top of page
.png

Seminars

Writing a Strong Second Draft of Your Novel

Hosted by: Vocamus Writers Commumity
Location:

Vocamus Writers Community

255 Woolwich St, Guelph, ON, Canada


Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Cost: Pay what you can. Suggested fee $15 CAD (Vocamus is set up to accept cash only)

You have written your first draft, but how do you evaluate your book and take it to the next level? Get easy-to-apply tips from a fiction editor with twelve years of experience. In this seminar, Maggie Morris will share the major issues she addresses during substantive and stylistic edits. 
 

Takeaways: Attendees will leave with new knowledge they can immediately put to work, including:

  • Can you succinctly describe what your book is about? Being able to will help you to edit and improve it. 

    • What to consider when writing your "elevator pitch."

  • How to evaluate and improve the big working pieces of your manuscript:

    • Structure/plot, pace, character, setting, and theme. 

  • How to improve your writing at the paragraph and sentence level:

    • Spot common “weaknesses” in your writing and learn how to strengthen it. 

  • How to ensure a brisk reading pace:

    • Tips to improve writing rhythm.

MAGGIE MORRIS

Maggie Morris, The Indie Editor (www.IndieEditor.ca), is a freelance fiction editor who works with both independent authors and publishers Penguin Random House Canada and Kobo Originals. She has a Certificate in Publishing from Toronto Metropolitan University, a BA in languages and literature from the University of Toronto, and is an active member of Editors Canada and the Editorial Freelancers Association.

Maggie is a contributing author for Editors Canada’s third edition of the workbook: Edit Like a Pro: Structural Editing. Her most recent investment in her skills was the 2025 Editorial Freelancers Association course: Advanced Line Editing, taught by Amber Helt, that examined specific line-level conventions for romance, fantasy/romantasy, horror, mystery, historical, and contemporary fiction.

Maggie has taught many seminars on manuscript revision to both authors and editors, for organizations including the Toronto Reference Library, Toronto Romance Writers, Ottawa Romance Writers, the University of Guelph Writers Workshop, and Editors Canada.

Watch for upcoming dates for seminars!  

bottom of page