Issue 1: September/October 2013
Your peek into the future of writing
New
opportunities in memoir, blogging, travel writing, fiction, magazines and more
ss e n i s Bu ting wri ies r o t s ss e c c u S nce! a l e e Fr ht now rig
Best-selling authors reveal their secrets WritersCentre.com.au
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contents
Freelance now!
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Meet us in Melbourne
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What Summer said
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Student successes
Writer for hire
More than words
Memoir magic
At the Australian Writers’ Centre, we’re passionate about words. Not simply because we love writing, but because we know what a difference the right words can make in your life. Whether it’s crafting a personal blog post, a best-selling novel, or an article in a magazine, the reality is that your words can make a difference. Maybe you want to shed light on an issue that’s dear to your heart, or write a profile on an inspiring individual – or maybe you just have an amazing story you want to tell. Whatever your motivation for writing, we want to help. That’s our mission. And we love our community of aspiring and established writers. There’s nothing quite like coming to a dynamic place – both online and in our classrooms – where you can hang out with like-minded people, find answers to your questions and learn the skills you need to turn your writing dreams into reality. Every single day, former students email us about how we’ve played a small part in changing their lives. And there is nothing that makes us happier than hearing that. We love words. But we know that the impact of words – of your words – can change lives too.
The Team at the Australian Writers’ Centre
Look into another world
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Travel bug 14 Secrets of best-selling authors
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On the case
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Brand new career Competitions Upcoming courses
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This is a publication of the Australian Writers’ Centre, the leading national centre for writing courses. You’ll find us in Sydney (02 9929 0088), or in Melbourne (03 9005 6737) and Perth (opening late 2013). We also have a students from all over the world who learn in our online classrooms. WritersCentre.com.au
National Director: Course Manager: Marketing Manager: New Media Manager: Administration Coordinator:
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Valerie Khoo Danielle Williams Leona D’vaz Tracy Tan Nicole Sharpe
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
Teachers: Karen Andrews, Nicole Avery, Geoff Bartlett, Nigel Bartlett, Kim Berry, Deb Doyle, Grant Doyle, Tim Gooding, Kate Forsyth, Pamela Freeman, Lisa Heidke, Kate Hennessy, Julietta Jameson, Kylie Ladd, LA Larkin, Anna Maguire, Jeni Mawter, Patti Miller, Holly Nott, Catriona Pollard, Cari Ratcliff, Judith Ridge, James Roy, Kerri Sackville, Claire Scobie, Allison Tait, Cathie Tasker, Sue White.
dream job
Freelance
now!
Ever thought about keeping your day job – and landing your dream job! We show you how you can start freelancing right now. By Valerie Khoo
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o you fancy the idea of being a writer, but don’t now how to make it happen. You have a mortgage, responsibilities and financial commitments, so you can’t just throw in your job for the fanciful idea of earning money from your words. Or can you? You read magazines and think to yourself: “I could write like that!” But you’re not sure how to turn that idea into reality. Well the good news is that you don’t have to throw in your day job in order to land your dream job. You can do both at the same time. Many people earn extra income through writing as a hobby, pursuing it outside of their work commitments. Some eventually transition into full-time writing. But that’s not for everyone. It can be daunting to know the steps you need to take in order to get into writing. Let’s outline what your options are.
Step 1: Do a course I know that we’re biased when it comes to this. After all, at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we offer a whole range of writing courses for people from those who just want to get a taste of the writing life to those who want to make a full career change. We make no secret of the fact that we think courses are the best short cut you can take to learn the skills that you need. It’s also an opportunity to learn from and speak to successful people who are in the industry, and to be part of a community of people who share the same interests as you. A quality five-week course or intensive weekend immersion program will put you on the fast-track because it distils key information that would otherwise take you months, sometimes years, to figure out yourself.
Step 2: Get talking While a course will equip you with the skills you need, it’s also useful to talk to people who are currently doing what you want to do. If you like the idea of writing columns, talk to columnists. If you want to write magazine articles, chat to magazine feature writers. If you don’t know any writers – and can’t go to writers’ festivals or author events – then one of the best ways to do this is to ask a writer for an information interview. Approach a writer you admire and ask them if they can spare 15 minutes. The key here is to show that you’re not someone
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who has randomly decided to write on a whim. Most busy people – writers included – want to know that you have some level of commitment before they take time out of their day to speak to you one-on-one. Again, this is where it can be useful to show your commitment by explaining you’ve enrolled in a course. Here’s a version of what you might say: “Hi John, I know you might get requests like this all the time. I’m currently an accountant but I’m really interested in learning about the writing and publishing industry. I’ve enrolled in a course in magazine and newspaper writing to see whether this is a viable career change for me. I was just wondering if you might have a spare 15 minutes for me to ask you a few questions about your career and to get your advice about whether I’m taking the right path.” Notice how you’re not asking them for a job. You’re asking for advice. Let’s face it, most people love giving advice! This approach can be effective because you’re not asking for anything in return. You’re getting insight into the industry from an insider and, who knows, some time down the track you may connect with them again.
Step 3: Start writing The old saying goes: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” Too many people think that they need to study a four-year university degree before they can call themselves writers. This is crazy. It’s also procrastination. Sure, you probably do need a university degree if you want to write dissertations comparing the literary structures used by Chaucer versus Keats, but chances are that’s not your goal in life. We’re all capable of writing. We all have creativity within us that we should be tapping. While a university degree is never a waste of
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time, you don’t need to wait till you have one before you start penning your words. Once you’ve done a short course that gives you a fundamental framework, start writing. You might decide to blog, submit articles to magazines, start your novel or suggest column ideas to your favourite news sites. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll get better at it. You may decide to hone your skills and do more study down the track. But get started now.
Step 4:
Network
Writing can be an isolating activity. So it’s important to network – both online and in real life. Apart from saving your sanity, networking with like-minded people and other aspiring writers helps you learn about opportunities in the industry, short story competitions, freelance gigs, and publishing news. I see too many aspiring writers neglect this important aspect and they progress at a much slower pace as a result. Even though they are amazing writers, this doesn’t matter if no one knows about them. They can have 10 superb novels in their bottom drawer but that’s irrelevant if they don’t hear about opportunities where they can get their work in front of key industry influencers. Find writers groups, online forums, and meetups. Attend writers’ festivals or blogging conferences and make sure you connect with agents, publishers and key players.
Step 5: Read and analyse Apart from writing, one of the best ways you can get better is to read. Importantly, read the kind of articles or books or columns that you want to write. However, go one step further. While it’s great to read and enjoy other people’s work, you’ll become a better writer if you take the time to analyse it. Develop
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
an internal critic where you identify exactly why you like a certain piece of writing. Is it the examples the writer uses? The words they chose? If so, what exactly about those words works so well. If you don’t like a certain piece of writing, don’t just leave it at that. Determine why you don’t like it. Were there gaps? Are some sections sloppy? Did it lack credibility? Analysing the writing of other people will help you become a better writer because it will show up flaws which you can then avoid.
