Red Deer Young Writers Conference 2014

The Young Writers Conference, organized by the Red Deer Public Schools, will take place this year on Saturday, May 3, at Oriole Park School, in Red Deer, Alberta. 

Highly creative and talented students from schools in Red Deer and the surrounding area come together for a wide variety of highly informative and entertaining workshops by local authors, writers and illustrators. I am delighted to be part of the conference once again, conducting creative writing sessions with elementary and junior high school students. This year's event once again promises to be a great success. 

Great Review of The Heretic's Tomb

’The Heretic’s Tomb bridges the gap between the 14th century and current times as it takes the reader back in time to the Black Death or more commonly referred to as the plague. The first sentence puts the reader right in the middle of it. “Lady Isabella Devereaux watched black plumes of smoke rise from the nearby village of Thornbury. More bodies were being burned.”

The first half of the story sets the stage with suspicions of heresy against Lady Isabella who possess an amulet, believed to have magical powers. The amulet is coveted by Sir Roger de Walsingham, seasoned warrior for King Edward. Sir Roger has evil plans for the amulet and will do almost anything to possess it.

The modern day protagonist, Annie, finds herself swept back into time when she falls down an old chimney shaft and finds a piece of metal with some of the same markings as the family heirloom around her neck. What happens next is astonishing.

Filled with suspense and the ruthless harassment against Lady Isabella by Sir Roger, The Heretic’s Tomb depicts the hardships that people faced during that time. Medical knowledge was at a minimum and skepticism of anything new permeated among rich and poor alike.

Simon Rose method of combining two different worlds is seamless. Rose keeps the focus narrow so the story line flows smoothly. This is a great fantasy with realistic facts and is not far reached. Rose has created a strong balance between the two characters. Middle grade children will enjoy the adventure as Annie tries to help Lady Isabella and stay out of Sir Roger’s way.” 

Amazon

The 2014 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo - Day Four

Today, I'll be exhibiting at the final day of the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. You can find me in The Science Fiction and Fantasy Alliance booth 1410 and 1510, along with some of my fellow authors. You can buy autographed books, find out more about the many services I offer for writers, businesses, social media, editing, teaching, presenting, public speaking or you can just stop by and say hello.

This is the only festival in Calgary where you can get your sci-fi, film, television, fantasy, horror, comic book, gaming, and animation fix all in one incredible weekend. Join 60,000 other fans for this celebration of pop culture at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo taking place at BMO Centre, Stampede Park on April 24, 25, 26, and 27. 

Hope to see you there.

School Programs, Presentations and Workshops

I offer a variety of presentations, author in residence programs and conduct workshops for children at schools. 

I offer a variety of presentations for grades three to eight, but can work with grades one and two as well. I cover such topics as where ideas come from, story structure, editing and revision, character development, time travel stories, history and research, plus many other aspects of writing and publishing. 

I will present to around one hundred students at a time, although we can also look at workshops with smaller groups or individual classes. Each of my novels provide ideas for classroom projects and you may find some suggestions on the Study Guides page on my website. 

Contact me for details of fees and availability for school presentations.

The 2014 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo - Day Three

Today, I'll once again be exhibiting at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. You can find me in The Science Fiction and Fantasy Alliance booth 1410 and 1510, along with some of my fellow authors. You can buy autographed books, find out more about the many services I offer for writers, businesses, social media, editing, teaching, presenting, public speaking or you can just stop by and say hello.

This is the only festival in Calgary where you can get your sci-fi, film, television, fantasy, horror, comic book, gaming, and animation fix all in one incredible weekend. Join 60,000 other fans for this celebration of pop culture at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo taking place at BMO Centre, Stampede Park on April 24, 25, 26, and 27. 

Hope to see you there.

Summer Camps in Calgary and area

I’m available to visit summer camps in the Calgary area each July and August. 

