Non fiction writing for the weekend student

Testimonials

“It was a true pleasure to host Eve Lazarus for a reading of Murder by Milkshake at the Powell River Public Library,” says Mark Merlino, adult services coordinator. “Eve is a very engaging natural storyteller. Her presentation of the events surrounding the murder of Esther Castellani was exceptionally professional. It felt almost like watching a polished documentary production. After the fact, more than one person in the audience told me that Eve’s author reading was the best one that our Library has ever hosted and I fully agree.”

“Eve Lazarus is an engaging public speaker who moves seamlessly between stories about heritage buildings, true crime and ghosts. Never one to shy away from the dark side of human behaviour, Eve's carefully researched murder stories are so compelling that they elicited muttered outrage and gasps of horror from her audience. Her passion for history and built heritage is unmistakable!” Aimee Greenaway, Friends of BC Archives board member

“Eve Lazarus is an engaging public speaker who moves seamlessly between stories about heritage buildings, true crime and ghosts. Never one to shy away from the dark side of human behaviour, Eve's carefully researched murder stories are so compelling that they elicited muttered outrage and gasps of horror from her audience,” says Aimee Greenaway, Friends of BC Archives board member. “Her passion for history and built heritage is unmistakable!”

“Eve gave a riveting talk at the Police Museum on the Pauls’ murders and left the entire crowd wanting more,” says Catherine Rose, Vancouver Police Museum. “We received overwhelmingly positive feedback.”

“Eve's presentation on Sensational Victoria was fantastic,” says Lindsay Williams, Galiano Literary Festival. “She was enthusiastic and truly passionate about her research. Eve engaged her audience and shared her knowledge and stories with great energy. This was a lovely book and she presented it in a wonderful way.”

“It was a delight having you talk,” says Bruce M. Watson, vice-president, Vancouver Historical Society. “I counted 93 people, all of them hanging on to your every word. Your slides were well chosen and your presentational thoughtful.”

“Talk about sensational!,” says Heidi Schiller, Librarian, Readers’ Services and Customer Engagement, North Vancouver City Library. “Eve’s presentation is lively, engaging, humorous and informative. She is also a delight to work with.”

"Eve Lazarus spun fascinating tales of Vancouver's unsavoury past, illustrated with historical photos of corrupt cops' increasingly lavish homes and the everyday-looking houses where chilling unsolved murders took place. Library patrons kept coming back to me at the Information Desk for days afterwards, commenting about how much they had enjoyed her presentation." Lise Kreps, Librarian, McGill Branch, Burnaby Public Library

Simon Fraser University Continuing Education

Non-Fiction Series for the Weekend Student

Are you writing a book? Do you need some help? I’m excited to be teaching another non-fiction writing class for Simon Fraser University. We’ll look at how to bring character and place into your non-fiction book, as well as research, editing and building an outline. I’ll cover the book proposal, author platform and how to get published. And, you’ll be working with other writers to give and get feedback. For more information or to register: Non Fiction Series for the Weekend Student

Course schedule 2025

Session 1: January 25

Introduction to non-fiction, character and the art of the interview: Interviewing 101, importance of the lead, and the elevator pitch.

Session 2: February 8

The importance of place and personalizing your story: How to set the scene and write in scenes. Using your own experience to tell a story.

Session 3: February 22

Writing a book proposal: Why you need one. Breaking down the components

Session 4: March 8

Creating structure for your work: Is it a book or a magazine article? Building an outline.

Session 5: March 22

Research and editing: Finding the right sources for your story and where to look for them. How to use research in your story and the role of an editor.

Session 6: April 5

Getting published and why you need an author profile: Nailing the query letter. Where to get published, look for grants and how to use social media to build your author brand.