Keep your day job If you are perfectly happy in your day job, then freelance article writing – or writing books – can be a creative and enjoyable way to earn money on the side. However, if you want to make a career transition, don’t feel that you need to take the plunge and ditch your regular salary for the uncertainty of freelancing. Many career changers do this in a stepped process. Cut down to four days a week in your day job so that you can focus one day on writing. As you start earning income from this, cut your day job down to three days, and so on. It’s a gradual process that can help you – and your family – adjust to your new career. And if you do decide to commit to writing full-time, just remember that you should treat it like a job. Let’s not shy away from the fact that writing takes discipline, especially if you want to make money from it. However, the beauty about freelancing is that you have no salary cap. The more words you can write, the more you get paid. Enjoy! t
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You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
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Begin your
writing
journey
in Melbourne
with us
Established on the traditional land of the Wurundjeri people and operating as a closed monastic village for over 100 years, The Abbotsford Convent is a workplace for artists, designers, writers, students, musicians and now the Melbourne home of ‌
THE
Find a course to suit your writing goals. 1 St Heliers Street Abbotsford VIC 3067 WritersCentre.com.au WritersCentre.com.au
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blog to book
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ummerlandish: Do As I Say, Not As I Did is the memoir of blogger and first-time author Summer Land – and she’s only 25. Summer’s self-confessed attention-loving, outspoken and outrageous nature has ensured there are plenty of stories to tell and lessons to impart in her first book. Now living in Australia, she grew up in Florida, attempted stardom in LA and was a college graduate with no direction. She then married an Australian and moved to the NSW town of Mudgee. The book tells Summer’s story through all of her incredible misadventures and embarrassing moments. AWC: Tell us about your book. What made you want to write it? SL: In 2010, I was a 22-year old college graduate who had spent a year
working as a marketing coordinator and another year backpacking around Australia. I was also incredibly lost when it came to the whole “Sowhat-are-you-going-to-do-with–your-life?” question that my friend’s big sister loved to ask me. She’s a life coach who loves vision boards and goal charts. I casually responded that I might like to get into pharmaceutical sales. She laughed and told me that I should be a writer. She said that I always seemed to have lots of stories and should “totally write a book.” So I decided to write a short story. I emailed it to a friend. This went on for a few months. After finding my voice, I set up a blog. Then about a year later I decided that I was ready to write a book. By writing short stories I was able to organise my thoughts, get feedback and figure out what my style was. The main goal of my memoir Summerlandish: Do As I Say, Not As I Did is to make people laugh and think “me too!”. I share stories from my life that are awkward, embarrassing, outlandish and sometimes mortifying. However, I feel that it’s all relatable. No one escaped childhood and I think we’re all getting over our miserable high school years one glass of wine at a time. If this book can make someone laugh while on vacation or on their morning commute, I’ll be forever happy. I think by saying the things that people are afraid to talk about, we all feel better about ourselves. AWC: What’s the first thing you do before you sit down to write? SL: Pour myself a big glass of homemade iced tea! AWC: Where do you write? SL: My desk has been set up in multiple rooms in my house because
we’re currently renovating. Sometimes it looks out onto our front street, another time it was in my bedroom, but currently it’s in our guest room with a side view of our yard. One day I hope to gaze over the mountains of Park City, Utah … It’s important that I have cleared off my desk before I write. It’s so easy for me to treat my desk as an extra closet. And no one can focus when a dirty pair of underwear is draped across their keyboard! I think a clear desk equals a clear mind. If I’m editing, I like to have music playing. If I’m trying to come up with a new story, I usually work best in silence.
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AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
WHAT
SUMMER SAID
Summer Land made a mark on the blogosphere, and has now penned her outspoken memoir Summerlandish: Do As I Say, Not As I Did.
Because I write about my life, it’s nice to have pictures or letters to jog my memory. I have a photo board that sits behind my monitor that I often look at for inspiration. I also like to be reminded that I graduated from university. I recently got my degree framed and hung it over my desk. Nothing makes you be productive like a piece of paper that cost some $90,000 over four years. AWC: Do you have word count goals? How many words do you aim for in a day? SL: I don’t usually have a certain word count
I’m trying to reach unless a magazine or website has requested one. When I write for myself, I just write however much or however little the story needs. However, I’m a longterm goal setter so “Have book published by the time I’m 25” often pushes me to write a lot! AWC: What does your typical day look like when you’re writing? SL: A typical Summerlandish day involves
iced tea and breakfast. I usually like to do a bit of housework – laundry from my desk – and have the dishes all cleaned up before I head to my desk. If my dog, Cooper, is particularly hyper and needy, I will take him for a big walk before I write. I have diagnosed myself with ADHD. So sometimes I have to use a program to block certain websites if I really want to be productive with my writing, like Gmail, Facebook, Buzzfeed and Twitter. After a few hours of writing I usually go for an afternoon run or workout, eat dinner and then settle in for some really crappy reality television. I’m addicted to Intervention, Hoarders
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I’m the kind of person who wants things to happen overnight.
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and anything to do with parasites or medical mysteries. I also love wine. If the mood strikes, I might even get my laptop out and do a little wine writing which always calls for a sober editing session in the morning. Sadly, I’m super pregnant right now so there hasn’t been any wine writing lately. AWC: Do you have an alternative writing space? SL: Yes – I love cafes. I can’t get enough of free
wifi and the smell of coffee. I like the buzz and energy a cafe brings and I feel really inspired. I also sometimes write at my kitchen table. It’s a really bright room and makes me happy. When I travel, I love to take a day to cafe hop. I have a super nerdy backpack and will try to go to two to three cafes in a day to write.
Want to turn your blog into a book?
AWC: What are you working on now? SL: I’m currently working on a TV pilot
based on my book. It’s a completely new realm of writing for me so I find that I have to do a lot of reading and working with my mentor. It’s been a more social project since I have a writing partner. Loving the new challenge though! AWC: What’s your advice to emerging writers who are new to the game? SL: As clichéd as it sounds – don’t ever give
up. It’s really discouraging when you get writer’s block or struggle finding a publisher. It’s also hard when you don’t make any money because you’re writing a book. But seriously – don’t give up. I’m the kind of person that wants things to happen overnight. So when they don’t, I’m devastated. One of the most important things I’ve learned from writing my book, and being pregnant, is that patience is key! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. t Find Summer at www.summerlandish.com
Summer’s actual writing desk
That’s exactly what Kerri Sackville did. Now she’s an author, columnist and TV panellist on the Seven Network. Find out how Kerri did it at her seminar: From Blog to Book at the Australian Writers' Centre. Kerri began blogging at Life and Other Crises. This caught the attention of major publisher Random House and the result is the best-selling book When My Husband Does the Dishes: A Memoir of Marriage and Motherhood, released in 2011. Her second book, The Little Book of Anxiety, was released in 2012.
