Courses
Upcoming courses
From our base in Sydney, the Centre presents an annual program of courses including writers workshops, masterclasses and professional development seminars. Our program is taught by published authors who are experienced teachers, and covers the full range of genres and styles of writing.
[My involvement with the NSWWC] has been invaluable. It gave me the knowledge to develop and improve my writing skills, put me in touch with a fantastic writing group, inspired me to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Writing and I have now enrolled in a Masters. The myriad workshops and programs have given me the choice to follow up my areas of interest and pick what is relevant for me at any given time. As a result I won second place in the Australian Women’s Weekly Short Story Prize and have been the Pacific Region Winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Through the centre I have developed connections with other writing organisations and other writers, had a manuscript considered by Penguin and am now in the process of seeking publication for my second book. I would not be at this stage of development if I had not joined the NSWWC. Terri Green, Writer
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. .....
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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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. .....
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. .....
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. .....
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. .....
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. .....
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! .....
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. .....
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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