Get Published newsletter

10 May 2012

Thu, 10 May 2012 05:20:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Is data singular or plural?
Learn what it’s like to be a travel writer
Winners announced for the Best Australian Blogs Competition 2012
Did you know? Lynch mobs
Turn your travels into memoir
What we’re reading – Madlands by Anna Rose
WEBPICK: Edenland

I was chatting to a friend about how she should take her writing to the next level. She’s a great writer but lacks confidence when it comes to the rules of grammar and punctuation. In fact, this is holding her back. I explained that even if you don’t have a strong foundation in this area, it shouldn’t hold you back because grammar and punctuation is so easy to learn.

All you need is the right teacher and the right materials. You’ll realise that it’s not rocket science; you just need the right rules to follow.

That’s why I’m so passionate about our one-day seminar Grammar and Punctuation Essentials. This is a real weak spot in so many people's writing and it can hold you back, not only in fiction but also in the world of business. But it doesn’t have to.

In this seminar you’ll gain:

knowledge that you can apply easily and immediately in your writing
a clear understanding of how to treat common mistakes - such as apostrophes and plurals
the basic rules you need to know to be confident in the workplace
an understanding of when to bend, break or keep a rule or convention
ability to discern when more than one solution is acceptable
empowerment to justify your corrections to your own and other people's writing
and MUCH more

Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

Your mum needs a book for Mother’s Day. And we know just the book! Check out our Writing Bar suggestions.
Filling fast: ONLINE COURSE: Online Creative Writing Stage 1, starts Monday 14 May 2012.
We take a look at the wonderful world of author Maurice Sendak, who died this week at the age of 83. Read more at the Writing Bar blog.

TIP: Is data singular or plural?
Data is the plural form of datum – that’s a fact and that’s how the Macquarie Dictionary defines it. Technically, being a plural, data should only ever be used with a plural verb. For example, some people would say this sentence is wrong:

The data is compelling. (Uses the single verb is.)

And that it should be:

The data are compelling. (Using the plural are.)

But, like other words we’ve borrowed from Latin, data is rarely used only as a plural. And the Macquarie Dictionary acknowledges that with its second definition, “(construed as singular or plural) figures, etc., know or available; information.” In other words, you’re safe if you use data as a ‘collective singular’ noun and therefore with a singular verb.

Other technically plural nouns we’ve borrowed from Latin and often use as singular nouns are agenda, insignia, bacteria and candelabra.

What’s it like to be a travel writer?
Want to get a taste of what it’s like to work as a travel writer? If you’re interested in pursuing travel writing as a career but first want to learn what it’s really like to travel the world and get paid for it, then our Introduction to Travel Writing seminar is for you.

This intensive two-hour seminar will give you tips on publishing opportunities, finding your story, making contacts and getting published. This industry insight is perfect if you want to explore the nuts and bolts of travel writing.

What past participants say:
"I loved that the course was so informative about the reality of what it means to be a travel writer. I came away inspired and also equipped to BEGIN!"
- Rachel Sharp

"The content of the presentation made good use of a small timeframe and the teacher was excellent."
- Annette Bewicke

Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (two-hour seminar)
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

TIP: Fewer or less hours?
You know the rule – use the word fewer for countable items and the word less for items that can’t be counted. For example:

There are fewer m&ms in the bucket than there were at the beginning of the week.

We've used less fabric to make the red cushion compared to the blue cushion.

There are, however, some occasions when this rule may not apply. The Chicago Manual of Style Online says:

Less is idiomatic in certain constructions where fewer would occur according to the traditional rule. Less than is used before a plural noun that denotes a measure of time, amount, or distance: less than three weeks; less than $400; less than 50 miles.

Winners announced for the 2012 Best Australian Blogs Competition
This morning we announced the winners of the Best Australian Blogs 2012 Competition. With 1024 entries and over 17,000 votes for the People's Choice Award, the competition for the category winners was tight.

Congratulations to Bernadette Jiwa (Business winner), Caroline Webster (Parenting winner), Eden Riley (Personal/Lifestyle winner), Lisa Hill (Words/Writing winner) and Martin McKenzie-Murray (commentary winner). The overall winner and Best Australian Blog for 2012 was Eden Riley's Edenland.

The People's Choice Award was won by David Knox’s blog, TV Tonight, with 785 votes.

This year we also had special awards for outstanding posts, new blogs and young bloggers. You can see the full list of winners and links to their blogs here.

Learn to write for Magazine and Newspapers – Online
Learning to write great features for magazine and newspapers is as easy as logging on to your computer! With our ONLINE Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing, you can learn everything you need to know to kickstart your freelance writing career, from wherever you are.

Using our interactive online classroom, you’ll learn how to develop ideas, how to research and write your features, what editors expect from you and how to pitch your ideas and sell them.

What past participants say:
"The course gives you real life insights, constructive feedback and an ongoing support network to hone your skills."
- Vanessa Bernardo

"What sets apart the courses at the Sydney Writers' Centre from other organisations is the relevant and realistic content. I got a real sense of what it would be like to be a freelance writer in the 'real world'."
- Emma Cottrell

ONLINE COURSE: Magazine and Newspaper Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 21 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Twitter inspired words
A recent article in smh.com.au alerted me to Twitter’s latest addition to the English language – twitchfork. It’s a combination of Twitter and pitchfork. Urban Dictionary defines it as a group of people using Twitter as a tool for social protest. Lately, its definition has become more sinister, bringing to mind an online lynch mob.

Other recent twitter-words (twords?) are:

dweet: a tweet sent while drunk
tweeps: Twitter people that follow each other from one social media/network to another.
tweetaholic: someone addicted to Twitter, so much so that it may be an actual problem.
twitterati: The A-list twitterers.

Twitter language is now becoming so complex, there’s even a Twittonary!

Did you know? Lynch mob
Since we’ve mentioned “lynch mobs” … did you know that the lynch mob is named after Captain William Lynch (1742-1820)?

He was a justice of the peace in Virginia at the time of the American Revolution. He had a tendency to execute people with whom he disagreed! And so the term “lynch mob” was coined.

Oops Word
We spotted this on an online news site:

We’re not sure why the headline says “Get you’re diary out…” You’re is a contraction of “you are” and is definitely not the right word to use here. It should read “Get your diary out…”, to indicate the diary owned by you.

Turn your travels into your memoir
Take a look at the shelves in any book shop and you’ll see plenty of travel memoirs. Publishers love them – and that’s because readers love them. Just look at the success of Eat, Pray, Love, or Bill Bryson’s hilarious travel tales, such as Down Under.

If you’ve taken your own life-changing journey, or are planning one, you too could turn your travels into a book. Award-winning author and journalist Claire Scobie will show you how you can turn your travel tales into a memoir. This five-week course is perfect for new writers or for anyone who wants to turn their writing skills to travel memoir.

What past participants say:
"Claire was wonderfully encouraging and always listening. I enjoyed learning about different sorts of writing, from describing a photo to going to a new location in Sydney."
- Donna Hayward-Brown

"Claire Scobie is a warm and enthusiastic teacher. I found her easy to understand and encouraging. She made me want to write!"
- Carla Simmons

Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 23 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Eric Rolls Prize for Nature Writing
Want to win a trip to Port Macquarie plus $1,000? The annual Eric Rolls Prize is now open and accepting entries in prose fiction or non-fiction of up to 6,000 words. The prize is a celebration of nature, and anyone living in Australia and writing about nature can enter.

Held by the Watermark Literary Society, the Eric Rolls Prize celebrates the life of the great Australian nature writer. Rolls was a long-time patron of Watermark, which holds the biennial Literary Muster (the next Muster will be held in 2013).

The winner of the Eric Rolls prize will win $1,000 and will also be flown to Port Macquarie and given five nights accommodation, to take part in the Literary Muster. As part of the prize, the winner will also present their winning entry at the festival.

Entries close Friday 29 June 2012.

Click here for more details and an entry form.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre course manager, Danielle Williams, is reading Madlands by Anna Rose. She writes:

Climate change is a hot topic right now. Is it happening? Should we prepare for it? Should governments tax carbon? There are plenty of people with wildly different opinions on this, as we saw in a recent ABC documentary with climate activist Anna Rose and Liberal party powerbroker Nick Minchin.

The documentary, called I Can Change Your Mind About Climate Change, challenged both Nick and Anna to back up their claims – Anna's that climate change is real and action must be taken, and Nick's that the science is far from settled. From that documentary and her experiences travelling the world with a climate sceptic, comes Anna's book, Madlands.

Anna's story is fascinating and, having watched the documentary, it's great to get more insight on her crusade to change Minchin's mind. There's lots of science in this book, but it's so well explained in layman's terms that I never felt overwhelmed (and science is NOT my strong suit). Anna argues her case eloquently and passionately. If you're interested in the debate and the science around climate change, this is a must read.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Edenland
Our Best Australian Blogs Competition is over for another year, so now it’s your turn to check out some of the fantastic blogs that entered.

The overall winner of the competition, and winner of the Personal/Lifestyle category, was Eden Riley, who blogs at Edenland. Eden blogs about life – specifically living with cancer, overcoming addiction, and living life in the Blue Mountains with her sons and husband.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 14 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 17 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White/Allison Tait
When: Week beginning Monday 21 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 21 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $1980

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Tuesday 22 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Wednesday 23 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 23 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 24 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $495

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 28 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 28 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with James Roy
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 31 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 4 June 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 7 June 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 11 June 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 13 June 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 14 June 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Write a chick-lit novel with Lisa Heidke – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Wednesday 27 June and 4 July 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 28 June 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Tuesday 10 July 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 11 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis
When: Tuesday 17 July 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 17 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 19 July 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Friday 27 July 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 3 August 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $450

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 9 August 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo – NEW DATE
When: Friday 16 November 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Cost: $295

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

3 May 2012

Thu, 03 May 2012 05:10:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Is it ok to use “hopefully”?
Get published in your favourite magazine
More Student Success
Oops Word – waiver or waver?
Learn the essentials of good business writing
What we’re reading – Eleven Seasons by Paul D. Carter
WEBPICK: Fully (sic)

One of the things I love about my job is that I get to see students get real results. That can sometimes be challenging in the world of writing because it can be quite a solitary activity where people can sometimes take a while to find their voice and master the craft. This is particularly true in the world of fiction.

That’s why we’re so committed to supporting our students every step of their writing journey. Once you’ve completed the online course in Creative Writing Stage 1, the next step is the ONLINE COURSE: Creative Writing Stage 2. This takes you to the next level so that you can continue improving your skills without losing momentum. The results speak for themselves, with many students getting published, some with four-book deals.

Our ONLINE COURSE: Creative Writing Stage 2 is a must if you’ve already had a taste of writing fiction.

You’ll learn:

how to find, create or extend your main characters and how to
place them within a world of believable minor characters
how to make similar characters distinct on the page – what is your
character’s ‘journey’?
structuring your story
climax and resolution: how these shape the final story – and
how to write them!
the principles of scene development: dialogue, pacing, the manipulation of time, character interaction, management of exposition
the right process of structural editing, copy-editing and proofreading, using examples from both published and student work
and MUCH more.

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 7 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

This week we spoke to the 2012 The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award winner Paul D. Carter. You can watch the interview on Writing Bar.
Filling fast: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle, Thursday 10 May 2012.
Congratulations to our Life Writing guru, Patti Miller! Her latest book The Mind of a Thief is now in bookstores.

TIP: Is it ok to use “hopefully”?
Something big happened in the world of grammar last week. Editors of the Associated Press Stylebook announced on Twitter that they would allow “hopefully” as a sentential (sentence) adverb.

You may be thinking “so what?”, but for some purists, this is a step too far. You see, many people are dead against the use of “hopefully” as a sentential adverb – an adverb that can modify the meaning of a whole sentence rather than just a verb. Here’s what Aidan Wilson at Fully Sic says about it:

Let’s just take a few much needed steps back and look at this controversy from the beginning. Take a completely unremarkable sentence like the one below.

Hopefully she’ll be here soon.

According to the purists, this should mean that the lady will herself be hopeful when she arrives. This can be paraphrased as in a hopeful manner.

So, can you use “hopefully” in this way – as in "we hope she'll arrive soon"? The Australian Style Manual says yes, you can. It says: “Hopefully can be used to express the stance of the writer or speaker in relation to a whole sentence, as in: Hopefully their comments will be read.”

Get published in your favourite magazine
Want to know how to turn your love of writing into a career? Writing for magazines and newspapers is the perfect way to indulge your love of just about any topic – including politics, sport, travel, and entertainment – and get paid for it!

Our Magazine and Newspaper Writing course will show you how you can do it. You’ll learn which ideas work and how to find them, how to write feature articles, what editors want, and how to pitch your features and increase your chances of getting published.

What past participants say:
"Marina was incredibly articulate, intelligent and insightful and ran the course brilliantly. I enjoyed learning how to structure articles correctly."
- Jo Clancy

"Marina was excellent. I thought she facilitated the discussions really well and was also able to give us real world examples from her own experiences. One of the best presenters I have come across."
- Yatungka Widders

Magazine and Newspaper Writing with Marina Go
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 9 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Student Success
It’s been a big week for Sydney Writers’ Centre graduates – we’ve heard from two former students who’ve had publishing success!

Juliet Matheson did our Life Writing with Patti Miller last year and has had two stories accepted for publication in Footprints magazine. She wrote to us:

I did a life stories course with you last year and I LOVED it! I have received two emails from Footprints saying they will publish two different stories of mine. I am SO excited! Just wanted to say thank you for all your encouragement. You have made a big difference to my writing and dreams of writing for others to enjoy.

Congratulations Juliet!

We also heard from Kees Bakhuyzen. Kees has done many courses with us, including Magazine and Newspaper Writing. Kees has had lots of success since completing the course and his latest is an article in The Weekend Australian’s “Professional” section.

Congratulations Kees!

Newcastle Poetry Prize
One of Australia’s oldest and richest writing prizes is the Newcastle Poetry Prize. Established in 1981 as the Mattara Prize, it is now co-ordinated by the Hunter Writers’ Centre.

And as far as poetry prizes go, this is a big one. The first prize winner will take away $12,000 and will also be published in the prize’s anthology, both in hardcopy and as an eBook. Second prize is $5,000, third prize $1,000 and there are also two $500 prizes for young and local poets in the Hunter region.

Entries are now open for poems or suites of poems up to 200 lines. Entries close on Friday 8 June. For entry forms and more information visit their website.

Make your travel writing dream come true
If you dream of making a living from writing about your travels, then our ONLINE COURSE: Travel Writing is for you. In five weeks you’ll learn about what needs to be in your travel writing toolkit, how to find inspiration wherever you are, and how to pitch your work to editors.

This course is held in our virtual classroom, which means you can do it from wherever you are, whenever suits you!

What past participants say:
"The downloads were supported by the podcasts and this allowed me to follow through each module. And it's great that I have all the modules saved and can read and listen to them again, getting something new every time."
- Stephen James Castley

"Sue obviously knew her stuff. Her feedback was always spot on."
- Kutloano Leshomo

This course will be taught by Sue White. Sue has lost count of the number of countries she’s visited for work and play. As a travel writer, she has written about everything from the Golden Temple (Amritsar, India) to Gianni Versace’s 24-carat gold toilet (Miami, USA) while indulging her own itchy feet.

ONLINE COURSE: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 7 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Weird Words – Cantankerous
Cantankerous is a funny word. It’s not one you hear everyday but when you do, it’s pretty easy to figure out its meaning! The Macquarie Dictionary lists cantankerous as “ill-natured; quarrelsome; perverse or contrary, as in disposition.” It’s such a strange word you have to wonder – where did it come from?

