Writers' events
Events
Welcome to the Good Reading Events Calendar for writers! Here you'll find writing-related events near you. From festivals, exhibitions, writing competitions to talks and interesting courses, there's always something happening in the writing world.
| Poetry Lab by Email with Julie Chevalier | NSW: Sydney - CBD |
N/A, 29-Apr-2010
to 09-Sep-2010
Want to write poetry but can’t make it to a course or workshop? Need individual feedback on your work without leaving the house? Join widely published poet and teacher Julie Chevalier for an online, interactive poetry writing course. Full price is $450. Click for bookings.
Tel: 9555 9757 |
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| Critique Group: Hands On Fiction | NSW: Sydney - CBD |
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10am - 4pm, 12-Jun-2010
to 18-Sep-2010
Do you need feedback on your fiction? Want to join a network of writers’ exchange? Work on your writing and learn the art of critique from experienced book editor and manuscript assessor Nicola O’Shea. This course will run fortnightly over eight Saturday afternoons from 12 June to 18 September, 1.30pm - 4.30pm. Full price is $815. Discount of 30% available for members of the NSW Writers' Centre. Click for bookings and membership.
Tel: 9555 9757 |
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| Self-Edit Your Way to Success with Deonie Fiford | NSW: Sydney - CBD |
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1.30pm - 4.30pm, 31-Jul-2010
to 04-Sep-2010
Finishing a manuscript is a great achievement, but what’s the next step? How can you make sure your manuscript is the best it possibly can be before you submit it? You know you need to edit it, but where do you start? This course will run for six weeks on Saturday afternoons from 31 July to 4 September, from 1.30pm - 4.30pm. Full price is $515 with a 30% discount ($360) for members of the NSW Writers' Centre. Click for bookings and membership.
Tel: 9555 9757 |
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| Writing Creative Non-Fiction with Barbara Brooks | NSW: Sydney - CBD |
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10am - 1pm, 31-Jul-2010
to 04-Sep-2010
Whatever your subject, whatever the true story you want to tell, this practical introductory course will set you on the way to writing with imagination, confidence and clarity. We’ll discuss the writing process, creativity, ways of developing your imagination and techniques to develop your writing. Looking at examples from a rich tradition of creative non-fiction writing, we’ll discuss the ways experienced writers approach their subject and the story-telling techniques they use. There will be writing exercises in class to get you started, writing tasks in between sessions that you can adapt to your project, and workshop sessions so you can read and discuss your writing in a supportive environment. This course will run over six Saturday mornings from 31 July to 4 September, 10am - 1pm. Full price is $515 with a 30% discount ($360) for members of the NSW Writers' Centre. Click for bookings and for membership.
Tel: 9555 9757 |
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| Art and Soul of Writing | NSW: Sydney - CBD |
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10am-1pm, 20-Aug-2010
to 17-Sep-2010
Do you want to experience the joy and power of creative flow?
Full price $430 (members of the Centre are eligible for a 30% discount) Click for membership and bookings
Tel: 9555 9757 |
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| Melbourne Writers' Festival | VIC: Melbourne - CBD |
Check website for session times, 27-Aug-2010
to 05-Sep-2010
Tel: 03 9094 7859 |
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| Writing about Food (Advanced) | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-3pm, 02-Sep-2010
to 19-Sep-2010
After four years, the UTS-accredited course Writing About Food has a proven success rate in helping students find employment and start their food writing projects. Now we’re introducing the advanced course, a workshop based course designed to help students plan, finish and find outlets for their projects. It could be a book about food, a recipe book, a series of articles, a blog or a website. The main part of the course will be spent workshopping your ideas with food writer and journalist John Newton leading the discussion. In addition, there will be three set assignments covering every aspect of food writing from reviewing to fiction to journalism. This course will run over three Sundays, 5, 12 & 19 September, from 10am-3pm. Full price $405, members (30% disc) $285, concession members $240. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| The Saturday Playwright's Course | NSW: Sydney - West |
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1pm-4pm, 04-Sep-2010
to 13-Nov-2010
In 2010, the NSW Writers’ Centre will be the venue for a year-long, 30-session intensive course and play workshop that takes you from start to finish, conducted by one of Australia’s most experienced teachers of writing, multi-award winning playwright Timothy Daly.
