Gertrude's Writing Room is committed to building community one gathering at a time. Our mission is 'mobile' - creating opportunities for creative gatherings in various locations.
Keep connected via our newsletters! If you don't receive them already, please email Vanessa and let her know you'd like to be added to the email list.
Thank you!
2024
WRITERS'
ASSEMBLY
Gertrude’s Writing Room in partnership with Balanced Life Wellness Centre is proud to present a unique writing group that brings together our favourite things about writing: inspiration, exchange and writing! This monthly, three-hour writing opportunity offers writers a safe, comfortable, accessible and inspiring space in which to flex their creative writing souls. We gather one Sunday each month.
*NEW BUSINESS 2024*
REGISTRATION NEEDED FOR EACH GATHERING!
Due to the incredible response to our gatherings, we are asking for writers to register for the workshops. Maximum 10 writers per workshop.
If you choose not to participate in the workshop, you can still come and write in the space and/or share an exchange with a writer.
WRITERS' ASSEMBLEY
2024
LOCATION
We meet at the Balanced Life Wellness Centre in Essex. It's a big, beautiful blue house!
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Address:
114 Talbot Street South, Essex
N8M 1B2
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*Please note: North Talbot is not the correct street!
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The Balanced Life Wellness Centre is fully accessible. Parking is available for free on the street.
FALL & WINTER WORKSHOPS!
*CHANGES TO NOTE*
OCTOBER THEME CHANGED TO LOCAL AUTHOR PANEL!
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NEW WORKSHOP THEME IN DECEMBER!
HORROR WRITING!
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WORKSHOP LENGTH EXTENDED BY 30 MINUTES! WORKSHOPS NOW ARE 1PM - 2:30PM
REGISTRATION FOR ALL WORKSHOPS IS OPEN NOW!
LOCAL
AUTHOR PANEL
ON PUBLISHING
Are you curious about the publishing world? Do you wonder what writers live and write in our community?
Join us for an intimate, in-depth conversation with LOCAL PUBLISHED AUTHORS who are living the literary dream! We're featuring authors from across the gamut - self-pub superstars to agented, big house traditionally published best-sellers to academia all-stars!
Learn about the different ways you can get your writing into the world from real-life, successful, working writers - all local!
COST: $40 - INCLUDES REFRESHMENTS & POST-TALK MINGLE​
Fall & winter
Workshops
PLEASE REGISTER AHEAD VIA EMAIL:
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COST: $25.00 pay cash on the day or e-transfer to shieldsvanessa@gmail.com
THE BIG BLUE HOUSE!
This is where our workshops take place!
This is the big, beautiful room we write in. We fill it with tables, books, words and love!
Writers are welcome to any of the following experiences!
THREE-HOUR FREE WRITE
The Writers’ Assembly is a three-hour long writing opportunity. Writers can use the entire three-hour session to work on their writing project, choosing a comfortable place to write for the full duration of the gathering. Enjoy a cuppa joe, free wi-fi, and various locations in the house to choose from in which to write. Writers should bring their own writing tools: laptop, paper, pens, etc.. If you and a writing partner(s) would like to use the time to exchange writing feedback, you can use this space and time to do so as well!
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FIRST-HOUR WRITING WORKSHOP (1pm – 2:30pm) – INSPIRE!
For the first hour, Vanessa Shields will lead a writing prompt/workshop and/or welcome a guest writer will lead a prompt/workshop. Prompts/workshops will shift across genres, and will include a short lesson on writing craft, the prompt, a timed writing session, and an opportunity to share.
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SECOND-HOUR SHARING OPPORTUNITY (2:30pm – 3pm) – EXCHANGE!
Writers will have the opportunity to pair off for a shared feedback session and/or have a group conversation about what they’re working on and/or request feedback. This exchange between writers will happen organically. Writers will not have to pre-read someone else’s writing or have to offer feedback if they do not want to. If you would like to share a piece of your work, please bring a printed out copy to share. We understand that sharing work is an integral part of the writing process so we are open to giving writers an opportunity to share in pairs or small groups. If you and a writing partner would like to use the full session for an ‘exchange’, please be mindful of voice levels.
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THIRD-HOUR WRITING (3pm-4pm) – WRITE!
Our final hour together will be used to write, write, write! We know how difficult it is to ‘fit’ writing into daily life, so we want to offer distraction-free writing time for writers. Writers can work on personal projects, continue working on the prompt/workshop, do research, read…whatever part in the creative writing process is in need of attention.
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PAYMENT
We are asking for $25.00 per visit or a ‘love’ donation (pay-what-you-can). Monies collected will be used to cover food, beverages, space usage and workshop teachers. We will pay attention to the cost and listen to your feedback. We want to keep this writing opportunity accessible and on-going!
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FOOD ALLERGIES
If you have food allergies/concerns, please let us know via email BEFORE you come so we can make necessary amendments to food/beverages. (email Vanessa at shieldsvanessa@gmail.com)
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ACCESSIBILITY
The Balanced Life Wellness Centre is fully accessible.
HOW IT WORKS!
PLEASE REGISTER TO JOIN US!
EMAIL VANESSA: shieldsvanessa@gmail.com.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE EMAIL VANESSA AND/OR CALL MICHELLE ANYTIME!
Vanessa - shieldsvanessa@gmail.com
Michelle - 519-817-2993
PATRONS & POETRY
A poetry workshop series beginning Fall 2024
A four-week poetry workshop series taught by local poets culminating with a grand open mic & poetry reading hosted by Windsor's Poet Laureate Peter Hrastovec!
NEW! NEW! NEW!
THE WORKSHOPS
THE CITY'S BEST & BRIGHTEST POETS TEACHING THE CRAFT OF LOVING & WRITING POETRY.
POETRY READING& OPEN MIC
OPEN MIC SIGN-UPS ON LOCATION - 7PM
READING & OPEN MIC START - 7:30PM
*FREE EVENT!*
Please prepare to read up to 2 poems - no longer than 5 minutes for each poet. Please respect the time rules! PLEASE BE KIND WITH SUBJECT MATTER. Hate-speech, racism and cruelty will not be tolerated.
SHIFTING SPACES
Gertrude's Writing Room is finding new and exciting ways to share space, time, creativity and love. Like our new relationship with the Balanced Life Wellness Centre, we will continue to make connections, build community and spread love in the flow of change. Thank you for your continued support!
WORKSHOPS
Please see above information about our Writers' Assembly. Workshops are offered as part of the monthly gathering!
“Every secret of a writer's soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind is written large in his works.”
Virginia Woolf
Classes
We will not be offering classes at this time.
POETRY CIRCLE
Poetry Circle will not be offered at this time.
yin writing
Yin writing will not be offered at this time.
