Talks, Workshops, and Awards

Upcoming Events

TBA July Conference

readings and more! info soon!

Can*Con 2026

“Attendees will experience three days of expert presentations and workshops, social events and networking discussions, pitch sessions, kaffeklatsches, editor office hours, and more! We leave 40 minute breaks between sessions, so you have lots of time to get around, chat with people, decompress, get a drink, and check out the vendors room!” – from website

Author Guest of Honour
At the Brookstreet Hotel
525 Legget Dr, Ottawa (Kanata), ON
Oct. 16th-18th

Recent Past Events

WRITING NORTH 16:
Things are not always as they seem

Jan 23-24, 2026
St. Andrews College – USask
Saskatoon, SK

Prose Interactive Talk
“Worldbuilding for Fiction” with Tonia Laird
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Main Lounge, St. Andrew’s College (in person only)

Fictional worlds are built by their writer, no matter the genre. This workshop explores worldbuilding for both speculative and literary fiction, focusing on how societal, cultural, familial, and environmental influences can shape characters and plot throughout a story. Worksheets provided.

“Things Are Not As They Seem panel discussion” with Emily Riddle, Waubgeshig Rice, Tonia Laird and host Elena Bentley
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm
(in person & live-streamed)

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p9MHCUviQxezwbi0hu88wA

Professional Storytelling Experience

Writing
● Dragon Age 2 – Writer Intern ●
● Dragon Age: Inquisition – Writer ●
● Everlove: Rose – Lead Writer ●
● Poster Girl – Creator/Narrative Designer/Writer ●
● Thought Pennies – Lorekeeper ●
● A Howl: An Indigenous Anthology of Wolves, Werewolves, and Rougarou – Contributor ●
● Swordplay Anthology – Contributor ●
● Seventhblade – Author ●

Illustration and Animation
● The Pickle in Grandma’s Fridge – Illustrator ●
● She Shoots – Illustrator ●
● Poko – Stop-motion Animator ●

Decolonizing Video Games and Fantasy

A talk presented for Indigenous Storytelling Month

A slide from the presentation Decolonizing Video Games and Fantasy focusing on the misrepresentation in media as a colonial tactic to sow fear amongst settlers. This allowed for the dehumanization of Indigenous populations, which in turn would justify genocidal acts against entire nations as the demand for settler land grew.

Mary Rowlandson, author of A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson eventually admitted she fabricated the majority of her writings.

Writing for Video Games

A presentation and workshop on the art of writing video games

A presentation and workshop that breaks down different roles and responsibilities of video game writers along with the basics of how to engage players and keep them interested. Includes a 30 minute workshop on how to build a basic branching narrative game on TWINE.

Past Presentations, Panels, and Workshops

  • Prose Interactive Talk
    “Worldbuilding for Fiction” with Tonia Laird
    Fictional worlds are built by their writer, no matter the genre. This workshop explores worldbuilding for both speculative and literary fiction, focusing on how societal, cultural, familial, and environmental influences can shape characters and plot throughout a story. Worksheets provided.

    “Things Are Not As They Seem panel discussion” with Emily Riddle, Waubgeshig Rice, Tonia Laird and host Elena Bentley

    WRITING NORTH 16:
    Things are not always as they seem    .

  • Celebrating our Story-iors (In-Person Event)
    Meet and Greet supper with various Saskatchewan Indigenous authors.

    Multiple Title Book Launch and Readings
    Seventhblade reading along with authors Conor Kerr, Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, and Cody Cataeno from their own recently published works.

  • On the Same Page: Writing While Neurodivergent
    2025 Saskatchewan Writer’s Guild Conference – panelist with Delane Just, Alice Kuipers, and host Julia Peterson

  • The Grounding Power of Escapist Fiction
    2025 Toronto Word on the Street Festival – panelist with Melodie Campbell, Sarah Raughley, and Jadine Ngan as moderator

  • Guest Author
    SAWCI Word Splash 2025 – A Celebration of Indigenous Writing – author reader with Norma Dunning, Tara Gereaux, and more

  • When Pen Meets Pixel: Writing for Video Games

    • Saskatchewan Writers Guild & Regina Public Library, April, 2025 (remote)
      Presentation and Workshop
    • LitCon, Moose Jaw Festival of Words, April, 2024
      Presentation/lecture

  • Sask Writers Guild Conference, 2022

    • Agents for Fiction Writers
      panelist alongside Lisa Bird-Wilson, Suzy Krause, and host Shane Arbuthnott;
    • Storytelling and Art
      panelist alongside Kagiso Lesego Molope, Lara Stoudt and host Carla Harris;

  • Decolonizing Worldbuilding in Fantasy and Video Games
    Presentation/lecture
    Saskatchewan Writers Guild, 2022 (Remote)

  • Speculative Fiction, Horror, and Indigenous Storytelling
    Host
    Tan’si Talks, 2022 (Remote)

  • How to Comic Book
    Lecture
    University of Regina Guest Lecturer (Remote) 2021/2022 – multiple appearances

  • Dynamic Duo: Writing, Drawing and Collaboration for Comic Books
    Presentation and Workshop
    Saskatchewan Writers Guild (Remote), 2021

Nominations and Awards

Media Appearances

Television
2008: Interview on CTV news as an illustrator for self-published children’s book, She Shoots

Radio
CKOM: The Evan Brady Show – Seventhblade interview
CBC radio Saskatoon 2025 – Seventhblade interview
CBC radio Regina and Saskatoon 2023: Multiple interviews – Decolonizing Video Games and Fantasy
2019: Interview about writing interactive novels