Fantastically Funny!

What makes a super character and story funny? What makes fantasy fantastic? Let’s take an x-ray vision look!

This workshop looks at the finicky craft of recognizing and writing funny, sharpened through the lens of characters and stories with “superpowers”. We’ll discuss what makes something funny, how humour can reveal character and bring a story to life, and ways writers can identify and incorporate humour into their own work. With characters who have superpowers as a focus, we’ll look at how the unexpected, can create moments that make readers laugh.

Date: October 17, 2026

About Ted

Ted Staunton is the author of over fifty books of fiction and non-fiction for young readers. His newest novel, Comic Shift,about morphing, super-recognizing, and comics, among other things, was a finalist for the 2026 Silver Birch Award. The Good Fight graphic novel, illustrated by Josh Rosen, was listed for the City of Toronto Book Award. His YA novel Who I’m Not won the 2014 CCBC John Spray Mystery Award. Ted’s work has also been nominated for Red Maple, Hackmatack, Arthur Ellis and BC Stellar awards among others, as well as being published internationally. 

Ted presents to students and educators across Canada, as well as teaching creative writing at George Brown College. When he’s not playing with words, Ted plays music, sometimes with the Maple Leaf Champions Jug Band.

Schedule
9:00 – Doors open
9:30 – Opening remarks and land acknowledgement
9:35 – Split-second scribble and sharing of writing
9:50 – News and kudos
10:00 – Member’s reading
10:05 – Solution Stations
10:25 – Coffee/snack break
10:35 – Guest speaker
11:30 – Networking