I can be a special guest or work as part of the programming. I have a number of presentations, workshops, and other programs that are suitable for summer camps, but am very flexible. I’m happy to discuss ways in which my programs can fit in with the general theme of your camp for a particular week.

I also offer my five day playwriting program for local community associations and other groups. This can be run as a morning or afternoon camp for small groups of children ages nine to twelve.

Contact me about rates and availability for summer camps this July and August. 

The 2014 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo - Day Two

Today, I'll be exhibiting at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. You can find me in The Science Fiction and Fantasy Alliance booth 1410 and 1510, along with some of my fellow authors. You can buy autographed books, find out more about the many services I offer for writers, businesses, social media, editing, teaching, presenting, public speaking or you can just stop by and say hello.

This is the only festival in Calgary where you can get your sci-fi, film, television, fantasy, horror, comic book, gaming, and animation fix all in one incredible weekend. Join 60,000 other fans for this celebration of pop culture at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo taking place at BMO Centre, Stampede Park on April 24, 25, 26, and 27. 

Hope to see you there.

Author in Residence

For my Author in Residence program, I can be at your school for a week or longer. This allows me to cover topics in much more depth than would be possible during a regular author visit. Each of my novels provide ideas for classroom projects and you may find some suggestions on the Study Guides page on my website. 

I have some suggestions for presentations and workshops, but am always pleased to work with teachers and librarians to build sessions best suited to your students. 

Contact me for details of fees and availability for my Author in Residence program.

The 2014 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo - Day One

Today, I'll be exhibiting at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. You can find me in The Science Fiction and Fantasy Alliance booth 1410 and 1510, along with some of my fellow authors. You can buy autographed books, find out more about the many services I offer for writers, businesses, social media, editing, teaching, presenting, public speaking or you can just stop by and say hello.

This is the only festival in Calgary where you can get your sci-fi, film, television, fantasy, horror, comic book, gaming, and animation fix all in one incredible weekend. Join 60,000 other fans for this celebration of pop culture at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo taking place at BMO Centre, Stampede Park on April 24, 25, 26, and 27. 

Hope to see you there.

Visit the 2014 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo - April 24, 25, 26, and 27

This week, I'll be exhibiting at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. You can find me in The Science Fiction and Fantasy Alliance booth 1410 and 1510, along with some of my fellow authors. You can buy autographed books, find out more about the many services I offer for writers, businesses, social media, editing, teaching, presenting, public speaking or you can just stop by and say hello.

This is the only festival in Calgary where you can get your sci-fi, film, television, fantasy, horror, comic book, gaming, and animation fix all in one incredible weekend. Join 60,000 other fans for this celebration of pop culture at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo taking place at BMO Centre, Stampede Park on April 24, 25, 26, and 27. 

Hope to see you there.

What is Substantive Editing?

You’ve finished your first novel after years of painstaking work. You’re sure it could be a best seller and everyone you know is very enthusiastic. Yet your manuscript is returned by publishers, with a form letter providing no clues as to why they didn’t like it. Having your work independently evaluated gives you an unbiased opinion, helping you to tighten your manuscript and fix problems you may have overlooked.

A substantive edit involves detailed content assessment. This may include comments on characterization, setting, dialogue, believability, structure, plot, language, research and references. It also includes a summary of the strengths and weaknesses (if any) of your writing, along with comments on writing technique, format, technical ability and market potential. 

A substantive edit is different to copy editing, which is performed by an experienced professional. Copy editing covers grammar, spelling, punctuation and many other details that writers are sometimes unaware of but publishers care deeply about. Substantive editing also differs from proof reading, which checks the final details before a book or article is printed or published. Following an in-depth substantive edit, both copy editing and proof reading are still needed before publication.

I offer substantive editing services for most genres. You can visit my website for further information or contact me directly for an estimate. 

