In this interactive discussion for all levels and genres, we will address common blocks in writing: fear, confusion about form, concern about "ownership" of stories, worries that the writing is not "good" enough. In a supportive, playful environment, we will look at tactics for dismantling the voices that shout us down and discover how we can best generate new work.

About the facilitator

Elee Kraljii Gardiner is the author of two poetry books, Trauma Head and serpentine loop, as well as the editor of the anthologies Against Death: 35 Essays on Living and V6A: Writing from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. She founded Thursdays Writing Collective, a beloved non-profit organization, and through its ten years she edited and published nine of its anthologies. She is the recipient of the BC Mentor Award, facilitates in-school workshops for Poetry in Voice, and is a director at Vancouver Manuscript Intensive, a writing program that pairs authors with mentors. Originally from Boston, she lives on the traditional and unceded territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam Peoples.