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Foundations of Fiction (virtual) with David Huebert, Anne C. Kelly, & Jessica Scott Kerrin

Foundations of Fiction presents three authors’ approaches to the craft of fiction, coordinated to introduce new and emerging writers⁠—including those who’ve already published a few stories—to fundamental concepts, a variety of tried-and-tested techniques, and the unique perspectives of the collaborating instructors.

  • Weeks 1 – 2 (led by Jessica Scott Kerrin) will focus on techniques for opening a story and for balancing conflict, description, and characters’ inner lives.
  • Weeks 3 – 5 (led by David Huebert) will focus on structural principles of short story and novel design. Participants will develop skills in crafting character desire & obstacle, establishing plot & conflict, and building vivid scenes.
  • Weeks 6 – 8 (led by Anne C. Kelly) will focus on exploring and strengthening the basic building blocks of writing fiction, developing skills in writing description, action, and dialogue.
  • Week 9 (led by Jessica Scott Kerrin) will return to the first page: participants will provide and receive helpful peer feedback toward polishing their all-important opening paragraphs.

About the instructors:

David Huebert is the author of the short story collections Peninsula Sinking (Biblioasis) and Chemical Valley (Biblioasis) and the debut novel Oil People (Penguin Random House). His writing has won the CBC Short Story Prize and the Alistair MacLeod Short Fiction Prize and has been a finalist for the Journey Prize, the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, and the Amazon Canada First Novel Award. His novel, Oil People, has been called “lyrical,” “elegant,” and “wildly hallucinatory” and recently received the 2025 Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award.

Anne C. Kelly is an experienced writer and English teacher, who loves to talk all things writing! She offers practical, interactive and fun sessions aimed at building and strengthening your creative writing skills. 

Halifax-based Jessica Scott Kerrin is the best-selling author of 16 works of fiction (middle readers, chapter books, and a picture book). Her latest novel, Clear Skies, takes place during the 1960s space race to the Moon. Jessica has mentored many writers, she’s toured hundreds of schools and libraries across Canada and the United States, she teaches writing workshops for teens and adults, and her books have been translated into six languages. In addition to writing, Jessica has managed galleries, dance schools, and museums and worked with artists, performers, and curators, all of whom have inspired Jessica’s stories.

Recommended experience level: New and emerging fiction writers, including those who are more experienced in other forms (About recommended experience levels)

Participant cap: 15

Location: Zoom

Dates of 9-week workshop: Thursdays, Jan 22 & 29 + Feb 5, 12, 19, & 26 + Mar 5, 12, & 19 (7:00pm to 9:00pm Atlantic)

Registration for 2026 General Members: $299

Registration for non-members: $364 (includes 2026 General Membership in WFNS)

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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 and 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.

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