On Thursday, October 1 the Fog Lit presented their first day of creative events, beginning with a fantasy/world-building workshop with Kathleen Peacock, author of the Hemlock trilogy, followed after by the Teen Coffee House at the InterAction School of Performing Arts on Germain Street.
Sponsored by the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick, Peacock discussed tips for writing fantasy and creating a cohesive world and characters, going through a slideshow talking the various types of fantasy literature, including sci-fi, dystopia, high fantasy, paranormal romance, and magical realism.
After the presentation Peacock hosted a long question-and-answer period after her slideshow fielding questions about publishing, agents, world-building, and questions related to her Hemlock trilogy. She hosted a book signing, and later joined the audience for the Teen Coffee House.
The teen coffee house followed Peacock’s presentation and gave young writers a chance to showcase their creative work through, reading, performing music,monologues and improv. Kathleen Peacock also read a short excerpt from her novel.
University student Rachel Friars, who read in the Teen Coffee House and attended the workshop, said that the two events were “spectacular”, and that “so rarely are there events where writers of all ages can interact with each other and authors they admire. Having the opportunity to perform is an absolute pleasure for everyone”.
The MC for the evening was Spencer Folkins, the Youth Writes representative for the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick. Folkins stated that it was his “first time MCing anything”, and that he “made a ton of mistakes, but I felt the audience was very forgiving on that front. Everyone was there to just have a good time and share in their diverse creativity”. Folkins added that the event was “a thoroughly positive, supportive, and non judgemental environment, which [he thinks] is crucial for fostering developing talent. The Fog Lit Teen Coffee House as an event has noble intentions, and easily lives up to the hype”.
For more information about the Fog Lit festival and its upcoming events and workshops, visit their website, foglit.com, or the Facebook page.
More information about Kathleen Peacock, her website can be found at kathleenpeacock.com.
