Courses

Talking Writing: Writing Criticism Now

Talking Writing: Writing Criticism Now

Who: Geoffrey Atherden and Ben Jenkins
When: Thursday 12 April, 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: Full price: $20; Member: FREE

Join us at the NSW Writers’ Centre for Writing Comedy – a night exploring the ins and outs of writing comedy for the page and the stage… and making it funny. What is the difference between being funny in writing and on TV or in film? Practicing professionals will talk you through the process of making someone crack a rib. .....

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HSC English Ext 2 Phase Three: Final Draft

HSC English Ext 2 Phase Three: Final Draft

Who: Anna Maria Dell’Oso
When: 2 x Sundays: 20 & 27 May, 10am – 4pm
Cost: Full price: $350; Conc Member: $210
Code: 12DELL5

It can be daunting to organise and produce a major original literary work in your HSC year while faced with demands from other subjects. Whether you’re working on long or short fiction or drama-based scripts, students cannot afford to miss this guide to the English Extension 2 Major Work.

Over three phases spaced throughout the HSC year, author, journalist and critic Anna Maria Dell’Oso will guide you from coming up with your ideas, to drafting your work in progress and getting ready to hand in your project. Students can enrol in all three phases or join in at any stage along the way. Anna’s intensive classes are an excellent way of diving into your Extension 2 Major Work while learning invaluable writing and editing skills to sustain you through your HSC project and beyond. .....

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Writing a Sense of Place

Writing a Sense of Place

Who:  Felicity Castagna
When:
Saturday 2 June, 10am-4pm
Cost:
Full Price $150; Member $105; Conc Member $90
Code:
12CAST6

Annie Proulx once said that Brokeback Mountain isn’t about two gay cowboys; it’s about the West and its sense of place. The expression “a sense of place” is a critical catchphase that often defies clear understanding. As readers we know when a writer has created a “great sense of place”. But what does that mean? It’s hopelessly vague. In this course students will meticulously consider the techniques used by writers to convey “a sense of place”, as well as looking at the role it plays in creative writing. When writing about place, the writer must consider more than just its physical attributes or location. .....

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The Saturday Playwrights' Course (Three Phases)

The Saturday Playwrights' Course (Three Phases)

Please note change of dates

Who: Timothy Daly

Timothy Daly is one of Australia’s most internationally successful playwrights, with a string of national and international awards and productions. In 2012, Timothy returns with his highly successful, intensive course that will take you from the start to the finish of writing your play.

Open to both beginning writers for theatre as well as those with some experience, this year-long course is one of the most detailed, practical and ‘hands-on’ available. You will receive detailed notes and helpful writing exercises as well as have the chance to write your own play and workshop it in class. .....

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HSC English Extension 2: A Year of Writing

HSC English Extension 2: A Year of Writing

Who:  Anna Maria Dell’Oso

It can be daunting to organise and produce a major original literary work in your HSC year while faced with demands from other subjects. Whether you’re working on long or short fiction or drama-based scripts, students cannot afford to miss this guide to the Extension 2 Major Work.

 Over three phases spaced throughout the HSC year, author, journalist and critic Anna Maria Dell’Oso will guide you – from coming up with your ideas, to drafting your work in progress and getting ready to hand in your project. Students can enrol in all three phases or join in at any stage along the way. Anna’s intensive classes are an excellent way of diving into your Extension 2 Major Work while learning invaluable writing and editing skills to sustain you through your HSC project and beyond. .....

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Cheeky Monkey Comedy Masterclass

Cheeky Monkey Comedy Masterclass

Who:  Tim Ferguson
When:
Saturday 9 June, 10am-4pm
Full Price $150; Member $105; Conc Member $90
Location: NSW Writers’ Centre, Rozelle, Sydney

This writing course will offer the processes and insights necessary for writers to expand their skills base into writing comedy.

All great writers have a working knowledge of the principles of comedy. These principles are fixed, universal and quantifiable. .....

