Launch of MacGregor's, The Tattooed Witch at When Words Collide

If you're going to this year's When Words Collide in Calgary, Alberta, you'll want to stop by the On Spec/Pure Spec hospitality room Saturday night. Thanks to the good folks there, Five Rivers Publishing will be launching Susan MacGregor's The Tattooed Witch. MacGregor will be signing copies of this first book of the trilogy.






We'll also have copies of Sally McBride's newly released, Indigo Time, available. Sadly, McBride cannot make the event.






Other events involving writers and staff at Five Rivers include:



Friday 3 PM – Suite 1062
YA Contemporary Fantasy Readings
Jefferson Smith, Samantha Beiko, Dave Laderoute
Teasers from new & upcoming books read by the author.





Friday 4 PM – Surrey

How To Write a Good Pitch and Query

Adrienne Kerr, Samantha Beiko, Justyn Perry, Robert Runte (M)

Back by popular demand. Learn about the 3 different pitches, what they are and when to give them. 

And what to put or not put into a query letter.



Dr. Robert Runte
at the launch of Shakespeare for Reader's Theatre,
by John Poulsen






Friday 5 PM – Surrey

Live Action Slush – YA Edition

Shirlee Smith Matheson, Clare Marshall, Paula Johanson, Dave Laderoute, Samantha Beiko, Edward Willett (Reader)

Bring the 1st page of your manuscript to be anonymously read aloud and receive comments from the

editors.



Dave Laderoute






Friday 6 PM – Victoria

Live Action Editing

Susan MacGregor & Diane Walton

Can you spot the errors? Editors Susan Macgregor & Diane Walton walk the audience through a series 

of writing samples, asking audience members to point out errors an editor might find.



Susan MacGregor






Friday 9 PM – Clarence-Phaeton

More Humour In Fiction

Melodie Campbell, Sarah Kades, Susan MacGregor, Tim Reynolds (M)

Back by popular demand. A man walks into a bar... Be it comic relief, a quirky character, comedy, or 

outright satire, humour is gold when it works and death when it fails. Panellists with diverse 

approaches to applying humour to their prose discuss their aims and methods.






Saturday 10 AM – Clarence

Live Action Slush – Fantasy Edition

Robert Runte, Susan MacGregor, Greame Brown, D. B. Jackson, Ed Willett (reader)

Bring the 1st page of your manuscript to be anonymously read aloud and receive comments from the

editors.






Saturday 10 AM – Phaeton

How Literary Should My Commercial Fiction Be?

Adrienne Kerr, Susan Forest, Hayden Trenholm, Ronald Hore, Suzanne Church

Donald Maass' latest book on writing - Writing 21st Century Fiction - suggests that today's bestselling 

books successfully combine the strengths of commercial and literary fiction. How much attention 

should writers pay to the market and market analysis? How much should we simply follow our own 

muse? Is there a comfort zone in between? How do we find that comfort zone?



Susan Forest






Saturday 10 AM – Yorkshire 2

The Alien (reconstructed human) as Metaphor

Nina Munteanu, Peter Halasz, Lynda Williams, Candas Jane Dorsey

Movie aliens aren't real aliens; they're humans in disguise. And what do our earthly aliens such as 

vampires, werewolves represent? What do our aliens tell us about us? Is it surprising that during the 

Cold War the enemy aliens were often from Mars... the "Red Planet?" Do the aliens of "Avatar" tell us 

something about how we exploit primitive cultures? We have met the aliens and they are us.



Candas Jane Dorsey






Saturday 10 AM – Suite 1056 (sign-up required)

Koffee Klatsche – Dave Duncan

Join Fantasy & SF author Dave Duncan for a casual conversation.



Dave Duncan






Saturday 11 AM – Phaeton

Doom and Gloom and Dark Despair, Young Readers Love Them Everywhere

Shirlee Smith Matheson, Amanda Sun, Paula Johanson, Kim Firmston, Dave Laderoute, Michell Plested

From the earliest fairy tales to today's violent, brutal, scary, and dystopian YA fiction, as long as kids 

and teens have been reading, they've lapped up these dark tales and begged for more. What's behind 

the fascination of younger people with dark themes in fiction? Does it hurt them? Is it morbid? Or do 

these fictional tropes serve a vital purpose?