Whether you love writing about wine, sport, business, craft or your unique take on life, your blog could be the start of your writing career.
Find out about the next seminar: WritersCentre.com.au
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congratulations!
Student successes Every day, we receive emails from students who are getting published in high-profile magazines or scoring coveted book deals. Here are just a handful of recent successes. Lindy Alexander (VIC) completed the online course in Magazine and Newspaper Writing. Her article “Great Expectations” was published in Sunday Life (August 2013). Heather Smith (QLD) completed the online course in Magazine and Newspaper Writing. Heather now has six books under her belt, including Learn Small Business Start-up in 7 Days (published February 2013). Her latest is Xero for Dummies (published June 2013), which has been so popular it was reprinted within a week of being released. Stephanie Holland (London, UK) has completed two online courses: Travel Writing and Magazine and Newspaper Writing. Her article “True Brew” was published in Wellbeing magazine. Cassy Small (QLD) has done three online courses: Creative Writing, Travel Writing and Magazine and Newspaper Writing. Her profile on Deborah Hutton was the cover story of the Latte magazine (June 2013). Jessica Shirvington (NSW) completed the online course: Creative Writing Stage 1. She followed that up with Creative Writing Stage 2. She has now released her fifth book Between the Lives (HarperCollins). Her sixth book Empower (Hachette) will be released in November 2013. Laskshmi Singh (NSW) completed the online course in Magazine and Newspaper Writing. Her recent article on “How to fail well” was featured in The Herald Sun’s Body & Soul section in September 2013.
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AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
behind the words
Writer for hire Libby Harkness makes a living from telling other people’s stories. She talks about what it takes to be a successful ghostwriter.
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ibby Harkness has worked as a journalist, editor and writer for over 35 years. For the last 15 years, she’s also worked as a ghostwriter, penning the stories of some truly remarkable Australians. Her most recent books are The Widow: A Memoir, which she wrote with Nola Duncan, who discovered her husband’s infidelity a year after his death. Libby also wrote Everything to Live For, the story of Turia Pitt, who suffered burns to more than 70 percent of her body when she ran in an outback ultramarathon. Now specialising in life stories, Libby works closely with her subjects to write and publish their memoirs.
Libby writes: I am a professional full-time writer and I sell my skills as a writer to people prepared to pay for them. People hire writers for many different things. For example, brochures, speeches, company histories, business presentations, annual reports, company magazines, even to write their curriculum vitae. When I worked as a freelance journalist I undertook a lot of this type of work. My first ghostwriting commission came by default about 15 years ago; a well-known writer pulled out of an autobiographical project because he found he could not work with the
client. A mutual friend put me in touch with the client. The client was not easy but the book was written and published and I enjoyed the challenge of the process. After this, I established my ‘writer for hire’ website (writerforhire.com.au), adding ghostwriting as a skill. Over the years my ghostwriting work has superseded all other work and I am now considered a specialist in this area. I now have to decline several life-story writing jobs a week, unfortunately some of them I would love to have time to do.
helps get the voice right. The actual writing can take up to three months for a first draft. I usually write for about five hours a day and I try to write every day, although that’s not always possible. I stay in touch with the client during the writing process but prefer to work unhindered during the first draft. Subsequent changes and additions to the manuscript may take another month and a professional edit may add more time. If the client is looking for a publisher, that is a separate process.
Balancing act As the published author of many of my own works, I’ve found writing someone else’s story very different; I have to ‘capture’ that person’s voice and expressions so that the reader will believe they are actually telling the story and at the same time create a professional manuscript. But while my own voice is sublimated, my writing style is not; it’s a balancing act. The amount of time spent with a client when writing their story depends on several factors: a) the client; b) the length of the work and c) the complexity of the research (for example, making sure dates, places, events are historically correct). I usually record 15 to 20 hours with the client and sometimes record other family members, friends or colleagues for colour and background. Recording is usually restricted to about two hours at a stretch as it can be very tiring, especially if the client is elderly; it is often emotional for the client as well. The transcription is tedious but I don’t use a transcribing service as listening over and over
Who can be a ghostwriter? I think people who are genuinely interested in other people’s lives make the best ghostwriters. For me, the most rewarding aspect of writing other people’s stories is pulling it all together and having a happy client at the end of it. I can then walk away – job well-done. Ghostwriting is not for every writer. Sometimes you may get a cover credit on a published work but more often not, so you must be prepared to stay in the background and let someone else take the credit for what you’ve done. Two other necessary qualities a ghostwriter needs: being a good listener and empathy with the subject. I love reading biographies and autobiographies. I have eclectic taste in fiction and enjoy women writers such as Helen Garner and Nikki Gemmell; my favourite crime writer is Michael Robotham, who lives in Sydney and once made his living as the pseudonymous (ghostwriting) author of many best-selling books on famous people. t
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can Twitter score you a book deal?
memoir magic
Torre DeRoche is a self-confessed social media junkie, blogger and – thanks to her online obsession – author. Her first book, a memoir, is Love With a Chance of Drowning.
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orre de Roche packed up her home in Australia and moved to San Francisco. There, at the age of 24, she met the love of her life, Ivan. He asked her to sail with him from the US to Australia, on his boat The Amazing Grace, taking in the beautiful and remote islands of the South Pacific on the way. Despite her better judgment, she agreed to join him. Love With a Chance of Drowning tells the story of her journey. Torre’s path to publication has been a unique one. Now 33, she initially selfpublished her book under the title Swept, after failing to secure an agent or publisher. Once the book was available, she set about building her profile online, eventually grabbing the attention of Hollywood and a US and Australian publisher.
Social media serendipity Torre says she has social media to thank for getting her a publishing deal. “I’d spent six months querying agents in both Australia and the United States in 2011 and, while
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I’d had a few promising bites, there were no takers, so I decided to self-publish. A couple of weeks after launching via Kindle and Create Space, I received a Twitter message from a Hollywood producer who had chanced upon an excerpt on my blog after a series of random clicks that originated somewhere on his Twitter feed. He wanted to know if the option was available. I wanted to know if he was a spambot.” Around the same time, Torre was contacted by a UK publisher who had also chanced upon the excerpt through a Facebook memoir writers’ group she was a part of. “Summersdale Publishers also put in an offer to buy the book. Armed with these two offers, it took me a week to sign with a top agent,” she says. “We pitched to publishers immediately, and received a fantastic preemptive offer from Hyperion. We also sold to Penguin Australia at auction, Brilliance Audio, Summersdale, and to Brazilian publisher Verus Editora. The film option also sold to the producer who’d contacted me via Twitter. He is not a spambot.”
