Mysteries, more so than any other genre, require the reader to be curious. A curious reader is an engaged reader who is actively involved in your story rather than just a passive recipient who allows themselves to be spoon-fed. The more you can hook your reader, and have them theorizing and anticipating, the faster they’ll turn the pages despite living in an age of incessant distractions.

In this presentation, Bianca Marais will look at the mechanics of storytelling and how you can effectively apply curiosity seeds to any genre you’re working in.

About the Speaker: Bianca Marais cohosts the popular podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, which is aimed at helping emerging writers get published. She teaches creative writing through the podcast and was named a winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award for Creative Writing at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. She lives in Toronto, where she loves playing escape-room games and writing about strong female protagonists.

Time: 9:30 am-12:30 pm
Date: April 11, 2026
In-person location: 201 Centre Street South, Whitby or Online Zoom