Tel: 02 9555 9757 |
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| Writing from Reality | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 05-Sep-2010
Are you working on a story inspired by the truth? Or perhaps you know you want to write but don't know how to find an idea? Memoir, historical novels, autobiographical fiction, fiction inspired by news stories or family anecdotes, biographies – all require the skills of the researcher and the storyteller. Using a combination of writing exercises, carefully chosen readings and seminar discussion, Kathryn will help you discover the heart of the story you want to tell, and how to tell it. She'll look at research skills (and when to abandon them), ethical questions, and the nuts and bolts of writing true. Expect to laugh, think and write hard – and to come away inspired. Kathryn Heyman is the internationally published author of four novels including the historical and critically acclaimed novel Captain Starlight’s Apprentice. This one day course will run on Sunday 5 September, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings, go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au.
Tel: 02 9555 9757 |
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| Transformational Characters in Film | NSW: Sydney - CBD |
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10am - 11.45, 08-Sep-2010
SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 Luncheon meeting features:
Tel: n/a |
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| Overload Poetry Festival | VIC: Melbourne - CBD |
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Check website for details, 10-Sep-2010
to 19-Sep-2010
Overload Poetry Inc. was formed in 2002 by Steven Smart and Sandon McLeod (1954-2004). Their mission was to bring Melbourne's vibrant poetry scene into public view through an annual festival based around the regular readings. Incredibly Victoria did not have, at the time, a major annual poetry festival.
Tel: See website for contact details |
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| Melbourne Overload Poetry Festival | VIC: Melbourne - CBD |
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n/a, 10-Sep-2010
to 19-Sep-2010
This year's theme is Screening the Word which will explore the meeting of technology and tradition. Highlights of the Festival include:
Tel: n/a |
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| Melbourne Overload Poetry Festival | VIC: Melbourne - CBD |
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n/a, 10-Sep-2010
to 19-Sep-2010
Locations around Melbourne including Federation Square and the Wheeler Centre What’s happening
Tel: n/a |
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| Creating Picture Books | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 11-Sep-2010
Everything about picture books you’ve always wanted to know but were afraid to ask! Writing and illustrating a children’s picture book is a specialist pursuit. If you are an author who has written a picture book, or an illustrator with an idea for a picture book, this workshop could help you move to the next step. We will talk about all aspects of writing and illustrating a picture book: ideas and inspiration; approaching publishers; what to expect if accepted; contracts, editing, design and production; characters, storyboards, mock-ups, materials and techniques; authors, illustrators and publishers working together. Participants are invited to bring some of their recent work – stories or artwork – for a ‘show and tell’ session during the day. This course is suitable for anyone who has always wanted to make picture books but received no formal training. Authors, illustrators, publishers, teachers, librarians who wish to extend their knowledge and skills. This one day course will run on Saturday 11 September, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| So You Want to Work in Publishing | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 11-Sep-2010
to 26-Sep-2010
Are you interested in becoming a book editor? Would you like to know more about the editorial process? Or would you like to find out more about careers in book publishing and how the industry works? This comprehensive introduction to the world of book publishing and professional editing will give you an overview of contemporary Australian and international book publishing as well as a practical understanding of the book editor’s role and the editorial process. The course is full of practical exercises – you’ll write a book proposal, pitch a book, brief a cover and prepare a production schedule. As well, students will have the opportunity to work on a range of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. This course will run over two weekends, 11 &12 September and 25 & 26 September 5, from 10am-3pm. Full price $540, members (30% disc) $380, concession members $325. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Non-fiction writing workshop with Jeff Apter | NSW: Rest of NSW |
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10am - 3:30pm, 18-Sep-2010
Holiday Hub Recreation room, Pambula Beach, Merimbula NSW Cost: $30 members of SCWC, NSW WC and ACT WC/$65 non-members.