Michael Quinion at World Wide Words has a couple of theories on the history of this one:

One proposal is that it was a blend of two words, each of which by itself suggested its sense: contentious and rancorous. But it’s also argued that it can be traced to the Middle English conteke, contention or quarrelling, via its compound conteckour, a person who causes strife.

Oops Word
Thanks to Clarissa Garza who sent us this week’s Ooops Word. She spotted this in a major Australian newspaper recently.

The problem here is the use of the word “waiver”. A waiver is “an intentional relinquishment of some right or interest” or “an express or written statement of that relinquishment”. That’s not the right choice of word here.

What the writer should have used is “waver”, which means to “become unsteady” or “become weaker; falter”.

Learn the essentials of good business writing
If you’re writing at work you want to be sure your communication is clear and concise every time. That’s why it’s so important to know the fundamental rules of good business writing – something that isn’t often taught at school or university.

If you’re writing correspondence and other documents, and want to be sure your writing is the best it can be, our one-day Business Writing Essentials seminar is for you. You’ll learn the 11 golden rules of business writing as well as essential skills that will help you get your message across clearly, every time.

What past participants say:
"Tony was excellent. He has a good knowledge of his subject."
- Catherine Ferrara

“Tony is very good. I was particularly impressed with his passion to increase the "human side" in business writing."
- Victoria Ilagan

This seminar is presented by Tony Spencer-Smith, a corporate writer, editor and trainer, an award-winning novelist and former Editor-in-Chief of Reader’s Digest magazine. Over the last eight years he has delivered writing training courses to many hundreds of people from numerous organisations including the AMP, Macquarie Bank, Optus, the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children and the Wesley Mission.

Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith
When: Tuesday 8 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre course manager, Danielle Williams, is reading Eleven Seasons by Paul D. Carter. She writes:

This year’s The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award winner is a football-loving, high school teacher from Melbourne. So it’s no surprise that his debut novel, Eleven Seasons, uses the great game of VFL (or AFL) as a backdrop to his coming-of-age story.

Eleven Seasons is the story of Jason Dalton, a teenager who lives in inner Melbourne and dreams of one day playing at the MCG for his team. Jason has grown up looking after himself as his mother works long hours as a nurse, saving for the house in the country she craves.

Jason is a methodical and committed player for his under-nineteens team, and this comes through in his life as well. But eventually a family secret so awful it’s been kept from him since he was born comes to light and he’s forced to re-assess his place in the world.

It would be easy to assume this is a football novel for young adults. But it’s not – it’s much more than that. It’s a snapshot of life in late 1980s and 1990s Melbourne and an exploration of the tribal nature of football and teenagers – and what it’s like to be on the outside of that.

This year’s judges were unanimous in their decision to award the prize to Paul Carter, and I can see why. If you want to support new Australian writing, you should definitely get your hands on this book.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Fully (sic)
Crikey (the independent online newspaper) has its very own language blog – Fully (sic) – for word nerds and armchair linguists. It’s a fascinating look at how we communicate and the ever-changing world of words and language.

Various contributors tackle topics on anything to do with English, language, media, grammar, spelling – just about anything to do with the written and spoken word.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 4 May 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Cost: $295

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett – FULL
When: Monday 7 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 7 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 7 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith
When: Tuesday 8 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 9 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle
When: Thursday 10 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $450

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 14 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 17 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White/Allison Tait – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 21 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 21 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $1980

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Tuesday 22 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Wednesday 23 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 23 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 24 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $495

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 28 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 28 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with James Roy – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 31 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 7 June 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 13 June 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Write a chick-lit novel with Lisa Heidke – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Wednesday 27 June and 4 July 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $175

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 10 July 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 11 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis
When: Tuesday 17 July 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 17 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 3 August 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $450

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 9 August 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

26 April 2012

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:02:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Why shouldn’t you use adverbs?
Boost your creativity
Alan Marshall short story award
Where do “nerds” come from?
Learn with us – online
TIP: No please in please rsvp
What we’re reading – A Game of Thrones by George R.R.Martin
WEBPICK: Easy Street Prompts

This week is a HUGE one for me because I submitted the manuscript for my book to the publisher. I should be used to the process as it’s my sixth book, but it’s still hard work!

It’s a business book about storytelling for entrepreneurs and I’ve been so lucky to meet and interview some fascinating people during my research for it.

I’m particularly excited because, in case you haven’t noticed lately, the business book genre has grown in a big way. Gone are the days when there were only a handful of books in the business section of the book store. These days there are entire walls in some stores dedicated to this genre.

If you’ve considered writing a business book, you’re probably an entrepreneur, expert, consultant, or coach. That’s why I’m so excited to be presenting the seminar, How to write a business book.

This seminar will cover:

how to make your business book different from the rest of the market
the right way to structure your book
innovative ways to keep your reader interested and engaged
whether you should write it yourself, or outsource to a ghostwriter
your publishing options – mainstream publishers versus self-publishing
how to use your book as a lead generation tool
the basics of publicity, marketing and promotion
and MUCH more.

I’m only holding this seminar in May and November this year!

How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 4 May 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Cost: $295

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

Best Australian Blogs 2012 Competition finalists have been announced! Click here for the list. You can still be a part of the competition by voting in the People’s Choice Awards.
Filling fast: How to Get Your Book Published, Monday 7 May 2012.
Legendary American broadcaster Ira Glass on storytelling – watch the video on Writing Bar.

TIP: Why shouldn’t you use adverbs?
The poor adverb. Often maligned by writers of fiction, for many the dreaded –ly words are like the literary equivalent of fingernails down the blackboard. But why are they considered so bad?

Adverbs are descriptive words that can be used to alter the meaning of verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. Adverbs that modify verbs usually come after the verb and often end in –ly. For example:

She ran quickly.
It rained heavily.

Adverbs can also modify adjectives. These adverbs are: very, extremely, really, totally, absolutely, quite, fairly, well. In this case, they’ll usually come before the adjective. For example:

He was running very late for his appointment.
We’re totally impressed with the renovations on the new apartment.

While adverbs are a legitimate form in English, you do need to watch how often you use them in your writing. If you find you’re using a lot of –ly words, make sure they’re needed. Often, writers inadvertently slip an adverb into their writing and it’s totally unnecessary. For example, “shouted loudly” or “carefully examine” or “totally unnecessary”!

Boost your creativity and get started writing fiction
Want to know how to boost your creativity and explore the world of writing fiction? Our next Creative Writing Stage 1 course starts soon and this is your chance to get those ideas out of your head and onto the page.

This five-week course will show you how to turn your dream of writing into a reality. You’ll learn about what makes great fiction and how to apply these skills to your own writing. You’ll also learn how to tap into your imagination and how to draw from everyday experiences to inspire your stories. Whether you’ve experimented with writing fiction before or you’re a complete beginner, this course will help you get started.

What past participants say:
"Jeni was great! I had so much fun listening, writing, talking and I loved all of her advice and motivation."
- Chantelle Ravenswood

"The Sydney Writers' Centre helps to get your ideas out of your imagination and onto paper. Plus, the location is amazing and you are spoilt with a great view!"
- Shelley Hall

Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Thursdays starting Thursday 3 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Alan Marshall Short Story Award
If you’ve completed your creative writing course then your next step is to put what you’ve learnt into practice. The best way to do this is to write, and what better motivation to write than short story competitions!

One of Australia’s most well-known is the Alan Marshall Short Story Award. Held in memory of short story writer and author of the classic I Can Jump Puddles, the competition is open to all Australian residents. The open section is for short stories up to 2,500 words long and offers a first prize of $2,000 cash. There are also prizes for local writers (in the Nillumbik Shire Council area in Victoria) and young writers.

Check out all the details here.

Where do “nerds” come from?
These days, we’re all familiar with the word “nerd”. The Macquarie Dictionary describes one as: “a person who is unpopular by reason of not participating in the social life of a school, college, etc., because of an obsession with study, computers, etc.”

But where did the word come from? The first known appearance of the word in print was in a story by Dr. Seuss “If I Ran the Zoo”. In it, a character said:

“I’ll sail to Ka-Troo and bring back an It-Kutch, a Preep and a Proo, A Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker, too!”

Varuna Sydney Writers’ Festival
Less than three weeks to go until the 2012 Sydney Writers’ Festival kicks off, and we’re busy planning our festival schedule. One event we’d love to attend features our own life writing guru, Patti Miller. She’ll be discussing Memoir: Public Issues and Private Lives with Robert Hemley and Carol Major at the Carrington Hotel in the Blue Mountains.

For younger readers, there’s also a Varuna Sydney Writers’ Festival Children’s Day featuring some of Australia’s best writers for young people, including our own creative writing presenter, James Roy.

There are lots of events happening in the Mountains as part of the Sydney Writers’ Festival. You can find all the details here.

Learn online from the best
We may be known as the Sydney Writers’ Centre, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be an international writers’ centre… If you don’t live in Sydney or prefer to learn online, you can still join us for some of our most popular courses. And that’s exactly what many students from around Australia and the world have already done.

If you’re interested in writing for magazines, writing fiction, writing for kids or writing travel articles, we have an online course for you. The courses are interactive and cover the same great content we teach at our face-to-face classes, and you’ll also benefit from the expertise of your own online tutor.

We schedule online courses very regularly so there’ll be a course and a date to suit you.

What past participants say:
"It was easy and convenient doing an online course. The best thing was being able to study around my busy life, when and where it suited me."
- Vanessa Bernardo

“This is one of the best online courses that I’ve done.”
- Michelle Crutcher

ONLINE COURSE Magazine and Newspaper Writing with Sue White/Allison Tait
When: Week beginning Monday 30 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online

ONLINE COURSE Creative Writing Stage 1 with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman
When: Week beginning Monday 30 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

For more online courses click here.

TIP: No need to say please
We’ve all seen it – a wedding or party invite with the words “Please RSVP…” While it might seem polite to ask “please” when requesting a response, there’s absolutely no need for it.

We all know that RSVP is derived from the French phrase, répondez s'il vous plait, meaning “please reply”. And here’s the problem with asking to “please rsvp” – the phrase already has a ‘please’ in it so there’s no need to add it again.

Did you know?
This year’s announcement of the Pulitzer Prize winners created news not so much for those who won, but for the fact an award for fiction was not given. For the three shortlisted authors it must have come as a shock that the board could not agree on one outstanding novel for the year.

Maybe they’ll take some comfort in the fact that many great authors struggled to achieve fame and fortune in their lifetimes – some receiving no recognition until long after they died. Consider these initial reactions to some of literature’s greatest novels:

“It is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA.”
– Publisher’s rejection of George Orwell’s Animal Farm

“It is a compound of vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors.”
– Graham’s Lady Magazine on Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights

“It is no discredit to Walt Whitman that he wrote Leaves of Grass, only that he did not burn it afterwards.”
– Thomas Wentworth Higginson in The Atlantic, 1867 on Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass

You can find more examples of ill-judged book reviews here.

How you can edit with confidence
To turn even the clumsiest writing into clear and concise communication, you need to know the rules of editing. Many of us have to edit documents at work – correspondence, reports, proposals – but if you’re not familiar with the process, you may be spending more time on this than you need to.

In one day, we can show you how to edit for structure and style, how to set up and use style guides, and show you the editorial style rules you need to know. After our Editing Essentials seminar you’ll be able to tackle all your editing tasks with confidence and efficiency.

What past participants say:
"Very practical, clear and easy to understand advice. This is definitely the best course of this type that I have attended."
- Catherine Thrum

"Deb was brilliant! She has amazing knowledge and knew how to make the seminar fun."
- Aine Dowling

Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 3 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre course manager, Danielle Williams, is reading A Game of Thrones by George R.R.Martin. She writes:

It’s been a long time since I took on a good fantasy series, and as there’s been so much hype around the Ice and Fire series by George R.R.Martin, I figured this was a good one to immerse myself in.

Book 1 of the series, A Game of Thrones, introduces us to the noble houses of Westeros, a large island continent divided into seven kingdoms. Told from several points of view, the book begins in Winterfell, where Eddard Stark and his family are uprooted from their ancestral home so Stark can take up a position as the “Hand of the King”.

I wasn’t sure at first that I was going to get into this book. There was some hokey symbolism early in the story that I worried was a sign of things to come. Happily, it wasn’t. The pace of the story is incredible and I’ve quickly gotten to the “I can’t put this book down even though it’s almost 1am” stage. There are all the elements of good fantasy fiction here, but it’s darker than other series I’ve read, and this gives the story a more mature feel.

Being only ⅓ of the way through book 1 of the series, I know I’ve got a lot of late-night reading ahead of me, but I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy the journey.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Easy Street Prompts
Need more than just a word to get your creativity flowing? Then Easy Street Prompts is the place to go. Here you’ll find visual prompts – including photos, paintings and even short videos.

It’s the perfect place for the “terminally creative” to go if they’re feeling the dreaded writers’ block coming on.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 27 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White/Allison Tait
When: Week beginning Monday 30 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 30 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 3 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 3 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 4 May 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Cost: $295

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 7 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 7 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 7 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith
When: Tuesday 8 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 9 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle
When: Thursday 10 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 17 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 21 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $1980

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Tuesday 22 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Wednesday 23 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 23 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 24 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $495

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 28 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 28 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 7 June 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 13 June 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Write a chick-lit novel with Lisa Heidke – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Wednesday 27 June and 4 July 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $175

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 10 July 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 17 July 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 17 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 3 August 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $450

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 9 August 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

19 April 2012

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:23:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Altogether versus all together
Make your travels pay – Travel Writing course
New Queensland Literary Awards announced
Why full-stops are so important
Why you need to blog for your business
What we’re reading – A Tiger in Eden by Chris Flynn
WEBPICK: Digital Publishing Australia

To say that this week has been a busy one for me would be an understatement. I have been spending much of it poring over the manuscript of my book, rewriting sections and "killing my darlings". My publisher is expecting it on Monday 23 April so no guesses as to what I'm going to be doing over the weekend. But, of course, at some point you have to let it go because you can't keep refining it forever.

When I press "send" and wave my manuscript "Goodbye and good luck", I'll be breathing a huge sigh of relief and will also be looking forward to real food. I've been living off the pre-packaged microwave-able variety to get me through this week.

But then comes the strategic business of promoting the book. It's being released in October so that means I have a few months to work hard and build my "author platform".

What's that you ask? Well, in the old days, most authors could rely on their publishers to secure publicity, organise book launches and promote the book. However, increasingly, you need to rely on yourself to build a following of people who are likely to:

(a) buy your book
(b) spread the word about your book to their friends and followers.

In fact, if you're serious about book sales, you should seriously think about how to build your profile as a writer. The most effective way to do this is online because you'll reach the most people this way. That's why I'm so thrilled about our new seminar How to Build Your Profile Using Twitter.

You'll discover:

Twitter — what it is and why it matters
All the terminology — @, RT, MT, DM — so you can use Twitter without worrying you’ll make a fool of yourself!
How to find the right people to “follow” and how to get them to follow you back
The best tools for using Twitter — there’s so much more out there than just Twitter.com for managing Twitter
How to use Twitter to have an impact on your brand and profile as well as measuring what that impact is.

How to Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 23 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

Filling fast: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman, starts Tuesday 24 April 2012 – only 3
places left!
I recently interviewed Unmarketing author Scott Stratten. You can watch the video on our Writing Bar blog.
Our Writing the Senses in Bali course is almost full – there’s only 1 place left! Will you be joining us this year?

TIP: Altogether versus all together
More from the world of commonly confused terms… This time we’re looking at “altogether” versus “all together”. These two are so easily confused it seems many writers have decided they’re interchangeable! Well, they’re not and they do have very different meanings.

All together means several things or people brought together. For example:

The Sydney Writers’ Centre team gathered all together on Sunday to learn how to cook tapas.