Michell Plested






Saturday 11 AM – Suite 1062

More Fantastic Readings

Dave Duncan, Amber Hayward, Ursula Pflug

Teasers from new & upcoming books read by the author.






Saturday 2 PM – Yorkshire 2

Urban Green Man

Adria Laycraft, Janice Blaine, Susan MacGregor, Susan Forest, Randy McCharles, Billie Milholland, Sandra Wickham, Celeste A. Peters, Suzanne Church

The Green Man is an almost forgotten mythology that has haunted our churches and buildings and 

global subconscious for countless generations. No longer. Join the editors and a sampling of the 

authors for the launch of this collection of short stories regarding this archetype of renewal.






Saturday 3 PM – Yorkshire 2

Exciting Anthologies

Susan MacGregor, Michell Plested, Adria Laycraft, Lynda Williams

We're in a golden age of science fiction and fantasy anthologies with clever new ideas coming out 

monthly from major and minor publishers. But where do they come from? How do editors interest 

publishers and writers in their ideas? How do you make the hard decisions between great stories and 

great writing when you sometimes can't have both?






Saturday 4 PM – Surrey

Live Action Slush – Science Fiction Edition

Hayden Trenholm, Robert Runte, Patrick Swenson, Sandra Wickham, Tony King (Reader)

Bring the 1st page of your manuscript to be anonymously read aloud and receive comments from our

editors.






Saturday 4 PM – Yorkshire 1

Writing For Middle Grade & Younger

Shirlee Smith Matheson, DK Snape, Michell Plested

Children’s authors discuss the ingredients of successful books for middle school and younger children.






Saturday 4 PM – Lincolnshire 1

Which Book Stays on the Island?

Peter Halasz (host), Susan Forest, Garry Ryan, Billie Milholand, Cliff Samuels

4 Presenters. 4 Books. 4 Genres. Similar to CBC’s Canada Reads, each presenter selects a classic work 

and presents their case as to why their chosen Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Romance should 

be a “must read” for anyone stranded on an island with just 1 book.






Saturday 5 PM – Victoria

How To Survive In The New Publishing Reality Using Wattpad

Aaron Kite & Leah Crichton 

As eReading and self-publishing democratize how we share stories, writers need to take a look at how 

digital platforms like Wattpad can help them stand out from the crowd. With over 13 million active 

readers, Wattpad is used by indie and best-selling writers to reach the next generation of readers. 

Aaron Kite and Leah Crichton will discuss their experiences in digital publishing, plus the challenges 

and advantages of using Wattpad to build a fan base and online buzz. What are the benefits of 

growing a presence in reading communities and what do you need to do next? Join this presentation 

by two writers who’ve been through it all.



Aaron Kite






Saturday 5 PM – Yorkshire 2

The Musical

Trevor Rueger, Joe Slabe, Virgina O’Dine, Candas Jane Dorsey

Here is the ultimate genre crossover: where fiction, poetry and music combine. What are the special 

needs of writing a musical theatre piece? Whereas the short story writer or novelist is the God of his 

own domain, where does the job of playwright or poet begin or end in the collaborative world of 

musical theatre?






Saturday 5 PM – Suite 1057

Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) Regional Meeting

Susan Forest

All SFWA members are invited to attend to receive updates about and discuss SFWA business. Coffee 

and light refreshments will be served.






Saturday 7 PM – Surrey

Editor For Hire

Robert Runte, Jodi McIssac, Nina Munteanu, Brian Hades, Ursula Pflug

With the rising trend of self-publishing and the falling trend of editing at some publishing houses, the 

demands for authors to deliver polished material has never been greater. But what if our editing skills 

aren't up to standard? Or we'd rather write that next novel than spend time searching for 

grammatically injured trees in our forest of manuscript? When does it make sense to call in the 

cavalry and hire an editor?