Building an author platform Torre has embraced the new world of publishing and marketing. She says that her own marketing and promotion was essential in scoring her book deal. “The deals wouldn’t have happened without my
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
blog, my book trailer, and my borderline obsessive-compulsive social media habits. I worked tirelessly on all aspects of the design, marketing and promotion, strategising into the wee hours of the night. I spent more time than I care to admit networking through various platforms and building a blog readership.” However, Torre didn’t train to be a writer. She studied visual communications and became a graphic designer. “Graphic design seemed like the best way to combine my passions for both visual arts and language. I loved certain aspects of design, but after working 10 years for mostly corporate clients, that fierce creative itch to communicate something meaningful was only ever lightly tickled. “I was in my 20s when I lived out the adventure captured in my memoir and, desperately homesick in the middle of the ocean, I began writing blog posts and long letters home. Since I’d decided to sail home to Australia from the US on a leaky boat with a man my parents had never met, I figured the least I could do was try to vividly recount the experience. “In capturing the bizarre and incredible experience in words, I discovered a passion for losing myself in the meditative, expansive world of writing. “My dad, a film and TV scriptwriter, paid me a rare compliment after reading my
Unleash your
CREATIVI
TY
Meet author and Australian Writers’ Centre presenter Kylie Ladd. Her third and most recent novel Into My Arms is in book stores now.
ican The North Amer book cover of Torre’s
stories – ‘You’ve got the knack, kid!’ – and so I decided to believe him and attempt a book.
Designs on writing
Here’s the Au stralian cover
She says that her training in graphic design and illustration helped her. “I’m required to communicate specific ideas in a way that the target audience can quickly and easily digest. Ten years of experience inside this audienceconscious relationship taught me to have deep empathy for the reader during the writing process. “My number one consideration at all times was: How is the reader doing right now? Are they laughing? Are they engaged? Or are they bored? I’m not sure I would have that level of awareness without my design experience.” Nevertheless, Torre has embraced her life as a writer. “On one of my more productive days, you’ll find me at my computer from the hours of nine to five, dividing my time between writing, reading, researching, freaking out, butchering perfectly good work, questioning my entire existence, Googling everything from man-eating sharks, to serial killers, to reviews for books I’ll never read, which generally leaves just enough time in the day for completely falling apart like one of those little collapsible wooden toys, before springing back to life just in time for dinner. Most days, I somehow manage to produce at least 1,000 words.” However, she always makes time for connecting online. And she advises aspiring authors to do the same. “Build a platform,” she says. “Start a blog, build a following and put a sample of your work out into the world. Don’t be afraid of Twitter.” In the meantime, she’s turned her attention to a new piece of work, another story that is close to her heart. “I’m working on an up-close and personal documentary about my writing idol—a man who is slowly being taken by cancer. My dad.” t Find Torre at fearfuladventurer.com
“I just finished Into My Arms and I can’t recommend it enough. Anyone who has read and enjoyed Caroline Overington’s or Jodi Picoult’s novels will love it. Kylie Ladd engages the reader from the first page to the very last. One of the most interesting and moving books of 2013. This book will get people talking.” – Booktopia
At the Australian
Writers’ Centre,
you learn from the
best.
Kylie is one of our creative writing teachers in Melbourne. She’s part of a team of presenters who are all passionate about sharing their knowledge and inspiring students. Whether you’re a total novice or already have some writing experience, your course in Creative Writing is an ideal starting point. At the Australian Writers’ Centre, you’ll meet like-minded students and presenters who share (and inspire) your passion for writing! You can learn in Sydney, Melbourne or online.
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Find out when the next course starts: WritersCentre.com.au
WritersCentre.com.au
Look into
another world
Join us in Oxford in
2014
Join the Australian Writers’ Centre’s unique writing program in Oxford in 2014 with fantasy author Kate Forsyth. Along with daily writing lessons, you’ll experience: • The local pubs where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein shared their ideas. • Visit Oxford University and … Hogwarts Library! • The pre-historic ruins of the Avebury stone circles • Home of novelist Graham Greene in the historic town of Chipping Camden. • Natural beauty of the th’s latest Kate Forsy s the Cotswolds.
book retell nzel apu story of R
Find out more: 12MagicInOxford.com
Want to write the next Game of Thrones or True Blood? Discover how to turn your ideas into a novel of epic proportions.
W
hether it’s television, movies or book stores, we’re often faced with fantastical creatures, demons and futuristic worlds. If an alien observed the goings-on in our popular culture, they’d be forgiven for thinking that our planet is populated with blood-sucking vampires, bespectacled wizards and tribal wars fighting for supremacy of Earth. Our thirst for magical worlds seems to be unquenchable. And numerous subgenres have spawned from this obsession, ranging from steampunk and science fiction to fractured fairytales and medieval fantasy. Offering an escape for readers, writers aren’t constrained by facts – they can create their own worlds. In theory, there is no limit to their imagination. Following and breaking the rules However, in order to write a credible fantasy novel, there are rules. Best-selling author Tara Moss says that if you don’t follow them, you risk alienating your readers. Tara first made her mark as an author with her crime books. First Fetish, followed by Split, Covet, Hit and Siren. To write credible crime stories, Tara is known for her research, visiting the FBI, Los Angeles Police Department, immersing herself in the world of crime and forensics.
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
In 2010, Tara strayed from the crime genre and released her a paranormal urban fantasy The Blood Countess, the first of the Pandora English series of books. This was followed by The Spider Goddess (2011) and The Skeleton Key (2012), Clearly, the fantasy genre is working for Tara. “People who love speculative fiction and love the paranormal are really well-read,” she says. “I understand you need to either embrace certain conventions, and if you don’t embrace those conventions, you need to acknowledge them, and give a reason why that’s not true in the world that you’re creating. And, that’s actually one of the most fun things you can do when dealing with the paranormal and the supernatural, to kind of acknowledge previous authors … I did quite a bit of research into ancient folklore, as well as mythology.” Although the book is a fantasy, it’s set in New York, so Tara had to marry her alternate world with a real city. “I lived in New York for several years, so I know it well. And, I wanted to create an alternate version of New York, but
from author Tara Moss AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
mystery and magic
to bring in historical facts, and also with the ancient folklore, focus on things that are based in real beliefs that people had in different cultures at one point, but maybe are now kind of lost and forgotten.” Epic multi-book stories Garth Nix has written countless fantasy books and is one of Australia’s most prolific and successful authors. He has mastered the art of creating stories that can span across multiple books, thus keeping people reading – and buying – his work. His Keys to the Kingdom fantasy-adventure series alone boasts seven books. It is about about an asthmatic boy named Arthur who is chosen to be the rightful heir of the centre of the universe. However, to write a credible story amidst of sea of bizarre characters means weaving together an intricate plot set against the backdrop of a fantastical world. Garth says that switching his headspace from the real world to the one in his head requires him to separate his real life from his office. “I do have a separate office. I walk from home to it and, in that walk, I think that’s part of gearing up to write,” he says. “When I do sit down and start to write I do often quite slowly get into it, but I just force myself to stay with it. And the more I write, the more I do get drawn into what I’m doing and it slowly accelerates.
