Workshops 2024
Saturday, November 2, 10:15 - 11: 45 AM.
Valley Voices Fiction Festival is hosting a free public workshop in Kelowna. You must register ahead of time. Spaces are limited to 15 people per workshop. The workshop is being held at the downtown Kelowna branch of the Okanagan Regional Library, 1380 Ellis St, Kelowna, BC.
Creating Compelling Characters: What Are Your Characters Telling Your Readers?
Join two fiction writers Nils Donnelly and Niki Pezeshkzad Pesantes in an exploration of making, shaping and listening to your story’s characters. “Plot grows out of character. If you focus on who the people in your story are, something is bound to happen,” says Anne Lamott. This interactive workshop will breathe new life into your existing characters or help you create new characters who will resonate with your audience!
Free, but registration required.
Limited to 15 participants (if you can’t make it, please cancel so someone can take your place)
Nils Donnelly, an MFA candidate at UBC Okanagan, illuminates the humanity hiding in the darkest of places through his writing, which often explores themes of addiction, recovery and the dynamics of dysfunctional relationships. A seasoned editor and publisher of the underground Hydraulik Press, his work has appeared in Havok and Paper Shell, and has received several literary recognitions.
Niki Pezeshkzad Pesantes is an emerging writer based in Kelowna, focusing on short and long-form fiction, as well as screenwriting. Their work explores marginalized perspectives and delves into themes of mortality, communication barriers, and the importance of human connection, often incorporating speculative elements inspired by Ecuadorian folklore and current technological advancements. Niki holds a BSc with a minor in creative writing from the University of Guelph and is currently an MFA student at UBC Okanagan.