Saturday 8 PM – Yorkshire 1

Through the Eyes of a Child

Dave Laderoute, Michell Plested, Claire Eamer, Nicole Luiken

Authors of YA and Children’s books face the challenge of putting themselves in the shoes of much 

younger people, including other genders. How do






Saturday 9 PM – Surrey

Writing About Fighting

Sandra Wickham, Ron Friedman, Aaron Kite

Authors who include nose to nose physical conflict in their fiction discuss how they make it gripping 

yet real without bogging the reader down in too much detail.






Saturday 9 PM – Lincolnshire 1

Making Up Religions

Barb Galler-Smith, Ann Marston, Matthew Johnston, Lynda Williams, Anna Bortolotto (M)

Religion often plays a minor or even major role in fiction. Be it characters of faith, real-life issues 

examined through wholly made up belief systems, or evil portrayed through (hopefully) non-existent 

cults, the reader must be able to suspend their disbelief in order to enjoy the tale. Authors who apply 

‘unfamiliar’ religion to their fiction discuss how they get away with it.



Ann Marston






Saturday 9 PM – 10th Floor Suites

Evening Socials

Steampunk Arts & Sciences (Suite 1051)

CaRWA (Calgary association of Romance Writers of America) (Suite 1056)

OnSpec Magazine / Pure Speculations SF&F Festival (Suite 1057)

Bundoran Press (Suite 1062)

All registered When Words Collide members are welcome to drop in between 9 PM and midnight and 

mingle at our socials hosted by various friends of the festival.








Sunday 10 AM – Suite 1057

More Criminal Readings

Kay Stewart, Axel Howerton, Garry Ryan, Candas Jane Dorsey

Teasers from new & upcoming books read by the author






Sunday 11 AM – Clarence

Live Action Slush – Mystery Edition

Jamis Paulson, Adrienne Kerr, Charles Prepolec, Garry Ryan, Janice MacDonald, Susan Forest (Reader)

Bring the 1st page of your manuscript to be anonymously read aloud and receive comments from our

editors.






Sunday 11 AM – Phaeton

Getting Past the Middle Doldrums in Novel Writing

Patricia Briggs, D. B. Jackson, Dave Duncan, Linda Kupecek, Anna Bortolotto (M)

Authors discuss the “Muddle In the Middle” that often occurs in novel writing. What is it? Why does it 

happen? And what are some ways to get past it?






Sunday 12 PM – Surrey

Business Models for Writers

Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail, Claire Eamer, Susan Forest, Jennifer Snow

These days there is more to being an author than simply writing a book. Authors discuss the tasks, 

the rewards, and various methods for turning their writing into a business.






Sunday 12 PM – Wedgewood (sign-up required)

Pitch Session

Robert Runte - Five Rivers Publishing

Pitch your manuscript to an editor and get instant feedback.






Sunday 12 PM – Suite 1062

Hybrid Historical Readings

Susan MacGregor, Graeme Brown, Ronald Hore

Teasers from new & upcoming books read by the author.






Sunday 4 PM – Surrey

The Publishers Panel

Jamis Paulson, Adrienne Kerr, Brian Hades, Hayden Trenholm, Samantha Beiko, Robert Runte (M) 

Publishers and editors discuss industry trends, their working relationship with authors and agents, the 

impact of ePublishing on their business, and other questions raised from the audience.






Sunday 4 PM – Suite 1057 (sign-up required)

A Method to the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil

Jade Brook, Jennifer Rahn, Tim Reynolds, Aaron Kite, Janna Willard, Susan J. MacGregor, Troy Winn, Mike Plested

Readings from A Method to the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil. Lesser Evil Geniuses and Evil 

Overlord wannabes should ensure they take this opportunity to listen to the words of wisdom directly 

from the Great Evildoers themselves. Come learn how the experts from the Conclave of the Super Evil 

manage their evil fashion and finesse while achieving world domination.