Tel: 4228 0151 |
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| Writing for your life with Jacqueline Kent | ACT: Canberra |
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1 - 5pm, 18-Sep-2010
Cost: Members: $64, fulltime students and concessional members: $56, non-members: $125 (includes 12 months of membership). Through discussion, sharing of information and writing exercises, this workshop will cover the important aspects of writing memoir, autobiography and family history. Jacqueline Kent is a writer of biography, social history and young adult fiction. Her books include A Certain Style: Beatrice Davis, A Literary Life; An Exacting Heart, The Story of Hephzibah Menuhin and The Making of Julia Gillard. She has worked as a journalist, a researcher, a book editor and a ghost writer (for Lindy Chamberlain, among others) and has run many writing classes for adults and children. She holds a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Tel: 6262 9191 |
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| Fiction Novelist's Starter Kit | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 18-Sep-2010
to 19-Sep-2010
Have you got a great idea for a novel but not sure how to get started? Are you planning a story but uncertain if you’re ready to take the next step? Whether you’ve got the seed of an idea or are well into plotting, this workshop will help you get ready to write your first draft. Too many draft novels are weak and directionless, requiring huge structural edits to bring them up to publication standard. Louise Cusack is the author of the best-selling Shadow Through Time trilogy, selected by the Doubleday book club as their ‘Editor’s Choice’. Through exercises and group work, she will show you how professional authors plan and execute their first draft for maximum productivity. Whether you’re a pre-planner or a seat-of-the-pants intuitive writer, Louise will show you how to take your fledgling ideas for characters, settings, scenes and subplots and hone them into a saleable story. Participants can expect to leave the workshop with a clear idea of the steps that are required to take inspiration and turn it into a workable plot with realistic characters and page-turning action. This course will run over one weekend, Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 September, from 10am-4pm. Full price $270, members (30% disc) $190, concession members $165. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Critique Group: Fiction Writers | NSW: Sydney - West |
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1pm-4pm, 25-Sep-2010
to 04-Dec-2010
Every writer wants feedback to help progress towards publication but it is difficult to find useful constructive criticism. Now you can become part of a group that provides just that. Led by experienced writer and editor Sharon Rundle, group members will give and receive regular feedback on their work and the work of others. Even the best writers seek feedback from their peers. Virginia Woolf was in a writers’ group. So was CS Lewis, Katherine Mansfield, Henry James, James Joyce and Dorothy Parker. Critiquing each other’s writing in a supportive group allows for genuine feedback intended to improve or elevate a work. Through critiquing the work of others, writers learn how to spot where their own writing has room for improvement. Sharon will cover various aspects of giving and receiving critiques of literary works in a relaxed, supportive environment. These will include the purpose of a critique; how to read for and how to give and receive appropriate, constructive criticism; the difference between subjectivity and objectivity when forming a critique; the importance of respect, positive suggestions, privacy concerns and copyright; practical application by critiquing literary works as exercises; practical application through critiquing each others’ work; discussion and practical application of constructive criticism when revising a draft. This course will run over 6 Saturday afternoons, 25 September, 9 & 23 October, 6 7 20 November, 4 December, from 10am-4pm. Full price $620, members (30% disc) $430, concession members $370. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Writing to thrill with James Phelan | ACT: Canberra |
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10am-1pm , 26-Sep-2010
ACT Writers Centre Cost: Members: $75, fulltime students and concessional members: $60, non-members: $135 (includes 12 months of membership).
