Fantasy Writing

Struggling with motivation and focus as you hammer away on your manuscript at home? Want to join a community of writers as we embrace the joys and pains (mostly pains) of writing together? Bring your laptop, pen & paper, old-school typewriter, or futuristic writing gadget, and join an enthusiastic community of science fiction and fantasy writers as we work on our current projects in the same space. The format will be similar to our online writing sprints: 30-minute blocks of focused, quiet writing time (the sprints), interspersed with breaks where we can chat, ask questions, and share our writing experiences.

**#Note: As of Aug 17, 2025,** **we will be moving to Yonge Sheppard Centre** due to the closing of our prior venue Whole Foods. Please read the new location details. **Coworking for writers in your area!** Join us for some focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. When you show up, say hello to everyone, grab a drink, and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://shutupwrite.com) **Travel / Parking info:** Public Transit: 1. Take the TTC subway to Sheppard-Yonge Station. 2. Use the Yonge St. Sheppard Ave exit **Driving & Parking:** Parking Entrance to Yonge Sheppard Centre is located on Greenfield Avenue and Doris Avenue. Accessible parking is available on P1, P3 and Concourse. Be sure to check for parking limits or fees. **Location:** We gather around the tables in the food court near Jimmy the Greek. If you spot a group of people with laptops out, that’s probably us! **RSVP:** Please do RSVP. But be advised that seating is first-come, first-served, even if you have RSVP'd. Seats are not reserved and we can't control how many other people are in the cafe. **SCHEDULE:** 12:45 to 1:15 PM: Arrive and get settled in -- come in early if you want to get lunch. 1:15 to 2:15 PM: Write in silence for an hour. \*\*If you arrive after 1:15, please silently find your own place to sit. We'll welcome you to join the group at 2:15.\*\* 2:15 PM: Introduce yourself. We'll go in a circle; just say your name and 1–2 sentences about what you're writing. (E.g., "I'm Rudolph and I'm writing a non-fiction book about red-nosed reindeer.") 2:20 PM onwards: Chat, hang out, keep writing if you want, leave whenever.

Sunday · 3:00 PM Let’s enjoy the snow and fresh air with a casual sledding (tobogganing) meetup this Sunday at 3 PM. We’ll start with sledding for about an hour, then head for a warm coffee nearby to relax and chat. Details: • 📅 Sunday • ⏰ 3:00 PM • 🛷 Sledding / Tobogganing first (I’ll bring a sled) • ☕ Coffee after This is a relaxed, friendly gathering — feel free to join and enjoy the winter atmosphere. Looking forward to seeing you! ❄️ ℹ️ Please note: Participation is at your own risk. Dress appropriately for the weather and snow conditions.

We will have a Meet and Greet at The Cherie Bistro on 538 Church Street in Toronto from 2 – 4 pm. The Cherie Bistro is a fully accessible restaurant. Please understand that each guest will be paying for a meal and/or beverages of their choice. Since the reservation is for six people, please RSVP to give us an idea of how many people will be attending this event. To be clear, we will still be continuing our online weekly meetings on Sundays at 11 am. These Meet and Greets will be scheduled as optional in-person gatherings depending on the attendance and feedback we receive over time.

We'll be walking on the paved path of the Birkdale trail, passing through Thompson park and into the West Highland Creek. We'll walk a distance of ~7.7 km which we will be able to cover in about 1.75 hours, speed will be dependent on weather conditions. Dress in your most outlandish Christmas garb, making sure to dress warm enough for the weather. Crampons might be necessary, so please have them on hand. After the hike we'll go for coffee, at Coffee Time 2195 Midland Ave. Our group will leave at the posted time, so please arrive early. Please cancel your RSVP if you can't make it. Bring water and wear footwear comfortable for walking. Required reading for you and your guests before RSVP'ing to all events: 1. [Liability Waiver and Group Rules](https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vR0LFNJVYn5j1AYl8eR63HjAxKMkRwg5ifKXqL3rP6Xl7v_Wcsx4xR_kNFluE3eILpSmP-EJ0OouQvT/pub) (updated 05/30/22) 2. When asked at RSVP time, indicate **\*Yes\*** if you agree to the question provided. 3. See general information about [Tick Safety](https://www.ontario.ca/page/lyme-disease)

who's up for a day snow shoeing. up north we have snow. bring your own food. put "global tower road" into any GPS or phone it should bring you right to the parking spot.

