Creative Writing Toronto

Writers' Pub Night

Weeeee're back with another pub night! Join us for a pint, a bite, and much writerly debate. We'll be at our usual haunt: The Bishop and Belcher near Bloor and Church. Hope to see you then!

Book Launch - Year's Best Canadian F&SF Vol 4

NOTE: This event is hosted by Bakka Phoenix Books and Stephen Kotowych, not TSFFW. Please reach out to them for further details. Attend the launch of Year's Best Canadian Fantasy & Science Fiction Vol 4 at Bakka Phoenix Books with us! Several TSFFW authors have stories and poems included in the anthology: Gillian Secord - the love song of house and lake R.H. Wesley - The Stone Played at Tengen J.Y. Zhang - From Dust Rachel A. Rosen - What If We Kissed While Sinking a Billionaire's Yacht? J.L. Thorpe - I Ain't Your Doll Face David Clink - Dragon Karaoke Fiona Moore - The Walled Garden They will have brief readings from the authors and book signings. Come secure your copy of the Aurora Award winning anthology series and celebrate with us!

One-Shot Anthology 2026 - Boundary

Hi Writers, The One Shot Anthology is BACK this year. What’s this, you ask? This is where writers have 24 hours to write a complete story. Completed works will be compiled together in a book, to be released in digital and physical formats. Brainstorming, plotting, and basic outlining are permitted beforehand. No actual writing (e.g. penning sentences that go in the actual story) is allowed until the day of the one-shot challenge. **The Theme**: The vote has ended with ***Boundary*** as the winner! **Time**: Begins December 6th 11am EST sharp. As people begin completing their stories, they will have the opportunity to exchange their works for feedback and editing. Writers will have until Monday December 7th at 11am to finish, edit, and submit their works for inclusion in the 2026 anthology. **Virtual**: Discord server: [https://discord.gg/3fGAeHP](https://discord.gg/3fGAeHP) **In-Person:** The Blake House, located at: 449 Jarvis St, Toronto, ON M4Y 2G8. We have the basement area from 11am to 4pm. Writers are welcome to stay longer, but the owner asked that we move upstairs at 4pm, as there is another scheduled event later in the day. We also ask that in-person participants help support the venue by purchasing something (a drink and/or snack). **Donations**: This event is free to attend, but this year we are asking those who are financially able to donate \~$10 to the group to help cover the cost of the anthology's cover art. Cash will be collected day-of at the Blake House, or e-transfers can be sent to gillian.secord@outlook.com (please include a note it is for Toronto SFF) **Story Submission:** A Google form will be available for people send in their completed stories. Watch the comments section to this post. **AI**: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate stories is strictly prohibited. When submitting stories to the anthology, participants will be required to certify that no AI was used in the creation of their stories. **Rights and Anthology Inclusion:** Participating in the writing session does not mean you are obligated to include your story in the anthology. Only stories submitted to the Google form by 11am on Monday December 7 will be included. Submission via the Google form would indicate you grant permission for your story to be published in the anthology in print and digital formats. All other rights, including copyright and reprint rights, remain with the author.

Book Launch: The First War by Tao Wong

Come to Bakka-Phoenix Bookstore to celebrate launch of THE FIRST WAR, the third book in Tao Wong's *A Thousand Li* series! He'll be here joined in conversation by Ai Jiang. There will be a conversation, Q&A, and signing. Light snacks will be provided. *Note:* This event is hosted by Bakka-Phoenix Bookstore. RSVPing through their website is not required, but it will help ensure the organizers know how many books to bring: [https://bakkaphoenixbooks.com/events/6693820261111](https://bakkaphoenixbooks.com/events/6693820261111) **About the Book:** As war threatens his family, Wu Ying must decide on his path to immortality and the mortal ties that bind. War between the enemy states of Wei and Shen grows ever more inevitable. Wu Ying has been forbidden by the Verdant Green Waters sect to participate in the conflict. But there is more at stake than Wu Ying could have imagined when he began his study of magic and mystical martial arts: Wu Ying’s village—the family and friends who knew and loved him when he was only a farm boy—will be caught between the amassing armies. Now Wu Ying has a choice to make: Does he leave his people to their fate in favor of pursuing his sect’s ideals and his own ambitions? Or does he help them and give up on the chance for greatness, after all his hard-won progress? **About the Author:** Tao Wong is the author the *A Thousand Li* progression fantasy series and the *System Apocalypse* LitRPG series, among others. His work has been released in audio, paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats, and translated into German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and several other languages. He was shortlisted for the UK Kindle Storyteller Award in 2021 for *A Thousand Li: The Second Sect*. The first three books in the *A Thousand Li* series are currently being republished in hardcover by Ace Books.

