East End Writers

Looking for Writing Feedback and Marketing Info?…
…Join the East End Writers’ Group

Celebrating our 23rd. Anniversary and BeyondDesign by Lee Parpart

“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish growth, without destroying roots.”

Frank A. Clark


Who We Are and Our Mission

East End Writers is primarily a writing critique group which works along the lines of Fred A. Clark’s motto at the top of this page. We present feedback – the good and bad of what we are writing – in a positive encouraging way. We want our writers to get published or whatever their writing goal is, so if we can help them write better to get there, that is good. We writers sometimes get tunnel vision and as the saying goes  “can’t see the forest for the trees.”  We don’t charge for this feedback at our meetings; there is also no charge for attending these meetings or to be a member of the East End Writers’ group.

NEWSFLASHES  MOST RECENT January 11, 2024

Correction: Here are the Zoom meeting dates for 2024. All meetings run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

 

JANUARY

Wednesday, January 10, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

FEBRUARY

Wednesday, February 14, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

MARCH 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

APRIL

Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

MAY

Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Wednesday, May 29, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

JUNE

Wednesday, June 12,  2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

JULY

Wednesday, July 10, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Wednesday, July 31, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

AUGUST

Break for library meeting but one Zoom meeting

Wednesday, August 14, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

SEPTEMBER

Wednesday, September 11, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m

OCTOBER

Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

NOVEMBER

Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

DECEMBER

Break for Christmas Holidays

Again, thanks to two of our members, Shane Joseph and Brian Moore, for looking after logins there. We  start these online meetings at 7.00 p.m. to get members settled in and for introductions and updates from members, but begin the writing feedback at 7.15 p.m. and finish now at 9. p.m. Late comers will also be let in. Login will be emailed to members the week before. For months with  two Zoom meetings, both logins will be emailed the beginning of the month.

 

Here are the S. Walter Stewart Library  meeting dates for 2024. All meetings run from 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

August 2024 break for summer holidays

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

December 2024 Break for Christmas, etc. holidays

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME. NO FEES CHARGED. Published and unpublished writers welcome. More info below and at the top of this web page. If you don’t see answers to your questions below, email words@samcraw. com

A reminder for members and other writers who want to attend our meetings. You don’t need to register (unless you are reading for feedback – info below), just drop in at 6.30 p.m

 Remember, masks are not mandatory for our library meetings but are strongly recommended. Also we start the meetings earlier than online because the library closes at 8.30 p.m. We also take a 10-minute break halfway through meetings.

S. WALTER STEWART LOCATION FOR ALL LIBRARY MEETINGS

170 Memorial Park Avenue,

Toronto, Ontario

(corner of Durant and Memorial Park Ave., two blocks west of Coxwell Ave. and one block north of Mortimer Ave.)

Those wishing to join EEWG please email Sharon at words@samcraw.com

  More info about East End Writers’ Group follows.

S. Walter Stewart Library

PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE LINK LEADS TO INFO/UPDATES OF THE AFTERMATH OF THE HACK/SECURITY BREACH OF THE LIBRARY WEBSITE AND RELATED. IT INCLUDES WHAT IS OPEN AND WHAT IS NOT OPEN. NOW SOME PROGRAMS ARE LISTED BUT NOT ALL INCLUDING EEWG AND THE SEARCH FUNCTION ISN’T RESET YET. FORTUNATELY  EAST END WRITERS IS PART OF THE LIBRARY’S PROGRAMMING AND THEREFORE AVAILABLE NOW AT THE LIBRARY AND WE DID MEET THERE WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24.

WE HAVE BEEN  BACK  IN S. WALTER STEWART LIBRARY FOR IN- PERSON MEETINGS SINCE  WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2022. BUT PLEASE NOTE WE ARE NOT  IN THE AUDITORIUM & THERE IS A TIME CHANGE.

We can’t get the auditorium because something called The Hub for youth takes place in the auditorium, Monday to Friday from 3 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. including their cleanup time. This is a program that was the former Mayor’s idea for libraries. However, the branch head kindly offered the smaller side room (or end room as it is at the end of the hall by the auditorium in the basement) for our meetings and holds up to 20 people We have our writers circle with chairs plus a small round table for members and library writing events flyers, and sample copies of members’ published books.