### 🎲 Board Game Afternoon at SNAKES & LATTES 🍂 Join us for a cozy **afternoon of fun, laughter, and friendly competition** (or non-competition, if that’s more your style)! This is the perfect way to unwind, meet other members, and try out a few new games — no experience needed! We’ll teach you how to play. 🕐 **Meetup Time & Spot:** 1:00 PM — I’ll be waiting **outside Snakes & Lattes** wearing my famous **Moose Hat** for 5 minutes before we head in. 🎯 **Game Time:** 1:15 PM sharp! Please be on time — some games can take an hour or more to play, and if you arrive late, you might have to wait until the next round. 🕔 **End Time:** Around 4:00 PM (you can leave whenever you like). 💵 **Meetup Fee:** $5 cash in person or e-transfer 📲 to **mathewmaclean@hotmail.com...**.**If you have never been to event before and I have not met you, you must send the Meetup fee before signing up.** 🎟️ **Game Admission:** Entry to Snakes & Lattes is **$20**, which includes **UNLIMITED non-alcoholic drinks** to keep you refreshed. 🍸 **Bonus:** Order any alcoholic drink and get **$10 OFF** your Game Admission! 📅 **Note:** Sometimes things happen and I might have to cancel — please keep an eye out for updates. 📱 **Don’t forget to join our WhatsApp group** – [CLICK HERE!](https://chat.whatsapp.com/H59mSCbsAi018gYANrKAnc?mode=ac_t)**!]** Mathew is the organizer for this meetup. If you need to contact him, please post a message on the wall or email **torontomoviesandoutings@hotmail.com**

This event is for women in their late 20s to 40s who want to spend some time outside in the good company of other nature-loving women. We’ll start with a relaxed walk to keep moving, then settle by the firepit for s’mores, hot chocolate, and nature-themed activities. ### **What we’ll do:** * Begin with an easy \~1-hour walk in the nearby park, starting at 4 pm — hoping to catch the sunset, weather permitting * Arrive at the firepit for cozy social time * Enjoy s’mores and hot chocolate, and a few small winter treats * Pick a nature-themed affirmation from the **Nature Wishes Jar** * Chat, relax, and simply enjoy the winter fire atmosphere — it’s open and windy, so dress warmly **Note:** Transit-accessible via TTC. Location is open and exposed; temperature is expected around 0 °C with possible gusts up to 30 km/h. Cloudy conditions may block the sunset, but the firepit will provide warmth and ambiance. The event will proceed unless conditions are deemed dangerous. ### **Duration:** * Approx. 1 hour walk * Approx. 1–2 hours by the fire — feel free to leave whenever you’re comfortable ### **What to Bring:** * Warm winter layers, windproof long coat, hat, gloves, scarf * Winter boots * A mug (optional, plastic cups will be provided) **Cost:** $25 for first 6 people; after - $30 per person — includes cozy firepit setup, hot chocolate, treats, and hosting ### **Disclaimer**: This group is designed to offer a peaceful, enjoyable space for women to connect and spend time outdoors together. Please note that I am not responsible for any personal belongings, injuries, or incidents that may occur during our events. Participants are responsible for their own safety and items. Photos may be taken during events for future promotions or group memories, and by joining, you consent to being included in these images unless otherwise specified. By joining, you agree to respect the privacy of others and engage in a positive, supportive environment. Please note: the fee is non-refundable.

**Smoking Cessation Workshop:** **Mindset, Habits, and Healing** **Tired of the struggle? Let’s change the internal script.** Most people try to quit smoking using willpower alone, but true change happens when we address the underlying causes. Join us for an evening of insight and subconscious retraining. **What we will cover:** * **The History of the Habit:** Understanding your "smoking story" so you can finally move past it. * **The Habit Equation:** Self-Hypnosis + Actionable Daily Habits = A New You. * **Guided Session:** A personalized meditative experience. I provide the framework; you insert the personal details that resonate with your life. * **Optional Tool Kit:** Physical items to busy the body to try, take home, or inspire more customization. **Pricing:** * **$15** – Advance payment (before Dec 25) to [Tanya@Hypnosage.com](mailto:Tanya@Hypnosage.com) * **$20** – **After Dec 25 or at the door** 4:30-6pm Space is limited to 6 people Seating is on floor mats but a chair or stool can be available with advance notice. Masks are welcome but not required (anyone with symptoms of illness is asked to please stay home). There is one washroom. There are a few stairs to get to the front door, and then 14 steps to get into the second-story space.

**Mind Body Reset: A Two-Part Workshop** **Release 2025. Welcome 2026 with clarity, intention, and calm.** I’m so excited to announce a special 2-part year-end + year-beginning experience designed to help you gently let go of what the year carried… and step into the new one with vision, purpose, and grounded energy. **Part I: Releasing + Reset** **Sunday, December 28 • 3-5pm** (*Location TBA. Space is very limited.*) A deeply nurturing session focused on: • Trauma-informed yoga for emotional release • Breathwork to calm the nervous system • Guided meditation • Reflective journaling • Expressive art to clear mental & emotional weight • Closing ritual to create space for the new year **Part II: Vision Board for 2026** **Sunday, January 4 • 3-5pm** (*Location TBA. Limited spots.*) We’ll shift into creation and possibility using a grounded, **science-backed approach** to visioning: • Guided visualization • Goal-clarity practices • Evidence-based manifestation principles • Creative vision board building • Intention-setting for a meaningful 2026 All materials provided for both workshops. **PRICING** **Attend One Workshop:** $55 **Attend Both (Bundle):** $95 *(save $15)* * **Early-bird discount ends December 26 (Boxing Day).** * Registration link in bio. * Space is limited, reserve your spot early. Join us in this gentle reset, a chance to breathe, create, release, and begin again. 🤍

