Hello, Members and Friends.

With our final online workshop for the season coming up on March 28 (Bios, Book Blurbs and Back Cover Copy- a workshop with Wendy Kitts - there’s still room!), it’s nearly a wrap for our lineup of fall/winter programming. I hosted every single one, and I must say that I’m pleased at the variety and scope of the information made available to participants. Thank you to our speakers for developing such good information and sharing it so generously. I wish all writers much success with their ongoing projects, and especially those participants who have made new connections with other writers through these sessions.

Submissions are quite slow this year for the NB Writing Competition – especially in the screenwriting category - but the good news is that you still have just under three weeks to submit. There are eight categories to choose from, so now’s the time to practice polishing and submitting a manuscript!

There’s still room to register for three Open Mic sessions coming up (Moncton on March 18, Miramichi on April 11, and Shediac on May 7), so brush up your latest piece and let’s hear a five-minute excerpt at an upcoming event!

The second half of our podcast series will soon be underway, so make sure you subscribe to WordCraft, and watch social media for notification of more interesting and informative interviews.

Our WordSpring event page is ready for registration, so please think about how you might join us, whether it’s for the whole weekend, for the day on Saturday, or just a workshop or two. We are looking forward to gathering and enjoying workshops, open mics, and award ceremonies. Remember, the NB Book Awards is a free event, open to the public, on Saturday evening, May 30, at Lily Lake Pavilion. The cash bar opens at 6, and the award ceremony begins at  7 pm. The Book Award shortlist will be announced by social media promptly after all results have been received from the judges at the end of March.

WordWorthy

“When writing flash nonfiction, think in terms of distilling…boiling down. Constraints can actually free you. For example, we only get two cups of maple syrup from two gallons of sap. We are always telling ourselves stories, and we are using metaphors, whether we know it or not. Stories are all about moments” -- Sandra Phinney, Flash nonfiction mini-course, February 7, 2026.

Why not try a writing exercise today, courtesy of Sandra Phinney?

Sandra finds great success in writing nonfiction essays using prompts, and is looking forward to her latest essay collection, to be published later this year. She says that many of these essays were produced using prompts.  Sandra offered the following writing exercise during our flash nonfiction course in February:

Choose a clothing item you like to wear – a sweater, a hat, a coat, a pair of shoes, etc., old or new. You can use the clustering method (also called mind mapping or word association) to write down as much as you can about the item, and you will find that ideas will spring from the list. Can you find a personal story in this list? How does the piece of clothing make you feel? Can you add a fun educational aspect to your writing- a tidbit of history or science- to your story? E.G. “Where these boots have taken me,” or, “My favourite red silk scarf.” Write as much or as little as you like, and see where the process takes you.

That’s it for me! Until April, writers. Looking forward to birds chirping and snow melting.

Rhonda

Welcome, New Members

Carla Gunn is a Fredericton-based educator and writer. Her work has appeared in a number of publications, including The Globe and Mail, University Affairs Magazine, CBC radio and The Scales Project. Along with being short-listed for the Commonwealth Prize for best first book, her novel, Amphibian (Coach House Books), is published in six languages, has been adapted as a play (Downstage Productions), optioned for film (forthcoming) and was longlisted for Canada Reads 2020. Congratulations, and welcome, Carla!

Peter Hicks (pen name Andi Ellis) is a Fredericton-based writer and singer-songwriter whose creative life has spanned stages, studios, and the page. As the founder of New Brunswick’s Sleepy Driver, he’s built a celebrated catalog of roots-infused Canadiana across six albums. Writing has always been his constant—songs, poetry, and stories of every length. Peter writes comedy, fiction, poetry, romance, songs, suspense, and thrillers. Welcome, Peter!

Paul Lang (https://museimage.ca) This Shediac-based writer is interested in a wide array of genres: Children's, Creative nonfiction, Editing, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Illustration, Journalism, Memoir, Non-Fiction, Photography, Poetry, Website copy, Freelance, Spoken Word. Welcome Paul!

Ann McAllister is a retired teacher and musician active on climate and energy issues. Ann focuses on the genres of Memoir, Poetry, Songwriting, and Short stories. Welcome, Ann!

Member News

Valerie Sherrard is excited to announce her newest publication,  Absolutely No Body Parts. This complex coming of age story will be released in June, and is now available for pre-order:

https://www.cormorantbooks.com/Books/A/Absolutely-No-Body-Parts

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Joe Mahoney has some excellent news to share. For the second time in less than a month, his company, Donovan Street Publishing, has received a positive review from Booklist. Actually, any review from Booklist is positive... they only review books they recommend. This time it's for David Gerrold's upcoming short fiction collection Shadows & Reflections: Diving in the Sea of Time. Here's a bit of what Booklist has to say: Fans of the movie adaptation of “The Martian Child” or Gerrold’s work on Star Trek will enjoy reading this collection of stories. — Terrence Miltner, Booklist. Congratulations, Joe, and author David Gerrold.

