K.A. Wiggins (Kaie) is an award-winning Canadian speculative fiction author, speaker, and creative writing coach known for the celebrated gothic-dystopian YA Dark Fantasy series Threads of Dreams.

She writes across fantasy, science fiction, and horror subgenres (often within the same work) for middle grade (forthcoming), young adult, and all-ages/adult audiences, exploring the tangled webs of society, environment, and identity through intricate, dreamlike tales of monsters and magic.

Her short fiction has been published by Fantasy Magazine, The Fairytale Magazine, Frozen Wavelets, Hungry Shadow Press, Fiction-Atlas Press, and Virgibooks (in translation). She currently leads the Children's Writers & Illustrators of British Columbia Society (CWILL BC), serves on the board of Word Vancouver Festival, is a member of The Writers Union of Canada, and teaches with the Creative Writing for Children Society (CWC).

LEARN MORE (expanded bio, links) or contact directly at: [email protected]

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News & Updates

Read Local! CWILL BC 2023 Spring Preview

Apr 28, 2023

Special thanks to The British Columbia Library Association Young Adults and Children’s Section (YAACS) for the opportunity to pop into their 2023 Youth Services Institute day for a lightning talk!

Watch the replay for a sneak peek at some of the 2023 new and upcoming BC kidlit releases we’re most excited for at CWILL BC, along with a quick overview of bringing BC kidlit authors, illustrators & books into libraries, schools and institutions!


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Fantasy Magazine

Apr 11, 2023

Incredibly proud and excited to share “Children of Earth” with the world. 🎉

Eco-anxiety takes on a life of its own 😏 in this laugh-out-loud climate fiction-meets-body horror-meets-rom com about the dangers of lusting after your neighbour(‘s laneway house) & the pursuit of eco-sainthood in Issue 90 (April 2023) of Fantasy Magazine.

It features a goblin-mode Millennial, toenail cryptids, and a shared compost bin.

You can read it (or listen to the podcast/audiobook version) for free online, buy the whole brilliant💅 April edition as an ebook for just $2.99, or subscribe for even more fantastic speculative lit for under $24/year!

And don’t miss my author spotlight with Fantasy Magazine co-editor-in-chief Christie Yant while you’re there.

Podcast/audiobook version narrated by Judy Young. Longlisted in the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Honourable Mention in the 2022 Writers of the Future Awards.

With thanks to Arley Sorg at Fantasy Magazine for hands-down the best editing experience I’ve ever had, Dean Wesley Smith at WMG Publishing/Pulphouse Fiction Magazine for the killer workshop that spawned this monstrosity, and Rebecca Schaeffer’s MARKET OF MONSTERS series for the twisted inspo (& Mirella’s name).

And it’s kinda a deep cut, but for anyone who’s curious (mild spoiler alert? IDK?🤷), the thing Mirella orders to deal with her little problem was totally inspired by a Lomi machine, so if you guessed that, congrats. 😂


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The Astonishing Case of the Zombie Sub

Mar 30, 2023

I’ve got some amazing news, but first: a quick heads-up on a super short #IndieApril Sale April 1-3 at Narratess!

And, in other news, I’m excited to have just been accepted into The Writers’ Union of Canada! Check out my new speaker’s profile here. I’ll be eligible for funding going forward under the Ontario Writers-In-The-Schools and the National Public Readings programs, so schools and organizations interested in booking an author visit, presentation, or workshop, please get in touch!

And finally, the contract isn’t actually signed yet, but I’ve just had an offer on a short story I never thought would actually find a home, so buckle up for . . .

The Astonishing Case of the Zombie Sub

If you’ve ever tried to create something, you’ve probably realized in pretty short order that a gap (ahem: yawning chasm, void, black hole, unscalable cliff of doom) exists between what you envision and what you’re able to create.

This is true regardless of the form your creation takes and, to some extent, regardless of skill level, experience, talent, etc.

That’s not to say that you can’t get better at narrowing the gap. A baby artist takes time to gain mastery over her tools. But even a master has that final thread of uncrossable, unscalable, ineffable something more to keep her awake at night.

Every story is, at some level, a battle to translate as clearly and completely that perfect, unattainable vision into imperfect words on a page.

Case in point: in 2019 I set out to capture an idea about a girl who chose to silence herself in order to win her heart’s desire.

It was loosely inspired by Scottish folklore—Thomas the Rhymer, cursed to speak only the truth, The Fiddlers of Tomnahurich, lost from their own time and stranded in a future they didn’t choose or understand, Tam Lin, stolen away by the queen of fairies, or maybe the stealer of virtue himself, destined for sacrifice—and set in a remote corner of modern Scotland where slow decline and struggle for survival roils beneath an idyllic tourism-oriented veneer.

My first attempt was the lyrical, folkloric “A Song of Dark Things,” a longish short story that sold immediately to Unknown Realms: A Fiction-Atlas Press Anthology.

But it didn’t fully capture the depth of what I wanted, the underlying motivation and tension. So I tried again. And again.

The third attempt was something new, something vital and alive and completely different from anything I’d written before. It switches perspectives, introducing an outsider’s view and voice, along with a whole new set of problems and possibilities. And it ended up being the start of something far bigger than I could finish back in 2019. You’ll get a look at it one of these days—it’s now the first chapter in the series I’ve been referring to as Songstress WIP.