Altogether means wholly, entirely or completely. It can also mean “on the whole”. For example:

Altogether, there were 16 people in the writing course.

Make your travels pay
Travel the world and get paid for it. It can be done! If you’re passionate about writing and travel and want to learn how to combine the two, then join us for our next Travel Writing course with Sue White.

Success as a travel writer requires an eye for interesting stories, knowing how to structure an article, and knowing how to sell it – all skills you’ll learn over five weeks in this course. By the end of the course, you’ll have all the nuts and bolts of travel writing and be ready to explore a world of writing!

What past participants say:
"The course content is exceptional and covers all aspects of travel writing. Sue is a fantastic teacher and shares her knowledge in a fun and interactive environment."
- Krystal Davidson

"Sue is very charismatic. It was enjoyable to go through the course with her. At every point she gave an example of her own experience which prepared each of us on what to expect and how to get into writing."
- Christiane Abou Taan

This course is taught by freelance writer, Sue White. She’s lost count of the number of countries she’s visited for work and play. As a travel writer, she has written about everything from the Golden Temple (Amritsar, India) to Gianni Versace’s 24-carat gold toilet (Miami, USA) while indulging her own itchy feet.

Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Thursdays starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

New Queensland Literary Awards
Many in the arts and literary world were shocked when Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman, recently cancelled the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards. In fact, there was such a big response to the news, two Queensland authors – Matthew Condon and Krissy Kneen – decided to launch their own state literary award. And entries are now open!

There are 14 categories in the competition (the same as the axed Premier’s awards), covering fiction, non-fiction, children’s and young adult’s books, poetry, screenwriting and much more.

The competition is open to writers all over Australia and submissions close on Sunday 6 May 2012.
For entry details click here.

Weird Words
There is a word to describe someone or something resembling a hedgehog. I did not just make that up! The word is erinaceous. While it's not listed in the Macquarie Dictionary, you will find it in plenty of online dictionaries and, not surprisingly, lists of weird words.

We're not sure how you achieve resembling a hedgehog, let alone slipping this word into everyday conversation.

Check out more weird words here.

Write for kids and young adults
There’s a lot more to writing books for children and young adults than meets the eye. That's why publishers are always on the look out for kids’ books that are engaging and inspiring.

Whether you’re still nutting out your idea for a kids’ book or you’ve been working on a young adult novel, the ONLINE COURSE Writing Books for Children and Young Adults is your chance to learn from an industry expert. You’ll discover how to find the right voice for your characters, how to structure your story, and how to get an editor to take notice of your work.

What past participants say:
"I enjoyed being challenged to actually push through barriers in my thinking and achieve something new and satisfying. I loved doing it online – it really suits my lifestyle."
- Jo Henwood

"The online course has opened a venue for me and given me insights into things I didn't think possible. Now my imagination is truly the limit! I'm thrilled with the results."
- Lynn De Lacey Frost

ONLINE COURSE Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Juidth Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 23 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

TIP: When do you use ‘single quote marks’?
One reader, Martin, asked us to clarify the correct use of single quote marks. This is a great question as we often see single quote marks misused.

If you use “double quote marks” to indicate speech, like most Australian newspapers, then you use ‘single quote marks’ to indicate a quote WITHIN a quote.

Example:

"Michael said to me, 'I'm never going back there again'," said Susan.

Why full-stops are so important
The humble full stop does not just mark the end of a sentence. If you’re not careful, you can dramatically change your meaning if you don’t include that full stop – as happened recently in a major Australian newspaper:

Thanks to @lethalleigh who tweeted this one.

Movie ticket giveaway – Cafe de Flore
If you’re into French cinema you’ll love our latest film ticket giveaway. Thanks to Icon Films we have five double passes to director Jean-March Valee's latest film Café de Flore.

Cafe de Flore is a love story about people separated by time and place but connected in profound and mysterious ways. Atmospheric, fantastical, tragic and hopeful, the film chronicles the parallel fates of Jacqueline, a young mother with a disabled son in 1960s Paris, and Antoine, a recently-divorced, successful DJ in present day Montreal. What binds the two stories together is love - euphoric, obsessive, tragic, youthful, timeless love.

The film has been noted for its fantastic soundtrack so, if you’d like to win a double-pass, just tell us about your favourite movie soundtrack and why (in 25 words or less). Email your answers to courses [at] spindriftmedia [dot] com [dot] au by 5pm Friday 27 April 2012, and don’t forget to include your postal address.

Why you need to blog for business
Would you like to set up a blog for your business, but don’t know how to get started? Have you been blogging for your company for a while but would like to know how to build your audience? Whether you’re new to blogging or have some experience, our Blogging for Business seminar is essential if you’re building your business blog.

In this one-day seminar you’ll learn about the difference between a blog and a website, the terminology of blogging, what your readers expect from your blog, and, most importantly, how to make your blog stand out.

What past participants say:
"Excellent. Steven was well organised, informative, knowledgeable and in-tune with what we required. He pitched it exactly at the group's level, the pace was great and we covered an enormous amount of information."
- Joni Benjamin

"Steven is a very entertaining and informative presenter. His advice was practical and relevant. Excellent!"
- Rebekah Campbell

This seminar is taught by Steven Lewis. Steven has consulted on blogging, podcasting and other Web 2.0 tools for companies such as Westpac and IAG. For Tourism Tasmania he created a ground-breaking series of travel podcasts, with similar projects in the works for companies like V Australia and Time Out. He blogs at www.taleist.com

Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 27 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre course manager, Danielle Williams, is reading A Tiger in Eden by Chris Flynn. She writes:

When I first started reading this book, the first person narration in the distinct Irish brogue and the, um, colourful language, made me wonder if I would even finish it. But a couple of chapters in, I was won over.

A Tiger in Eden is a worthy debut novel by Irish born Australian writer, Chris Flynn. It follows a young Loyalist fighter from Belfast, Billy Montgomery, whose violent past forces him to flee to Thailand. Much of his time there is spent drinking, fighting and womanising, until he joins a Buddhist retreat for 10 days and he is gradually forced to confront his past.

The mean streets of mid-1990s Belfast and the backpacker trail of Thailand are worlds apart, but Flynn manages to create a real sense of both places and Billy is a convincing and likeable character (despite his questionable behaviour). The novel also explores the hedonistic vibe of Thailand, shining a light on the more unpleasant aspects of tourism.

There is lots of strong language and descriptions of Billy’s various exploits in this book, so don’t read this if you’re easily offended. If you can get past that, this is an enjoyable and often funny read.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Digital Publishing Australia
The publishing world is changing and for many writers, this change is an exciting opportunity to explore new ways of getting their work out there. Digital publishing is all the rage but it can be overwhelming. So the Copyright Agency has put together a website to answer all your digital publishing questions.

Digital Publishing Australia includes lists of resources, contacts and case studies, as well as articles from authors who’ve experimented with digital publishing themselves. There’s also lots of updates about what major publishers are doing in digital publishing.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 23 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis – NEW SEMINAR
When: Monday 23 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 27 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White/Allison Tait – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 30 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 30 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 3 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 3 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 4 May 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Cost: $295

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 7 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 7 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 7 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 8 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 9 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle
When: Thursday 10 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 17 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 21 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $1980

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 22 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 23 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 23 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 24 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding – NEW DATE
When: Every Monday starting Monday 28 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 7 June 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 13 June 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Write a chick-lit novel with Lisa Heidke – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Wednesday 27 June and 4 July 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $175

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Every Friday starting Friday 3 August 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $450

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 9 August 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

12 April 2012

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:28:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Between versus Among
How to get your script onto the screen
More Student Success – Anna Spargo-Ryan
Learn from anywhere! Online course in Creative
Writing Stage 1
More apostrophe abuse
What we’re reading – Endworlds by Alan Dean Foster and Nicholas Read
WEBPICK: 10 Crazy and Unusual Book Designs

I’m always thrilled when I hear about our students who are getting attention from agents and publishers thanks to their blogs. I love blogs and I’m so excited that this is a viable way to showcase your writing.

When you go about it in the right way you can get your writing in front of the right people, bypassing the dreaded slushpile – where thousands of manuscripts languish in publishing houses all over the world.

In our “Blog to Book” seminar, I’ll be chatting to Kerri Sackville (pictured) about how she used her blog to land herself not just one book deal – but two! She is following up her best-selling memoir When My Husband Does the Dishes: A Memoir of Marriage and Motherhood with her second book The Little Book of Anxiety to be released next month.

In this session, Kerri reveals:

the steps she took to build a fan base for her blog
how she built her profile online
why you need to contribute to other blogs (and how to do this)
strategies to get noticed by publishers
how to make yourself a “marketable” author
and much more

There are only a handful of places left!

Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville in conversation with Valerie Khoo
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

NEW COURSE: Write a Chick-Lit Novel with Lisa Heidke, Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 June 2012.
Check out what we did on our long weekend with Andrew’s “Week that was” on our Writing Bar.
Filling fast: Online course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing, starts Monday 16 April 2012.

TIP: Between versus Among
You’ve probably heard the rule that you should use “between” when referring to two things and “among” when referring to three or more. Well, like most rules in English grammar, it’s actually not that simple. Here’s how it’s explained in The Accidents of Style by Charles Harrington Lester:

“… when you’re dealing with three or more, you may use between or among depending on how the things you’re referring to are related. If their relation is collective, meaning you think of them as a group, use among. But if the relation is individual or reciprocal, from each to the others, use between. For example:

After listening to a debate between the six candidates, Amy thought that no one among them stood out as the best choice.”

How to get your script onto the screen!
Want to overcome the terror of the blank page? If you’ve got an idea for the next Aussie blockbuster but aren’t sure how to get the script written, our Screenwriting Stage 1 course is for you. 

During this course, you’ll have an opportunity to develop a script you’re working on, or get started on a new script, and receive feedback from an industry professional. By focusing on the three essential elements of a good script – character, story and structure – you’ll gain confidence in your writing abilities and get that script written! 

What past participants say:
"If you want to write a screenplay but don't know where to start, then you must try the screenwriting course at Sydney Writer's Centre. The course will tell you all the basics and actually have you starting to write almost straight away. And meeting others interested in the area is invaluable."
- Paul Sorauer

"I enjoyed the practical approach to screenwriting. Tim is direct, motivating and his experience is invaluable!"
- Adrienne Byrt

This course is presented by Tim Gooding who writes for stage, film and television. He has written television drama – Rafferty’s Rules, Blue Heelers, Stingers, Water Rats, All Saints – and comedy – The Aunty Jack Show, The Norman Gunston Show, Wollongong The Brave, Ratbags.

Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Mondays starting Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Have you already completed Screenwriting Stage 1, or have a script you’ve been working on for a while and want to be sure you’re on the right track? Our Screenwriting Stage 2 course is your next step.

Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Mondays starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Sydney Writers’ Festival
Time really does fly. It seems like only yesterday we were preparing for the SWF for 2011 and planning which sessions we’d be going to and who we would interview. And now it’s on again! The Sydney Writers’ Festival program for 2012 is out now and tickets are selling fast.

There are some great sessions including international guests like Jeffrey Eugenides, Edmund de Waal, Jeanette Winterson, Hilary Mantel and Stella Rimington. We’re also looking forward to hearing from local guests like Marieke Hardy, Thomas Keneally, Malcom Knox and Annabel Crabb.

To help whet your appetite for the festival proper, there will be an “Out of Season” event with one of last year’s headlining guests, A C Grayling. You can find out more about it on the Writing Bar blog.

To download a program and book tickets visit www.swf.org.au

More Student Success
Congratulations to Anna Spargo-Ryan, whose blog Judging Your Breakfast, has been announced as a finalist in the Saveur Best Food Blog Awards. The competition attracted over 40,000 entries, so Anna’s spot on the list of finalists is an incredible achievement. When she wrote to us she said, “The Sydney Writers' Centre really did give me the confidence that I needed to put my writing out there. I'm so grateful to you, Valerie Khoo!”

Good luck Anna – we can’t wait to hear the result!

Anna has also entered our very own blog competition – the Best Australian Blogs Competition. Have you entered yet? We’ve almost reached the 1,000 entry mark and have $15,000 worth of prizes to give away. So if you’re an Australian blogger, get your entry in before 5pm Friday 13 April 2012. (That’s tomorrow!)

"Hear hear" or "Here here"
When someone makes a comment that others agree with wholeheartedly, they often respond with "hear hear!"

You'll often see this as a response on Twitter when one person is in strong agreement with another. However, we are increasingly seeing the use of "here here!" This is wrong. The correct use is "Hear hear!"

Get started on your novel or short story – learn from anywhere in the world!
It doesn’t matter where you live. You can still access the wonderful resources and tutors at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. So if you’ve always wanted to get started on your novel or short story, join us for our most popular online course: Creative Writing Stage 1.

In this five-week course you’ll learn:

the art of writing fiction
you’ll cover voice, plot, character and structure
you’ll get lots of writing practice and valuable feedback from your tutor.

This year we’ve had students from all over Australia and as far away as England, China and the USA.

What past students say:
"It was easy and convenient to do the creative writing course online. The best thing was being able to listen to the presentation and do the assignment in my own time, when it suited me best. It worked around me, instead of me trying to work around it."
- Glenda Hindley

"I found the workshopping an invaluable tool. I enjoyed reading other people's work and the feedback given to them also helped me implement changes for the better in my own work."
- Olivia Blackburn

Online course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman
When: Week beginning Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing
Do you have an unpublished manuscript for younger readers you’ve been working on? Then don’t forget about the Text Prize, the annual prize awarded to an outstanding manuscript for young adults or children.

This fantastic prize for published or un-published writers offers a publishing contract with Text for the winning manuscript as well as a $10,000 advance on publishing royalties.

Submissions are opening soon. Entries can be sent from Monday 30 April until the closing date of Friday 1 June 2012.

You can check out more details as well as previous winners here.

The pain of writing
It’s impossible not to be impressed by the beauty and skill on display in some of the world’s oldest illuminated manuscripts. But pity the poor monks who had to do the work… According to some of the notes scribbled by early writers in the margins of their work, writing really was a chore. Here are some examples we found on brainpickings.org

“Writing is excessive drudgery. It crooks your back, it dims your sight, it twists your stomach and your sides.”

“As the harbor is welcome to the sailor, so is the last line to the scribe.”

And who hasn’t thought this at the end of a long week:

“Now I’ve written the whole thing: for Christ’s sake give me a drink.”

NEW SEMINAR: Build Your Profile on Twitter
What do you know about Twitter? Do you know it has over 300 million users, including many authors, publishers, and self-publishers? Do you know how to retweet, how to build your followers, or who you should follow?

Twitter can be overwhelming for new users but it’s actually very simple. It allows you to broadcast messages of 140 characters or less to anyone who’d like to receive them. But it’s also a powerful tool for building your profile.

Our new seminar, Build Your Profile Using Twitter, will help demystify social networking and how to use it. This two-hour seminar is perfect for any writer or business owner who wants to know how to make Twitter work for them.

Build Your Profile with Twitter with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 23 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Apostrophe Abuse
Thanks to Get Published reader Emma, who sent us this sign which she spotted in a northern suburbs hotel.

Apostrophe abuse! There’s no need for the apostrophes to be there in “steak’s and schnitty’s”. Those words are plurals and you don’t need an apostrophe to create plurals.

We’re not even going to comment on their use of the non-word “schnitty”.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre office manager, Andrew Gillman, is reading Endworlds by Alan Dean Foster and Nicholas Read. He writes:

I'm a great believer in new and exciting concepts. While you can never predict if they will succeed brilliantly or fail spectacularly, the fact that someone has dared to try something different always impresses me.