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Facts More Compelling Than Fiction: Writing Narrative Journalism

Facts More Compelling Than Fiction: Writing Narrative Journalism

Who:  Benjamin Law
When: Sunday 10 June, 10am-4pm
Full Price $150; Member $105; Conc Member $90
Location: NSW Writers’ Centre, Rozelle, Sydney

This workshop is suitable for fiction writers wanting to apply their writing skills to a new field, or journalists looking for a new way to present a good story.

It will lead you through every step of the process from harvesting story ideas, pitching them to editors, right through to the nitty gritty of research, sourcing and conducting interviews and how to turn raw research material into a riveting story, ready for publication in a magazine or book. .....

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Year of the Novel (Three Acts)

Year of the Novel (Three Acts)

Who:  Bem Le Hunte
Cost:
Complete Course – Three Acts (additional 10% discount)
Full Price:
$2430, Member: $1730, Conc Member: $1470
Code:
12LEHU2

Make this the year that you write that novel or novella you’ve yet to start or complete. This course gives you the inspiration, the camaraderie, the structure, skills and motivation to write the novel you’ve been putting off. Whether you’re beginning your writing adventure or have lots of writing under your belt, you’re welcome to attend. .....

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Writing Emotion

Writing Emotion

Who:  Maggie MacKellar
When: Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 June 10am-4pm.
Full price $290; Member $205; Conc Member $175
Location: NSW Writers’ Centre, Rozelle, Sydney

Whether your form is fiction, memoir or a blog, this course will challenge and stimulate the way you think about writing emotion.

This writing course is for anyone who is trying to write about the big moments in life – birth, death, love and the related transformations of the human spirit within these. .....

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Writing About Food

Writing About Food

Who: John Newton
When: 6 x Tuesday evenings: 22 & 29 May; 5, 12, 19 & 26 June, 6.30pm – 9.30pm
 Full Price $540; Member $380; Conc Member $325
Location: NSW Writers’ Centre, Rozelle, Sydney

Whether you write reviews, recipes or just want to celebrate the delights of the palate, this course for writers has got something for everyone – with or without food writing experience. .....

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Writing Film and TV: Dialogue and Structure for Drama

Writing Film and TV: Dialogue and Structure for Drama

Who: Nick Parsons
When: Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 May, 10am-4pm
Full price $290; Member $205; Conc Member $175
Location: NSW Writers’ Centre, Rozelle, Sydney
.....

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Year of the YA Novel (Three Phases)

Year of the YA Novel (Three Phases)

Who:  James Roy
Cost: Full Price $970; Member $675 (30% discount) Conc Member $580 (40% discount). Complete course – three phases (additional 10% discount).

Writing for young adults – it’s a skill that is often undervalued. After all, teenagers are only interested in vampires, technology and loud music, aren’t they? Besides, they don’t have anything good or important to say, right?

If you think this is true, consider this: some of the great novels would be considered Young Adult fiction were they to be published today – To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Treasure Island, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, even Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet feature young people finding their way in a grown-up world. .....

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From Seed to Story: Writing Picture Books

From Seed to Story: Writing Picture Books

Who:  Lisa Shanahan
When: Saturday 16 June, 10am-4pm
Full price: $150; Member: $105; Conc Member: $90
Location: NSW Writers’ Centre, Rozelle, Sydney

This one-day writing course for beginning picture book writers outlines the journey of creating a picture book from the first seed to final story

A picture book is a unique meeting place. It’s the place where a text meets with the illustrations and the illustrations with a text. It’s a place where an adult meets with a child and a child meets with an adult. It’s a place where a child meets with themselves … and also with the world. So much in so little time! .....

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Moments of Grace: A Poetry Workshop

Moments of Grace: A Poetry Workshop

Who:  Peter Skrzynecki
When: Saturday 23 June, 10am-4pm
Full price: $150; Member: $105; Conc Member: $90
Location: NSW Writers’ Centre, Rozelle, Sydney

This poetry writers course is  designed to develop your writing by illustrating how the Ordinary can reveal the Extraordinary and how these experiences exist around us all the time. .....

