Various high-quality writing workshops are offered by renowned author and remarkable actor, Robert Lalonde

DEVELOPMENT masterclass : a project to move forward

Are you isolated and lacking perspective on your work?

Have you reached the end of your project but don’t know what to make of it?
Do you need to rediscover the atmosphere of benevolence and professionalism created by Mr. Lalonde, so that you can continue to progress through exchanges and targeted advice?

This workshop is an exploration of the author’s universe, supported by a search for tone, the pursuit of a particular and unique linguistic inventiveness, a great freedom and an ardent inclination towards arts and passions, science, literature, poetry, in short, everything that animates and carries away the pen – the keyboard – of the person who writes.

The program will consist of working in segments. And pastiche too. Improvisation on themes such as childhood, the pain of living, the unsuspected joy of discovery, life’s defining experiences. But above all, the style, the way of telling the story, without bluster, with sincerity, never losing sight of the conscience of the reader, who we hope will be there and who has seen and read others. There’s no need for pathos and the precious care of one’s own legend – Facebook takes care of that and feeds on it already.

It will be a literary approach to the expression of the many identities that make us who we are: a free adventure, requiring both spontaneity and rigor, and one that – I’m convinced – is likely to metamorphose the way each and every one of us expresses ourselves. — Robert Lalonde

List of books to read :

• Annie Ernaux, tout. Mais surtout : Les Années
• Michael Delisle. Surtout : Le feu de mon père
• Colette. Surtout : Le pur et l’impur et L’envers du music-hall
• Erri de Luca. Surtout : Le jour avant le bonheur et  Le tour de l’oie
• Yvon Rivard. Surtout : Personne n’est une île et Exercices d’amitié
• René Frégni. Surtout : Minuit dans la ville des songes et Dernier arrêt avant l’automne
• Véronique Côté. Surtout : La vie habitable
• Marie-Hélène Voyer. Surtout : Mouron des champs
• Jean Giono. Surtout : Jean le Bleu et Noé
• Gabrielle Roy. Surtout : La détresse et l’enchantement et La route d’Altamont.

Admission requirements :

Have completed EXPLORATION or participated in the 5-Sundays DEVELOPMENT workshop with teacher Robert Lalonde and have a text to develop further or a new text.

A letter of intent (describing your needs and a short description of the project) and a 2-5 page excerpt of the project, paginated with your name under the title, must be submitted in advance by email to artsculturesmassawippi@gmail.com with the name of the workshop in the subject line, for the selection of participants.

We will confirm your participation by email within 3 weeks of your email, at which point you can proceed to registration.

Training modalities :

Prices for the complete course with or without à la carte dinners

Overnight stays with breakfast at Auberge La Raveaudière can be added at an exceptional price.

Dinner at the discretion of participants

OR take advantage of the intimate 3 for 1 evening for an unforgettable and totally enjoyable weekend! The evening includes a 4-course gourmet meal by top chef Pierre Nief (bring your own wine formula), a discussion on a theme chosen by the workshop leader, and a performance by Karèya and Vincent, piano and classical vocals.

ART-Lié member privileges: 15% discount at Auberge la Raveaudière (excludes the training-night package mentioned here) and at Le Mercantile restaurant, 10% off at Les Appalaches bookstore and on meals at La Chocolatière.

Payment and refund policy :

1- Your participation must be paid in full NO LATER THAN 10 DAYS after acceptance of your application, confirmed by email from ARTS-CULTURES MASSAWIPPI (ACM).

2- In the event of cancellation more than 30 days prior to the course, a 10% fee will be deducted from the refund.

3- In the event of cancellation 20 to 30 days prior to the course, a fee of 50% will be deducted from the refund.

4- If you cancel less than 20 days before the course, ACM will not issue a refund.

5- In the event of cancellation by ACM, participants will be reimbursed in full.

6- Any cancellation must be made in writing and sent to ACM’s or the participant’s e-mail address.

Masterclass JOURNEY to a final version: a manuscript to work on

Have you really advanced your work to the point where you no longer know how to review it with a fresh, professional eye?

Have you made multiple corrections and revisions based on all the advice you received in the workshops given by the master Robert Lalonde?

