post Magazine. During the war, he was a correspondent for the London Free Press. In the past 50 years he’s held positions as editor with the Telegraph Journal in NB, as a columnist and writer for numerous magazines, and he’s taught writing at both King’s College of Journalism and Acadia University to name just a few of his positions. He’s also the author of three non-fiction books and plans to write a novel in the not too distant future.

His topic, “Conquering that pesky point of view” promises to be interesting, as participants will have a chance to read short pieces with different points of view, then discuss the intricacies of trying to discover the best approach. Whose story is this going to belong to anyway? See how story changes depending on who’s telling the tale.


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Thea Atkinson is a published and prize-winning fiction writer. Her work has appeared in over two dozen journals throughout Canada, the US, UK, and the internet. She acts as associate editor at the Vestal Review: a flash fiction magazine. As a professional educator, she brings a unique dynamic to the classroom that puts everyone at ease.

Thea’s workshop, “Fleshing the bones,” in an interactive workshop designed to discover the bones of characters buried in the writer’s psyche. The use of photos, clothing, and setting can help add the flesh. Keeping it simple and light, Thea helps students build this rapport by workshopping, writing, and reading. Be prepared to share and delight in the synchronicity of the written and read word.

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Sandra Phinney is a prolific freelance writer. Her articles have appeared in over 60 Canadian and American publications. She also writes scripts for video productions, content for travel guides, and has written two books. She is currently working on a memoir featuring her mother, Marguerite Phinney and a book about Shirley the Elephant.

Everyone has amazing stories to tell. These memories might be from childhood, or as recent as yesterday. The toughest thing is finding a place to begin, and coming up with a game plan. This workshop will do just that. So whether you want to write a travelogue, a family or community history, a personal essay/book, or simply want to record some stories to hand down as gifts for friends and family, this will get you started—and help you to keep going!