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Year of the Novel: Act Two

Year of the Novel: Act Two

Who: Bem Le Hunte
When:
10 x Tuesday evenings: 5,12,19 & 26 June; 2,9,16,23 & 30 October; 6 & 13 November, 6:30pm-9:30pm
Cost: Full Price:
$900; Member: $640; Conc Member: $545
Code:
12LEHU6

Act Two is where our action happens. Where we make form out substance, drawing together the ideas, possibilities and words we’ve created throughout the first stage of this course. We’ll explore many techniques that can turn a story inside out and back-to-front, and we’ll start to think about structuring ideas and events in a way that is meaningful to an overall narrative. .....

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Year of the Novel: Act Three

Year of the Novel: Act Three

Who: Bem Le Hunte
Dates: 10 x Tuesday evenings: 11, 18 & 25 September; 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 October; 6 & 13 November, 6:30pm-9:30pm
Cost: Full Price: $900; Member: $640; Conc Member: $545
Code: 12LEHU2

This phase of the course is all about getting ready for publication-a time for troubleshooting and improving-for getting rid of the typical ‘first novel flaws’ and creating a manuscript that lives up to the highest expectations of readers and publishers. This is our moment of reckoning. The point when everything we’ve learned so far on the writing journey is put to the test under a critical eye. .....

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The Saturday Playwrights' Course: Phase One

The Saturday Playwrights' Course: Phase One

Please note change of dates

Who: Timothy Daly
When: 8 x Saturday afternoons: 10, 17, 24 & 31 March; 21 & 28 April; 5 & 12May, 1pm-4pm
Cost: Full price: $720; Member: $510; Conc Member: $435
Code: 12DALY3

Timothy Daly is one of Australia’s most internationally successful playwrights, with a string of national and international awards and productions. Open to both beginning writers for theatre as well as those with some experience, this year -long course is one of the most detailed, practical and hands-on available. .....

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The Saturday Playwrights' Course: Phase Two

The Saturday Playwrights' Course: Phase Two

Who: Timothy Daly
When: 8 x Saturday afternoons: 30 June; 7, 14, 21 July; 4, 11, 18 & 25 August, 1pm-4pm
Full price: $720; Member: $510; Conc Member: $435
Location: NSW Writers’ Centre, Rozelle, Sydney

Open to both beginning writers for theatre as well as those with some experience, this writing course is one of the most detailed, practical and hands-on available. .....

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The Saturday Playwrights' Course: Phase Three

The Saturday Playwrights' Course: Phase Three

Who: Timothy Daly
When: 8 x Saturday afternoons: 8, 15, 22 & 29 September; 6, 13, 20 & 27 October; 1pm-4pm
Cost: Full price: $720; Member: $510; Conc Member: $435
Code: 12DALY9

Timothy Daly is one of Australia’s most internationally successful playwrights, with a string of national and international awards and productions. Open to both beginning writers for theatre as well as those with some experience, this year -long course is one of the most detailed, practical and hands-on available. .....

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Year of the YA Novel: Phase Two

Year of the YA Novel: Phase Two

Who: James Roy
When: 4 x Sunday mornings: 10, 17, 24 June & 1 July, 10am-1pm
Cost: Full Price: $360; Member: $250; Conc Member: $215
Code: 12ROY6

Writing for young adults – it’s a skill that is often undervalued. After all, teenagers are only interested in vampires, technology and loud music, aren’t they? Besides, they don’t have anything good or important to say, right?

James Roy is the award-winning author of twenty books for children and young adults. James will present this special year-long course, running over three phases, which will guide students through the process of writing a YA novel. With that in mind, participants will need to not only have a strong desire to write for teens, but will ideally have begun a project, although some may come with little more than the germ of an idea. .....

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Year of the YA Novel: Phase Three

Year of the YA Novel: Phase Three

Who: James Roy
When: 4 x Sunday mornings: 9, 16, 23 & 30 September, 10am-1pm
Cost: Full Price: $360; Member: $250; Conc Member: $215
Code: 12ROY9

Writing for young adults – it’s a skill that is often undervalued. After all, teenagers are only interested in vampires, technology and loud music, aren’t they? Besides, they don’t have anything good or important to say, right?