That’s why I embraced Endworlds by Alan Dean Foster and Nicholas Read, a daring experiment in digital publishing. At its core it’s an imaginative sci-fi novel that centres on the discovery of another galaxy that overlaps with Earth’s own corner of the universe, and which will likely destroy us when our planet flies through its debris field.

But the news of this discovery is suppressed by a decision that it’s not worth saving all of humanity. The only people who will survive this apocalypse, it is decided, are the world’s elite who secretly plan to save only themselves and their families.

There’s clearly a lot at stake, and it’s a clever gripping read.

The e-book comes with a full symphony orchestra soundtrack, high quality cover art and all manner of technical diagrams and maps. It has also spawned a social media frenzy with a race on by fans to find the pieces of the anti-doomsday device hidden in locations around the world, including Australia.

Time will tell if it succeeds as a concept but it is an audacious bid to redefine how we read that succeeds primarily because it remembers that at the heart of any concept you must have a great story, well told.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: 10 Crazy and Unusual Book Designs
When you think about it, it makes perfect sense to print a cookbook on pasta, the same pasta you’ll use to bake your own lasagne. In fact, many of the unusual book designs in this selection of 10 are not only beautiful, but also practical in their own way.

Along with two edible books, there’s a glow in the dark book, a book you have to destroy to read, a growing book and a book made from coffee.

Check out the full list here.

Other upcoming courses
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith – FULL
When: Tuesday 17 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 23 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis – NEW SEMINAR
When: Monday 23 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 27 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 3 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 3 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 4 May 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Cost: $295

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 7 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 7 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 7 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 8 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle
When: Thursday 10 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 17 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 21 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 23 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 24 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 7 June 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 13 June 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Write a chick-lit novel with Lisa Heidke – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Wednesday 27 June and 4 July 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $175

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 9 August 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

5 April 2012

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:55:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Lit or lighted?
How many words do you write each day?
Ray Koppe Young Writers Residency
Learn the art of memoir writing
Turn your blog into a book
What we’re reading – Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
WEBPICK: Word Lens

I’ve been on the road for the past six weeks and am now so glad to be at home where I can focus on writing my book and hanging out with my furry babies (see the picture of me with Rambo on the right). However, one of the great things about travelling is that you can get paid to write articles about your adventures.

I love writing travel articles because it makes me even more aware of my surroundings as I take note of experiences and attractions that are worthy of sharing. The best part is that you also get paid for your articles, which means you can potentially fund all or part of your holidays.

The great thing about our online course in Travel Writing is that it can be done from anywhere – which means it’s also an ideal course to do while you’re on holidays! You’ll be living and breathing the life of a travel writer.

Congratulations also to Caroline Makepeace who only recently graduated from this 5-week course and has landed a fantastic gig with a major outlet where she'll be writing three times a week about travel!

This course covers:

different types of travel articles and why they suit different markets
how to develop the right angle for your travel story
how to find interview subjects on the road
travel writing in your home town
a step-by-step guide to “media trips”
and MUCH more.

ONLINE COURSE Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 9 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

The axing of the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards has been big news this week. Read more about it on our Writing Bar blog.
Filling fast: Creative Writing Stage 1 with James Roy, starts Tuesday 10 April 2012.
Are zombies the new black in publishing? We discuss on our Writing Bar blog.

TIP: Lit or lighted?
One of our readers has emailed us and wants to know, “when would you use the word ‘lit’ instead of ‘lighted’?”

Well, this one’s easy to answer – these words are interchangeable. That means you can use either option.

Both lit and lighted can be used as the past tense or the past participle of the verb light. For example:

We lit a fire.
We lighted a fire.

As is often the case, there does seem to be a difference here in American and Australian usage. American writers tend to use lighted more often, where users of British English seem to prefer lit.

Get your articles published in your favourite magazines
What are your interests or hobbies? Do you like travel, books, politics? Chances are if you’re doing it, there’s an article in it. Learning the art of writing feature articles for newspapers and magazines could be a way for you to turn your interests into a freelance writing career.

Our Magazine and Newspaper Writing course is one of our most popular. During this five-week course you’ll learn all about what editors want, how to research your story, where to find inspiration and, most importantly, how to sell your article.

What past participants say:
"The Sydney Writers' Centre is so in touch with industry and what's happening right now. They teach the foundations, but apply it to real-life scenarios."
- Rebecca Bodman

"If you are interested in feature writing then you could not do better than to attend a course at SWC. It is practical, good value for money and the presenter is first class."
- Kate Escobar

This course is presented by Sue White. She is a successful feature writer and travel writer whose work has featured in The Sydney Morning Herald, Vogue Australia, Travel + Leisure (Australia), Sun Herald Travel, Women’s Health, Vogue Entertaining + Travel, CNN Traveller, various ABC outlets, Green Living, G magazine and numerous other publications in both Australia and overseas.

Magazine and Newspaper Writing with Sue White
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 11 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

How many words do you write each day?
I’m often asked what word count is considered reasonable to aim for each day. Well, it depends. Some authors are incredibly prolific, while others labour over every word. Here are the reported word count regimes of some famous authors:

	Words per day
Ernest Hemingway	500
Jack London	1000
Somerset Maugham	1000
George Bernard Shaw	1000
Norman Mailer	1500
Anthony Trollope	3000
Thomas Wolfe	10,000

How do you stack up?

Ray Koppe Young Writers Residency
The Australian Society of Authors is inviting applications for a one-week residency at the writers’ house, Varuna, for young writers under the age of 30. The Ray Koppe Young Writers Residency was established last year, in honour of the ASA’s former business affairs manager.

The residency will provide a private working space for one writer as well as accommodation and meals – and Varuna is certainly a most inspiring venue for such a residency.

Applications close Friday 18 May 2012. Full details and an application form can be downloaded here.

Learn the art of memoir writing
Missed out on a place in our memoir writing in Paris tour? Don’t despair – there are just a few places left on our next Life Writing course to held here at the Centre in Milsons Point. (Not quite Paris, but we promise a lovely view.)

If you want to explore creative autobiographical writing, this course is the best way to do it. Patti Miller is Australia’s premier memoir teacher and writer. Places in her courses are always in high demand. During this six-week course you’ll learn how to awaken memory and creativity, bring details to life and find structure in your work.

There are only 4 places left in this course so be quick!

What past participants say:
"Patti facilitated an excellent course. She was able to develop a welcoming, encouraging and comfortable environment for us all to work in."
- Susan Leggett

"You learn so much! An amazing course."
- Dany Rahme

Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Fridays starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $450

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Did you know? Malapropisms
Careful readers (and listeners) will recognise a malapropism immediately – they’re those words that have been used unintentionally, usually because they sound very similar to the intended word, often with amusing results. For example:

“The amount of education you have determines your loot in life.”
(Actually, it determines your lot in life.)

The word malapropism originally derives from the French mal a propos, which means “ill-suited”. It came into more common usage in English thanks to a play called The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, written in 1775. In the play a Mrs Malaprop makes a bad habit of misusing words – to great comic effect.

Another accidental fan of the malapropism is George Bush. So frequent were his, they were given their own term – Bushisms. Such as this one:

"We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile."
George W. Bush

Oops word
Perhaps the most confounding thing about the misuse of apostrophes is that often sign writers actually get it right in one word, but not the other! Like this sign:

They’re right to use the apostrophe in “Hollis’s”, as the meat belongs to the Hollis family. So why didn’t they use one in “Winters” and “Summers”? They should have, as the “cold” belongs to winter, and the “heat” to summer. Also, there’s no need to capitalise the names of seasons, so “winter’s” and “summer’s” would do.

Turn your blog into book
Ever wondered what it would take to turn your regular musings on your blog into a book deal? Well, Kerri Sackville knows all about it, and in our two-hour seminar Blog to Book, she’ll share her secrets with you.

In 2011 Kerri’s first book, When My Husband Does the Dishes: A Memoir of Marriage and Motherhood was published after her blog caught the attention of Random House. She’s now just days away from the release of her second book, The Little Book of Anxiety.

In this session, hosted by me, Valerie Khoo, Kerri will reveal how to build a fan base for your blog, the types of posts you should be writing and, most importantly, how you can grab the attention of a publisher.

What past participants say:
"The seminar completely provided what I was hoping for. Kerri was open and generous with sharing information. It was great also to have Valerie's input and wisdom. A perfect pairing."
- Lisa Schofield

"Kerri was very informative and enthusiastic and had lots of great tips."
- Therese Spruhan

Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville in conversation with Valerie Khoo
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Children’s Book Council Awards shortlist announced
The Australian writing community may have lost one important writing award this week, but there’s still plenty happening at the Children’s Book Council and they’ve just announced their shortlists and notables for 2012.

The shortlists have been announced for five categories – Older Readers, Younger Readers, Early Childhood, Picture Books and the Eva Pownall Award for Information Books. There are also up to 27 books on each category’s Notable Books list. It seems the past year has been a busy one for children’s book publishing!

You can view all the shortlists and notables here.

If you’re interested in writing for young people, check out our courses in Writing for Children and Young Adults, or Writing Picture Books.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre communications coordinator, Rose Powell, is reading Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart. She writes:

Multi-award winning novel Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart has a big title to live up to. Set in the not-too-distant but unspecified future in the United States, the book is literary dystopia lite.

The story follows Lenny Abramov through a world where telegraph poles flash your credit score and everyone has devices that share their key physical details such as cholesterol and cortisone levels with anyone near you. Lenny's job as a salesman for a company that extends the lives of high net worth individuals forever, and his own fear of death, set him up to fall in love with the decades-younger Eunice Park. Eunice is a Korean-American young woman constantly re-sitting her LSATS and shopping online while battling a history of domestic abuse. Her unusual relationship with Lenny is the emotional spine of the story.

Their fraught love story runs parallel to military pressures and swirling discontent that escalate throughout the book, tipping the story from amusing and incisive reflections on contemporary America's future to a chaotic depiction of a messy end to a materialistic and military nation. While the constant use of text speak and future jargon is a bit irritating, Super Sad True Love Story is a one-of-a-kind novel. I loved it as a quirky, disturbing addition to the "Where is America headed?" group of novels.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Word Lens
Planning your overseas trip? We’ve just found one more thing you need to add to your packing list – Word Lens. This nifty translation tool should prove invaluable if you’re navigating your way around a new city or ordering food from a menu written in a foreign language.

This app is unique as you don’t need an internet connection to use it. Simply point your phone at the sign or menu you want to translate, and Word Lens will do it for you instantly.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 9 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 9 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with James Roy
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 10 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle – FULL
When: Wednesday 11 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 11 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Thursday 12 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith – FULL
When: Tuesday 17 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 23 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis – NEW SEMINAR
When: Monday 23 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 27 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 3 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo – NEW DATE
When: Friday 4 May 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Cost: $295

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 7 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle
When: Thursday 10 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 17 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Monday 21 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 23 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 24 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 7 June 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 13 June 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Wednesday 27 June and 4 July 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $175

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 9 August 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

29 March 2012

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:22:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Fluidly or fluently?
Get inspired with a creative writing course
Learn the rules for editing
Did you know? The Book of St Albans
Turn your travels into a career
What we’re reading – The Alphabet of Light and Dark by Danielle Wood
WEBPICK: Werdsmith

I’m so excited to be running a writing workshop at the Digital Parents Conference this week in Melbourne. It’s a great event full of inspiring bloggers from all over Australia. It also gives me a chance to connect with our Melbourne community.

One of the most rewarding things about my job is when I see students really improve their writing and, in many cases, get published. That’s why we’re so committed to helping you in your writing journey. After you’ve done your first course with us, you’ll find another one to help you continue building on the skills you’ve learnt.

In particular, I love the results that I see from students who do the ONLINE COURSE Creative Writing Stage 2. It’s ideal if you’ve already done Stage 1 or had some writing experience. This course goes into more depth and is packed with practical exercises so that you really give your writing a workout!

You’ll discover:

how to find, create or extend your main characters
how to structure your story
climax and resolution: how these shape the final story – and how to write them
the principles of scene development: dialogue, pacing, manipulation of time, character interaction, management of exposition
the right process of structural editing, copy-editing and proofreading, using examples from published and student work
and MUCH more.

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 9 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

You can also do this course at our training rooms in Milsons Point.

Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

What is crowdfunding and how can it help you get published faster? Find out on the Writing Bar.
Filling fast: WEEKEND INTENSIVE Magazine and Newspaper Writing with Marina Go, Saturday 31 March & Sunday 1 April 2012.
We recently interviewed award-winning kids’ book author, Susanne Gervay. You can watch the interview on the Writing Bar and Youtube.

TIP: Fluidly or fluently?
Thanks to Get Published reader, Margo, who spotted this error in a newspaper on 17 March:

“It took him 4 days to learn the alphabet, he said, and a week to read fluidly.”

Fluidly? I wonder if he meant “fluently”. “Fluidly” is the adverb of fluid, and refers to something that is capable of flowing or easily changing shape. For example:

The ballerina moved fluidly.

“Fluently” is also an adverb, of fluent, and refers to the ability to speak or write readily. For example:

She could speak and read French fluently.

Fluent can also mean flowing smoothly and easily, but only when you’re talking about speaking or writing in a particular language.

Get inspired with a Creative Writing course
It’s only March but already we’ve had well over 100 people complete our Creative Writing Stage 1 course. Every one of them has finished the course feeling inspired and ready to tackle their fiction writing projects. If you’ve always wanted to explore your creative side and write fiction, we have more Creative Writing courses coming up that will help you get your story out of your imagination and onto the page.

Creative Writing Stage 1 will teach you all the elements of a good story – voice, plot, character, and structure – and show you how to apply them to your writing. You can join us for a five-week evening course, a morning course or, if you can’t get to our training rooms in Milsons Point, an online course.

What past participants say:
"This is a value for money, practical course that will make you think and help you develop your creative writing skills."
- Michele Clapin

"I enjoyed hearing from a published writer on the real experience of writing, and finding out all the hints, tips and techniques needed to get started."
- Shelley Hall

Creative Writing Stage 1 with James Roy
When: Tuesdays starting Tuesday 10 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

DAYTIME Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Thursdays starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

ONLINE COURSE Creative Writing Stage 1 with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman
When: Week beginning Monday 2 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Congratulations to our presenter Patti Miller
Our wonderful Life Writing teacher, Patti Miller, is just weeks away from launching her latest book, The Mind of a Thief. It will be released on 30 April and she’s sent us this sneak peak of the book cover.

The Mind of a Thief is a memoir/narrative non-fiction exploring a native title claim in Patti’s hometown. John Hunter from UQP says, “It’s both a beautifully written and a timely book… It traverses public issues and private life in the way that the best memoirs do.”

We can’t wait to read it! Congratulations Patti.

2012 Miles Franklin Award long-list announced
Congratulations to all the authors long-listed in the 2012 Miles Franklin Awards! There are some great writers featured here, including previous winners Frank Moorhouse and Alex Miller, as well as first-time nominees Favel Parrett and Mark Dapin. Here in the Sydney Writers’ Centre office, our reading lists have just gotten longer!

You can check out the full list of long-listed authors here.

Learn the right rules for editing
Editing other people’s work can be tricky if you’re not confident you’re making the right decisions or if you’re not sure of the right procedure. Understanding the standard editing conventions will help you cut your editing time in half and produce more polished documents.

Our one-day Editing Essentials seminar will show you how to edit for structure and style, how to create and use style guides, how to tackle common editorial dilemmas and how to use the standard editing marks. You’ll come away with a new approach for tackling your editing tasks at work.

What past participants say:
"The course had very practical, clear and easy to understand advice. Definitely the best course of this type I have attended."
- Catherine Thrum

"Deb was fantastic. She explained things really well, everything was very clear."
- Eliz Lanson

This seminar is taught by Deb Doyle. She is an experienced editorial-training consultant and publication editor. Deb has conducted courses for the Productivity Commission, AMP and Wizard Home Loans as well as many other corporate and government entities located in Sydney or Melbourne. Deb’s courses are interactive and collegial. She demystifies the editing process in a way that’s engaging and interesting.

Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Did you know? The Book of St Albans
I came across this interesting post on Huffington Post recently, on the origins of 7 bizarre English words. One of the words, gaggle – as in, a gaggle of geese – was one of many collective nouns first mentioned in The Book of St Albans.

One of the first English printed books, The Book of St Albans was first published in 1486. It’s actually a collection of essays on hunting and hawking, but is perhaps most well-known for its list of nouns for groups of animals. The list has been attributed to Dame Juliana Berners, whose essay proved so popular the book was still in print many years later. She’s been credited with terms like a “murder of crows” and the “gaggle of geese”.

Since Dame Berners humorous take on collective nouns was first published, we’ve continued to add to the lexicon of terms for groups of people or animals. Some more modern ones include “a crash of software”, “an annoyance of mobiles”, “an intrigue of politicians” and “a tedium of golfers”.

Oops word

Another erroneous apostrophe... This one’s especially frustrating as they could have used the apostrophe in “pencil’s” for “carpenters”. The sign should actually say “10 Carpenters’ Pencils” as the pencils belong to the carpenters, but you don’t need an apostrophe to create a plural.

Turn your travels into a career
Explore the world and get paid for it! Yes, it is possible. If you love travel and love writing you can combine the two and fund your adventures with a career in travel writing.

A good travel writer knows how to develop the right angle for their story, is always on the lookout for interview subjects and interesting travel topics, and can even craft great travel stories from their own hometown. In our five-week Travel Writing course you’ll learn all that and more, including how to pitch your articles to editors and get them published.

What past participants say:
"The course content is exceptional and covers all aspects of travel writing. Sue is a fantastic teacher and shares her knowledge in a fun and interactive environment."
- Krystal Davidson

"The course is very well structured and Sue is full of information, very down to earth and straightforward."
- Christiane Abou Taan

This course is taught by Sue White. She’s lost count of the number of countries she’s visited for work and play. As a travel writer, she has written about everything from the Golden Temple (Amritsar, India) to Gianni Versace’s 24-carat gold toilet (Miami, USA) while indulging her own itchy feet.

Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Thursdays starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Can’t make it to our training rooms in Milsons Point? You can also do this course online.

ONLINE COURSE Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 9 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week Get Published reader, Andrea Baldwin, is reading The Alphabet of Light and Dark by Danielle Wood. She writes:

I picked this book off the library shelf because of its title: The Alphabet of Light and Dark. It hinted at secrets and hidden meanings, and interaction between the natural world and human communication. The book had won The Australian/Vogel’s Award for an unpublished author under 35. I expected good things. I didn’t expect it to change my life.

This is a very quiet novel. No-one talks much. Perhaps because of this, the places sing through – a paved street in Edinburgh, glittering glass high-rises in Perth, the wild coastline of Cape Bruny. Woods’ poetic prose evokes the places where her characters voyage, so powerfully you can smell them.

This book inspired me to visit Bruny Island, novel in hand, and linger so long at the light-house I nearly missed the last ferry back to Hobart. It also inspired me to follow in Wood’s footsteps by undertaking a PhD in creative writing. Maybe it won’t have quite as dramatic effects for you, but if you love beautiful places and beautiful language, this book will give you great joy.

This is an edited extract of Andrea's full review on the Writing Bar.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Werdsmith
Turn your iPhone or iPad into a portable writing studio. That’s what Werdsmith promises. This is an app for writing on the go, the digital equivalent of a notepad and pen (and of course we all know you can never find the pen when you need it!)

Werdsmith allows you to work on your writing projects wherever you are. You can set writing goals, organise your writing and even get feedback on your work. It’s the perfect app for keeping track of progress on your novel, short story, poetry – anything you’re working on.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – FULL
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 29 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Friday 30 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Weekend Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 2 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 2 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 9 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 9 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with James Roy – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 10 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 11 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 11 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 12 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith
When: Tuesday 17 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 23 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis – NEW SEMINAR
When: Monday 23 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 27 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 3 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo – NEW DATE
When: Friday 4 May 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Cost: $295

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 7 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 10 May 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 15 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 23 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 7 June 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Wednesday 27 June and 4 July 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $175

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

22 March 2012

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:24:00 GMT

Dear {tag_recipientfirstname},

In this issue:

TIP: Passed or past?
Congratulations Pamela Freeman!
Learn to write for magazines and newspapers – online
The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award
How to publish and sell your own eBook
What we’re reading – (re)Visions: Alice
WEBPICK: Listverse

I'm currently in New York researching the book I'm writing (that's me in the picture, on a breezy day at the top of the Rockefeller Center, spelt the other way!). However, yesterday, I took a break and literally spent hours browsing through Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue. Apart from a huge selection of books, they have free wifi and Starbucks. So I alternated between browsing, buying and refuelling with caffeine. I left with heaps of new books – and a stash of Moleskines.

One section I love browsing through is the picture books. I love the diversity of ideas, authors and illustrations in today's picture books. It's no wonder that the picture book category is one of the most popular. That's why I love our course Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker.

You'll learn about current trends in the market so you'll be equipped to write a picture book that will really resonate with publishers and readers. This course will cover:

language and rhythm
what’s so different about the picture book?
point of view, structure and pace
finding the right voice
choosing your topic
and MUCH more

Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 28 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

Award-winning author Elliot Perlman has just published his third novel, The Street Sweeper. We chatted to him about the new book and you can listen to the interview now on the Writing Bar.
Filling fast: Writing for the Web, Monday 26 March 2012.
We launched our Best Australian Blogs 2012 Competition last week and have already received almost 500 entries! If you blog, you can enter here, or if you know a great Australian blogger, nominate them here.

TIP: Passed or past?
We’ve looked at the difference between "passed" and "past" before, but a Get Published reader emailed us this week to find out a simple rule of thumb to tell the difference between the two, so we thought it was time to revisit it.

This one causes a lot of confusion for writers but it’s fairly easy to remember. Passed is the past tense of the verb pass. For example:

Rambo passed doggie school with flying colours.
This week has passed by so quickly!

Past is used as a noun, adjective, preposition and adverb. For example:

The past few weeks have been so busy.
We walked past many beautiful buildings on our tour of Sydney.

Build your profile
Free publicity for your business doesn’t just happen. The right media coverage can help boost your sales and your profile, but to get it, you need an effective publicity strategy.

Our PR and Media Releases That Get Results seminar is ideal if you’re completely new to the art of good PR, but will also be helpful if your PR plans need some help. During the seminar you’ll learn how to write a great press release, how to attract the attention of journalists, how to use online resources, and much more.

What past participants say:
"Catriona's style and knowledge of the industry was excellent. She wasted no time throughout the day and was most generous in the information and material she shared with the group."
- Jennifer Adams

"Catriona was fantastic. She was very generous in imparting so many tricks of the trade and gave a detailed, step-by-step guide to PR in practice."
- Faun Harbord

This seminar is taught by Catriona Pollard. She is the director of CP Communications and has 17 years’ experience in developing and managing public relations and marketing programs. She has previously set up the marketing communications department for a leading software company and managed a diverse range of accounts within PR agencies.

PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Friday 30 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $495

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Congratulations Pamela Freeman!
The 2011 Aurealis Awards shortlist has been announced and we’re so excited to see our very own Pamela Freeman on the list! She created and teaches our Creative Writing courses and has published 23 books. Her book, Ember and Ash, has been shortlisted in the Fantasy Novel category of the awards.

We’re looking forward to hearing the final results in May and will definitely have our fingers crossed for Pamela.

More student success – Jonathan Souter
Congratulations this week go to Jonathan Souter, who completed our Magazine and Newspaper Writing course in August last year and recently sent us this exciting news:

I completed Magazine and Newspaper Writing at the end of last year. A few weeks later I pitched my first story to Men's Health magazine, which they accepted, and the 3,000 word piece is in the April edition (out this week).

The course gave me exactly the inside knowledge I was looking for in terms of pitching ideas, and it was amazing to have access to Marina's incredible experience. In addition, the advice on structuring stories was a huge and unexpected benefit. I would recommend this course to anyone who might like to do some freelance writing but has absolutely no idea where to start.

Congratulations Jon! This sounds like the start of a promising writing career.

Learn to write for magazines and newspapers – online!
Would you like to try your hand at magazine and newspaper writing but can’t make it to our courses here in Milsons Point? Why not join us online? Our online course in Magazine and Newspaper Writing can be done anywhere you have access to the internet. The interactive style of this course means you can communicate with your presenter and classmates just as you would in a face-to-face class.

If you’re interested in writing for magazines and newspapers, then this course will help you do it. You’ll learn the essentials of writing good articles and how to get them published.

What past participants say:
"The best thing about the course was the ease and the ability to get real feedback and answers to our questions each week from the online tutor. I've highly recommended this course to many of my friends already!"
- Cassy Small

"The structure of the course was great. All of the activities were enjoyable which made learning easy. I will never read an article in the same way again."
- Shirley Schulz-Robinson

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing with Allison Tait
When: Week beginning Monday 26 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award
One of Australia’s most exciting awards for unpublished writing is now open for entries. The Australian/Vogel Literary Award offers a writer under the age of 35 a chance to see their novel published by Allen & Unwin, and share in a prize pool of $20,000.

The award is open to unpublished manuscripts of between 30,000 and 100,000 words. You have until Friday 1 June 2012 to enter.

Click here for full details and an entry form.

Did you know? Ghouls
We know many English words have evolved from Latin, French and other romantic languages, but did you know there are also many that derive from Arabic words? In the fantastic worlds of horror or speculative fiction you may come across one such word – ghoul.

This word comes to us through One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, the famous collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian folk tales (think Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad the Sailor). In these stories, a "ghul" is a demon that haunts burial areas and feasts on the dead, often luring travellers into the desert to feed on them. In English, the word "ghoul" can also mean “someone who revels in what is revolting” or “a grave robber”.

How to publish and sell your own eBook
For new writers, Amazon’s Kindle bookstore has been a boon. It’s now possible for authors to publish even short stories as a "book" and earn up to 70% in royalties from their sales – far more than a traditional publisher can offer. Sell Your eBook on Amazon is fast becoming our most popular seminar, so if you want to get into this one, you have to be quick!

You’ll learn how to list a book on Amazon’s Kindle store, including all the terminology you should know, how to format your book for Kindle, how to build your profile and market your book, and much more.

What past participants say:
"Steven is very articulate and presented his content in interesting, bite-sized chunks. He crammed in lots of 'best practice' facts and I feel like I have something I can use that is tangible."
- Sophie Chenoweth

"Steven Lewis has been there and done that with eBook publishing, which made what he had to say more relevant."
- Sharon Livingstone

This seminar is taught by Steven Lewis, a writer and online publisher whose own titles are available in Amazon’s Kindle store, Apple’s iBookstore, and as audiobooks through Audible. Steven also helps other writers publish their eBooks.

Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 2 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week, office manager Andrew Gillman is reading (re)Visions: Alice, published by Candlestick and Gleam. He writes:

Lewis Carroll's classic tale Alice in Wonderland has been a mainstay of Western popular culture since it was released in 1865. The story has been interpreted so many times in so many ways that you might think there isn't much more that could be done with it.

Well, it turns out there is, and then some. For the imaginative folks at Candlestick and Gleam, an innovative fledgling publishing house in the USA, have come up with a wholly original take on Carroll's fantastical tale called (re)Visions: Alice.

This bold re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland is completely in keeping with their publishing mission, which states: "Candlemark & Gleam aims to marry the best of publishing’s past with the best of its future."

They asked four relatively unknown writers to take Carroll’s text, and create something altogether new yet familiar. Given creative carte blanche by the publisher, and with obvious affection for Alice, a white rabbit, a Mad Hatter, and sundry other characters clearly and delightfully off their rockers, they did just that, creating a clever collection of tales that pay homage, but do not slavishly adhere, to the spirit of Carroll's classic. Each has taken an aspect of Alice in Wonderland and fashioned it into their own slice of fantastical weirdness, and it is a delight from start to finish.

You can read Andrew’s complete review here.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Listverse
It’s surprising what you can learn from lists. For example, did you know that elephants are among the smartest animals on earth, Ancient Greeks ate cabbage to cure hangovers, and that the earth’s rotation is very gradually slowing down?

Whether you’re after an interesting lunchtime read, need to brush up on your ‘useless’ trivia for the next pub trivia night, or have a bizarre topic to research, you’ll probably find what you need at Listverse. Listverse focuses on lists “that intrigue and educate”. You can find top 10 lists on everything from art and literature to religion and even travel. A fascinating read!

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 26 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 26 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 28 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 29 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Friday 30 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Weekend Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 2 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 2 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 2 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 9 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 11 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 11 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 12 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 13 April 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Cost: $295

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith
When: Tuesday 17 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis – NEW SEMINAR
When: Monday 23 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Friday 27 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Monday 7 May 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 23 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 7 June 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 27 June and 4 July 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $175

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

15 March 2012

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:26:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: That or who?
Best Australian Blogs 2012 Competition now open!
Indulge your creative side – Online Creative Writing Stage 1
More student success – Congratulations Kerry Osborne!
Write better copy for your website
What we’re reading – Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
WEBPICK: Mr Thompson’s Guide to Never Getting Published

"How y'all doing?" I've been hearing a lot of that over the past few days as I'm currently in Austin, Texas at the South by South West Interactive Festival. It's been wonderful to hear from an endless stream of best-selling authors here at the festival, talking about their books and the writing process. I've also been eating way too much cheese (which seems to be on every type of food here) and key lime pie (which, thankfully, is one of the few things that does not come with cheese).

Lots of people rush to get ready and be part of this festival. So I'm also seeing lots of typos – in brochures, marketing materials, display stands and signs. That detracts from the professionalism of the brand. And it makes me want to go to the founders of these businesses and shake them! They work so hard to create a product or service, but then let silly typos in their marketing material devalue their brand.

That's why our one-day seminar Perfect Your Proofreading is so important. You should always have a person responsible for proofreading your material – whether that's yourself or someone else. Their eagle eyes could be the difference between gaining a sale or making an embarrassing mistake.

During this seminar you'll learn:

the standard proofreading symbols
how and when to use hyphens, ‘ens’ and ‘ems’, all of which are often misused
common proofreading slips you should avoid (there are more than you think!)
common terms used in publishing and printing
how to create your own proofreading checklist
and much more

Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 22 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

We recently interviewed successful chick-lit author, Erica James. You can watch the full interview on the Writing Bar.
Check out our latest post on the Writing Bar – It’s a monster literary mash-up!
Filling fast: Introduction to Travel Writing, Monday 19 March 2012.

TIP: That or who?
For many editors, writers and word-nerds, it’s often the most simple mistakes that cause the most angst. For example, many people find the confusion between the use of “who” and “that” akin to fingernails running down a blackboard. For example:

She’s the one that edited my book.

The commonly accepted view is that this sentence should actually say “She’s the one who edited my book.” The rule being you use “who” when referring to a person or people, and use “that” when referring to things or groups.

It seems, though, there isn’t a rule stating this and there are plenty of literary precedents to justify using “that” instead of “who”. Even Mark Twain did it in his story “The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg”.

We suggest you follow the Fairfax Style Guide, which states:

Who suits particular people, and that generic people. For example:

You, who are a walking dictionary.

But: He is a man that is never at a loss.

Best Australian Blogs 2012 Competition now open!
We're thrilled to announce the launch of our Best Australian Blogs 2012 Competition. The competition opened this morning at 10.00 am. Last year, 570 bloggers entered and over 13,350 people voted in the People's Choice Award. Last year's winner, Nikki Parkinson, is now a full-time blogger thanks to the profile boost of the competition.