The time has also changed to 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. so we can stick to library open hours. .Zoom showed us we could meet for two hours with up to four writers reading and receiving feedback.

We take a short break halfway through the meeting but not with food  or beverage to share  in the meeting room as we did pre-COVID – and we prefer no eating or drinking in  the room. If you do want to eat or drink something before we start or during the break you might want to bring a snack and eat it at one of the tables out in the corridor or in the foyer as you enter the library. There are also restaurants a few blocks north on Coxwell Ave. if anyone  wants to get together after our meeting for a bite to eat.

Although masks are not at this point mandatory in the library,  the library  strongly recommends wearing masks and that includes at our EEWG meetings. We meet in s small room and we are somewhat close together there.

What We Do at Meetings (including online)

  •  Read our fiction, poetry, non-fiction and drama (four readers per meeting) – about eight pages double-spaced; poetry – up to two short poems. All double-spaced in 12 pt.
  • Receive and give constructive criticism on the above
  • Members register by email to read words@samcraw.com
  • Market Information Exchange
  •  Chat about our writing, including any writing events and workshops. We usually do this at the beginning of meetings.
  •  Short discussion on specific Writing Craft topic (member-driven and different topic each month), So far this is only online
  • If we do any presentations open to the public in the future we can arrange with the library to do them on a Saturday afternoon in the auditorium.

The library branch link for  programs is here.

Again, writers wanting to join this writing critique group (no fees), please email words@samcraw.com

 

NEW FEATURE FOR EAST END WRITERS

EEWG members – long-time and new – will be profiled on a monthly basis. This is another way for members to get to know each other and also for anyone who visits this site to do so. Links to members’ websites and related links will be included. Published and unpublished members will be profiled to reflect membership diversity.

First up is Liz Torlee. Her profile will remain up to the end of March.

Liz Torlee almost didn’t get her first novel The Way Things Fall published. Potential Publisher   Blue Denim Press was interested but wanted her to remove all the paranormal content. While mulling over a complete rewrite, a writer friend sat next to this publisher at a writing event and heard about Liz’s manuscript. The publisher didn’t remember her name, but the friend knew. She helped convince Liz to rewrite the novel. Liz calls it “fate” which she says is the idea at the root of most of her writing, thanks to a diary gifted to her at age 12.

“The blank pages were so enticing. I felt strongly that they had already been “written” and I was following a path that had been mapped out for me”

The novel? Published in fall 2020 by  Blue Denim Press.

While working in advertising and marketing Liz had limited writing time but took notes from her travels and wrote poetry and short stories. Now retired, she has time to write. Her second novel In Love With the Night was published by Blue Denim Press in late fall 2022.

Liz joined EEWG in 2022 with Zoom meetings and now attends the in-person meetings at S. Walter Stewart Library Branch.  Her advice for writers comes from her first novel’s publishing experience:

“…when you loosen your grip and ‘let go’ of the proprietary feelings about your ideas and the way you have written them, you feel a tremendous sense of liberation. All kinds of doors open, all kinds of new ideas eventually come pouring in. To me, creativity cannot be a solitary pursuit. The perspective, critique, and objective insight of others almost always make your work better.”

More info on Liz Torlee and her books is on her website

Facebook page

Blue Denim Press

Or directly to Liz Torlee on Blue Denim Press

 

See below, including some videos,  on over 20  years’ history of the East End Writers’ Group.

A Little Backstory About East End Writers’ Group

We didn’t always meet at the library. When we started out we met in my tiny bungalow – usually in my living room, sometimes spilling over into the adjoining office. Sometimes we met downstairs in the rec room. But our first meeting in September 2000 had three writers attending- one of them was me. We have had as many as 17 for in-house meetings and more than that at some meetings in the library. Between house and library venues, we met briefly at a cafe around the corner from me (Sept. 2013 to March 2014); it went bankrupt and closed. Then we met in the workshop room of a nearby used bookstore combined quilting shop (April 2014 to June 2014). This one was for a per-arranged agreement with the owners for a few months. The shop closed this bricks and mortar location  but moved their books and book selling online. After our summer break, we went directly to meeting at the S. Walter Stewart Branch of the Toronto Public Library, thanks to the invitation of Janet Nanos, a librarian working in the branch then. She also helped promote East End Writers through the library as did Jennifer Moffatt after Janet retired in 2019. We also held a couple of  East End  Writers anniversary presentations at the library. A third one,our 20th anniversary was in the works for 2020 at the library.