You know it’s probably not finished yet, but can’t figure out what to revisit and how to go on to get to a near-final version (according to the master’s assessment)?

You’ve attended the previous workshops, and the teacher will see how your work is progressing so that he can help you again.

Would you like to take advantage of a group that has reached a similar stage?

Then it’s time to get that coveted help!

Send us your work so that Mr. Lalonde can analyze the stage you’ve reached and select you for this limited group of 6 participants.

Admission requirements :

Completion of the DEVELOPMENT workshop or, exceptionally, the EXPLORATION workshop with the master Robert Lalonde.

A letter of intent (describing your needs) and an advanced version of the manuscript (worked on during development) in hard copy*, paginated with your name under the title, must be submitted in advance by mail to the following address: 355 rue Séguin, North Hatley, PQ J0B2C0.

We will confirm your participation by email within 3 weeks of receipt, at which time you can proceed to registration.

*The manuscript will not be returned if you are not selected. Your copy will be analyzed only by the workshop master. ACM has a strict code of ethics, so you don’t have to worry about your copyrights. Still worried?
Call us and we’ll explain how to proceed: 514-922-4880

Training modalities :

Intensive training, 6 participants

Prices for the complete course with or without à la carte dinners

Overnight stays with breakfast at Auberge La Raveaudière can be added at an exceptional price.

Dinner at the discretion of participants

OR take advantage of the intimate 3 for 1 evening for an unforgettable and totally enjoyable weekend! The evening includes a 4-course gourmet meal by top chef Pierre Nief (bring your own wine formula), a discussion on a theme chosen by the workshop master and a bossa nova show with Tomàs Jensen.

ART-Lié member privileges: 15% discount at Auberge la Raveaudière (excludes the training-night package mentioned here) and at Le Mercantile restaurant, 10% off at Les Appalaches bookstore and on meals at La Chocolatière.

Payment and refund policy :

1- Your participation must be paid in full NO LATER THAN 10 DAYS after acceptance of your application, confirmed by email from ARTS-CULTURES MASSAWIPPI (ACM).

2- In the event of cancellation more than 30 days prior to the course, a 10% fee will be deducted from the refund.

3- In the event of cancellation 20 to 30 days prior to the course, a fee of 50% will be deducted from the refund.

4- If you cancel less than 20 days before the course, ACM will not issue a refund.

5- In the event of cancellation by ACM, participants will be reimbursed in full.

6- Any cancellation must be made in writing and sent to ACM’s or the participant’s e-mail address.

Personal MENTORING: manuscript, final stage!

Is your manuscript in the final corrections stage before being sent to publishing houses?

You’ve gone through all the previous stages and would like very personalized advice to fine-tune this final version?

You don’t want to risk being rejected by publishers by skipping this stage?

No guarantee that publishers will be interested in your work, but you want to go into this stage having really done your utmost?

Attention to detail, pruning again, streamlining perhaps, or on the contrary, clarifying, enriching again, presenting your work… All this is adapted to you and your work, so you’ll need the work of a benevolent but very rigorous master to face the final stage, that of publishing.

Mr. Lalonde, who is always in great demand, can only accompany a few candidates each year. Priority is given to those who have participated in previous workshops and are ACM members.

You need to allow a certain number of hours for Mr. Lalonde’s analysis (minimum 3 hours) and the work meetings that follow (3 hours or more).

Hourly rates vary according to the number of hours required for both analysis and work sessions.

Meetings can be held at anyone’s convenience (weekdays or weekends), and exceptionally by video conference.

Admission requirements :

Completion of the JOURNEY workshop or, exceptionally, the DEVELOPMENT workshop with the master Robert Lalonde.

Must have a manuscript at the editing stage.
Sending a letter describing the path taken to finalize the manuscript, the paper version*, paginated with your name under the title, must be submitted in advance by mail to the following address: 355 rue Séguin, North Hatley PQ J0B2C0.

We will confirm your entry by email within 3 weeks of receipt.

The choice depends solely on the workshop master, who selects only a few per year.

*The manuscript will not be returned if you are not selected. Your copy is analyzed only by the workshop master. ACM has a strict code of ethics, so you don’t have to worry about your copyrights. Still worried?
Call us and we’ll explain how to proceed. 514-922-4880