This year's competition has an all-star judging panel of Robert Gerrish of Flying Solo; Marina Go, veteran editor and publisher; Brenda Gaddi, founder and director of the Digital Parents Network; Angela Meyer, one of Australia’s leading literary bloggers; and Greg Jericho, one of Australia’s most popular online commentators.

This is a wonderful opportunity to get your blog recognised, and celebrate the booming Australian blogosphere. The competition closes 5.00 pm, Friday 13 April 2012.

Click here for more information or to enter online.

Indulge your creative side
Taking time out to indulge your love of writing can be hard, especially if you don’t live in Sydney, or have kids at home, or you’re too busy at work… There are so many excuses you could make! That’s why we’re so committed to offering our most popular courses online, so you can join us from wherever you are.

Our most popular online offering is Creative Writing Stage 1. This course is perfect if you want to test your creative skills on writing fiction. Whether you’ve never done a course before or you’ve been writing for a while and want to be sure you’re on the right track, the online course Creative Writing Stage 1 will show you how to write great stories.

What past students say:
"I found the workshopping an invaluable tool. I enjoyed reading other people's work and the feedback given to them also helped me implement changes for the better in my own work."
- Olivia Blackburn

"The course is very practical, and really helps you to improve your writing from week to week."
- Nimmity Zappert

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman
When: Week beginning Monday 19 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

More Student Success!
We received some very exciting news from former Life Writing student, Kerry Osborne. After completing two courses here at the Sydney Writers’ Centre with Patti Miller, Kerry has had some of her short stories and blog posts published in a number of collections. Here’s what she wrote:

Last year I was approached by a publisher who asked to use four of my blogs in his book 40 Aussie Stories (Strand Publishing), which was released last year. This week another four of my stories were published by Strand in another book, Inspirational Stories for Aussie Women. Now, to top it off, I have another short piece being included in Candida Baker’s latest book, The Wisdom of Women (Allen & Unwin), which is being launched next month. I’m loving my writing journey and wanted to say a big ‘thank you’ to the Centre and to Patti Miller for the invaluable teaching you gave me.

Congratulations Kerry! We can’t wait to hear more about your writing success.

If you want to a chance to learn from the wonderful Patti Miller, why not join her in Bali for Writing the Senses? There are only four places left on this wonderful trip. You can download a full itinerary here.

Verandah literary journal seeks submissions
For writers of poetry and short fiction there are a number of literary journals in Australia you can submit to. One is Verandah, Deakin University’s Literary and Art Journal. The first edition of Verandah was published in 1985, and editors are now seeking submissions for their 27th edition.

Submissions of short stories (350 – 2,000 words long), poetry, art and design are welcome. Submissions cost $10 for one, or $15 for two or three. You have until Friday 1 June 2012 to submit written submissions, or Tuesday 1 May 2012 for art and design submissions.

For more details or to purchase past editions, visit Verandah Twenty Seven.

Writing picture books
Who could ever forget such classic picture books as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where the Wild Things Are or Green Eggs and Ham? It’s these stories, and so many more, that have introduced generations of kids to the wonders of reading.

If you want to know what appeals to children and publishers, Writing Picture Books will show you. You’ll learn how to perfect the language and rythmn of your book, how to work with illustrations, and how you go about getting your picture book published.

This course focuses on picture books for younger children. If you'd like to write for slightly older children, please go to our course Writing Books for Children and Young Adults.

What past participants say:
"Cathie was a very knowledgeable presenter and I liked that she was open to all sorts of questions. It was great to hear how publishing works from someone who has been in it."
- Catherine Golding

"Cathy was AWESOME. Direct, honest, informative, funny – perfect!"
- Natalie Keen

This course is taught by Cathie Tasker. Cathie has edited over 150 children’s picture books, both popular and award-winning titles. She has worked with some of Australia’s greatest picture book creators – Bruce Whatley, Jackie French, Mem Fox, Bronwyn Bancroft, Wendy Orr, and many others. She has also worked in-house at Scholastic Australia and HarperCollins.

Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 28 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

TIP: How should you use accordingly?
One of our online course students wants to know what the correct way to use “accordingly” is. She was recently pulled up for using the following sentence:

"I have amended the document with the necessary changes and have attached for you to review accordingly."

According to the Macquarie Dictionary, "accordingly" is an adverb that means “in accordance; correspondingly” or “in due course; therefore; so.” For example:

The government wants to assess teachers’ performance and pay them accordingly.

In the example sent to us, the use of “accordingly” is superfluous. It’s not needed there. You wouldn’t be able to replace “accordingly” with “in accordance with” as it wouldn’t make sense. So, it would be better to write:

I have amended the document and have attached for you to review.

Write better copy for your website
You may be comfortable writing marketing copy for brochures, or writing long reports or proposals, but could you write convincing and engaging copy for your website?

Writing for the web is very different to writing for print, and it’s essential you know the rules before tackling this important task. Our Writing for the Web seminar will show you how to engage readers and customers with your web copy, the golden rules of information design, how to write for accessibility and usability, and much more.

What past participants say:
"For a novice this was a good introduction, with tips to immediately improve the content that I write for the web."
- Vicky Coumbe

"Grant Doyle was excellent. I enjoyed how he used relevant examples and engaged the audience by reviewing their own sites throughout the day."
- Sarah Collins

This seminar is taught by Grant Doyle. He is an experienced copywriter, content manager and web editor. Grant's background is as a print journalist and author. He has spent the last 11 years in web writing and has been contracting or consulting to major corporations in various online content capacities since then.

Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $450

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week Get Published reader Kathy George is reading Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. She writes:

Out Stealing Horses – a relevant, cheeky title - concerns a widower, grown old, who has moved to a remote cabin in the countryside. Set in Norway, it recounts his daily life, his thoughts on coping with the coming harsh winter, and how this new existence triggers memories of his boyhood and one particular summer. Without giving too much away, the narrator is a boy during the Second World War, and it’s also therefore a coming of age story. Some of the memories he recalls are painful, some are turbulent, some happy, but all are recounted in Trond Sander’s slow, pensive but uncluttered fashion.

It begins with a simple observation of nature: “Early November. It’s nine o’clock. The titmice are banging against the window”, then a sentence later, “I don’t know what they want that I have.” I was hooked by this beginning. A story was coming. I was willing to wait for it.

Your can read Kathy's complete review here.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Mr Thompson’s Guide to Never Getting Published
So, the first reason we like Mr Thompson is, he has cats. Three of them. And they often feature in his blog. Secondly, we like his humorous approach to writing and publishing.

Mr Thompson is an English teacher and writer based in the US. His posts include a contemplation on the Twitter-verse, 10 commandments you should not follow, and occasionally some writing advice.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 15 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Thursday 15 March and Thursday 22 March 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 19 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 19 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 19 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 22 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 26 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 26 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 28 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 29 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Friday 30 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Weekend Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 2 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 9 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 11 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 11 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 12 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 13 April 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.00 pm
Cost: $295

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith
When: Tuesday 17 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Cost: $450

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00 am – 12 noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis – NEW SEMINAR
When: Monday 23 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Friday 27 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Cost: $395

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 23 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $495

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 7 June 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $85

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 16 June and Sunday 17 June 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Cost: $395

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

8 March 2012

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 02:26:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Why does humour become humorous?
Write a gripping thriller
Win a World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship
Perfect your proofreading
New fairytales discovered
What we’re reading – The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
WEBPICK: Australian Women Writers

I love being a writer. It's one of the most flexible jobs in the world. As long as you have a computer and the internet (well, sometimes you don't even need the internet), you have all you need. And if you're really old school, all you need is a pen and notepad. It's a portable career that allows you to explore your creativity and travel the world.

In fact, as you read this, I'll be getting off the plane in Texas where I'm researching and interviewing people for my next book. If I have the time, I may even write a travel story or two. It's great to be paid to go on adventures!

If you like the idea of being paid for your travels, you'll enjoy our online course in Travel Writing. The best part is that this online course means you can learn from wherever you are – even if you are sipping pina coladas on a tropical island.

You'll learn:

industry lingo you need to know
how to develop the right angle for your travel story
how to structure your article, when it’s important to provide photos and other key elements
how to research travel stories and find interview subjects on the road
travel writing in your home town so that you can be a travel writer without ever having to get on a plane!
your blueprint on how to become a travel writer
travel writing ethics
travelling on your own versus an organised trip with other writers
and MUCH more.

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 19 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

Our latest writer profile by Katie Booth is on controversial columnist, Piers Akerman. You can read it now on the Writing Bar.
Our Creative Writing Stage 1 course is proving so popular we’ve scheduled another one. The next evening course starts Thursday 29 March 2012.
There are only 4 places left in our Writing the Senses in Bali tour. Click here for all the details.

TIP: Why does humour become humorous?
In Australia we spell "humour" with a "u", but in American English, they spell it without the "u" – as in "humor". So why is it we spell "humorous" without the "u" before the "r"?

According to Contradictionary by Fritz Spiegl, it merely comes down to readability.

“Humour loses its second u when modified to humorous. There seems to be no particular reason for this, though both humourous and humourist look cumbersome and wrong. The same applies to other word modifications like glamour/glamorise, vapour/vaporise, etc.”

Writing About Interiors, Style and Design
Are you one of those people instantly drawn to the home and renovating section of the newsagent to pore over magazines like Belle, Home Beautiful and House & Garden? And have you ever wondered if you could write for them?

Interiors, style and design has become something of a national obsession in Australia. We’re fascinated by it. So there’s plenty of opportunity out there for anyone interested in writing about interior design, renovating, architecture or anything to do with the home. In our industry insight course, Writing About Interiors, Style and Design, you’ll learn all about writing articles on this fascinating topic.

Here’s what past participants say:
"This course was excellent. Nigel showed a keen interest in sharing his knowledge. It's the best short writing course I have been on and wasted no time in presenting the right information for getting your work published." 
- Phillip Brook

"Nigel's personal insights were really valuable and interesting. I particularly appreciated that he had asked people he knows in the right positions, such as magazine editors, to provide their dos and don’ts. Nigel is engaging and interesting." 
- Nicola Duncan

The course is taught by Nigel Bartlett, a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years’ experience in magazines. He has written and edited interior design features for Belle, Inside Out, Real Living and other magazines.

Writing About Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Thursdays 15 & 22 March 2012 (two evening classes)
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

More Student Success
This week we heard from former student Ambra Sancin. She completed our Introduction to Travel Writing seminar and has been busy writing every since. Here’s what she wrote to us:

"I'm very pleased to inform you that I had a short piece published in this month's Italianicious magazine. I did the 'Intro to Travel Writing' course with the Sydney Writers' Centre last year, and obviously it paid off. I'm hoping to keep writing the same types of stories related to my Italo-Australian heritage."

Congratulations Ambra!

Congratulations also to Dean Koorey, whose Tooth Fairy Ombudsman won the day in Seek’s Wish It Exists competition. Dean won the popular vote and $20,000!

2012 World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship
For budding travel writers it can be hard to get that big break. That’s why we love the World Nomads Travel Writing Scholarship. This annual competition gives one writer a chance to really experience life on the road as a travel writer.

The winner will be mentored by three professional travel writers and will contribute to the new edition of The Rough Guide to Singapore as well blog regularly about their journey through South East Asia.

To enter you need to write a 2,000 character (roughly 500 words) story on one of four themes. Judges will be looking for great descriptive ability, a compelling story and, of course, excellent grammar, so make sure you proofread your story!

Full details can be found on the World Nomads website.

Write a gripping thriller
Thrillers dominate bestseller lists around the world. Whether they’re occasional readers or devoted fans of the genre, it’s hard for readers to resist the action, suspense and mystery of a good thriller. So how do you write one?

Our newest course, Thriller Writing, will show you how to turn your story into an edge-of-your-seat novel your readers won’t be able to put down. Over five weeks you’ll discover the eight “must haves” of a good thriller, the dos and don’ts of action scenes and how to build pace and suspense in your novel.

This course is taught by thriller author L.A. Larkin. She has been likened to Michael Crichton and John Grisham. Her latest novel, The Genesis Flaw, received glowing reviews and has been nominated for four crime writing awards. Her next thriller, Thirst, set on an isolated Antarctic station, will be released in 2012.

Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Thursdays starting Thursday 15 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

New fairytales discovered
Many of us grew up on classic fairytales such as Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Cinderella and the Princess and the Pea. Thanks to the work of the Grimm Brothers (Jacob and Wilhelm), who spent many years during the early 1800s collecting the stories and folklore of Germany, these stories have become an integral part of the childhood of millions of people around the world.

But it seems the Grimm Brothers weren’t the only ones collecting the myths, legends and fairytales of the time. Another academic, Franz Xaver Von Schönwerth, collected around 500 fairytales in and around Bavaria and published much of his research in three volumes in 1857. The collection has been sitting in an archive in Regensburg, Germany, ever since. But now they’ve been rediscovered and stories such as the Turnip Princess and King Golden Hair may yet become just as important to young readers as those stories collected by the Grimm Brothers.

You can read all about the new fairytales in The Guardian.

Oops Word!
This picture was sent into the Herald Sun by one of their readers who was rightly upset about the use of "except".

Except means to exclude or leave out, or not including. For example:

Everyone was at the party except Rambo.

Accept means to take or receive, and this is what should have been used in this sign. For example:

This machine will only accept $1 or $2 coins.

Perfect documents every time
If you want to ensure your documents are perfect every time, you need to know how to proofread properly. Proofreading is a vital stage in the production of any document – whether it’s a marketing brochure, an annual report, or everyday correspondence.

Learning the right techniques for proofreading needn’t be hard. Our one-day seminar, Perfect Your Proofreading, will show you how to make sure your documents are in the best shape possible for printing and publication. You’ll learn how to use the standard proofreading symbols, how to set up a clear proofreading process for your work, and how to avoid the most common proofreading errors.

Here’s what past participants say:
"The course was excellent and the teaching was focussed on exactly what I needed to know."
- Carol-Anne Maurer

"I will be using the knowledge that I have taken away from this course on a day-to-day basis. I now know what my exact role as a proofreader is, and will be able to use the correct, professional language. Deb’s knowledge on the topic was both outstanding and enviable."
- Danielle Roddick

This seminar is taught by Deb Doyle. Deb is an experienced editorial-training consultant and publication editor. Her courses are interactive and collegial. If anyone can turn a proofreading workshop into a fun and interesting day, it’s Deb Doyle.

Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 22 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre office manager, Andrew Gillman, is reading The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. He writes:

I love books with quirky titles. They have become quite popular over the last few years ever since The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time became a hit in 2003. But a quirky title is only truly memorable if the novel is equally creative and well-written, which is not always the case, alas.

Thankfully The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake has a catchy title and a beautifully written story, which is exactly what you would expect from the author, the gloriously talented Aimee Bender.

The book tells the story of shy Rose Edelstein, who discovers as a child that she can sense the emotions of the person who has cooked the food she is eating. She discovers quickly though that this gift is more of a curse than a blessing since it means she knows more about those she loves, and wants to love, than she should. This includes her mother who, though outwardly gregarious and accomplished, is secretly despairing of life. She finds out her father and brother have secrets too, all of which shakes the confidence of Rose who almost instantly sees food as a threat, rather than a comfort.

But it’s not all doom and icing-topped gloom. At it’s heart this is a beautifully written book about how much goes unsaid between people and how the ability to pick up on these unremarked undercurrents can profoundly change the way you relate to the rest of the human race.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Australian Women Writers
It’s International Women’s Day today so we thought we should tell you about Australian Women Writers. In response to the recent debate on gender bias in publishing and reviewing, AWW has established the 2012 Reading and Reviewing Challenge.

