Over the years, I’ve attended scores of conferences and workshops. Some were for my work in another field but in recent years, most have been writing related. One of my favourites is When Words Collide, held every August in Calgary, Alberta – https://www.whenwordscollide.org/. WWC bills itself as a “festival for readers, writers, artists and publishers of commercial and literary fiction, including genre, YA, children’s books, and poetry.” It completely volunteer run and the registration fee for an adult is $40. That’s the cost of a mid-range dinner entrée. And the jam-packed agenda of sessions serves up full value. It’s no wonder over six hundred eager folks from North America attend every year. One workshop I attended—can’t remember the topic—included this interesting couple. He looked…

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