But it usually takes me about 80 per cent of the total time I spend in writing a book to write the first half. The first half of the book takes way more time than the second half because I slowly build up momentum and get drawn into the story and so on.”
“
The best books are always the ones where the people just wrote what they wanted to write.
”
Write what you love While aspiring authors may look at the fantasy and science fiction genre as a lucrative one to write for, Garth warns that you should write about what you love. “I think one of the things that is important is to write for its own sake and to not worry about whether it’s going to be published or whether it’s going to be successful or anything,” he says. “Just write what you want to write, and write what you love. Maybe it isn’t the hottest genre or what you think is in demand at present. I still believe – and this is from the perspective of an ex-editor and an ex-agent as well as an
author myself – the best books are always the ones where the people just wrote what they wanted to write. Then try to work out what to do with it, as opposed to the other way around.” Garth also encourages aspiring authors to get started, even if that means writing on weekends or at lunchtime while you still have a day job. “You don’t need to be a full-time writer. There does seem to be a trend in that direction, people think they need to be full-time. But you don’t,” he says, emphasising that half his novels were written while he held down busy full-time jobs. “And most authors I know either do have jobs or have had busy jobs. If you just write even a few hours a week and maybe four or five hours on the weekend, you can write a novel in a year. I used to write every Sunday afternoon for about four hours and if you do that I think you can still finish a novel in a year, or a year and a half, just sticking with it.” t
The Keys to the Kingdom box set WritersCentre.com.au
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up and away
Travel bug
Sue White reveals how she became a globe-trotting travel writer who gets paid to go on adventures.
I
t’s the million dollar question: how do you break into travel writing? While it’s a competitive field, I didn’t start with any secret contacts in my back pocket. Instead, I had a strategy and slowly worked my way into a travel writing career. First, I started doing general freelance writing. I wrote on things that interested me, and made sure to match the right idea to the right publication. I wrote regularly, and quickly started building up a portfolio of people who had published my general feature articles. Inevitably, as I’ve also been a traveller since my teenage years, I ended up going on a long seven-week holiday. It was the kind of holiday where there was plenty of time to explore everything you could possibly want to, without budget constraints (for the record, it was India – cheap, cheerful and packed with story potential).
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While I was away, I made lots of notes in my notebook about things I thought might make interesting stories. More importantly, I captured the ‘flavour’ of India: the anecdotes, the funny situations, and the little details that I would forget later if they weren’t written down. I also collected contact details, flyers and brochures along the way, on things I thought I might need. The rest of the time, I went about enjoying my holiday.
Pitching story ideas When I came home, I started pitching travel stories, again trying to make sure I matched the right idea to the right publication. Because I’d already had regular feature stories published, I didn’t make as many of the mistakes new travel writers make, as I knew what editors were generally looking for.
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
Once these stories were published, I was on my way to building my travel writing portfolio, and to being paid to travel and write about it. While you don’t need to have a travel writing portfolio to go on a trip and write travel stories (you just arrange and pay for the trip yourself, as I did in India), you DO need one to get people to start to send you places for free.
What every single travel writer MUST do
So now that you’re on the road, where are you going to get your material so that you don’t sound like a travel brochure? Part of the answer will come from the destination itself. The activities you are doing and the people you are meeting are all potential story fodder. But how do you know you’re going to the right places? Or talking to the right people?
up and away
You may have landed in a destination with a pretty solid idea of where you think it’s cool to eat, drink or hang out. But what do you know? You’re just a blow in from somewhere else, right? The answer – and also the answer to the number one question all travel writers should ask – is this. 1. Find a local. 2. Ask him or her: “What would you do?” For example: “Where would you go to eat/shop/walk at sunset?” “Where do you buy your clothes/gifts/fruit and vegies?” “Where is the best cafe/bar/eating spot around here?”
The key: make it personal Sounds obvious, but many new travel writers simply rely on the information they receive from flyers, brochures or the local visitors centre to figure out the most interesting things to do in town. Sure, those might be interesting, but you’re hardly revealing anything new to a reader. They can find out about those things very easily. What readers need from you is this: they need you to go the extra mile. Figure out insider’s tips. Find places that are off the beaten track. Get inside a destination beyond what the average tourist does, so his or her own trip can be more interesting as a result. In Miami, I asked the hotel concierge, “Where should I head out tonight?” He gave me his standard answer and started pointing me to a touristy bar. “No, I don’t want to go to a touristy spot. Where would you go if you were heading out around here?” Completely different answer. He pointed me away from the beach strip to a salsa spot the locals love. Far more interesting for my readers. In San Francisco, I was chatting with a waitress about the city. I started asking her about clothes shopping. Vaguely interested, she pointed me to the main malls and said people love going there. By people, she meant tourists. Boring. Checking out her style, I decided she definitely shopped somewhere more interesting than that. “Where do the locals go for clothes shopping? Where do you
go if you have the afternoon off to go clothes shopping?” Completely different answer. She pointed me to an up and coming section of town becoming known for one off boutiques and vintage clothes. I never would have found that one in the tourist brochures.
Ask the locals In Cairns, I asked the guy at the tourist information centre where the best beaches in Cairns are. Now, Cairns is not known for its beaches, and I already knew there were far better beaches a couple of hours either direction out of town. But still, I wanted to check out the best possible beach option, so I might point readers in that direction if they were so inclined. “Well, there’s Palm Cove,” he says. Boring. Obvious. Easy to figure out myself. “Yes, but where do locals go? What if they are going out for an afternoon beach BBQ or just hanging out on the weekend? Where do you go?” Completely different answer. If you’re interested, it’s Holloways, or Yorkeys. Still a bit muddy looking, but nice long strips of sand. Remember, when you are on the road for a travel writing story, make it personal. And keep asking this question, even when you think you know the answer. I promise – it works. t Sue White is a freelance feature writer based in Sydney. She teaches Travel Writing and Magazine Writing at the Australian Writers’ Centre. SueWhite.com.au
Travel writing – at home and
abroad Does your idea of stamp collecting involve a passport and a customs official? In your travel writing course, you’ll discover how to: • Write different types of travel articles • Understand industry lingo • Structure your articles • Research travel stories and find interview subjects on the road • Write without ever getting on a plane – discovering your hometown or state • Stay out of trouble by following travel writing ethics • Approach editors and pitch your story • and MUCH more!