Tel: 6262 9191 |
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| First Line - First Draft - Final Poem | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 26-Sep-2010
A poetry workshop tailored for poets who are just beginning to write or just beginning to submit their work for publication. Through practical exercises and discussion the workshop will consider issues such as: what a poem is and what it can do; how to make and turn a line; how to say it with sound and say it with image; how to say it ‘straight’ and say it ‘slant’; how to move from draft to draft to ‘finished’ poem; how to check your finished poem for problems. Participants should bring 10 copies of one of their poems (max 32 lines) to discuss in a friendly, supportive environment. The workshop will conclude with information about poetry groups, organisations, journals and publishers. This course returns after a sell-out success in March 2010. Here’s what past participants said about the course: “It was a great day, stimulating, helpful, encouraging and really well presented. Brook gave me a new freedom to let go of aspects of my writing that I could not see for myself were blurring, repeating or impeding the meaning.” This one day course will run on Sunday 26 September, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Authors: Navigating Digital Space | NSW: Sydney - West |
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6.30pm-9.30pm, 28-Sep-2010
to 29-Sep-2010
Thinking of setting up a website or blog? Want to learn how to use the internet to promote your writing? The tools are now available for authors to market themselves effectively online. Be proactive and help your publisher, and yourself, to build your author brand. Day One: Basics of Building Your Online Platform
Day Two: Author Websites
This course is for intermediate-level participants. You will need basic computer literacy and general user familiarity of web programs. This course will not train you how to use specific software. This course will run over 2 evenings, Tuesday 28 & Wednesday 29 September, from 6.30pm-9.30pm. Full price $170, members (30% disc) $120, concession members $100. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Tasmanian Poetry Festival | TAS: Launceston |
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Check website, 02-Oct-2010
to 04-Oct-2010
The Tasmanian Poetry Festival, an annual event held in Launceston each October, was founded and for seventeen years directed by Tim Thorne [from 1985 to 2001]. For the past few years, Cameron Hindrum has been the festival’s director. Last year's festival ran from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th October 2009, with guests Ross Donlon, Kevin Gillam, Rob Morris, Nathan Curnow, Zenobia Frost, Jacquie Williams, Kristin Hannaford, Robin Archbold, and Tasmanian locals Ron Moss and Sarah Day.
Tel: Check website for contact details |
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| Writing for Teenagers | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 02-Oct-2010
Writing for teens is a specific skill. Pitch too low, and the readers reject the story as beneath them. Pitch too high and you're accused of digging too deeply into adult themes. Voice and language can also be a problem – working with the ever-shifting teen parlance is fraught with the risk of dating your work before it's even published. Especially when your audience often starts at a place of skepticism and doubt in the adult's ability to "get them". But if you can get the voice right, writing for young adults can be immensely rewarding. Better even than that, the dramas and conflicts within the life of a young person are felt more keenly than at any other time of life, so the writer is presented with a wealth of material to explore and to be inspired by. James Roy has published twenty books for children and young adults since 1996, including the 2008 Ethel Turner Prize winner Town. In this course, James will take students through some of the major differences between writing for adults and teens, looking specifically at voice, character and writing about "issues". There will be some presentation time and a number of structured practical activities throughout the day, as well as ample opportunity for question/answer and group discussion. This one day course will run on Saturday 2 October, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Feature and Review Writing: New Journalism Today | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 03-Oct-2010
Journalism is an arena as varied as life itself. One look at the range and content of a weekend newspaper should tell you that. In this one day course, Pascall Prize winner and internationally published journalist, Mark Mordue will take students through the theory and practicalities of writing features and reviews with an original voice. Mark will start with an introduction to ‘New Journalism’, a style of non-fiction writing that developed in the 1960s. This more personal and subjective type of journalism pioneered a more literary approach to non-fiction that is now commonly used in the arts/features sections of major newspapers and magazines today. Mark will cover freelance writing and how to approach publications with your ideas and stories, as well as the basics of non-fiction storytelling and arts and travel journalism – focusing on tone, structure, language and style, and how to conduct an interview and write a story from it. This one day course will run on Sunday 3 October, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| World-Building Using Real History | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 03-Oct-2010
Are you writing about a world gone by? Is your story set in an imaginary realm? Whether you write historical fiction or fantasy, world-building is one of the most essential and difficult aspects of the genre to master. Join writer, historian and mentor Gillian Polack for an exploration of the past and how to use it in your fiction. Good historical writing requires solid underpinning. Good fantasy writing draws on true history to create imaginary worlds. Both require the creation of detailed and authentic settings to bring the story to life. Gillian will take you through issues that must be considered and, step-by-step, help you develop the skills of world creation. You will understand how important solid world construction is in shoring up a reader's identification with the constructed world and for carrying the reader further into the story. This workshop will focus mainly on the Western European Middle Ages and the Renaissance but will also draw on other periods and places. Topics will include: world view – cosmology, religion and the people who wield them – developing useful relationships; life cycles – from before birth to after death; living towns and working castles; myths, imagination, heroes and magical creatures; houses and living spaces; food, medicine and daily religion. This one day course will run on Sunday 3 October, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Ubud Writers and Readers Festival | International: Bali |
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n/a, 06-Oct-2010
to 10-Oct-2010
Ubud, Bali The 2010 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival theme is ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika : Harmony in Diversity’, the Indonesian national motto originating from the Sutasoma, advocating respect between all people, across religious, ethnic and social diversity. From October 6 – 10, the brightest global writers will come together to debate the issues that divide and unite us, in a celebration of stories and voices. You’ll hear about life and literature in China, Mexico, Djibouti, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, France, Bosnia, Turkey, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada, as well as having a unique opportunity to meet writers from over 10 provinces of Indonesia. Joining us for the 7th international Ubud Writers & Readers Festival are Booker Prize winners Anne Enright and Thomas Keneally, Kate Adie, William Dalrymple, Ma Jian, Dewi Lestari, Frank Moorhouse, Albert Wendt, Sitor Sitimorang, Robert Adamson, Jennifer Byrne, Zakes Mda, Rabih Alameddine, Nam Le, Abdourahman Waberi, Etgar Keret, Joan London, Suad Amiry, Tabish Khair, Christos Tsolkias, Ali Eteraz, Shane Maloney and Cate Kennedy. A full program will be available on their website in August.