The idea is for women to read and review as many books as possible throughout 2012 – the National Year of Reading. If you want to join the challenge, you need to decide if you’re going to be a casual or dedicated reviewer, and whether you’re a purist (one genre only), a dabbler (more than one genre) or a devoted eclectic (as many genres as you can read).

Reviews can be posted on your own blog or on GoodReads. All the details and reading lists are on the website.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 12 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 12 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 15 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 15 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Thursday 15 March and Thursday 22 March 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 19 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 19 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 19 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 22 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 26 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 28 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 29 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Friday 30 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $495

Course: Weekend Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Monday 2 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 9 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 11 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 13 April 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 1.00pm
Cost: $295

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding – NEW DATE
When: Every Monday starting Monday 16 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 17 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis – NEW SEMINAR
When: Monday 23 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Friday 27 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 28 April and Sunday 29 April 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 9 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: 495

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

1 March 2012

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 03:59:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Disinformation or misinformation?
Writing tours to Paris and Bali – only a few places left!
The Big Issue Fiction Edition open for submissions
Did you know? Crash blossoms
Perfect your grammar and punctuation
What we’re reading – Astropolis: Saturn Returns by Sean Williams
WEBPICK: Ruth Wajnryb: words woman

What a week. I’ve been very busy writing but, unsurprisingly, I’ve succumbed to the temptation to buy a stack of books. These have included Story by veteran screenwriting guru Robert McKee. My other book purchase, just for something a bit different, is Crafting with Cat Hair!

While the book about cat hair is quirky (and grosses out most people I show it to), it’s the book on screenwriting that has me riveted. If you fancy the idea of writing for the movies, then you’ll love our course Screenwriting Stage 1 with the wonderful Tim Gooding.

We’re lucky to have Tim teach this course as he’s been travelling to Europe working on his latest TV project. So this is a great opportunity to learn from an experienced screenwriter who is working in the midst of this dynamic industry.

You’ll discover:

the ideal way to structure your story
what you need to include in your plot
how to write characters people love to watch
why pressure is the catalyst of character
how to write the most audience-engaging narrative
genre, style and theme – and how this applies to your screenplay
and MUCH more.

Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 7 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

Filling fast: Thriller Writing, starts Thursday 15 March 2012.
Check out our newest seminar for writers and anyone who wants to build a following – Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis, 23 April 2012.
Check out the Writing Bar for upcoming writing competitions and our latest book review by student, Suganthi Singarayar.

TIP: Disinformation or misinformation?
The word “disinformation” is not one you see often, so when I saw it used recently in an article I was reading I had to wonder – why “disinformation” and not “misinformation”?

The Macquarie Dictionary lists “disinformation” as “misleading information supplied intentionally, as in counter espionage”. For example:

There has been much disinformation spread about the issue of climate change.

The online version of the Macquarie lists “misinformation” as the noun form of the verb “misinform” – to give false or misleading information to. According to the blog Sentence First the difference between the two words is intent. Misinformation is a result of ignorance, or is unintentional, for example:

The pamphlet contained misinformation about the cost of dog-sitting.

Disinformation, however, is deliberately misleading.

Our Writing Tours to Paris and Bali – only a few places left!
Our International Writing Tours are a unique experience offering inspiration and motivation to writers at any stage of their journey.

Writing in Bali
You can enjoy 8 days in the artistic centre of Ubud, Bali, and learn about the Art and Craft of Writing the Senses. Staying in your own room in a beautiful resort set amongst the rice paddies, you’ll discover how to enrich your writing and re-awaken your senses with Patti Miller.

The Art and Craft of Writing the Senses in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Click here for a full itinerary.

Living and writing in Paris
If memoir is more your thing, why not immerse yourself in French culture, food and literature and join our Writing in Paris tour. You’ll spend 17 days exploring the City of Light, staying in your very own Parisian apartment, and undertaking writing instruction from Patti Miller – one of Australia's best writing tutors. This tour is very popular and fills quickly, so don’t miss out!

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller
When: Thursday 18 October to Saturday 3 November 2012
For early bird discounts full payment is due by Saturday 31 March 2012.

Click here for full itinerary.

More Student Success
Very exciting news from one of our Creative Writing graduates this week. Rajasree Variyar entered a story he wrote in a short story competition – and his entry was short-listed! Here’s what he wrote to us:

I just wanted to let you know that my short story, "Men Don't Cry", was short listed for the Margaret River short story competition. This story is about a young Sudanese ex-child soldier, which I workshopped in Creative Writing Stage 2 with you last year. You gave me some great advice, so thank you!

Another potential student success story is Dean Koorey. I use the word “potential” because you would help him win $20,000 for his witty entry into Seek’s competition. But you need to vote before 11.59pm Thursday 1 March 2012 (today). Find out about his “journey” here.

Big Issue Fiction Edition
Entering short story competitions is one of the best ways for writers to practise their craft, and one of the biggest for the year is The Big Issue Fiction Edition. This competition is fast becoming one of the most important short story events of the year – and you could be part of it.

The Fiction Edition is a blend of stories selected from open submissions and commissioned pieces from established and much-loved authors. In 2011, vendors sold 34,000 copies of the edition, which featured short stories by Frank Moorhouse, Peggy Frew, Nick Earls, Charlotte Wood and Chris Wormersley.

Editors of the 2012 edition are looking for “intriguing stories, humorous tales and lively and interesting writing”. You can choose to pick your own topic, or write to the official theme of “The End of the World”. Stories must be under 3,000 words long.

If you’d like to enter your story for consideration in The Big Issue Fiction Edition, you have until Thursday 31 May 2012. Full entry details can be found on the Writing Bar.

Online courses in Creative Writing
If you want to make sure your stories are ready for competition, or just want to kickstart your writing and get started on a novel, our Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 is the perfect way to start.

In this course you’ll learn all about character, structure, plot and voice, and how to make sure your stories really pack a punch.

What past participants say:
"After completing this course, I feel better equipped with the tools and techniques I need to be a good writer. I really enjoyed the process of seeing my ideas come to life on paper and as a result I now write short pieces daily."
- Itu Taito

"Prior to the course, I was floundering without any teaching to know how to approach creative writing. The course provided me with all the information I needed and more."
- Debbie Smith

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

If you’ve already completed Stage 1, or you feel you’re ready to move to the next level, the Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 is your chance to really practise what you’ve learnt and workshop more of your work.

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Did you know? Crash Blossoms
What on earth is a crash blossom?! According to Urban Dictionary, it’s a “neologism for infelicitously-worded newspaper headlines”. In other words, it’s an awkwardly written headline that could have two or more meanings. One of the defining features of a crash blossom is confusion between nouns and verbs.

The term originated in an online discussion on the headline “Violinist linked to JAL crash blossoms”. Huh? Turns out the story was about a Japanese violinist whose father was killed in the 1985 Japan Airlines crash. Her career has blossomed since the crash – but you wouldn’t guess that from the headline. Instead you may wonder, “What’s a crash blossom?”

Here are a few more amusing examples:

British Left Waffles on Falklands
Gator Attacks Puzzle Experts
Blast at South Lebanon Hotel popular with UN staff

Oops Word!
One of our sharp-eyed students, Gemma Butler-Fleming, spotted this sign at a wildlife park:

First, the correct spelling for more than one wallaby is “wallabies”. Secondly, you don’t use an apostrophe to create a plural! Wallaby’s is wrong not only for its spelling, but also for the apostrophe that’s been used. Albino’s is also incorrect – it should be albinos, without the apostrophe.

Perfect your grammar and punctuation
Why do I need an apostrophe for “kids’ books” and not “books for kids”? What’s the difference between which and that? Where should I put the comma? Do I even need the comma?

Grammar and punctuation can seem overwhelming but once you know the basic rules, you can confidently approach almost any writing task. Our one-day seminar Grammar and Punctuation Essentials is an intensive and interactive day that will leave you with knowledge you can apply immediately. No longer will you need to fear apostrophes!

What past participants say:
"I learned so much! Deb is a wealth of information."
- Samantha Dodson

"Grammar and punctuation could be a boring topic but Deb's flamboyance and energy made it fun and interesting to learn."
- Divina Gola

Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 6 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre office manager, Andrew Gillman, is reading Astropolis: Saturn Returns by Sean Williams. He writes:

Humanity is deeply flawed. But despite this, not ultimately doomed.

This is the recurring theme throughout this book, which is the first volume in what is styled as an epic sci-fi trilogy. So far it’s proving to be epic indeed and a great read.

The story covers vast amounts of space and time in its quest to tell the story of Imre Bergemasc who may be the saviour of human civilisation, or it’s greatest threat. He can’t quite recall which. Reconstituted into physical form after drifting as a download of sorts for millennia through space, and missing vital memories lost in the process, he is struggling to make sense of a galaxy greatly changed since he was last conscious. In the vacuum of power caused by the governing body, The Continuum, it’s every person for themselves, which presents endless complications for Imre as he attempts to rebuild his life.

Sean Williams’s great gift is that his story doesn’t descend into dystopian bleakness. Humanity, while technologically and biologically much evolved in a far distant future, is still prone to many of the same flaws that beset us in our troubled present. But the key part is we’re still around, chaotic galaxy or not, trying to do our best. This grounded perspective informs the whole book and makes it a compelling read.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Ruth Wajnryb: words woman
Remember the "words woman" from the Sydney Morning Herald? Well, she no longer is the “words woman” but Ruth Wajnryb is still fascinated by linguistics and language and also has a blog discussing everything from neologisms to apologies.

There are some really interesting posts here about language, how we use it, and how it changes. There’s also Dr Ruth’s Grammar Corner – a useful reference for anyone who struggles with the English language now and then.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Monday starting Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 6 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 6 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 6 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Wednesday 7 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 7 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 12 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 12 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 15 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 15 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Thursday 15 March and Thursday 22 March 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 19 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 19 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 22 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 28 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard – NEW DATE
When: Friday 30 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $495

Course: Weekend Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Monday 2 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 13 April 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 1.00pm
Cost: $295

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 17 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Build Your Profile Using Twitter with Steven Lewis – NEW SEMINAR
When: Monday 23 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Friday 27 April 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 28 April and Sunday 29 April 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 9 May 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: 495

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

23 February 2012

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:11:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Avoid ambiguous antecedents
Take your writing to a new level – Online Creative Writing Stage 2
Monash Prize launched
TIP: Okay, ok, OK?
Write your film – Screenwriting Stage 1
What we’re reading – Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
WEBPICK: Playing by the Book

This newsletter comes to you from the Yarra Valley in Victoria. I’ve escaped to the country to focus on the book I’m writing. Although I admit I've taken some distracting trips into the city to interview people, like best-selling author of Unmarketing Scott Stratten, and meeting chanteuse turned talent judge turned author turned fashion designer Dannii Minogue at the recent Business Chicks event in Melbourne. But I'm now firmly back with my manuscript.

When you’re working on a creative project it’s vital that you combine the technique and skills that you learn (in courses at the Sydney Writers’ Centre) with some discipline and space to let your creative juices flow.

When I’m taking a break from writing, I also love exploring new towns. Although I do find myself writing travel stories in my head about these cute destinations. If you like the idea of writing travel articles then I highly recommend our wonderful online course: Travel Writing.

In this 5-week online course, you’ll discover:

different types of travel articles
industry lingo you need to know
how to structure your article
travel writing in your home town
a step-by-step guide to “media trips”
and MUCH more.

ONLINE COURSE: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 27 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

Our final Summer School courses are being held this weekend. There are some places available for Travel Memoir – and it’s not too late to enrol!
It’s raining cat and dog memoirs – our latest Writing Bar post explores the publishing phenomena of pet memoirs.
Filling fast: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith, Tuesday 28 February 2012.

TIP: Avoid ambiguous antecedents
Last week we looked at antecedents and the problems caused by missing or faraway antecedents. This week, we look at ambiguous antecedents.

Remember, an antecedent is the word or group of words a pronoun stands in for, and the pronoun must always properly relate to this word or group of words. Sometimes there may be more than one word the pronoun could refer to. In these cases, you need to be careful you don’t wind up with an ambiguous antecedent. For example:

My phone was in my bag but now it’s gone.

In this sentence, it’s not clear whether “it”, the thing that’s gone, is the phone or the bag. Here’s another example from Grammar Girl:

“The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind, and they can be seen in the church basement Friday afternoon”. The pronoun “they” finds itself in an awkward position. Does it refer to the ladies or the clothing? Well, we can guess that “items of clothing” is the intended antecedent, but it doesn’t appear that way.

Take your writing to a new level
If you’ve completed Creative Writing Stage 1 or Writing Books for Children and Young Adults, then you already know the essential elements of a good story. But maintaining your motivation and inspiration is also an important part of your writing journey and that’s where Creative Writing Stage 2 comes in.

Workshopping your writing is essential if you want to extend your skills and make your stories shine. Our ONLINE COURSE: Creative Writing Stage 2 will give you the chance to put into practice what you’ve learnt and get invaluable feedback from your online tutor and your classmates.

What past participants say:
"I enjoyed learning how to structure our stories so that the reader is kept interested, and about the process of publishing and what you need to do to refine your writing."
- Elise Alexandra Robertson

"The ability to do it online and when it suited me was most important to me. Cathie's comments were precise and her knowledge was valuable. I found her comments useful and really helpful in my writing."
- Debra Moloney

ONLINE COURSE: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Congratulations Jeni Mawter!
Jeni Mawter is one of our very talented Creative Writing presenters and she shared some very exciting news with us this week. Her latest young adult novel, Kiss Kill, has been published as an eBook by Really Blue Books and is now available on Amazon.

This is a really interesting project for Jeni. Described as a "transmedia" book, the novel is interactive and combines scripts, songs, notes, poems, comics, essays, texting and photos. Readers will be able to post comments, compose music and interact with each other. Even the main character, Mat, is taking part – he’s blogging at whyidontgetgirls.wordpress.com

Congratulations Jeni!

Monash Prize
Monash University and the Emerging Writers’ Festival have just announced a new writing prize for young writers worth $4,000 to the winner.

The prize is for any form of creative writing, including short stories, poetry, non-fiction narrative and narrative verse, and is open to all undergraduate university students in Australia.

The theme for the story is “Revolution” and entries must be between 1,500 and 3,000 words long. Entries close on Monday 23 April 2012.

For more information visit the Monash Prize website.

Get published in your favourite magazine TODAY
Have you ever sat down to read your favourite magazine, or pored over the Saturday newspapers, and thought to yourself, “I could write that”? In our five-week course Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1, we’ll show you how you can master the art of writing a great feature article, and get it published.

You’ll learn how to generate story ideas, how to research and structure your article, and how to approach an editor. This course is ideal if you’re interested in writing articles about travel, lifestyle, politics, sport, entertainment – just about anything you can think of.

What past participants say:
"This was one of the best short courses that I've done – practical and enjoyable."
- Julia Wang

"A great place to start if you are thinking of becoming a freelance journalist. It provides you with in-depth knowledge and the confidence to go out there and begin writing and pitching!"
- Hannah Davies

Magazine and Newspaper Writing with Marina Go
When: Tuesdays starting Tuesday 6 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

WEEKEND INTENSIVE: Magazine and Newspaper Writing with Marina Go
When: Saturday 31 March & Sunday 1 April 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

TIP: Okay, ok, OK?
Wondering which spelling you should use when writing “okay”?

Well, the term is colloquial so, for starters, you should ask yourself if it’s appropriate to use it at all. It’s fine for emails to friends or family, or other informal writing, but it’s not a good idea to use it in any formal or business writing.

The Macquarie Dictionary lists “okay” as the first spelling, but also lists “ok” and “OK” as correct. So, as long as you’re sure it’s okay to use ok, then it’s OK to use any spelling.

