Class Description

If you’re trying to get agents and publishers interested in your book, nothing is more important than your first page. Swamped by submissions, with fewer staff than ever to read them, most agents and editors won’t read more than a page before deciding to read on or move on. Award-winning author Howard Shrier’s career was launched at a similar workshop in 2005, when the first page of his debut novel, BUFFALO JUMP, was singled out by a publisher in attendance. That led directly to his signing with a top agent and his first two-book deal with Random House. In this workshop, he’ll draw on his experience to help you craft a first page that stands out and showcases all your strengths. With more than 15 years of experience as a top-ranked writing teacher, and training as a stage actor and improv artist, Howard is known for the energy, passion and enthusiasm he brings to every workshop. You’ll explore the first pages of the debut novels of some of the world’s most successful authors. You’ll dissect your own page, getting feedback from Howard and your peers, analyzing how well you start your story. You’ll cover such concepts as narrative voice, tone, time and place, sensibility, dialogue and more. You’ll emerge with a better first page than you started with, as well as the tools you need to keep those improvements going throughout your manuscript. The session will be recorded and the recording made available to all registered participants. Instructor bio: Howard Shrier is the author of six novels and one collection of stories, including four titles in the acclaimed Jonah Geller series. His debut novel Buffalo Jump, published by Random House/Vintage Canada in 2008, won the Crime Writers of Canada's award for best first novel. The sequel, High Chicago (2009), won the CWC award for best novel. Boston Cream received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and a rare five-star review in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, while Miss Montreal was shortlisted for another CWC award. Howard’s 2025 novel The American Zone, set during construction of the Panama Canal in 1906, has been called “a masterpiece of historical crime fiction” by the Seaboard Review of Books. Howard has taught creative writing at the University of Toronto, Toronto Public Library, the San Miguel Writers Conference and Kingston Writers Festival, and runs his own online courses in the foundations of fiction.