But let’s circle back to that second attempt. The weirdest one in the Songstress triptych of tales about fae and rockstars and tricksters breaking barbed promises.

“Calloused” was the shortest, strangest, most difficult story of the three by far.

It jitters between past and present from one scene to the next. It’s entirely narrated, the “action” hinging on quiet, fierce interiority of purpose. While it racked up its share of wonderfully encouraging comments (and...
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WRAD2023 Plus A Not-Announcement

Jan 25, 2023

Shoutout to the awesome team at Word Vancouver for the invitation to host their in-person World Read Aloud Day event this year!

I’ll be chatting with CWILL BC member and recent debut Emily Seo as she presents a reading from her 2022 middle grade novel The Science of Boys and demonstrates some live science.

Local schools will be joining us for this celebration of reading aloud at Surrey Library Central City Branch from 10-11 am on February 1, 2023.

I do also still have availability open on the afternoon of Feb. 1 for schools or libraries who want to book a short, free virtual reading (or, locally, live reading).

In other news, I’m very excited to not-yet-officially be able to announce my first audio adaptation has been licensed! Hollow will be coming to a horror podcast near you in the not-so-distant future.

The market has requested the official announcement wait until the story goes live, so all I can really say now is that it’s an eerie, Twilight-zone-esque short story inspired by Hollywood North, a Horror Writers of America-qualifying sale, audio-only (first print rights still available), and despite the horror label, suitable for all ages.

And, as a word of encouragement for the writers out there: don’t self reject! Getting into this market felt like a real stretch to me, the story is kind of a different direction from my usual (more “straight horror” than cross-genre? But not actually that scary? More unsettling/chilling than gory or bloody?), and I’d very nearly retired it from my submissions rotation when the license request came through on a long-dormant sub. You never know what will connect and with whom!

Looking forward to seeing how they interpret this story to audio—so many fun opportunities with the sound design. Will keep you posted when it goes public!


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Want to Write a Book With Me?

Jan 10, 2023

Need a plan to tackle that “finally write my book” New Year’s Resolution?

Find yourself typing “the end” faster (or maybe for the first time ever!) with a structured, supportive 20-week (term-length) workshop starting January 28 (9 am for adults, 10:30 am for kids) on Zoom.

Each weekly workshop includes live, interactive access over Zoom with short writing exercises and presentations on creative writing, storytelling, plotting & publishing, slide and video archives (for later review and/or if you miss a week), office hours, + individual feedback on up to 20 pages each week.

These workshops are best suited for kids, teens, and adults looking for step-by-step guidance, accountability, and encouragement in starting (and finishing!) the first draft of a (fiction or narrative nonfiction) book.

Class sizes are small due to the amount of individual attention, so don’t miss your chance to join!

Learn more & apply now!


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More News


Events

Abbotsford Arts Council Presents Workshop Wednesday: Intro to Publishing

Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Time: 6pm

Location: Online

Type: Workshop/Presentation, Q&A

Join us for the second webinar in Abbotsford Arts Council’s Workshop Wednesday series! I’ll be taking attendees through a whirlwind overview of all things publishing–local visibility, in-person sales and ecommerce as a publishing strategy, as well as planning, drafting, editing, product design/development, launching, pre and post-launch marketing, sales & PR, with time for a Q & A at the end.

This webinar is perfect for local writers looking to learn more about the world of publishing and getting their work from their screens to the shelves. Learn more and register at the Abbotsford Arts Council website.

And check back later for more great local artist resources from AAC. I’ll be offering an asynchronous, multi-part marketing and cover design workshop before the end of March, and there’s more...
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WORD Vancouver Presents: World Read Aloud Day 2023

Date: Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Time: 10-11am

Location: Surrey Library Central City Branch

Type: Author Reading & School Presentation

Shoutout to the awesome team at Word Vancouver for the invitation to host their in-person World Read Aloud Day event this year!

I’ll be chatting with CWILL BC member and recent debut Emily Seo as she presents a reading from her 2022 middle grade novel The Science of Boys and demonstrates some live science.

Local schools will be joining us for this celebration of reading aloud at Surrey Library Central City Branch from 10-11 am on February 1, 2023.

I do also still have availability open on the afternoon of Feb. 1 for schools or libraries who want to book a short, free virtual reading (or, locally, live reading).


Read more


Write A Book In 20 Weeks Workshop(s)

Date: weekly from January 28 to June 10, 2023

Time: Regular workshops at 9-10AM PST (12-1PM EST), Kids’ workshops at 10:30-11:30AM PST (1:30-2:30PM EST)

Location: Online over Zoom

Type: Writing Workshop

Need a plan to tackle that “finally write my book” New Year’s Resolution?

Find yourself typing “the end” faster (or maybe for the first time ever!) with a structured, supportive 20-week (term-length) workshop starting January 28 (9 am for adults, 10:30 am for kids) on Zoom.

Each weekly workshop includes live, interactive access over Zoom with short writing exercises and presentations on creative writing, storytelling, plotting & publishing, slide and video archives (for later review and/or if you miss a week), office hours, + individual feedback on up to 20 pages each week.

These workshops are best suited for kids, teens, and adults looking for step-by-step guidance, accountability, and encouragement in starting (and...
Read more



Past Events