Write by the Water

Lakeshore Arts is proud to offer for the third year, Write by the Water, a 5-part writing workshop series for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) creative youths and adults, ages 18 to 65+, to express themselves through storytelling and the written word. This workshop series is facilitated by storyteller and multi-disciplinary artist, Whitney French. This series invites  BIPOC writers of all kinds to explore new works or to fine-tune works in progress, in a safe and inspirational environment while being mentored and coached by an industry professional.

Write by the water is an opportunity for writers to gather once a week to strengthen our writing skills and share our stories. With the support of professional writer and arts-educator Whitney French, participants focus on their works-in-progress with feedback from a diligent instructor and caring community. All levels, disciplines and genres welcome!

This workshop series is for: BIPOC Creative Writers: authors, playwrights, poets, rappers, and singers; ages 18 – 65+.


About the Artist

Whitney French is a writer, storyteller multidisciplinary artist and arts-educator. Her writing has been published in Quill and Quire, Geist, Descant Magazine, CBCbooks.ca and anthologized in The Black Notes: Fresh Writing From Black Women and Girls (2017) and The Great Black North: Contemporary African Canadian Poetry (2010).

Whitney is the founder and co-editor of the nation-wide publication From the Root Zine and the founder of the workshop series Writing While Black: an initiative to develop a community of Black writers. She edited the anthology Black Writers Matter, a collection of creative nonfiction, the winner of the Saskatchewan Book Award for Publishing 2020. Whitney French is also the co-founder of the Black queer feminist press Hush Harbour.

This will be her third time facilitating the Write By the Water series through Lakeshore Arts.


Write by the Water writing prompts

Created by Whitney French! Share with a friend or get inspired on your own! Share your creations by tagging us @lakeshorearts


2021 session

Write by the Water 2021 – BIPOC Creative Writing Workshops Series
Date: Thursdays July 15 – August 12, 2021
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: Pay-What-You-Can, with a suggested contribution of $15 per workshop

This program is for BIPOC creatives ONLY! Participants residing within the Greater Toronto Area will be prioritized.

Brief Overview of Write by the Water:

Week OneWe will explore the reasons why we write, what stories are important to us, and develop a writing routine.
Week TwoWe will understand how to give and receive feedback, explore which writers inspire us, and talk about our specific projects.
Week ThreeWe will learn skills about plot and setting, identify what makes our writing stronger, and offer feedback to each other for the first time!
Week FourWe will learn skills about character and writing style, think through dialogue and themes and continue to support each other’s work with feedback.
Week FiveWe will share how we envision our writing purpose, gain resources on how we share our stories with the world, and close with a final feedback session.

If you have any questions please email our Programs Manager, Nadijah at programs@lakeshorearts.ca. 

Check out our other programs