James Roy is the award-winning author of twenty books for children and young adults. James will present this special year-long course, running over three phases, which will guide students through the process of writing a YA novel. With that in mind, participants will need to not only have a strong desire to write for teens, but will ideally have begun a project, although some may come with little more than the germ of an idea. .....

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New membership

Whatever your needs in writing and publishing, the NSW Writers’ Centre is here with information, resources, workshops and competitions. We can also answer your questions and give you personal advice on your own particular publishing queries. For full details of the benefits of membership, click here.

Membership of the NSW Writers’ Centre is open to all individuals whose interests are in accordance with the objectives of the Centre.

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New membership (concession)

Whatever your needs in writing and publishing, the NSW Writers’ Centre is here with information, resources, workshops and competitions. We can also answer your questions and give you personal advice on your own particular publishing queries. For full details of the benefits of membership, click here.

Membership of the NSW Writers’ Centre is open to all individuals whose interests are in accordance with the objectives of the Centre.

Concession members must provide a valid concession number (health care card number, seniors card number or full-time student number). .....

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New membership (regional)

Whatever your needs in writing and publishing, the NSW Writers’ Centre is here with information, resources, workshops and competitions. We can also answer your questions and give you personal advice on your own particular publishing queries. For full details of the benefits of membership, click here.

Membership of the NSW Writers’ Centre is open to all individuals whose interests are in accordance with the objectives of the Centre.

Regional members must reside at least 200km outside Sydney CBD.

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New overseas membership (NZ & PNG)

Whatever your needs in writing and publishing, the NSW Writers’ Centre is here with information, resources, workshops and competitions. We can also answer your questions and give you personal advice on your own particular publishing queries. For full details of the benefits of membership, click here.

Membership of the NSW Writers’ Centre is open to all individuals whose interests are in accordance with the objectives of the Centre.

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New membership overseas (other)

Whatever your needs in writing and publishing, the NSW Writers’ Centre is here with information, resources, workshops and competitions. We can also answer your questions and give you personal advice on your own particular publishing queries. For full details of the benefits of membership, click here.

Membership of the NSW Writers’ Centre is open to all individuals whose interests are in accordance with the objectives of the Centre.

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Membership renewal

Whatever your needs in writing and publishing, the NSW Writers’ Centre is here with information, resources, workshops and competitions. We can also answer your questions and give you personal advice on your own particular publishing queries. For full details of the benefits of membership, click here.

Membership of the NSW Writers’ Centre is open to all individuals whose interests are in accordance with the objectives of the Centre.

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Membership renewal (concession)

Whatever your needs in writing and publishing, the NSW Writers’ Centre is here with information, resources, workshops and competitions. We can also answer your questions and give you personal advice on your own particular publishing queries. For full details of the benefits of membership, click here.

Membership of the NSW Writers’ Centre is open to all individuals whose interests are in accordance with the objectives of the Centre.

Concession members must provide a valid concession number (health care card number, seniors card number or full-time student number). .....

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Membership Renewal (regional)

Whatever your needs in writing and publishing, the NSW Writers’ Centre is here with information, resources, workshops and competitions. We can also answer your questions and give you personal advice on your own particular publishing queries. For full details of the benefits of membership, click here.

Membership of the NSW Writers’ Centre is open to all individuals whose interests are in accordance with the objectives of the Centre.

Regional members must reside at least 200km outside Sydney CBD.

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Membership renewal (overseas NZ & PNG)

Whatever your needs in writing and publishing, the NSW Writers’ Centre is here with information, resources, workshops and competitions. We can also answer your questions and give you personal advice on your own particular publishing queries. For full details of the benefits of membership, click here.

Membership of the NSW Writers’ Centre is open to all individuals whose interests are in accordance with the objectives of the Centre.