You can learn in Sydney, Melbourne or online. That means you can access your online classroom from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection.
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WritersCentre.com.au
Learn from
anywhere Whether you’re in a Buddhist retreat in Bhutan, snowboarding in Switzerland or pushed for time in Parramatta – you can now learn the skills to get published and unleash your creativity anywhere and any time that suits you!
“I would highly recommend this course. Do it! You won’t regret the decision.” – Maurice Venables
“I just took the BEST writers’ course at the Australian Writers’ Centre and if you’re interested in writing feature articles this is the place to be. You will love it!”
Secrets OF BEST-SELLING AUTHORS
– Shawnnita Fairbairn
You can learn in Sydney, Melbourne or online. That means you can access your online classroom from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection.
When it comes to success as a writer, how do you get inspiration to strike so you can create a masterpiece? We find out.
O
ne of the biggest misconceptions people have about the craft of writing is thinking that you need to be inspired with a bolt of lightning or muse to write a story or novel. The reality is that inspiration only plays a small part in the writing process. If you sit around waiting for it to hit, you could be waiting a very long time. Writing is actually all about discipline. It’s about finding a routine and process that works for you. And it’s about putting your bum on that seat and typing until the words come out. Many of those words may end up being deleted. But they have to be written in the first place in order for the gems to emerge.
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| SEPT/OCT 2013
Planning your plot New writers sometimes wonder whether they need to plan their plots from beginning to end before starting to write, or whether they can simply start with the germ of an idea in the hopes that it will develop into a fully fledged story. There is no right or wrong answer. You simply need to choose the method that will work best for you. Some writers can’t bear the thought of putting pen to paper until the whole story is mapped out. They need a purpose, a direction – even if that direction may change. Best-selling thriller author Matthew Reilly visited us at the Australian Writers’ Centre
AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
head down, bum up
and told us he is a planner. “I don’t start a book until I know the whole story from the get go. So, I don’t start page one until I know what happens at page 401,” he said. Each book follows a similar timeline. “At the moment it’s three months research, eight months writing, five months revision, and then I rest and stop.” Matthew’s next book The Tournament will be released November 2013. “I’d also say it works for me, it doesn’t work for everybody. Get the end in your head before you start, because it’s like planning a trip. If you’re going to drive from Sydney to Canberra, you need to know that you have to get onto the M5, and then get onto the Hume Highway and eventually you’ll get to Canberra. “That’s the way I write my books. I have my starting point. I have my finishing point. So, when I sit down, all I have to do is make sure I’m moving myself towards the finish.”
A discovery process However, other authors don’t work this way at all. They love the journey of discovery they go through as they get to know their own characters through the writing process. Chick lit author Jessica Rudd told us: “I’m a terrible planner, I try really hard. I mean my publisher always says to me, ‘Send me a synopsis, and we’ll have a look at it’. “I send in the synopsis, and the book never comes out anything like the synopsis because I write kind of like you might read a pick your own adventure book.” Jessica is author of Campaign Ruby and Ruby Blues. The protagonist is investment banker Ruby Stanhope. “I just listen to my characters and follow them. And a lot of things that happened in the book are things that I would never have dreamed of when I started writing it, and they’ve become integral parts of the plot. I need to become quite free when I’m writing, and I need to not try and commit too much to things.”
Pa m e la F r e e m an
J e s s ic a Rudd
M at t h e w R e i l ly
Inspiration and discipline Pamela Freeman has written 25 books including the fantasy epic The Castings Trilogy which has been published in the US, UK, France, Spain, Portugal and Germany as well as Australia. She teaches Creative Writing at the Australian Writers’ Centre. She knows only too well that being prolific means you have to be disciplined. “Inspiration will get you the first chapter but it won’t get you a book because inspiration is the easy part,” she says. “Every writer I know has half a dozen stories that they have ideas for but you have to choose the ones that you’re prepared to work on for two years. A novel will take you two years of work generally speaking, as a minimum. You’ve got to be prepared to put in time and effort and sweat. It is one per cent inspiration, 99 per cent perspiration.” However, Pamela believes the rewards are worth it. “I love that sense that I get to play for a living and to follow my deepest interests I guess. Because that’s where you should be writing from, the things that matter to you the most. When people email you and come up to you at a session and say, ‘Oh, I love that book.’ There’s no feeling like that, the idea that you can connect with people across the other side of the world. “A good book brings people all sorts of emotions and being able to make that connection with readers is the best.” t
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business writing
On the case One of the most effective stories you can tell in business is a powerful case study. But so many people get it wrong. Here’s what you should do. By Valerie Khoo.
W
hen it comes to showing how your business can help people, one of the most effective ways to do this is by using a case study. Before your eyes glaze over, don’t think that this is some boring dissection of a client project. Your case studies should be presented in a way that will inspire people and convert prospects into paying customers. After all, you can bang on forever about how good you are. You can list your company’s achievements until the cows home come. And you can talk ad nauseam about all the qualifications and skills your team possesses. However, while those factors are great, a powerful customer case study can often be the very thing that gets a potential customer across the line. The aim of this case study is to showcase how you can help people. You can use these case studies on your website, brochures, and marketing materials. This is often presented in written form but, these days, an increasing number of case studies are being presented via online
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AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
video. There’s no rule that decrees that one medium is better than another; the key is to pick the delivery that’s going to best resonate with your target audience. So what are the key components of a powerful case study? Obviously, you need to pick the right customers/clients to showcase. You want to find the best success stories – the ones that have seen the biggest impact on their lives since working with you. If you’re wondering how to tell this story, I recommend the following approach.
The basics Establish basic information first. This includes: the name of your client, a one- or two-sentence description of their business, how long it’s been in business, where it’s based and the name of your key contact in the company. This information is essential so that readers have the right context for the rest of your story.
business writing
The situation We all love “before” and “after” stories. The weight loss industry has used this marketing tactic to great effect for decades. The same can be said for businesses. But instead of showing “before” images of unfit people to compare with their ripped “after” images, you’re painting a picture of your customer’s situation before they began working with you. This section is your equivalent of the “before” photo. To this end, you need to provide readers with a clear idea of the situation your client was in. Try to illustrate this with useful statistics. This might include turnover, sales, profitability or rate of growth.
