VIKKI VANSICKLE AT FEBRUARY WCDR BREAKFAST

Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 8:30am

Ajax Convention Center
550 Beck Crescent
Ajax, ON
L1Z 1C9

Children's author Vikki VanSickle will reveal her successful road to publishing at the next regular breakfast meeting of The Writers' Community of Durham Region (WCDR). Vikki will discuss how her experience as a bookseller, reviewer, marketing and publicity coordinator significantly contributed to her development as a writer and as a self-promoter. She will also share tips on time management, an essential skill for authors coping with schedules jam-packed with public relations events, blogging commitments and writing the next bestseller.

Pre-registration is required, and the deadline for registering is 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb 8th.

Vikki VanSickle is the author of the middle grade novels Words That Start with B (shortlisted for the 2011 Libris Award's Children's Book of the Year, a 2011 Best Books for Kids and Teens selection, and a 2011 IODE Violet Downey Recommended Book) and its sequel, Love is a Four-Letter Word. She has an MA in children's literature and her scholarly work has been published in Knowing Their Place: Identity and Space in Children's Literature (Cambridge Scholars Press). Vikki is an active member of the children's book industry, reviewing books for CM Magazine and Canadian Children's Book News as well as on her own blog, pipedreaming. For four years she was the manager of The Flying Dragon Bookshop in Toronto, and her work there earned her the 2011 CBA Young Bookseller of the Year award. Currently she is the marketing and publicity coordinator for children's books at HarperCollins Canada.

After the meeting, for an extra fee of $10 per person, breakfast attendees can take part in a mini workshop titled "How to Rework, Rearrange, and Reshape Your Writing." Have you ever written something and reread it, only to realize that it lacks zing? You know something needs to change, but you can't put your finger on it. Facilitated by Editor Christina Vasilevski, the mini-workshop will demonstrate how words, like clay, are malleable and like sculpture, words often need to be reworked from the ground up. Christina is a member of the Editors' Association of Canada and graduate of Ryerson University's certificate in book publishing. Christina writes, edits, and designs custom WordPress installations. She also proudly serves on the WCDR board as web liaison. As an alternative, WCDR members attending the breakfast may choose to pay $10 extra to attend a 15-minute, one-on-one blue-pencil session with a published professional or editor after the meeting.
At the WCDR monthly breakfast meetings, experienced and aspiring writers gather, learn and connect. The February 11th meeting will run from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Registration fees include a gourmet breakfast. Fees are $20.00 for members who pre-pay, or $25.00 at the door. The non-member rate is $25.00 and MUST be pre-paid. Tickets for the breakfast are not available at the door.

Ask how you can save by becoming a member! Pre-registration for the breakfast meeting, mini-workshop and blue-pencil session is required. Register online at www.wcdr.org, by phone at 905-686-0211 or by email at breakfast@wcdr.org , no later than 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 8th. Anyone who registers by phone or email must indicate their breakfast menu option or will receive the Chef's Special.

The Writers' Community of Durham Region (WCDR) is dedicated to raising the profile of writers of all kinds, and at all levels, by offering a forum through which they can find support, education and networking opportunities. As a non-profit umbrella organization, WCDR has worked since 1995 to draw together individuals and groups with common interests in promoting the art and skill of writing, fostering literacy, and providing moral support to members. www.wcdr.org.