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Membership renewal (overseas other)

Whatever your needs in writing and publishing, the NSW Writers’ Centre is here with information, resources, workshops and competitions. We can also answer your questions and give you personal advice on your own particular publishing queries. For full details of the benefits of membership, click here.

Membership of the NSW Writers’ Centre is open to all individuals whose interests are in accordance with the objectives of the Centre.

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A Decent Proposal

A Decent Proposal

By Rhonda Whitton and Sheila Hollingworth

How to sell your book to an Australia publisher or literary agent.

You’ve finished drafting and polishing your manuscript. So what happens next?
Based on an industry-wide survey and using writers’ successful proposals as examples, A Decent Proposal introduces the techniques required to develop a convincing Book Proposal that will satisfy (yes, and even excite) an Australian publisher or literary agent. This fully revised edition features step-by-step instructions for developing a winning Book Proposal package and includes information on: .....

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Australian Book Contracts

Australian Book Contracts

The book that Thomas Keneally calls his “contractual bible”. This is an essential reference book for every serious professional writer in Australia.

Book Contents:

  • Print Contracts
  • Digital Contracts
  • Special Considerations
  • Negotiating with your publisher
  • Getting Help Lending Rights and Collecting Societies

Published by the Keesing Press and the Australian Society of Authors.

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Between the Lines: a Legal Guide for Writers and Illustrators

Between the Lines: a Legal Guide for Writers and Illustrators

A practical, plain English legal guide for Australian writers and illustrators.

Book Contents:

  • Copyright
  • Defamation and Censorship
  • Contracts
  • Ethics
  • Getting Paid
  • Money Matters
  • Wills, Gifts and Bequests
  • The Politics of Authorship

Published by Keesing Press and the Australian Society of Authors.

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Mentor's assessment

The NSW Writers’ Centre offers a mentorship scheme for members who would like professional assistance with their writing and can afford to pay. The scheme offers one-to-one supervision and discussion of a member’s work with an experienced, established writer or editor.

If you need just an appraisal of your manuscript then our 5 hour Mentor’s Assessment may be a good choice. With this program you apply and send through your manuscript and one of our mentors will complete a two-page assessment of where the manuscript is at and suggest some possible changes. .....

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Mentorship

The NSW Writers’ Centre offers a mentorship scheme for members who would like professional assistance with their writing and can afford to pay. The scheme offers one-to-one supervision and discussion of a member’s work with an experienced, established writer or editor.

The Centre has compiled a register of experienced writers and editors who are available to undertake such supervision. As a mentee, you can either select your preferred mentor from the register or nominate one of your choice, and we will endeavour to secure his/her services for you.

Visit t

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Donation

Please select from the options below to make a financial donation to the NSW Writers’ Centre. To make a donation of a different amount, contact the Centre’s Director on (02) 9555 9757. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

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ABC Book of Australian Children's Illustrators

ABC Book of Australian Children's Illustrators

by Margaret Hamilton
A dazzling presentation of 22 evocative artworks from some of Australia’s best-known picture book illustrators – from Wayne Harris and Julie Vivas to Leigh Hobbs and Kim Gamble.
Australian children’s illustrators took the world by storm in the 1970s. They pushed the boundaries of subject matter and design to produce fresh matter and bold illustrations. Today, their work is as innovative and exciting as ever.
This book showcases the work of 22 Australian children’s illustrators. Each illustration comes from a picture book published by ABC Books. From Julie Vivas and Wayne Harris to Leigh Hobbs and Donna Rawlins, their diversity of styles, media and interpretations create a mesmerising kaleidoscope of colours, shapes, styles and patterns.
About the Author – Margaret Hamilton has been involved with children and their books all her working life – as a children’s librarian, a bookseller, a publisher (Margaret Hamilton Books) and a parent. For her services to children’s literature Margaret has been honoured with The CBCA NSW Lady Cutler Award, The ABPA Pixie O’Harris Award and The CBCA Nan Chauncy Award.
Published by ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation .....

