Courses
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.
Between phases students are encouraged to meet regularly at the Centre to critique each other’s work. The Centre will provide free room access for any students wishing to organise study groups.
Please note this course is not suitable for students writing a Critical Essay. For booking Phase Two and Phase Three click on the links below.
HSC ENGLISH EXTENSION 2: WORK IN PROGRESS
Who: Anna Maria Dell’Oso
When: 2 x Sundays: 26 February & 4 March, 10am – 4pm
Cost: Full price: $350; Conc Member: $210
Code: 12DELL2
Students will learn how craft, technique and ways to stimulate the imagination can apply to their own Major Work. Anna will explore writing the first draft, researching sources and using your process journal to scaffold further drafts. She will look at approaches to creating new work, storyboarding your concept, plotting and structure, character and conflict.
Phase Two builds on Phase One, however, students who have not attended Phase One are welcome. English Extension 2 is a demanding course and students will be expected to do substantial writing and editing of their Major Work between sessions.
Day One
• Your first draft: mapping where you are on the Exploration/Clarification contiuum.
• Research sources: using research to further the storylines of your work; ethical considerations in research.
• How to use your process journal and notebooks to further scaffold your next draft.
• Writing from the “inside out”: the Step-Outline as a useful tool in the structuring and drafting process.
• Writing exercises in extending your work’s ideas.
Day Two
• Writing personalities: two basic approaches to creating new work and how to learn from each.
• Between Early Draft and Solid Draft: storyboarding your concept; plotting, structuring and shaping your work.
• Storytelling Skills Part 1: 10 essential elements in constructing a narrative.
• Character and Plot: two sides of an eternal story.
• Conflict and contrast: engaging the reader – the ‘Three Levels of Engagement’ and how they apply to your work.
• Writing exercises in character and conflict.
HSC ENGLISH EXTENSION 2: 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
In this final phase students will look more deeply at storytelling skills, character, dialogue, point of view and gain tools they need for revising and editing their major works ready to hand in for assessment.
Phase Three extends on the seminar and workshop processes of Phases One and Two, however, students who have not attended previous phases are welcome. English Extension 2 is a demanding course and students will be expected to do substantial writing and editing of their Major Work between sessions.
Day One
• Storytelling Skills Part 2: 10 essential elements in constructing a narrative. Useful story tools and exercises from the cinematic and dramatic arts.
• A deeper look at how the three levels of engagement can be applied to your Major Work.
• Character: creating truthful, original and complex characters, character mapping.
• Dialogue and voice in writing.
• Point of View: who is telling/showing your story?
• Writing exercises in dialogue, character and point-of-view (POV).
Day Two
• Suspense, mystery & dramatic irony: The art of withholding & revealing. Creating gaps for the reader’s own journey of discovery.
• Tools and techniques for intensive drafting, revising and editing.
• The elements of style: common writing traps to avoid.
• From good to excellent: requesting and giving useful feedback on writing.
• Letting go: the post-creative process.
• Writing exercises on drafting, revising and editing.
Recommended Reading
McKee, Bob, Story, Harper Collins, 1997.
Seger, Linda, Creating Unforgettable Characters, Henry Holt and Company, New York
Strunk Jnr, William & White, E.B. The Elements of Style, fourth edition, Longman, 1999
Food
Tea and coffee making facilities will be provided. Course participants are advised to bring their own lunch.
About the Tutor
ANNA MARIA DELL’OSO is a well-known Australian writer, journalist and critic. Her acclaimed book Songs of the Suitcase (HarperCollins) won the Steele Rudd Award. Anna’s fiction has been published in many anthologies and reviews including Meanjin and the Griffith Review. Anna’s first book was Cats, Cradles & Chamomile Tea, a collection from her popular column in the SMH’s Good Weekend. Anna has recently been awarded a Breaking New Ground Grant by the Literature Board of the Australia Council.
Anna has lectured in Creative Writing at the University of Newcastle and run writing workshops in schools and libraries throughout NSW. Anna has also founded Triple-I (Ideas In Ink), a writing group and social network for young women in the inner-west of Sydney. Triple-I is based on a shared love of coffee, bagels, writing and reading.
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