Tel: n/a |
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| Workshop on Plotting the Novel | WA: Perth - CBD |
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1.30pm - 4.30pm, 08-Oct-2010
Many new writers find plotting difficult and as their story may be a quest — either a physically or psychologically exacting journey in which the protagonist has a very hard time - the writer needs to create a subtlety structured yet believable chain of events - or plot - that subjects the characters to all the physical, emotional and mental punishment the story is about to hand out. Almost all stories arise and progress out of causality - which develops into plot. In turn, the plot is driven by the wilful and/or unconscious desires of the characters who are the main protagonists. Thus the depth, dimensionality and authenticity of the plot are vital. This workshop is a rare opportunity for emerging writers to learn the intricacies of plotting in which they will cover and participate in: What comes first plot or character? Does it matter? The difference between story & plot, Motive and consequence in plot, What drives the plot? Believable motivation in characters, The place of conflict in the story, Making the story – and its resolution - come out of the conflict, Story arc - the nine point parabola of the plot
Tel: (08) 9384 4771 |
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| Telling Stories: the Craft of Fiction | NSW: Sydney - West |
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9.30am-12.30pm, 09-Oct-2010
to 11-Dec-2010
Everyone has a story they want to tell – but it isn’t always easy knowing how to tell it. In this course you will learn how to find your voice, develop it, write your story and make it into something readable and, ultimately, marketable. Our focus will be on your writing – everyone will have the chance to produce something new and fresh and have it read and discussed by the class. All writers are readers first and the desire to write comes not just from experience, but from reading. Learning to read critically is essential for writing well and in this course we’ll be reading extracts from some great novels and stories as inspiration for our own work. Each week we will read, discuss and then workshop our writing, with set exercises for energising and exciting the creative mind, with the aim of producing the beginning of a novel or a short story by the end of the course. In the final weeks each student will have the opportunity to have his or her new work read by the class and workshopped at length in a friendly, supportive atmosphere, with real results. This course will run over 8 Saturdays mornings from 9.30am - 12.30pm starting 9 October and finishing 11 December. Full price $680, members (30% disc) $480, concession members $400. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Making it Good Enough to Publish | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 09-Oct-2010
to 10-Oct-2010
What’s the difference between a good story and a good story that will be published? Often it comes down to a few simple mistakes that mark out the amateur from the pro. Race through a dynamic, non-stop self-editing workout that gets results! Learn how to keep up pace and hurdle common literary pitfalls, as well as push-up pointers for creating three dimensional characters and enriching stories with sensory writing to achieve a personal best. Train yourself to recognise flaws in your writing and troubleshoot in order to win†the trifecta – an addictive story with a great plot, pacing and characterisation. Strenuous self-editing exercises will enable you to dig beyond stereotypical story slush to find true gold.