IN-PERSON Saturday Meeting!

Join us for our in-person Saturday critique session! We'll be meeting in the basement of **The Blake House**, which is located near Wellesley and Jarvis, about a 10-minute walk from Wellesley Station or Sherbourne Station. **In respect to the Blake House for hosting us, we humbly request that attendees purchase a meal, dessert, or drink if you are able to do so.** Feel free to bring in a piece of writing up to **2000 words** for reading and critique. Please bring paper copies so that listeners can easily follow and make notes. Dedicated listeners are equally welcome. In larger groups, please be mindful of giving everyone a fair chance to speak. Our group values and meeting structure can be found here: [https://www.torontosffwriters.com/sff-writer-rules-and-guidelines](https://www.torontosffwriters.com/sff-writer-rules-and-guidelines) We ask that writers provide content warnings when necessary. To limit the spread of diseases, we kindly ask that you stay home if you're feeling sick. We will be here every week! **\*\*We support the hard work and effort that goes into writing fiction, and do not condone the use of AI to replace the creative process.\*\*** And, that's everything! See you there!

In-Person Writing Sprints

Struggling with motivation and focus as you hammer away on your manuscript at home? Want to join a community of writers as we embrace the joys and pains (mostly pains) of writing together? Bring your laptop, pen & paper, old-school typewriter, or futuristic writing gadget, and join an enthusiastic community of science fiction and fantasy writers as we work on our current projects in the same space. The format will be similar to our online writing sprints: 30-minute blocks of focused, quiet writing time (the sprints), interspersed with breaks where we can chat, ask questions, and share our writing experiences.

Saturday Writing Meetup – near Bloor-Yonge

\*\*NOTE: This meetup currently lacks a regular host. (The current hosts are volunteers for online organizational purposes; they show up in person occasionally.) If you arrive and there is no host, don’t worry. Whoever is the longest-running member (or whoever wants to) can set the timer for the writing session. In this way, the meetup is self-sustaining, and not dependent on any one person. Thanks for your understanding.\*\* Join us for an hour of quiet writing, followed by an hour of (optional) socializing. \*\*SILENT WRITING BEGINS AT 1:15 PM. IF YOU'RE LATE, WELCOME! WE WILL IGNORE YOU (BECAUSE WE'RE BUSY WRITING) UNTIL 2:15 PM.\*\* This meetup is open to everyone, whether you’re writing a novel, blog, class paper, or journal entry—or something completely different. Anyone interested is welcome to attend :) LOCATION: 5 Elements Cafe, basement level RSVP: Please be advised that seating is first-come, first-served, even if you have RSVP'd. Seats are not reserved and we can't control how many other people are in the cafe. We recommend coming down to the basement to grab a spot before you buy anything, just in case. SCHEDULE: 1:00 to 1:15 PM: Arrive and get settled in. 1:15 to 2:15 PM: Write in silence for an hour. \*\*If you arrive after 1:15, please silently find your own place to sit. We'll welcome you to join the group at 2:15.\*\* 2:15 PM: Introduce yourself. We'll go in a circle; just say your name and 1–2 sentences about what you're writing. (E.g., "I'm Rudolph and I'm writing a non-fiction book about reindeer.") 2:20 PM onwards: Chill/leave. Chat, hang out, keep writing if you want, leave whenever.

Shut Up & Write — West Queen West

Come join us at the lovely, well-lit, and cozy Theatre Centre Cafe for an hour and a half of silent writing (on whatever writing projects you will)! After silent writing is done, feel free to stay and chat or go as you please. If you are late you are welcome to join us (quietly and not disruptively). Please note this is a casual event, and we will NOT be critiquing each other's work. Other Important Details: WiFi name/password: #TheTheatreCentre (no password, open access) Travel / Parking info: There is paid street parking as well as Green P underground parking located at 45 Abell St (2 mins walk from the venue) Venue Guidelines: Please thank our hosts by purchasing something.