And then, in March  2020, COVID-19 struck and  all Toronto Public Library branches closed. The branches went  through several ups and downs with openings and partial closings, depending on the ups and downs and zig-zags of COVID-19 and its variants. As for the East End Writers’  Group we had to find another temporary venue. One of our members, Nick, suggested Zoom online; he supplies the logins and we were able to meet.  Our meetings  increased to two a month, but we always wanted to get back into the library for once a month – if and whenever COVID bit the dust and choked on it.

NEWSFLASH

The 20th anniversary celebration online was a blast. Here are the links to the two videos for it – first one with the presenters and their creativity. Second one with the panel on publishing. Each video is approximately one hour. So take a break and enjoy.

Sharon A. Crawford opened the presentation with a very brief history of the East End Writers’ Group and then turned it over to host A.D. “Kit” Laver.

The presentation featured seven of  our members strutting their creative stuff: reading fiction and memoir, collision between the two genres, singing and songwriting, author interviews. These presenters: Jake Hogerterp, Ellen Michelson, Tom Laver, Brian Moore, Tom Taylor, Nick Nanos and Sharon A. Crawford. Plus the panel on publishing then (early 2000s) and now  with panelists Shane Joseph (publisher Blue Denim Press), Nate Hendley (crime non-fiction writer who has had books published from the early 2000s) and Wendy Hawkin who formed her own small publishing company to publish her books. Hosted by historical novelist Tom Taylor. Followed by a q and a.

Other Anniversary Events:

East End Writers Appearing on TV

As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, a few of our members appeared remotely on a couple of  Hugh Reilly’s Liquid Lunch shows on the online TV station thatchannel. The first show was taped remotely May 12, 2020 with Hugh interviewing longtime EEWG member Shane Joseph (literary fiction author and Blue Denim Press publisher) and me, Sharon A. Crawford, founder of this East End Writers Group. You can get info about me here on this website as well as some on Shane whose website is here. We talked about the early days of EEWG meeting in my home and somehow segued into today and how we writers are coping in these COVID-19 times.  This show is live streamed and is also available to watch afterwards. The second guest appearance on thatchannel was in May 2021 and featred  Jane Petrovykh a talented fiction writer and a newer member.  View that episode here.

Upcoming Events like they used to be

 

the_scoop

Writing Critique Evenings – before COVID-19

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Location: s-walter-stewart-library-01
S. Walter Stewart Public Library Branch (auditorium)
170 Memorial Park Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Time:
7 p.m. to 9.45 p.m.

We break for August and December.

 

A Writers’ Circle sample only – not EEWG members

 

For information on EEWG email Sharon Crawford at words@samcraw.com

Some Past Events:

EEWG 10th anniversary. Teresa Petrie photo

EEWG 10th anniversary. Teresa Petrie photo.

And More Recently…

Small Presses: Guerrilla Book Marketing in the Digital Age held May 29, 2019

We Blue Denim Press gang had lots of fun at the Small Presses: Guerrilla Marketing in a Digital Age, as you can see from the photo above and the one below.  Barb Nobel read a very funny short story from her book Edgy People, Michael Dyet and I in our character reading duet brought some of our quirky and dysfunctional characters to life from his novella “Slipstream” in his book Hunting Muskie and my Beyond Faith. We both had a crack reading the part of my main character PI Dana Bowman. Dana, as usual was having her conflicts with family and enemies. Then there was this strange guy Sam from Shane Joseph’s Milltown who wandered onto the stage and proceeded to dis the setting and the year (2008) for the novel. He even had a few choice words for his author and as he lumbered off the stage was determined to get him for all this. He must have because a few minutes later Shane Joseph staggered onto the stage and managed to read the beginning of Milltown. We also mixed, mingled and kept going to the food table to munch on snacks even before the fun began onstage. But while we were on stage the audience was engaged. And so were we with them and with each other as we discussed how we did our guerilla marketing. And author Gail Murray our host kept us all in line. We also sold a few books in print there and some e-book sales are in the works – at least from my conversation with a few people from the audience. We will have to do this again somewhere else.