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The Australian Writer's Marketplace 2011/12 Edition

The Australian Writer's Marketplace 2011/12 Edition

From the Queensland Writers’ Centre

The Australian Writer’s Marketplace has every contact you will ever need to succeed in the writing business.

It is a directory for writers and contains listings of:

  • writing markets
  • publishers
  • agents
  • publishing services
  • writers’ services (editors, manuscript appraisers, etc)
  • industry organisations
  • awards, competitions and grants
  • courses and events

The Australian Writer’s Marketplace also contains other valuable resources for writers, including essays from industry professionals on topics like What Editors Want and How to get an Agent. .....

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Better Than Chocolate

Better Than Chocolate

By the Writers’ Dozen

An anthology from an exciting and eclectic group of 13 Sydney-based writers who meet regularly at the NSW Writers’ Centre. Their published work includes novels, short stories and poems.

Better than Chocolate is a delicious assortment of deftly crafted tales that mirror the facts and fantasies of the circle of life. Dip into this magical mix of memoir and imagination and simply enjoy.

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The Essentials of Great Writing

The Essentials of Great Writing

by Tony Spencer-Smith

The Essentials of Great Writing covers the full range of skills required to write well and will be useful to anyone who writes. Whether you want to produce sophisticated corporate copy such as case studies, reports and media releases; have ambitions to become a novelist; or want to write your memoirs or a history of your family, this book will help you.

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How to Write Crime Fiction

How to Write Crime Fiction

Edited by Marele Day

Brought together by award-winning crime author, Marele Day, twelve crime writers and readers give invaluable insights into what they do, what they look for-and how you can do it too.

How to Write Crime shows you skills, techniques and short cuts and offers ways to solve problems that have helped the best-selling contributors in their careers. Exercises follow most of the chapters.

Chapters such as ‘Research’, ‘Plot and Structure’, ‘Character’ and ‘Dialogue’ will help you refine your skills; ‘Taking Care of Business’ will give you a headstart in the business of getting published; and ‘The Reader’s Point of View’ should always be remembered. .....

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HSC English Extension 2 Play Writing

HSC English Extension 2 Play Writing

A Manual for Teachers and Students by Timothy Daly

This book is a very detailed step-by-step guide for both teacher and student, showing how to write effective plays for HSC 4 Unit Extension 2. Also includes a chapter on story structure, sample plays and advice on the page layout of your play.

Each section is self-contained, but whatever form (radio, film etc) that you’re doing you probably should have a look at the first section, on ‘story’, as it’s sure to give you ideas about story and plot (that is, how and when you tell your story). .....

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HSC English Ext 2 Script Writing

HSC English Ext 2 Script Writing

A Manual for Teachers and Students by Timothy Daly

This book provides practical examples and helpful writing tips for HSC Extension 2 film script writing, TV writing, radio plays and speech writing, along with numerous sample scripts and helpful hints on page layout and story structure.

Each section is self-contained, but whatever form (radio, film etc) that you’re doing you probably should have a look at the first section, on ‘story’, as it’s sure to give you ideas about story and plot (that is, how and when you tell your story). .....

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HSC English Ext 2 Radio Writing

HSC English Ext 2 Radio Writing

A Manual for Teachers and Students by Timothy Daly

This book is the most comprehensive book available on the specialised techniques of radio play writing. Also includes a chapter on story structure, stylistic & formal options, full script examples and advice on the page layout of the radio script.

This kit has been designed, after years of working with hsc writers, to help you get started on your scriptwriting project and make it a fantastic work of imagination— and one that gets the mark it deserves!

Each section is self-contained, but whatever form (radio, film etc) that you’re doing you probably should have a look at the first section, on ‘story’, as it’s sure to give you ideas about story and plot (that is, how and when you tell your story). .....

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Juicy Writing

Juicy Writing

Inspiration and Techniques for Young Writers

by Brigid Lowry

Brigid Lowry knows the highs and lows of being a writer, but she still thinks it’s a joy. In this book she takes you on a journey to discover yourself and what you really want to say, AND how to make it juicy and original. So, what do you need to begin? Where can you find ideas? How canyou make your writing better? What can you do if you get stuck?