The challenges Next, outline the main challenges faced by your client. What did they want to change in their business and what were their biggest obstacles? Every compelling story has an element of challenge or conflict. If you want to maintain your readers’ interest, make sure this is included in your story. Perhaps the challenge was a slowing economy, onerous government regulations or the increasing dominance of a new competitor in the market. Describe the impact of this challenge on the client, why they wanted to overcome it and the consequences of not being able to. This hooks your reader in because, like watching a movie unfold, they want to see if the main character (in this case, your client) will come out a winner!
Your role Describe your role in helping your client to navigate the obstacles in their path. This is
Business
writing your chance to shine. But remember that your main character in this story is your client. Showcase your talents by outlining your recommendations and strategy, but let your client remain the hero of this story. Don’t try to hog the credit or the limelight. After all, people want Luke Skywalker to battle the evil empire and save the day. But when you tell the story right, they’ll also know that he couldn’t have done it without Obi-Wan Kenobi.
seminars
The outcome Finally, describe the outcome. This is your “after” photo. Provide readers with a clear idea of what was achieved. Again, this is going to be more powerful and credible if you can provide statistics or meaningful numbers. Use comparative figures where possible: that is, your client’s sales numbers now versus when they began working with you. In the same way that the weight loss industry show how many inches have been lost from hips, waist and thighs, your comparative numbers provide a measurable benchmark of your success.
Call to action Finally, remember to conclude your story with a call to action. Hopefully, you’ve inspired prospective customers to consider using your services. Make it easy for them to determine the next step. What do they need to do? Is there a specific number for them to call? Guide them in the right direction. Ultimately, your case studies aren’t just a marketing tool that show off what you can do with clients, they should be inspirational stories that celebrate the achievements of the people you do business with. t
Valerie Khoo is National Director of the Australian Writers’ Centre and author of Power Stories: The 8 Stories You MUST Tell to Build an Epic Business. www.PowerStoriesBook.com
What a difference a day makes. Our business courses get immediate results, exploring a range of writing and editing skills all within a business context. It’s about confidence and consistency – giving you and your team the blueprint to create clear and concise documents, perfect punctuation and effortless editing every time!
Professional writing with confidence – all in a day’s work! “It’s been a week since the course and I have been drafting management reports. Already, my manager has commented that I have improved my writing skills.” – John Lawson
You can come to our public courses in Sydney. Or book in-house corporate training in Sydney and Melbourne.
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WritersCentre.com.au WritersCentre.com.au
Get PAID to WRITE for MAGAZINES
Brand new
career Australian Writers’ Centre graduate Megan Blandford goes from blogging and babies to a booming freelance business. By Lisa Schofield
Do you want to write for your
favourite magazine? Want to know how to pitch
articles to editors?
In our Magazine and Newspaper Writing course, you’ll discover: • Ideas – where to get them and which ones work • The industry – understanding the magazine/ newspaper market • Researching, structuring and actually writing your feature • Interviewing skills – whether it’s a CEO or circus clown, rock star or rocket scientist, learn the questions you need to ask • What editors expect from freelance writers • Selling your story – a step-by-step guide to successfully pitching your article or idea to a magazine • and MUCH more! You can learn in Sydney, Melbourne or online, from wherever you are in the world as long as you have an internet connection.
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F
our years ago, after becoming a first time mum, Megan Blandford, 33, surprised herself. She did not feel compelled to return to her human resources role in the corporate world, a position she thought she’d only temporarily left. Instead, Megan found herself being drawn into a new world of writing. With a new blog called Writing Out Loud and plenty of material to write about as a new mum, Megan’s passion for writing took off. Her writing and photography skills were quickly rewarded with Megan being recognised as a Kidspot Top 50 Blogger in 2010, 2011, and as a Kidspot VIP Blogger in 2013. “I’ve always wanted to write,” remembers Megan, who is based in the Dandenong Ranges, on the outskirts of Melbourne. “My blog was the first step away from my corporate life and it amazed me when people wanted to read what I had written.” With an interest in family travel, adventure and photography, Megan cleverly created a popular blog that now registers over 10,000 unique visitors a month. The blog continues to open doors for more writing opportunities as a result of its success.
A great blog – but then what?
But it wasn’t clear to Megan how to take that next step in order to build up her business as a writer. And this is where social media and online networks worked their magic. Well known writer Allison Tait read between the lines of Megan’s blog posts and saw that Megan was confused about what to do next. Allison approached Megan suggesting a plan, which included enrolling in a five-week writing course at the Australian Writers’ Centre. This was the turning point for Megan.
In early 2012, Megan completed the Australian Writers’ Centre’s online course in Magazine and Newspaper Writing. “The course gave me the confidence to start writing and to make a business out of it. I learnt what to do as a writer, how to pitch, how to work with editors, and it took away my fears that I was going to do the wrong thing. “It gave me the confidence to write.” And that’s just what Megan did. “I had two goals,” remembers Megan. “First was to make an income from writing so I didn’t need to return to corporate work. And second was to write for the magazines that intimidated me. I had to prove to myself that I could do this.”
| SEPT/OCT 2013 AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
make it happen
Diversifying her income from writing
Megan has also integrated her business background into her writing and has added corporate writing to her portfolio. Corporate publications include Superfriend and NRMA. She is confident that continuing to blog is still an effective breeding ground for finding and testing ideas as well as practicing her writing techniques. “I see my blog as a marketing tool and good practice for writing regularly. A lot of work has come to me through my blog.” Getting through the initial doubt about whether she could write was a milestone for Megan. “Through the course, I found the self belief I needed to call myself a writer, and the skills I needed to be able to do this,” says Megan. And clearly Megan has something special in her ability as a writer for her stories to be published by such well-respected publications. Megan’s advice: detachment and persistence
The confidence to make it happen
Megan started pitching story ideas to editors as soon as the course finished. Not shying away from a challenge, Megan went after her biggest targets – an inflight magazine, and a newspaper. She was commissioned by both. Megan’s story about adventure travel for families in Queenstown was published in Jetstar’s inflight magazine. Then, the My Career section of Fairfax newspapers published an article by Megan about innovative management and employee performance. “This proved to me that I could do it,” says Megan. And then she went after more. Eighteen months after completing her course at the Australian Writers’ Centre – and after having another baby – Megan has cleverly established a niche for herself in the fields of parenting … and adventure travel! She has been successfully published in many publications including Wellbeing, Kidspot, Essential Baby, Practical Parenting, Wild, Go Camping, Mamamia as well as My Career and Jetstar, which have both commissioned further stories. A formula for success: write about what you know
Megan loves writing about her passions. Parenting experiences and child development, as well as family travel, and a good dose of adventure thrown in, are among her favourite topics to write about. She says her story “Four challenges of raising a four year old” (Essential Kids March 2012) could easily become a series, adapted every year as her daughters get older. Likewise, her article “Bushwalking with kids” (Web Child April 2012) has no doubt inspired many families to pull their trainers and backpacks on and head to the bush.