This course will run over Satuday 9 & Sunday 10 October, from 10am - 4pm. Full price $270, members (30% disc) $190, concession members $165. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Writing Children's Television | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 10-Oct-2010
to 17-Oct-2010
Want to write a kids show? With the recent launch of ABC3, the time has never been better. Writing for children’s television might look like child’s play but in reality it demands an extraordinary variety of skills from a writer. Not only do they have to know the principles of writing for television, but they also need to be able to write for different mediums (animation, live action and puppetry) and specific age groups. Gina Roncoli has written and developed over fifty hours of children’s television including an AWGIE award winning contribution to Channel 7’s Bambaloo. Gina will give participants a nuts and bolts overview of what’s required for writing and developing a television series for children and adolescents. This is an introductory course suitable for writers interested in writing for children’s television, or writers wanting to know how to develop an idea into a children’s series.
This course will run over 2 Sundays, 10 & 17 October, from 10am - 4pm. Full price $270, members (30% disc) $190, concession members $165. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Leaping in the Dark: The Craft of Story | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 17-Oct-2010
to 17-Oct-2070
This intensive workshop will throw ideas at you from the outside and drag them up from the inside. It’s like a life-drawing class. We start with high-speed sketches, then turn to short writing exercises that focus on setting, character, monologue and dialogue. Then we move on to a full-figure study, each of us beginning a short story or a section of a longer project. We’ll scrapbook towards this short story, using both words and pictures. We’ll sneak up on it from a number of different directions; we’ll feel our way towards it, trying to keep our mind open and our writing arm relaxed. We’ll pause and brainstorm different ways our story could go, alone and with the others in the group. We’ll follow tangents that look attractive; we’ll dig deeper when we feel we’re nearing the core of what we want to say. The idea is to get the most fun out of the writing, to enjoy the process as much as possible, not to let our desire for a neat, finished story get in the way of the bigger, shaggier, truer story we could write.
This one day course will run on Sunday 17 October, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| The Eric Rolls Memorial Lecture | ACT: Canberra |
6.00pm, 20-Oct-2010
The Eric Rolls Memorial Lecture October 2010 Fire in 1788: the closest ally Wednesday 20 October 2010
Tel: please check website for details |
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| How to Write a Compelling Poem | WA: Perth - CBD |
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1pm - 5pm, 05-Nov-2010
How do you write a poem that makes people cry? Or laugh? Or gasp aloud at its beauty? Or stop and think deeply? If you have ever wondered about what makes a poem compelling or pondered the mechanics of producing a mesmerising poem, you may be interested in doing this four hour class with poet Miriam Lo.
Tel: (08) 9384 4771 |
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| But is it Funny? | NSW: Sydney - CBD |
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10am-4pm, 13-Nov-2010
Good humour, like good ballet, or good golf, looks easy – until you try it. Join the multi award-winning writer of Mother and Son and Grass Roots, Geoffrey Atherden, for a serious look at hilarity. A good joke contains many of the principles of good story telling. For one thing, it has to be about something. A well told joke is always a pleasure, but no amount of verbal embroidery, even if it is highly inventive, will ever excuse the lack of a punchline. This workshop will present Ten Rules for Writing Comedy and includes exercises in individual and group writing. It will cover all forms of writing including prose writing and script writing for all media. All levels of experience welcome.
This one day course will run on Saturday 13 November, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Getting to Grips With Grammar | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 13-Nov-2010
To write well you need to get to know how the language works, where to put the commas, and what the rules of grammar and the conventions of style demand. Grammar is the logic of the language; it is the bones that support the body of the writing. When you know grammar, you know the part that each word plays in a sentence. Grammar explains how to put words together on a page to make clear sentences. The good news is that there isn't too much that we really need to know and it needn't be dull to learn. It can even be fun! Learning how to use our language well is personally enriching and, in this information age, professionally rewarding. This workshop is full of clear explanations and practical exercises and is aimed at everyone who has to write in their work or study.
This one day course will run on Saturday 13 November, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Writing as a Business | WA: Perth - CBD |
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1pm - 5pm, 19-Nov-2010
This workshop is aimed at people who want to make money from writing and editing – perhaps, like many of us, to support the creative writing habit – yet know little or nothing about settiThis workshop is aimed at people who want to make money from writing and editing – perhaps, like many of us, to support the creative writing habit – yet know little or nothing about setting up a business. It is designed to give participants enough information and confidence to get started. Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask!