Let Brigid inspire you to doole, daydream and discover your creativity – then write hard and fast into the wild land of your imagination. If you ever thought you’d like to write , start reading Juicy Writing! .....

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The Little Red Writing Book

The Little Red Writing Book

by Mark Tredinnick

‘The Little Red Writing book is a welcome companion for all of us who work with the English language. The author tells us what we need to know as writers and shows us how it’s done with grace and care. He offers fresh and memorable examples of good writing with a music-maker’s ear for words in tune. He guides us with personality and commonsense, from precision editing to poetic freedoms, all the time making complex things clear and simple. This is a book for every writer’s backpack.’

Nicholas Jose

‘In The Little Red Writing Book Mark Tredinnick reminds us of something too often forgotten: that real writing begins in words, and the power of language to make the world anew. At once a practical guide to writing better and a deeply personal exploration of the writer’s craft it is that rarest of things: a writing manual that actually works.’ .....

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The Little Green Grammar Book

The Little Green Grammar Book

by Mark Tredinnick

What really goes on inside a sentence? What is your subject, and where is your verb, and what is its tense, and where is your modifier, and why does it matter? Were do you need a comma and where do you not? Why are cashes and semicolons so misunderstood? When is it which and when is it that? In The Little Green Grammar Book, Mark Tredinnick asks and answers the tough grammar questions – big and small – with the same verve and authority that readers encountered in The Little Red Writing Book.

He makes the complexities of sentence structure and punctuation elegantly simple, and he does it in a clear and easy-going style. He makes grammar useful. He even makes it fun. His book offers limpid explanations, illustrated with memorable examples, of all the most important points of grammar. .....

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The Little Black Book of Business Writing

The Little Black Book of Business Writing

by Mark Tredinnick

The Little Black Book of Business Writing is a trim book of style for everyone who writes at work and wants to do it better. It’s also a lyrical rant against corporate cant and a cry for bureaucratic and scholarly grace. Challenging, practical and a joy to read, The Little Black Book may turn out to be the most useful little thing on your desk.

From the art of the start to the craft of the close, by way of twelve big ideas and a model for writing anything, The Little Black Book of Business Writing will help you master that core business function: writing. .....

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Making Stories

Making Stories

By Kate Grenville and Sue Woolfe

How Ten Australian novels were written.

Helen Garner, Peter Carey, Kate Grenville, David Ireland, Elizabeth Jolley, Sue Woolfe, Finola Moorhead, Patrick White, Thomas Keneally, Jessica Anderson.

Good writers make writing look easy – but is it? Anyone learning to write will be encouraged by Making Stories – its shows that even our greatest novelists come to their books by a long and uncertain process.

Making Stories shows ten acclaimed Australian authors at work, painstakingly constructing their books from rough notes, dimly-glimpsed ideas, and trial and error. .....

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The Memoir Book

The Memoir Book

by Patti Miller

A clear, engaging and practical ‘how-to’ guide to writing a memoir, by Australia’s foremost teacher and practitioner of memoir and life writing, Patti Miller.

We all have a story to tell – whether it is a story of a migrant childhood, a difficult past, adopting a child, riding a bike across India, or simply a contemplative year in a garden. With these stories we make sense of ourselves and the world around us.

Memoir – writing about an aspect of a life rather than a whole life – expresses and shapes these stories within us so that the writing becomes more than a record, it becomes a creative journey. .....

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The Reader Vol. 2

The Reader Vol. 2

Produced by the Emerging Writers Festival

Edited by Aden Rolfe

The Reader brings together ideas and insights into the craft, philosophy and politics of being a writer. It’s about writing and everything that comes with that: editing and publishing, motivation and distraction, the missed opportunities and the poetics of failure. With articles, essays, poems, fiction and artworks, The Reader blurs the lines between the creative and the critical, ultimately asking, what it is to be a writer?

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Self-Publishing Made Simple

Self-Publishing Made Simple

By Euan Mitchell

Self-publishing can be your stepping-stone to a publishing contract.

