WFNS logo ltrmark sticky 100px
WFNS logo ltrmark sticky 100px

Curating Nonfiction: From Clippings to Collage (virtual) with Rebecca Rose

Nonfiction writers are collectors. Collectors of oral histories, of information, of pretty, shiny things. But how do you take your unique collection—your body of research—and turn it into a digestible, cohesive, engaging story? Join two-time author Rebecca Rose to learn the basics of incorporating research into your nonfiction writing.

From interviews, to the archives, to the internet—where do you start? How do you decide what to include in the final product, and how on earth do you bring it all together?

This workshop is for new and emerging writers who have the passion, the ideas, and maybe even a file folder or Google doc of initial research, but are looking for a little help refining and putting it on the page.

About the instructor: Rebecca Rose is a Nova Scotian queer femme author, speaker, and activist who has written two non-fiction books: Before the Parade: A History of Halifax’s Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Communities (1972-1984) and Amazing 2SLGBTQIA+ People in Atlantic Canada. Rebecca holds a Journalism degree from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Born in Cape Breton, Rebecca now lives in the hills of Dartmouth with her wife, child, and cat.

Photo by Samson Photography

Recommended experience levels: New and emerging nonfiction writers

Participant cap: 12

Location: Zoom

Dates of 3-week workshop: Wednesdays, Oct 14 + Oct 21 + Oct 28, 2026 (7:00pm to 9:00pm Atlantic)

Registration for 2026 General Members: $145

Registration for non-members: $175 (includes 2026 General Membership in WFNS)

Add to Cart
Scroll to Top
WFNS logo ltrmark sticky 100px

Experience Levels

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) uses the following terms to describe writers’ experience levels:

  • New writers: those with less than two years’ creative writing experience and/or no short-form publications (e.g., short stories, personal essays, or poems in literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks).
  • Emerging writers: those with more than two years’ creative writing experience and/or numerous short-form publications.
  • Early-career authors: those with 1 or 2 book-length publications or the equivalent in book-length and short-form publications.
  • Established authors: those with 3 or 4 book-length publications.
  • Professional authors: those with 5 or more book-length publications.

Please keep in mind that each form of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, writing for children, writing for young adults, and others) provides you with a unique set of experiences and skills, so you might consider yourself an ‘established author’ in one form but a ‘new writer’ in another.

Occasionally, WFNS uses the phrase “emerging and established writers/authors” to mean ‘writers and authors of all experience levels.’

The “Recommended experience level” section of each workshop description refers to the above definitions. A workshop’s participants should usually have similar levels of creative writing and / or publication experience. This ensures that each participant gets value from the workshop⁠ and is presented with info, strategies, and skills that suit their experience. 

For “intensive” and “masterclass” workshops, which provide more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback, the recommended experience level should be followed closely.

For all other workshops, the recommended experience level is just that—a recommendation—and we encourage potential participants to follow their own judgment when registering.

If uncertain about your experience level with respect to any particular workshop, please feel free to contact us at communications@writers.ns.ca