Tel: (08) 9384 4771 |
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| Writing for Children and Young Adults | NSW: Sydney - West |
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9.30am-12.30am, 20-Nov-2010
to 18-Dec-2010
Do you write with a young audience in mind? Do your ideas appeal to kids or teens? Then join the best-selling author of the ‘So’ series Jeni Mawter for an exploration of the issues and challenges involved in writing for children and young adults. Jeni will explore imagination, innovation and enjoyment through writing for children. In this fun course she will combine theory, practical exercises and open discussion. Jeni will help you tackle your questions about writing for a target age group, how to write genre, humour, adventure, the elements of a story, visual literacy, picture books and writing for young adults. The course will end with a discussion about getting published and writers support groups. Anyone with an interest in writing for children is welcome, no matter how experienced. The only prerequisite is that you have been a child in a past life!
This course will run over 5 Saturday mornings, 20 November to 18 December, from 9.30am - 12.30pm. Full price $430, members (30% disc) $300, concession members $260. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| The Saturday Radio Writer's Course | NSW: Sydney - West |
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1pm-4pm, 20-Nov-2010
to 18-Dec-2010
A five-session intensive course and radio play workshop that takes you from start to finish, conducted by one of Australia’s most experienced teachers of writing, multi-award-winning playwright Timothy Daly. Radio is one of the best ways to get productions of your writing. It is much easier to break into than film, theatre or television. The market is both national and international. The knowledge you acquire will allow you to move to film writing, because the skills base is so similar. This course – the only radio writing course in Australia – will teach you all the skills, principles and techniques you will need to create and sell a radio play. All you need to bring is your enthusiasm.
This course will run over 5 Saturday afternoons, 20 November to 18 December, from 1pm - 4pm. Full price $430, members (30% disc) $300, concession members $260. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Bringing Writing to Life: A Fiction Masterclass | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 20-Nov-2010
Good storytelling depends not only on a gripping plot and strong characters, but also on a special blend of imagination and style that takes readers into another, fully realized world. It requires a convincing voice and a passionate desire to tell this one, particular story above all others. In this workshop we will focus on the details that bring stories alive, bringing special attention to communicating the subjective experience and emotions of our characters, creating atmospheric settings and crafting a distinctive voice. Our precise areas of focus will grow out of the interests of the participants, and we will aim to develop a spirit of constructive critique that recognizes the particular strengths as well as the limitations of our writing. This workshop is open to experienced writers who are currently working on a novel or novella-length project and who are previously published in any form. This one day course will run on Saturday 20 November, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Writing at the Barriers | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 20-Nov-2010
to 21-Nov-2010
In this two-day workshop, you’re invited to recognize what blocks you and experiment with ways to transform those obstacles into creative opportunities. Some questions we’ll explore:
At each of these barriers in the creative process, we’ll discover the resources hiding in the very places where we get ‘stuck.’ Beginners and experienced writers welcome. This two day course will run on Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 November, from 10am-4pm. Full price $270, members (30% disc) $190, concession members $165. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Story Construction: Plotting Your Novel | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 21-Nov-2010
to 28-Nov-2010
Writers often complain that they have no trouble getting ideas and getting the story up and running, but around page three they suddenly hit a brick wall. The story has stalled because they didn’t plan it thoroughly before they started. Sitting down to write your story should be the fun, relaxed part. The hard work is in the designing and planning. Poor story construction is the most common reason for a novel being rejected by publishers. Starting with a cleared block, this hands-on two-day workshop takes your idea and develops it from the ground up. You don’t need to be experienced – all it takes is a passion for the written word and a good story to tell. By the time we finish you will have devised a comprehensive design for your story, one you can take away and refine at a more considered pace before commencing the first draft. This two day course will run over two Sundays, 21 & 28 December, from 10am-4pm. Full price $270, members (30% disc) $190, concession members $165. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Poetry: A Practical Workshop | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 27-Nov-2010