Come join me for a walk created for those who are closing out the year with full hearts, heavy hearts, or uncertain hearts. As we approach the end of the year, we will gather in the forest to reflect on the shedding what the Year of the Snake has brought. Snakes grow through release, through letting go of what constricts, what no longer fits, what the body and spirit can no longer carry. This year may have asked you to shed more than you expected. On this walk, we will explore loss in all its forms: — losing the expectations you once held — losing insecurities you outgrew — grieving someone you loved — grieving versions of yourself you no longer are — sitting with the lessons, the losses, the mistakes — discovering the unexpected renewal that can only come through loss This walk is an invitation to slow down and gently honour the truth of this year. To acknowledge grief without trying to rush past it. To notice the space that loss has opened. To feel where new hope is beginning to rise, quietly, beneath the surface. We will move through the forest slowly, letting the landscape guide us. We will sit with what has been heavy. We will honour what has fallen away. And together, we will step toward the new year with tenderness, clarity, and the sense that we are ready for the next level of ourselves. This is not a hike. It is a reflective, supportive forest therapy walk. Adults only. Please dress warmly and bring a blanket if you like. There will be tea served. There is no car access to High Park on the weekends, there is parking on Bloor St and surrounding area. Be mindful of signage. We will meet in front of the Grenadier Cafe inside the park. Washrooms accessible at the Cafe. 📍 200 Parkside Dr We will begin at 2:30 PM promptly and finish by around 4:00 PM, ensuring full daylight and safe departure before dusk. If you feel called to close out the year by honouring what was lost and opening to what is next, I welcome you to join me. 💫💫💫 Note: I am a Certified Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. I am not a clinical therapist. By participating in this walk, you acknowledge that you are doing so at your own risk. Toronto Hiking Moms and its organizers assume no responsibility or liability for any injuries, losses, or incidents that may occur during this experience.

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Sunday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at noon on Sundays. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 12:00 - quick intros. 12:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 1:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 1-1:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Sunday!

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm the second & fourth Wednesday of every month at Two Dollar Radio Headquarters (HQ). Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens around 6:45pm. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Two Dollar Radio HQ! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! Other customers are welcome at Two Dollar HQ at the time, so please bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **ACCESSIBILITY:** Two Dollar Radio HQ's entrance door on Cline Street is wheelchair accessible, they have two gender-neutral bathrooms that are both wheelchair accessible, and their ordering and table-seating area is as well. Working service dogs are allowed. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Two Dollar Radio HQ does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public street parking on all surrounding streets, on both sides of Parsons Ave. You are also welcome to park in the Columbus Metropolitan Library parking lot across the street (1113 Parsons Ave). Two Dollar Radio HQ has a bike rack on the corner of Cline and Parsons, and the library has bike parking (across Parsons). * **FOOD/BEVERAGE:** Two Dollar Radio HQ is a bar and vegan cafe. Their food is 100% vegan and made from scratch, with love. They also serve a range of wine, beer, and cocktails, as well as coffees and teas. If you're able to, please consider thanking our venue by purchasing something!!

We’ll be reading Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldtree this month! We recommend readingading “Bookshops and Bonedust” and “Legends and Lattes” before reading Brigands and Breadknives.

Greetings writers! Come down and join your fellow wordsmiths for one hour of uninterrupted writing time in the upper level of the Market District Supermarket in Upper Arlington. The main entrance of the shopping center opens onto stairs/elevator leading up to the 2nd floor cafe section where we will have a table displaying a sign with the Shut Up & Write logo. Writing is largely a solitary craft. Practicing with others in a community setting may be the thing you need to fire your own routine. We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, starting the clock at 6:30, following a brief period of introductions. This is solid writing time and all inclusive. Any project is acceptable, be it fiction, non -fiction, work or homework assignment. All is welcome and will remain private to you. The market boasts a Starbucks, a full service bar and various affordable food options. Parking is plentiful, free Wifi is provided as well as outlets for charging your devices, though they are somewhat limited, so plan accordingly. Show up as early as you like, or stay late. This group tends to socialize some, both before and after the alloted time, but this is not mandatory to you. Feel free to come and go as you please and late arrivals are welcome. The cafe may be noisy on occasion so headphones/ earbuds are reccommended as you see fit. Please try to RSVP if possible so that we may grab enough seats for all—the venue can be busy at times. Feel free to message me privately wth any questions and/ or concerns you may have. Happy writing!

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!