Hey, WFNB members – do you have news to share? A new publication, award or public appearance, for example? If so, send your news along to us and we’ll share it here!

RETREATS and COURSES

The Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle 2026

@audible_ca is inviting emerging First Nations, Inuit and / or Métis writers to apply for the Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle 2026. The program begins this summer, apply by April 13 here: audible.ca/ep/IWC #AudibleWritersCircle

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2026 SAGE HILL Spring Fiction Colloquium

Dates: May 16 – 24, 2026 Instructor: Kevin Chong Location: In Person at St. Peter’s College, Muenster, SK
Application Deadline: March 28^th, 2026

This is a facilitated, in-person retreat for around nine writers. Successful applicants generally have some publication record and are working towards completion of a manuscript. Application is open to writers 19 years of age and older from Canada and abroad. Visit https://sagehillwriting.ca/writing-retreats/spring-colloquium/ for more information and to apply. Scholarships and bursaries available!  For details visit https://www.sagehillwriting.ca/adults/scholarships-bursaries.

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2026 Sage Hill Summer Writing Courses

IN-PERSON COURSES
Location: St. Peter’s College, Muenster, SK
Dates: July 2 – 11, 2026
Fiction with Lauren Carter
Poetry with George Murray

ONLINE COURSES
Dates: June 30 – July 9, 2026
Emerging Prose with Conor Kerr
Emerging Poetry with Neil Aitken
Nonfiction with Jenna Butler
Playwriting with Vern Thiessen

Application Deadline: April 20, 2026
Application is open to writers 19 years of age and older from Canada and abroad. For more information and to apply, visit https://sagehillwriting.ca/writing-retreats/. Scholarships and bursaries are available for the spring and summer programs. For details visit https://www.sagehillwriting.ca/adults/scholarships-bursaries.

AWARDS

The 2026 WHISTLER INDEPENDENT BOOK AWARDS

Since 2016, the Whistler Independent Book Awards have proudly recognized excellence in Canadian self-publishing. To mark the beginning of our second decade, the WIBAs have some exciting new features to make the awards even more inclusive. The competition is now open internationally, to any self-published author writing in English. They’ve added a new Poetry category (in addition to Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Children’s). They have a significantly reduced entry fee and discounted fee for additional entries, and they will now publish a longlist in each category, to give public recognition to a greater number of authors. For full competition details and terms, and to submit your self-published book, please visit their website: www.independentbookawards.ca

Entries for the 2026 awards are open from March 1 to April 30, 2026.

WRITING GROUPS

NB Film Co-op Screenwriters' Café

All writers in New Brunswick interested in attending the New Brunswick Film Co-op’s Virtual Screenwriters’ Café, from the prolific producer to the screenplay-curious alike, are welcome to take part in one session at no cost, with recurring participation available to Film Co-op members at a price of $40 annually, on the second and fourth Saturday of every month, 12-2pm local, at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81728759226

For more details about the Screenwriters’ Café or to submit your script for collective review, drop us a line at INFO@NBFILMCOOP.COM. 

EVENTS

Canadian Freelance Guild’s Freelance Fridays

Whether you come to swap tips or just to hang out, Freelance Fridays are your place to unwind, connect, and start the weekend on a high note. WFNB members can attend CFG events at a cut rate – check out our code in our members’ only section of wfnb.ca

Best regards,
Canadian Freelance Guild

The Write Cup Bookstore Café in Saint John - Check out the full calendar in Community Resources under READ.

March 15, 2026 – 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm: Allan Johnson, author reading & signing

March 20, 2026 – 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Author reading and Children’s book writing workshop with Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail.

March 21, 2026 – 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Sara Moginot, author reading and Children’s crafty event.

March 22, 2026 – 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Conveying Emotion through Sensation workshop by Mandie Dufour

April 4, 2026 – 11:00 am – 4:00 pm: Micaela Ellis author signing and presentation

April 11, 2026 – 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Two Jordans!

April 18, 2026 – 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: New-Fangled Rose by Sue Sinclair

WRITERS’ OPEN MIC

Sunday, March 22nd
3:00 - 4:30 pm
Bill Johnstone Memorial Park Activity Centre
70 Main Street, Sackville, NB

The Writers’ Open Mic is a free monthly event open to all. Come out and read your poems, songs, short stories, comics, novels, essays, stand-up comedy, etc. Or just come to listen.

Accessibility concerns and general questions can be directed to laurawatsonartwork@gmail.com. Follow the Writers’ Open Mic on Instagram at @writersopenmic for updates.

SUBMISSIONS

There are two new calls at Sequestrum: Fables and Romance! Fables invites stories that weave magic with purpose, while Romance seeks work which shifts between risk and devotion, friction and fate. Whether you’re spinning a cautionary tale or crafting a confession, we hope to be enchanted. Deadline: April 15th.   Fable submission details are here: https://sequestrum.org/fable-theme Romance submissions are here: https://sequestrum.org/theme-romance And as always, general submission guidelines are here: https://www.sequestrum.org/submissions.