Calgary Young Writers Conference 2014

This weekend, I am once again proud to be a presenter at the Calgary Young Writers Conference, where elementary and junior high school students have the opportunity to meet published authors and illustrators and learn more about the creative process. The Calgary Young Writers Conference has consistently made a significant contribution to literacy and inspired countless aspiring writers over the years. The event is expertly managed by a team of dedicated volunteers and is recognized as an invaluable part of the school year by children, teachers and parents alike. 

Over 1500 participants are expected to be in attendance in 2014, as students develop creative writing skills and give full reign to their incredible imaginations.  My own workshops focus on where writers get ideas come from and how they turn them into stories, plus the importance of editing and revision, the need for good historical research, as well as delving into the complexities of time travel, after which students create their very own time travel machines, methods and devices. 

Virtual Author Visits for Schools

Children are almost always inspired when they meet a real life author or illustrator, but it may not always possible to have an author visit your school. However, why not put technology to work for you? Now you can arrange a virtual author visit via video using Skype. These can be conducted with large groups in a library or gym or with individual classes. You can get an idea of what a virtual visit looks like by viewing the videos on my website or on YouTube, in which I talk about my books, my workshops for adults and schools, plus my various services for writers.

Ideally, in preparation for a virtual author visit, students should have read at least one of my books prior to the visit, but can also familiarize themselves with my work by undertaking the Super Scavenger Search. You may also wish to download the word search puzzles related to each novel. Study Guides and Classroom Resources are also available for all my novels. Each book can provide teachers with a wide variety of ways to explore projects with their students and class sets of books are available.To host a virtual author visit, you will need to download Skype, which is available for both Windows and Mac, and have a webcam. 

You may contact me directly for details on technical requirements and all about exactly how a virtual author visit works. A technical run through a few days prior is also advisable, to ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day of the visit.

Great Review of The Children's Writer's Guide

 

Check out this great review of The Children's Writer's Guide.

"I illustrate children’s books occasionally and I know many of you have ideas for children’s books or you may have written a few stories yourself (and a wonderful number of you have commissioned illustrations of your writing from me). Simon Rose’s The Children’s Writer’s Guide is the perfect handbook to take you from finding a unique, untold story of your own, to launching your published work in bookstores.



The author has taught classes at the local university and this book comes out of his experience teaching in person, making the benefits available to many more!

My first impression was of a very straightforward guide which covered each topic necessary to the author, without getting bogged down by in-depth over explaining. After all, the person most likely to pick up this book “knows” about books and topics, and simply needs the direction and clear path provided by this guide. 

This book is also an excellent resource for accomplished authors who wish to become more prolific, using a system of efficacy to create more books in a shorter amount of time."

Katana Leigh 

Artist and Illustrator

www.artlovelight.com 

The Children's Writer's Guide is available as a paperback and as an ebook at Amazon and Kobo.

Hear Here - Author Readings Online

People are always interested in hearing an author read from their own work. Children in particular, especially those who have read and enjoyed the novels, are usually captivated when an author reads from their own book during a personal appearance at a school, library, literary festival or other event.

Here on my website, you can listen to interviews and readings from The Alchemist's Portrait, The Clone Conspiracy, The Emerald Curse and The Heretic's Tomb, recorded on Calgary's CKUA radio network, plus a reading from The Sorcerer's Letterbox, recorded during my appearance at the Winnipeg International Writers Festival.

The Children's Writer's Guide - Available Online

The Children’s Writer’s Guide examines how you can get started as a writer, create time and space to pursue your craft and deal with lack of motivation and writers block. Topics covered include where ideas come from and how writers turn them into stories, choosing names for characters that are appropriate to the story, the importance of historical research if your novel is set in a different era, writing science fiction and fantasy, and the use of magic in stories for children.

The guide examines the role of editing and revision and how to deal with what is often the inevitable process of rejection, at least until good fortune comes your way. I also recount some of my experiences with marketing and promotion, such as book launches and in-store signings, websites, blogs, and social media, and discusses presentations, workshops and author-in-residence programs at schools and libraries.

Check out the video on YouTube, where I talk about some of the topics covered in the Guide.