Barb Noble reading a story from Edgy People

And here are our recent books:

Muskie and Murder Presentation – June 27, 2018

Michael and Sharon discussing literary fiction and mystery fiction. Shane Joseph photo.

 

 

More Scoop on  the Group

the_scoop

Creativity from the Stacks

In partnership with East End Arts and S. Walter Stewart library branch was held from 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.,Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at S. Walter Stewart Library auditorium,170 Memorial Park Ave, Toronto.

East End Writers’ Group members emerged beyond the S. Walter Stewart Library stacks and shared their creativity in the library’s auditorium –  Nishe Catherine (creative non-fiction), Gail Murray (travel memoir) Laura Jones (photography and memoir), Nicholas Nanos (singing and song writing), Lee Parpart (poetry and small press publishing), Paola Ferrante (short fiction), Shane Joseph (comedy skit) and Sharon A. Crawford (comedy skit), and a sample writing critique session led by Gia Petec. And Dana Bowman IS back between the book covers of Beyond Blood. But she’ll be back somewhere later this year.

Co-hosted by group founder Sharon A.Crawford and Nishe Catherine. Table of members’ books, light refreshments and mixing and minglin

East York Cultural Hot Spot was a success and fun.

What’s Your Story? East York Attracted a Crowd

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Sharon A. Crawford and her East End Writers’ Group presented sample writing critiques as well as showcasing group members’ published books as part of the East York segment of What’s Your Story? presented by the Ontario Book Publishers Organization, Toronto Arts Council, Toronto Public Library and East End Arts.This celebration of reading, writing and publishing occured at the S. Walter Stewart Library, 170 Memorial Park Ave., Toronto, from 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. October 1. Event was free and open to the public. More information at http://eastendarts.ca/whats-your-story-east-york/

East End Writers’ Group 15th Anniversary Celebration Huge Success!

Celebration was held Wed. Oct 28, 2015. Despite a rainy and windy day we had a good attendance and a variety of presentations of members published works: a recreation of a community opera in PowerPoint, interview with a memoir author with the interviewer channeling Ellie Tesher, Toronto Star relationship columnist, parody and satire, a novelist whose talked about her book’s connection to a social cause for youth, and a book character who “jumped” from between the book covers and dissed her author, poetry and memoir readings, and a panel on self-publishing. We chatted with lots of writing friends – old and new, and ate from the selection of refreshments brought by members. Thank you all for coming.

Here is the line-up of our presenters.

Non- Fiction:
Lynda Freeman
Ann Elizabeth Carson
Susan Siddeley interviewed by Gail Murray

Poetry:
Norman Allan
Jeremy Vernelli

Fiction:
Sophia Johnson
Sharon A. Crawford
Nick Nanos

Panel on Indie Publishing:
Steven Biggs (gardening writer and speaker) on his unique experiences self-publishing three gardening books and Ellen Michelson, (writer and editor) on an editor’s baptism by fire in Indie Publishing. Moderator: Sharon A. Crawford

Other Stuff

Some Wednesday evening meetings feature guest speakers before the break. Past guest speakers include: Michael Carroll, former Publisher with Dundurn Press;  Paul Sanderson, poet and photographer; Tina Tsallas, literary agent; Rosemary Aubert, mystery novelist and workshop instructor; Cynthia Gould, performance poet; Shane Joseph, Blue Denim Press, Stacey May Fowles from Descant Magazine, Andrew Borkowski -winner of the 2012 Toronto Book Award for Copernicus Avenue, Steven Biggs – co-author of No Guff Vegetable Gardening, Mark Battenberg – poet and guitarist, Nate Hendley – true crime writer and journalist, Lisa de Nikolits – novelist, and Sharon A. Crawford – author of the Beyond mystery series

One-day Saturday Workshops

Occasionally held in the spring and early fall Workshops run between 9.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. We’ve had workshops on Writing Novels, Fictional Character Development, Interviewing Techniques, Finding Story Ideas and Querying Publication Editors, Creativity, Marketing, How to Get Published, Crafting the Short Story, Memoir Writing, and How to be Your Own Editor and Create a Better Story. Fee depends on instructor’s fee.

For more information on the East End Writers’ Group email Sharon A. Crawford words@samcraw.com