“Take the emotion out of it,” suggests Megan. “When you get a rejection, don’t think of yourself as a failure, and don’t think the editor doesn’t like you, just keep calm.” And then it’s all about persistence. “When I get a rejection, I send the editor back an email with a ‘thanks’ and another idea, and then I keep at it,” she says. Managing the workload can be a challenge with freelance writing, “I think it’s really important to be organised,” suggests Megan. “I have a spreadsheet with tabs on all my work, deadlines, ideas, and pitches.” And her golden piece of advice: “Don’t just wait for the ideas to come, sometimes you have to work hard at finding them and forcing them out.” Megan is adamant these factors have contributed to her success as a writer today. There is nothing accidental about why Australian Writers’ Centre graduate Megan Blandford is a successful freelance writer today. She is hard working, has an eye for story ideas, and an obvious talent for writing. But it’s her persistence and ability to see rejection as an opportunity, as well as her determination to take big steps – not baby ones – which have brought her to the point. It’s a place where Megan can say with total confidence: “I am a writer”. t
• Megan Blandford is a graduate of the online course Magazine and Newspaper Writing at the Australian Writers’ Centre. meganblandford.com • This profile was written by Lisa Schofield, a freelance writer based in Sydney and also a graduate of the Australian Writers’ Centre. givingbackgirl.blogspot. com.au
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just do it
Writing
Spring reading
You’ve got to be in it to win it. So make sure you enter!
What are you reading this spring? Whether it’s a literary masterpiece, memoir or trashy mag at the beauty salon, let’s us know! Take a photo and tag it #awcspringreading You might find your pic in the next edition!
competitions A bite-sized competition anyone can enter The Reader’s Digest 100 Word Story Competition 2013 Closes: 30 November 2013 Win: The winner receives $1000; two runners-up receive $250. All three tales will be published in Reader’s Digest in the New Year. What: Your story below should be original, unpublished and exactly 100 words long (99-worders will be disqualified, hyphenated words count as one). tinyurl.com/100word
Longer works, bigger prizes The Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers Closes: 11 October 2013 Win: Cash prize of $1,500; meeting with editor/publisher at Scribe; up to 10 hours of editorial time to work on developing the piece to Scribe’s publication standard OR to work on developing it into a book-length project. What: Open to writers aged 30 or under, who are working on a long form work in any nonfiction genre: memoir, journalism, essay, biography, and creative nonfiction. Entries must be between 5,000 and 10,000 words. tinyurl.com/scribeprize
Australian Book Review Calibre Prize 2014 Closes: Monday 2 December 2013 Win: The author of the winning essay will receive $5000 and have their essay published in ABR in 2014. What: For writers of essays, this must be one of the most lucrative competitions in Australia. Now in its eighth year, the competition is again open for essays of 3000 to 7000 words on any non-fiction subject. Entry costs $40 per essay (or $25 if you are an ABR subscriber) and must be accompanied by an entry form. australianbookreview.com.au/prizes/calibre-prize
National One-Act Playwriting Competition 2014 Closes: 1 October 2013 Win: Total prize pool of $6,000, the winner of Best Play will take home a prize of $3,000 (sponsored by Macquarie Private Wealth), 2nd place $2,000, and 3rd place $1,000. What: This playwriting competition offers a unique opportunity for the winning playwrights to see their new work performed on stage at the Noosa Arts Theatre OneAct Play Festival, for an 11-performance season over three weeks in July as part of the Noosa Longweekend 10-day cultural festival. tinyurl.com/noosaplay For a more comprehensive list of competitions, visit the Australian Writers’ Centre’s blog at WritingBar.com
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AUSTRALIAN WRITERS’ CENTRE | SEPT/OCT 2013
Upcoming courses in September/October 2013
SYDNEY:
Self-Publishing: How to do it
Build Your Profile Using Twitter
with Geoff Bartlett Wednesday 16 October 2013 (two-hours)
with Kerri Sackville Wednesday 18 Sept. 2013 (two hours)
Introduction to Novel Writing
Grammar and Punctuation Essentials
with Pamela Freeman Starting Thursday 17 October 2013 (6 weeks)
with Deb Doyle Thursday 19 Sept. 2013 (one-day) Writing Picture Books
with Cathie Tasker Starting Wednesday 25 September 2013 for five weeks Writing for the Web
with Grant Doyle Thursday 26 September 2013 (one-day) Professional Business Writing
with Sue White Wednesday 2 October 2013 (one-day)
Thriller Writing
Travel Writing
with Sue White Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October. 2013 (weekend) Blogging for Beginners
with Kim Berry Tuesday 8 October 2013 (two-hours)
Writing About Food
with Carli Ratcliff Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October 2013 (weekend)
with Tim Gooding Starting Tuesday 15 October 2013 (5 weeks)
with Karen Andrews Saturday 12 October 2013 (two hours)
Travel Memoir
with Nicole Avery Sunday 20 October 2013
with Claire Scobie Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October 2013 (weekend)
Grow Your Readership
ONLINE COURSES: Magazine and Newspaper Writing
Write a Chick-Lit Novel
with Lisa Heidke Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October 2013 (weekend) Writing Books for Children and Young Adults
with Judith Ridge Starting Wednesday 23 October 2013 (5 weeks)
with Sue White/ Allison Tait Travel Writing
with Sue White Creative Writing Stage 1
with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman Creative Writing Stage 2: Fiction Writing Techniques
Business Writing Essentials
with Kate Hennessy Wednesday 30 October 2013 (one-day)
with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman Writing Picture Books
with Cathie Tasker
MELBOURNE: Creative Writing Stage 1
with Kylie Ladd Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September 2013 (weekend) Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1
Screenwriting Stage 2
Blogging for Beginners
Blogging Intermediate:
Fantasy, Science Fiction and More
with Pamela Freeman Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October 2013 (weekend)
with Julietta Jameson Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October 2013 (weekend)
with L.A. Larkin Starting Thursday 17 October 2013 (5 weeks)
Editing Essentials
with Deb Doyle Thursday 3 October 2013 (one-day)
Travel Writing
with Valerie Khoo Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October 2013 (weekend)
Writing Books for Children
and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
ALL ONLINE courses are scheduled frequently. Find out dates at: WritersCentre.com.au Sydney courses are held in our harbourside training rooms in Milsons Point. Melbourne courses are held in the artistic precinct at The Abbotsford Convent. Online courses are held wherever you are!
WritersCentre.com.au
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