Peter Skrzynecki is the author of nine volumes of poetry including the award-winning Headwaters, There, Behind the Lids and Immigrant Chronicle. Join him for a practical, round-table discussion of your work in a friendly, supportive environment. Here’s how it works: each student will bring in no more than 5 poems of no more than 30 lines each. Make sure you don’t include your name anywhere on the poem. Poems will then be discussed by the class, with the author remaining anonymous, providing constructive feedback and insight into each work. This one day course will run on Saturday 27 November, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Write From Life: Memoir and Family History | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 27-Nov-2010
to 28-Nov-2010
Learn practical skills and creative techniques that will turn your personal or family history into an engaging story. In this workshop experienced author Amanda Hampson will show you how to organise your research, develop your structure and storyline and where to find a perspective for telling your tale. You will find out how to borrow the tools of fiction writing such as context, setting and dialogue to bring your story to life. Amanda will also provide information about self-publishing and short run printing options for those wanting to create a family heirloom that will be treasured by generations to come. This two day course will run Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 November, from 10am-4pm. Full price $270, members (30% disc) $190, concession members $165. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| A Play in Two Days | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 28-Nov-2010
to 05-Dec-2010
Do you write for the stage? Whether you’re just starting out or looking for a refresher, in this practical course multi award-winning playwright Hilary Bell will take you through the fundamentals of playwriting. Beginning with writing games and exercises through which we build characters, conflict, narrative and structure, students will finish the weekend with a strong outline of a new play. In this outline, or scene breakdown, the protagonist's arc is charted through the play and every scene's existence is justified, its content clear. Students will gain an intimate knowledge of their characters as well as the world of their play, and life beyond the play's beginning and end. While we can't write a whole play over a weekend, students will write a central scene – allowing them to see and hear how their characters behave, and generating energy for the scenes that precede and follow it, so that they can continue writing it in their own time. This two day course will run over two Sundays, 28 November & 5 December, from 10am-4pm. Full price $270, members (30% disc) $190, concession members $165. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Advanced Picture Book Workshop | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 05-Dec-2010
Get ready to re-imagine your story. Through exercises and discussion we will work through your original idea and intention. We will discuss character development and ways to make your characters different from the thousands of others in children's literature. We will discover the secret to achieve dramatic tension (the heart of every good story) by careful attention to structure. Learn the picture book writer’s craft of language, voice and rhythm. After work on your craft we will move on to publication, manuscript submission, the relationship with illustrators and the clarifying of any questions you may have. Have your questions answered by one who has been a successful picture book writer for over twenty years. This one day course will run on Sunday 5 December, from 10am-4pm. Full price $140, members (30% disc) $100, concession members $85. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| Everything You Need to Know About Publishing | NSW: Sydney - West |
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10am-4pm, 11-Dec-2010
to 12-Dec-2010
Publishing: it’s the holy grail of the writing world. Many try, few succeed. This two day seminar will take you beyond the iron gate and inside the world of modern publishing with experts from the industry. Whether you’re looking at commercial or self-publishing or can’t decide, whether you’re interested in mainstream or digital publishing, this seminar is one you can’t afford to miss. On day one, book editor and former publisher Jude McGee will give an overview of commercial book publishing in Australia – how it works, how and why publishers acquire books to publish and how to maximise the chances of getting your book published. Find out Australian publishing’s vital statistics; how publishing companies are structured; what’s in the publishing agreement; the life of a book from manuscript to bookshop shelf; how to write a catchy book proposal; and tricks to help get your manuscript under the nose of the right publisher, editor or literary agent. This two day course will run over Saturday and Sunday, 11 & 12 December, from 10am-4pm. Full price $270, members (30% disc) $190, concession members $165. For more information and bookings go to www.nswwriterscentre.org.au
Tel: 95559757 |
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| The Watermark Literary Muster | NSW: Newcastle |
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Check website for final Festival dates and times, 01-Jun-2011
to 30-Jun-2011
The Watermark Literary Muster is a biennial gathering that brings together writers and readers who share a passion for the literature of nature and place. It is recognised internationally as a unique literary event on the Australian cultural calendar where writers share their work directly with readers, talk about the places that inspire them, exchange ideas on writing about nature and place, explore the role literature plays in environmental understanding and inspire others to write about the natural landscape. The event
Tel: 02 6559 9953 |
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