Sunday Shut Up & Write!® in Sheppard-Yonge

We are now at **Yonge Sheppard Centre** in the **food court** near **Dazzle Mi**. We start a bit past 1pm, so if you're late, please find a seat and start writing -- we'd love to hear about your story or your day -- afterwards. :) **Coworking for writers in your area!** Join us for some focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. When you show up, say hello to everyone, grab a drink, and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://shutupwrite.com) **Travel / Parking info:** Public Transit: 1. Take the TTC subway to Sheppard-Yonge Station. 2. Use the Yonge St. Sheppard Ave exit **Driving & Parking:** Parking Entrance to Yonge Sheppard Centre is located on Greenfield Avenue and Doris Avenue. Accessible parking is available on P1, P3 and Concourse. Be sure to check for parking limits or fees. **Location:** We gather around the tables in the food court near **Dazzel Mi**. If you spot a group of people with laptops out, that’s probably us! **RSVP:** Please do RSVP. But be advised that seating is first-come, first-served, even if you have RSVP'd. Seats are not reserved and we can't control how many other people are in the cafe. **SCHEDULE:** 12:45 to 1:15 PM: Arrive and get settled in -- come in early if you want to get lunch. 1:15 to 2:15 PM: Write in silence for an hour. \*\*If you arrive after 1:15, please silently find your own place to sit. We'll welcome you to join the group at 2:15.\*\* 2:15 PM: Introduce yourself. We'll go in a circle; just say your name and 1–2 sentences about what you're writing. (E.g., "I'm Rudolph and I'm writing a non-fiction book about red-nosed reindeer.") 2:20 PM onwards: Chat, hang out, keep writing if you want, leave whenever.

The Toronto Artist's Way Meetup Monthly Meetup

The purpose of the group, based on the book The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, is for people to meet and talk about their artistic challenges in any field (painting, writing, music etc.) and encourage each other to break their creative blocks and fulfill themselves in their art. If you find people who are sympathetic, you may want to form your own group, meeting regularly to explore the book and supporting each other in their artistic journeys. I have gone through 2 such clusters and can say that it is a very powerful experience. Why not come to a meeting and see for yourself?

Short Reads Social #17: Is nightlife dead? (Nov 11th)

or *Why does the club suck now?* \-\-\- Short-Read Socials are back! Come meet with like-minded and unlikeminded people to talk about the topic of the month. This time, we're thinking about **nightlife.** *Did gentrification, suburban living, and phones kill going out? Are people less social or does late-night socializing just look different? Was the club ever really that fun?* \-\-\- **We also might take a 'field trip' to a night club this week! If you want to join us, let us know numbers [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftOqbLk3cakMCvr1s8p5BBGBKgdqUcuZ61oU1AbFZhtqmQog/viewform?usp=publish-editor).** \-\-\- **How does it work?** * The event is casual. You can talk to anyone there with or without our prompt sheets, either about the month's topic or about whatever you want. * Open philosophical discussion, including for controversial topics, is welcome but be respectful. Every has had different experiences so aim to have good-faith discussions :) * If you've read/watched/heard anything related to the topic of the month, feel free to bring it in! Not necessarily physically, but you can if you want... * If not, here are some thought-provoking reads to start you off (read as many or as few as you want): * On the supposed death of nightlife: * [Gen Z Didn't Kill Nightlife](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmLO69c_fyw) * [The Death of Partying in the U.S.A.—and Why It Matters](https://www.derekthompson.org/p/the-death-of-partying-in-the-usaand) * [Who Killed the Late Night Diner?](https://www.themain.com/articles/late-night-dining-montreal-restaurants-closing-early) * Perhaps nightlife simply changed: * [How a Suburban Strip Mall Became a Buzzing Community Hub, and a Political Flashpoint](https://thelocal.to/mississauga-ridgeway-plaza-election-2026/) * [Nightlife Isn’t Dead. It’s Just Boring Now.](https://loopmag.co/nightlife-isnt-dead-its-just-boring-now/) * [The Real Reason Music's Gotten So Loud](https://archive.is/20131125162149/http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/11/the-real-reason-musics-gotten-so-loud/281707/#selection-1425.0-1425.38) * Feel free to post other recommendations (blogs, movies, tv episodes, video essays, etc.) in the comments! \-\-\- Finally, Short Read Socials have a 'pay what you can' policy. They'll always be free to attend--but if you've been having a good time with us and want to pass along a couple of bucks to help cover Meetup platform costs for future events, there is a contribution bucket on the table that night and a [Paypal](https://paypal.me/bookclubforhumans?country.x=CA&locale.x=en_US) link :)

Speaker: Edward Eastman