Here are just a few places where you can buy The Children’s Writer’s Guide, which is available in ebook and print versions.

Amazon Canada               Amazon USA               Kobo               
Amazon UK                       Amazon Germany       Amazon France           
Amazon Japan                  Amazon USA (paperback)

You can also learn more about The Children’s Writer’s Guide, along with all my other books, on my website.

Another great review of The Children's Writer's Guide

Here's another great review of The Children's Writer's Guide. 

"Loved "The Children's Writer's Guide". What an awesome tool for writers starting out. Great ideas, tools, and guidance all in one book! Anyone who has ever had an interest in writing, or even in the process, would benefit from using this great writing tool. I recommend this book, and Simon's writing services, he is very professional and a great teacher! You never know where your mind can go, with just a little help with this book, the possibilities are endless. Great Job!" 

The Children's Writer's Guide is available as a paperback and as an ebook at Amazon and Kobo.

Forming Fictional Characters - University of Calgary, Wednesday April 23

Each year, the Continuing Education department at the University of Calgary serves over 20,000 lifelong learners and offers thousands of courses taught by more than 1,000 instructors – all experts in their fields.

Forming Fictional Characters - Wednesday, April 23, 6 pm to 9 pm 

Without people there is no plot and characters are at the heart of any story. In this workshop, we explore where writers get ideas for the people in their stories, the many methods of creating strong characters and how to use descriptive language to build them. Students invent their own unique characters and also learn how to write effective and engaging dialogue for their creations so that their characters truly come alive for the reader.

Learn more about the Forming Fictional Characters workshop and how to register here

The Background to The Clone Conspiracy

The Clone Conspiracy - "A must-read dedicated to unravelling the mystery surrounding human cloning, brain transplants and clandestine laboratories."

'At the dawn of the twenty-first century, nervous governments around the world reacted quickly to pass legislation banning human cloning. Panicked as technology rapidly advanced, they didn't realize that the genetic genie had already escaped from the bottle. When Luke's best friend Patrick vanishes and the police quickly close the case, Luke is determined to uncover the truth. Tantalizing clues lead Luke and Patrick's sister Emma to LennoxGen, where they stumble across a shocking international conspiracy with catastrophic consequences for the future of mankind.'

The Clone Conspiracy is available at most online bookstores and autographed copies are also always available directly from the author. 

PlayWriting Camp this July with the Calgary Arts Summer School Association

PlayWriting Camp will once again will take place this summer from July 14 to 18 with the Calgary Arts Summer School Association. 

This is a half-day camp (either morning or afternoon) for students ages 7 to 12. In a dramatic and fun-filled week, children will learn how to write, rehearse and perform their own unique play in just five days. Children will create the plot, craft the script, write dialogue and hone their acting skills for their very own dramatic production, which will then be performed at the end of the week. 

Further details and registration information for PlayWriting Camp can be found here.

School Programs, Presentations and Workshops

I offer a variety of presentations, author in residence programs and conduct workshops for children at schools. 

I offer a variety of presentations for grades three to eight, but can work with grades one and two as well. I cover such topics as where ideas come from, story structure, editing and revision, character development, time travel stories, history and research, plus many other aspects of writing and publishing. 

I will present to around one hundred students at a time, although we can also look at workshops with smaller groups or individual classes. Each of my novels provide ideas for classroom projects and you may find some suggestions on the Study Guides page on my website. 

Contact me for details of fees and availability for school presentations.

Summer Camps in Calgary and area

I’m available to visit summer camps in the Calgary area each July and August. 

I can be a special guest or work as part of the programming. I have a number of presentations, workshops, and other programs that are suitable for summer camps, but am very flexible. I’m happy to discuss ways in which my programs can fit in with the general theme of your camp for a particular week.

I also offer my five day playwriting program for local community associations and other groups. This can be run as a morning or afternoon camp for small groups of children ages nine to twelve.

Contact me about rates and availability for summer camps this July and August.