Whether you want to publish fiction or non-fiction for commercial or private purposes, Self-Publishing made Simple: The Ultimate Australian Guide will save you time and money; in some cases many thousands of dollars on printing and pre-press costs. This can be the difference between profitable success and expensive failure.

Self-Publishing Made Simple is a practical guide designed in a unique workflow format divided into four stages: .....

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The Self-Publisher's Marketing Guide

The Self-Publisher's Marketing Guide

by Debbie Higgs

Exciting and viable new opportunities abound for self-published authors. In order to succeed in today’s fast moving publishing environment, self-published authors must be prepared to invest in a thorough and on-going marketing campaign.

This book explains how to utilise traditional marketing methods combined with the reach of the internet to research target markets and implement a relatively inexpensive marketing campaign.

The Self-publisher’s Marketing Guide provides authors with the advice and practical know-how to successfully market their own book in three easy stages; .....

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The Writing Book

The Writing Book

by Kate Grenville

The Writing Book doesn’t just talk about how to write fiction; it take you, step by step, throught the process of doing it.

Each chapter concentrates on one aspect of writing, such as getting started, bringing characters to life, writing convincing dialogue, revising and writer’s block.

Exercises in each chapters are carefully structured so that each builds on the one before. Examples from contemporary Australian writing demonstrate how different writers tackle the technical aspects of their art.

By working your way through this book, you’ll gradually craft a piece of fiction, and develop confidence in you own fictional voice. .....

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Writing Family History Made Very Easy

Writing Family History Made Very Easy

By Noeline Kyle

A practical guide to writing family history, designed especially for family historians and inexperienced writers.

You’ve done the research but now it’s time to write it all into a fascinating history that will do your family’s story justice.

Researching family trees and genealogies has never been more popular, and there are many courses, books and websites to assist the amateur researcher. The problem is, while family historians are enthusiastic and skilled researchers, most are not trained or confident writers, and the task of writing their family history may seem overwhelming. .....

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Writing Your Life

Writing Your Life

By Patti Miller

Drawing on Patti Miller’s ten-year ‘Writing your Life’ experience, this new expanded and revised edition includes a wonderful collection of life stories.

Everyone can write a life story. If you have dreamed by childhood creeks, had coffee with a friend, watched the sun rise after a partner has died, or lived through any of life’s twists and turns, then you have a life story to write.

Writing Your Life provides techniques for getting started, handling perspective, finding your voice and bringing experiences to life on the page. It also explores issues like selective memory, emotional healing and how to communicate your truths without cliches. .....

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Writing Hannah: On Writing for Children

Writing Hannah: On Writing for Children

By Libby Gleeson

Libby Gleeson is one of Australia’s most successful writers for young people, the author of fifteen novels. She has written two previous ‘Hannah’ books, Skating on Sand and Hannah Plus One, which won the 1997 children’s Book of the Year Award. As she embarked on her third novel in the series, Hannah and the Tomorrow Room, she decided to keep a journal, from which Writing Hannah has developed.

Rather than writing a simple ‘how to’ book on writing for children, the author has decided to share the process itself, taking us on a journey into the heart of literary creation. We follow her philosophical scrutiny of the world and of people, of the nature of character and the making of fiction. She examines the usual aspects of writing such as a point of view, narrative structure and use of language, but mediated through her own experience – her hesitations, uncertainties, false starts and growing confidence. .....

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Writing from Start to Finish

Writing from Start to Finish

By Kate Grenville

Do you find yourself staring at a blank piece of paper, waiting for the words to pour out?

If you find writing difficult, this book is for you. Award-winning novelist Kate Grenville shares her method – the ‘Six Steps’ approach to writing. Whether you’re writing a short story, essay, review or report, yo can follow the same six steps every time.

The steps include:

How to get ideas
How to plan your writing
How to revise

Don’t worry. Along the way, Kate provides plenty of examples and hands-on guidance to help get you going – and keep you going. She also includes a quick guide to grammar and an exam kit for last-minute revision. .....

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