DETAILS
Romance Writing Workshop with Jennifer Snow
Thurs., Feb. 15 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Attendance is free but pre-registration is recommended as space is limited. Visit sapl.libcal.com/event/3436561 to sign up.
Forsyth Hall is located at the St. Albert Public Library
Learn more about the author by visiting www.jennifersnowauthor.com.
If you’ve ever wanted to show 50 Shades of Grey author E.L. James how romance writing is really done then the St. Albert Public Library has got just the workshop for you.
Edmonton author Jennifer Snow is coming to teach you the tricks of the trade. She has been a published romance writer with more than 20 Harlequin and Hachette titles on her CV over the last several years, taking her work full-time just in the last few years. She has learned a lot over this time and hopes to simply pass her knowledge on to build a local network of like-minded writers.
“I think when I first started writing I didn’t really know the difference between romance and women’s fiction and love stories. I was writing more women’s fiction-type books that focused heavily on the heroine’s journey,” she said. “Then once I started looking for agents and for opportunities to break into the market, my books were heavily focused on the romance so my agent helped me tailor the stories more to the romance side of things.”
Since then, the erstwhile introverted Snow has honed her craft to the point where she has broken through her shyness to help others. Last spring, she was the writer in residence at Audrey’s Bookstore on Jasper Avenue, offering three workshops there. She has also presented at industry conferences in Seattle and Vancouver where the crowds reach into the thousands.
Here in Alberta, she says, there are only about 50 romance writers.
“Getting up in front of people to do these workshops is a bit of a stretch for me. I’m doing it basically because when I started I learned everything on my own. I was a closet writer. I didn’t want to come out and join groups within the community. Now, 21 books later, it’s almost like a need to give back to writers in the community and encourage them to come out and maybe smooth the pathway a little bit for them. The things that I’ve done and the mistakes that I’ve made might help them to make the publishing journey a bit quicker.”
She said that next Thursday’s workshop is open to men as much as women. Attendees can expect a relaxed, informal atmosphere and she’s ready to answer any question just as long as the adult audience is ready for her mature responses.
“The biggest thing I have a challenge with is I tend to swear a lot,” she laughed. “If you’re easily offended, it’s probably not your thing.”
If you’re not easily offended, then chances are good that you’ll make it through and live happily ever after.
