writing

An interview with Renée Sarojini Saklikar: Poetry, editing, and the path to finding a true passion

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Interview by Marta Orellana; copy edited by Paige Shaw

This November, Renée Sarojini Saklikar will be presenting at our November 17, 2021, monthly meeting, “The nuance of poetry editing: A talk with Renée Sarojini Saklikar.”

Editors BC is thrilled to welcome Renée—a poet, author, lawyer, and teacher—as she shares her insight into the world of editing poetry.

Her poetry book, children of air india, won the Canadian Authors Association Poetry Prize, and she is co-author of the poetry and essay collection, Listening to the Bees, which won the 2019 Gold Medal Independent Publishers Book Award, Environment/Ecology. 

Renée answers questions about the qualities and skills that are important for a poetry editor, her journey from lawyer to editor, and the projects that have brought her success and fulfillment in her career.

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Calling for Volunteer Editors for Word Vancouver’s Blue Pencil Sessions

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What: Word Vancouver 2021 Festival

When: Saturday, September 11, 2021, 12:00–6:00 pm

Where: Online,TBA

 

Word Vancouver and Editors BC are presenting a live, virtual, one-on-one workshop where editors will work with authors to assess writing samples. This is an opportunity for editors to demonstrate how the editing process and the author-editor relationship work.

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Blue Pencil Series 2021: You’re Invited

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You are invited to be part of Editors BC’s popular Blue Pencil series, now being held via Zoom. This change opens up the program to editors and authors outside the Lower Mainland.

Editors BC and the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) are again offering the public a series of free editing consultations. These popular events build awareness for Editors BC and are a great opportunity for editors to build their skills and connect with potential clients.

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Rows of desks face a projection screen in a classroom-like environment.
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March 28, 2020: Writing Effective Web Content

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What: Editors BC professional development seminar
When: Saturday, March 28, 2020, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Room 400, 4th floor, BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver | map
Cost: $165 for Editors Canada members ($135 early bird), $230 for non-members ($200 early bird), and $100 for student affiliates. Advance registration required. Registration closes March 25; early-bird rates are in effect through March 10.

Capture reader attention and engagement with web content that attracts visitors, boosts click-throughs, and converts readers into customers. Crafting compelling web content requires an understanding of reader expectations, an application of best practices, and a commitment to experimentation. This seminar will give you an understanding of what readers want from your copy, how to apply the latest web-writing best practices, and how to optimize for search.

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A leather notebook with a navigation symbol rests against the edge of a laptop on a brown, shiny surface near two mechanical pencils.
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Event Review: Editors BC’s Seminar, “Getting the Message Across: Clear Writing Tips”

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Written by Joanna Vandervlugt; copy edited by Maggie Clark

On Saturday, February 23, 2019, I attended Frances Peck’s seminar for Editors BC, “Getting the Message Across: Clear Writing Tips.”

Despite coming over from Vancouver Island, I found this seminar’s location convenient. The seminar was set up in Vancouver at the BCIT Downtown Campus. This place was an easily accessible one for those who were familiar with the SkyTrain routes like myself.

After reaching my destination from the SkyTrain and settling in, I got to know a bit more about the other class participants. We introduced ourselves, and it seemed that the seminar participants ranged from proofreaders, editors, writers, and academics. Many commented that they were a fan of Frances, and I soon learned why.

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Rows of desks face a projection screen in a classroom-like environment.
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February 23, 2019: Getting the Message Across: Clear Writing Tips

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What: Editors BC professional development seminar
When: Saturday, February 23, 2019, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Room 476, 4th floor, BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver | map
Cost: $165 for Editors Canada members ($135 early bird), $230 for non-members ($200 early bird), and $100 for student affiliates. Advance registration required. Registration closes February 19; early-bird rates are in effect through February 5.

Reports, policies, briefings, emails, and other informational documents have a simple goal: to deliver a message quickly and clearly to a target audience. But too often that message gets buried by weak organization, unnecessary detail, abstract language, unhelpful layout, and other barriers to readability.

This workshop will show you how to create and edit documents that meet readers’ needs and get the message across every time. Topics include

  • writing faster and better: a four-step process
  • understanding what your readers want (and don’t want)
  • organizing information to meet readers’ needs
  • highlighting your key messages
  • using layout to boost readability
  • making your ideas flow
  • eliminating wordiness, abstractions, and jargon
  • revising and proofreading your work

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Meet the Instructor: Carolyn Redl

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Written by Carl Rosenberg; copy edited by Katie Beaton

This photo depicts a headshot of Carolyn Redl in a yellow and dark green top wearing a necklace and smiling warmly while holding a copy of her memoir, "A Canadian Childhood."

So, are you thinking of writing about your childhood memories? Or maybe someone has asked you to edit a childhood memoir? In either case, on Saturday, January 26, 2019, Editors BC will present a seminar just for you. This six-hour seminar on writing and editing childhood memoirs will be presented by Carolyn Redl. She will introduce memoir writing and editing, with a mix of conversational learning, hands-on training, and practising a variety of memoir writing techniques.

Throughout the day, you’ll complete exercises that will make your own childhood experiences come alive. You’ll explore ways to organize events into stories using description and dialogue. You’ll hear editing hints for developing themes, settings, and personalities associated with childhood. By the end of the day, you’ll have written a draft chapter of your memoir! Continue reading →

Rows of desks face a projection screen in a classroom-like environment.
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January 26, 2019: Writing and Editing Childhood Memoirs with Carolyn Redl

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What: Editors BC professional development seminar
When: Saturday, January 26, 2019, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Room 476, 4th floor, BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver | map
Cost: $165 for Editors Canada members ($135 early bird), $230 for non-members ($200 early bird), and $100 for student affiliates. Advance registration required. Registration closes January 22; early-bird rates are in effect through January 8.

Has anyone ever told you, “You’ve had a very interesting childhood. You should write a book”? Or have you been asked to edit a memoir, but you don’t know where to begin? If so, the Editors BC January seminar is right for you. Continue reading →

A blue banner with the words "Vancouver Writers Fest Bookstore" is surrounded by brilliant light and trees near a quay-like environment.
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Event Review: Vancouver Writers Fest 2018: “Lives Off-Road” with Three Fearless Women

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Written by Nancy Tinari; copy edited by Adrienne Munro

On Friday, October 19, I had the pleasure of attending the Vancouver Writers Festival on Granville Island. I’ve attended sessions there for many years now, and I invariably find the panels of writers inspiring and thought-provoking.

This year was no exception. In this article, I’m writing about an event entitled “Lives Off-Road,” featuring writers Kate Harris, Jan Redford, and Joanna Streetly, with moderator Amanda Lewis. (Lewis is the editorial director of Page Two Strategies, a company that helps writers with all aspects of producing self-published non-fiction books.)

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