Creative Writing Classes at VPL
Creative Writing classes at VPL provide open, friendly, creative spaces and access to professional authors for aspiring writers of all levels.
All of the creative writing classes in this series are hosted by published authors who want to share their love of reading and writing with the public.
Whether you’re an experienced writer looking to fine tune your skills, or an avid reader who’d like to hear from a local writer and get an engaging list of books to add to your TBR pile, our classes have something for you.
These classes are intended to spark creativity and build community. You will always be given the opportunity to write and participate, and you will always have the option to just sit and listen and follow-up on your own time.
For questions about our Creative Writing Programming contact: andrew.battershill@vpl.ca
2024 Winter Season Schedule and Class Descriptions
Creative Writing for ESL Learners with Sheila Arellano
Tuesday, January 28, 6:30-8:00pm, Central Library
Personal Essay as Resistance with Tara McGuire
Tuesday, January 14, 6:30-8:00pm, Central Library
Creative Writing: Character Networks with Maria Reva
Wednesday, January 8, 6:30-8:00pm, Central Library
Big as an Elephant, Small as a Mouse: Crafting Figurative Language with Zsuzsi Gartner
Tuesday, January 7, 6:30-8:00pm, Central Library
Writing the Blank Spaces: Hybrid Forms and Autofiction in Memoir with Tara McGuire (repeated due to demand)
Wednesday, December 18, 6:30-8:00pm, Central Library
The Hermit Crab Essay with Aaron Chan
Thursday, December 12, 6:30-8:00pm, Central Library
Writing the Blank Spaces: Hybrid Forms and Autofiction in Memoir with Tara McGuire
Using Fashion to Inspire Poetry with Marguerite Pigeon
How to Craft Memorable Metaphors with Selina Boan
Building Scenes into Climate Writing with Arno Kopecky
Saturday, November 9, 1-2:30pm, Central Library
Crafting Narrative in Climate Change Writing with Ann Casselman
Tuesday, November 5, 6:30-8:00pm, Central Library
Using Tarot in Your Creative Practice with Giselle Vriesen
Tuesday, October 8, 6:30-8:00pm, Central Library
How to Craft Memorable Metaphors with Selina Boan
Saturday, October 5, 11:45am-12:45, Central Library
2024 Summer Season Schedule and Class Descriptions
Creator Series: Writing for Video Games with Jacyln Seto and Ray Clark
Thursday, September 26, 6:30-8:00pm, Central Library
Exploration and Curiosity: Write What You Don’t Know with Tara McGuire (repeated due to demand)
Tuesday, August 27, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, Central Library
Creative Writing: Character Networks with Maria Reva (repeated due to demand)
Thursday, August 22, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, Central Library
Exploration and Curiosity: Write What You Don’t Know with Tara McGuire
Tuesday, August 13, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, Central Library
Creative Writing: The Queer Surreal with Erica McKeen
Saturday, August 3, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Central Library
The Art of Epistolary Writing with Molly Cross-Blanchard
Thursday, July 25, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, Central Library
Scanty Plot: Writing Sonnets with Fenn Stewart
Thursday, July 18, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, Central Library
Creative Writing: Power of Prompts with Christina Myers
Tuesday, July 16, 2024, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, Central Library
Creative Writing: Character Networks with Maria Reva
Thursday, July 11, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, Central Library
Writing Animals with Andrea Routley
Saturday, July 6th, 1-2:30 pm, Central Library
Books by VPL Creative Writing Instructors
Contact Us
Upcoming Events
-
Figurative language exists to elevate and personalize your prose style. In this class we’ll play around with how to move beyond tired, cliched similes (as in the title above!) and metaphors. From the sublime to the wacky, from B&W to...
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Central Library -
Imagine creating characters who share among them powerful magnetic-like forces fuelled by needs and desires, knowledge and power. With a character network in a narrative ecosystem, the closer they are drawn together, the greater the dramatic tension. You’ll learn how...
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Central Library -
Writing a personal or narrative essay is, by its very nature, an intimate and defiant act. These stories captivate readers because they are compelling, painful, funny, interesting, or thought-provoking and have the power to shift, enlighten, or evolve the reader’s...
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Central Library