Movie ticket giveaway
One of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays, Coriolanus, is enjoying a cinematic revival and, so far, critics have been impressed. In the film, directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes, Caius Martius Coriolanus is a Roman General seeking the powerful position of Consul. To secure the role he must win the votes of a public who despise him. He is eventually expelled from Rome and allies himself with his sworn enemy, Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) to take revenge on the city.

Thanks to Icon Films we have 10 double passes to give away to Coriolanus. To win, just tell us which play you’d like to see made into a film and why (it doesn’t have to be Shakespeare). Email your answers and your postal address to courses [at] spindriftmedia [dot] com [dot] au by 5pm Friday 2 March 2012.

Write for the screen
Feeling inspired by the recent Tropfest short film festival? Have an idea for a feature film and want to know how to get it on the screen? If you want to get your movie idea out of your head and on to the page, our Screenwriting Stage 1 course is for you.

This course will teach you the three fundamental elements of a good script – character, story and structure – while also giving you the chance to workshop your writing. You’ll discover how to structure your story, how to write characters people want to watch, and how to engage your audience. By the end of the course, you should have a first draft of your film script!

What past participants say:
"Tim is direct, motivating and his experience is invaluable! I particularly appreciated his "cut to the chase" approach to writing – it certainly helped me gain a more ruthless approach to editing my own work."
- Adrienne Byrt

"Tim was absolutely brilliant. It's amazing how much I learnt in five weeks."
- Curtis McDonald

Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 7 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Oops Word!
This hotel in Rouse Hill has managed to achieve a double-whammy sign blunder – an apostrophe where there shouldn’t be one, and a “visable” spelling mistake.

We assume they mean to outlaw “visible tattoos”. That’s “visible” with an i, not an a, and “tattoos” without the apostrophe.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre communications coordinator, Rose Powell, is reading Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. She writes:

Revolutionary Road is one of those rare books that lives up to its reputation. Richard Yates's tale of a young, married couple tearing each other apart in the wake of their disillusionment with 1950s America has been heralded as a modern classic. This book is often compared to F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic American novel, The Great Gatsby, but the emotional depth and insight of Yates's writing makes the reading experience more confronting and moving.

Laden with elegant descriptions and difficult decisions rife with heady emotions, Revolutionary Road is a book you will never forget.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Playing by the Book
If you’re interested in kids’ books there are plenty of blogs and websites dedicated to writing for a younger audience. But how many can boast an International Edible Book Festival? Playing by the Book can. Yes, that’s right – edible books. Or, more precisely, book cakes. The idea is to make a cake based on anything related to children’s literature, then upload photos of your creation by Friday 16 March 2012.

As well as quirky cake competitions, Playing by the Book includes book reviews, children’s book publishing news, and posts on “all the fun crazy stuff” kids’ books inspire us to do.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 24 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Saturday 25 February and Sunday 26 February 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Life Writing with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Saturday 25 February and Sunday 26 February 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 27 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith – NEW SEMINAR
When: Tuesday 28 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Monday starting Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 6 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 6 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 6 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Wednesday 7 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 7 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 12 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 12 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 15 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 15 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Thursday 15 March and Thursday 22 March 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 19 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 22 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 28 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Monday 2 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 13 April 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 1.00pm
Cost: $295

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 28 April and Sunday 29 April 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Introduction to Novel Writing with Pamela Freeman – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 29 May 2012 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: 495

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

16 February 2012

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:41:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Antecedents and why you need to get them right
More student success
Twisted Stringybark Short Story Award
Write to inspire children and young adults
Dickens and the dictionary
Boost your business profile
What we’re reading – The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes
WEBPICK: Literature Quiz – Famous First Lines

As this week’s newsletter hits your inbox, I will be driving from Sydney to Melbourne with three of my furry babies – Rex (cat), Rocky (cat) and Rambo (dog). This is an exercise in patience, determination and, some would say, insanity. As you can see from the picture, Rocky isn’t too happy about it.

I’m sure I’ll have some tales to tell by the end of this road trip. I’m heading to the Yarra Valley for some peace and solitude to focus on the book I’m writing. In the meantime, I know that the Sydney Writers’ Centre is in very capable hands with our wonderful team.

One of the courses I’m excited about is Travel Memoir with the talented Claire Scobie. One section I can never resist in bookstores is the “vicarious travel” section. There’s nothing like being transported to another country, being taken on a physical – and often emotional – journey and seeing that destination through the author’s eyes.

If you want to pen a travel memoir, you’ll discover:

how to structure your travel memoir and make your journey unique from the first page
ways to transform dog-eared travel journals into a must-read manuscript
writing about place with new eyes and describing characters without clichés
popular genres of travel writing
what to do before you leave and how to write on the road
how to write a compelling book proposal to get your work published

Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 February 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

Sydney Writers’ Centre presenter Claire Scobie shares her tips on writing travel memoir on the Writing Bar.
Our Creative Writing Stage 1 courses are quickly filling! The next course starts on Tuesday 6 March.
We’re looking forward to our first Business Writing Essentials seminar with Tony Spencer-Smith on Tuesday 28 February.

TIP: Antecedents and why you need to get them right
What is an antecedent? It’s the word or group of words a pronoun stands in for, and the pronoun must always properly relate to this word or group of words. For example:

The rider fell off his bike.

Here, the rider is the antecedent of the pronoun his. In a simple sentence like this, it’s easy to make sure your pronoun matches the antecedent. But if the antecedent is missing or too far away from its corresponding pronoun, the meaning of your sentence can be easily confused. Here’s how Grammar Girl explains it:

Look at this example: “Breathe in through your nose, hold it for a few seconds, then breathe out through your mouth”. This crazy sentence illustrates how easy it is for readers to accidentally think that the antecedent is the noun closest to the pronoun. The pronoun “it” seems to refer to “nose,” the singular noun closest to the word “it”; however, the writer did not mean for you to hold your nose. What’s missing here is a clear antecedent: “your breath.”

How to travel the world – and get paid for it!
What could possibly be better than travelling to a new city, spending a few days in an exotic resort, or even just heading to a local bed & breakfast for the weekend? Getting paid to write about it, of course!

To travel is to experience so much – new sights, new sounds, new people. And for writers, new inspiration. Many people dream of writing travel features for their favourite magazines or newspapers, and it is possible. With the right strategies and tools, you can confidently pitch your articles to editors, and get paid to travel.

In our five-week ONLINE COURSE in Travel Writing, you’ll learn all you need to know to write great articles, and get them published.

What past participants say:
"I really enjoyed Sue's professional, non-pretentious and encouraging approach to participants."
- Maurice Venables

"Sue was extremely professional and offered constructive feedback. Very inspirational and I could really relate to her even in an online environment."
- Jocelyn Pride

ONLINE COURSE: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 20 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

More Student Success
It’s been a busy week for some of our former students. Vanessa McKinley, who completed Creative Writing Stage 2, emailed us with the exciting news that she not only had her Heckler piece published in the Sydney Morning Herald, her short story, “Tequila and the Big Palomino”, was shortlisted in the Stringybark Short Story Competition. It will be published in an anthology, The Road Home, along with other winning entries, in March this year.

Congratulations Vanessa!

We also heard from Michelle Flanagan who has attended three of our courses, including Magazine and Newspaper Writing and How to Get Your Book Published. She has just self-published her first book, Reaction! 20 Minutes to Live – Triumph Over an Invisible Enemy. She wrote to us and said:

Thank you for giving first time writers like myself the tools and resources to produce a book that I am truly proud to call my own.

Congratulations Michelle!

Twisted Stringybark Short Story Award
Want to put your creative writing skills to the test? The latest Stringybark writing award is now open for entries.

The Twisted Stringybark Short Story Award is for stories up to 1500 words long – with a twist! There are cash prizes for winning stories, including $300 for first prize, and a chance to be published in one of Stringybark’s compilations is also up for grabs.

Entries close on Sunday 4 March 2012.
You can find more details here.

Write stories to inspire children and young adults
There’s a lot more to writing books for children and young adults than meets the eye. That's why publishers are always on the look out for kids’ books that are engaging and inspiring.

Whether you’re still nutting out your idea for a kids’ book or you’ve been working on a young adult novel, the Writing Books for Children and Young Adults course is your chance to learn from an industry expert. You’ll discover how to find the right voice for your characters, how to structure your story, and how to get an editor to take notice of your work.

What past participants say:
"Judith is very knowledgeable and a specialist in her field. She generously shared her knowledge of many years’ industry experience. Worth every penny!"
- Catherine Jane Bennetts

"I found the course incredibly inspiring and helpful. It was practical, technical and creative. A perfect balance."
- Kristen Toovey

This course is taught by Judith Ridge. Judith is internationally recognised as one of Australia’s leading experts on writing for children and young adults. In a highly specialised career spanning more than 20 years, Judith has worked as an editor, community arts coordinator, writer and critic.

Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Mondays starting Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Did you know? Dickens and the dictionary
You’d have to be living under a rock to have missed Dickens’ birthday recently. On 7 February, bookish types around the world celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of English literature’s most enduring authors. And it’s not just his many works of fiction that have stayed with us these last 200 years. According to this post on World Wide Words, Dickens’s influence extends as far as our vocabulary.

The invention of many words has been credited to Dickens in past editions of the Oxford English Dictionary, including sawbones, messiness, whizz-bang, unpromisingly, spiflication and seediness. Others have been wrongly attributed to him – such as flummox and boredom – but possibly came into more regular use thanks to his use of them. Either way, it’s impossible to overestimate the influence Dickens had on literature and language.

You can read the full post here.

Oops word!
Valentine’s Day was celebrated on Tuesday by millions of people around the world. We can understand many people were distracted by this most romantic of days, so should probably forgive this spelling mistake spotted on an online news site:

It’s a shame they’ve misspelled “marriage” in the headline when they got the apostrophe in Valentine’s right!

Boost your business profile with PR and media releases
Need to know how to boost your company’s profile? Want to know how to get free publicity for your small business? In just one day we can show you how to build an effective PR strategy for your business.

PR doesn’t have to cost you the earth. If you know the science behind good PR, you can do it yourself! Knowing how to write media releases that get results, how to approach journalists, and how to use the many online tools available, will give you the confidence to tackle your own publicity.

Our one day seminar PR and Media Releases that Get Results is perfect for business owners and entrepreneurs, professionals in charge of PR or marketing, or anyone who’s interested in learning how to develop a great PR strategy.

What past participants say:
"Catriona's style and knowledge of the industry was excellent. She wasted no time throughout the day and was most generous in the information and material she shared with the group."
- Jennifer Adams

"The course was very informative, particularly for someone who is starting from the beginning in regards to PR and didn't have much knowledge on this topic. Catriona was excellent in her presentations and very knowledgeable."
- Derice McDonald

This seminar is taught by Catriona Pollard. Catriona is the director of CP Communications and has 17 years’ experience in developing and managing public relations and marketing programs.

PR and Media Releases That Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 23 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $495

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre course manager, Danielle Williams, is reading The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes. She writes:

In 2011 Julian Barnes’s The Sense of An Ending was awarded the Man Booker Prize. Despite there being some consternation that judges had awarded populism over quality in the shortlist, Barnes’s win has since been hailed as a deserving one.

The book follows the life and recollections of Tony Webster. A man who’s led a satisfying if unremarkable existence, Tony is in his 60s and happily admits to finding comfort in wanting “life not to bother me too much”. But when a letter arrives with the unexpected news that the mother of a former girlfriend has left him £500, he is forced to revisit, and re-analyse, his life and the events that have made him.

I’ve seen one description of the book as “quiet”, and that perfectly describes it for me. In a way the writing is quite deceptive. The prose is very easy to read but there is so much meaning in almost every sentence. Barnes’s exploration of memory and the way our own recollections of life events can change is intellectual, but also very personal. Tony’s struggle with memory and regret is an easy one to relate to. After all, it’s our memories and interpretations of events that shape all of us.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Literature Quiz – Famous First Lines
So, just how well read are you? Do you know which book starts with the line “Call me Ishmael”? Do you remember the first line of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone? You can test your literary knowledge in this fun online quiz.

And if you ace the Famous First Lines quiz, why not test your knowledge of the 20th century or famous battles as well.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 20 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 20 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 20 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Melina Marchetta – FULL
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 22 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Plotting and Planning with Kate Forsyth
When: Wednesday 22 February and Wednesday 29 February 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 23 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $495

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 24 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Saturday 25 February and Sunday 26 February 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Life Writing with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Saturday 25 February and Sunday 26 February 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith – NEW SEMINAR
When: Tuesday 28 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Monday starting Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 6 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 6 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 6 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Wednesday 7 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 7 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 12 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 15 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 15 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Thursday 15 March and Thursday 22 March 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 19 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 22 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the web with Grant Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 28 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go – NEW DATE
When: Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Monday 2 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 13 April 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 1.00pm
Cost: $295

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 28 April and Sunday 29 April 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

9 February 2012

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:06:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Apostrophes and time
Voiceless Writing Prize – win publication with Allen & Unwin
Travel Memoir: Weekend Workshop
TIP: Cannot or can not?
The right way to write at work – Business Writing Essentials
What we’re reading – Men Are Like a Box of
Chocolates by Elly Klein
WEBPICK: The 20 “Best” Suspicious Quotation Marks

It's been another busy week at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. I love the vibe in our graduate forum where we’re hearing from former students who have successfully pitched their stories to publications – congratulations to everyone! It’s also buzzing at the Centre now that our business courses are back in full swing as well. We have new courses for you that will definitely make business writing an enjoyable and easy process.

In addition, I’m excited about our new course in Thriller Writing. When I want to escape, I love reading thrillers. Sometimes, they are so adrenalin-packed and full of suspense that I literally can’t put the book down. My heart races, my breath gets shorter and I all but break out in a cold sweat.

In our exciting new 5-week course (which will no doubt also keep
you on the edge of your seat), you’ll learn:

the eight must haves of a good thriller
how to find the story you want to tell
story structure, and how to incorporate key turning points
character creation – attributes, motivations
how to craft the all important opening lines
the dos and don’ts of action scenes
building pace and suspense
what literary agents/publishers look for in a thriller
how to craft a satisfying climax
and more

Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 15 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

This week on the Writing Bar we’re featuring a revealing profile on journalist and author, Peter Lloyd. Read it here.
Our last Creative Writing Summer School weekend starts on Saturday! It’s not too late to enrol.
Filling fast: PR and Media Releases that Get Results, Thursday 23 February 2012.

TIP: Apostrophes and time
Get Published reader, Stephan Overbeek, recently sent us this question:

"People tell me I have 'fifteen years' experience'. Why is there an apostrophe after years?"

The rule here is similar to that for apostrophes and possessive nouns. If the day/week/month is singular, the apostrophe is inserted before the s. For example:

It feels as though Sydney has had a year’s worth of rain in just a few months.

If the day/week/month is plural, then you use the apostrophe after the s. For example:

The new CEO has 15 years’ experience in banking.

And if you’re wondering why you need the apostrophe at all, it’s because you use apostrophes to indicate possession. The CEO actually has 15 years of experience in banking, and Sydney has had a year of rain in a few months.

Plotting and planning your stories
‘If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.’

There is some truth in this, especially for writers. Effectively planning your novel could mean the difference between having a publishable draft, and going back to the drawing board.

There are many different ways to plan a novel, and many different ways to build a plot. Our two-part masterclass on Plotting and Planning with author Kate Forsyth teaches you the techniques you need to make sure you don’t lose the plot.

What past participants say:
"All the detail provided in the plotting phase was at the perfect level to make a big difference to my current project! Kate is really great. She has relevant and interesting examples and is really knowledgeable about the industry."
- Michelle Wallace

"The course has helped me think more strategically about my novel, and to think through the important elements in a logical way."
- Barbara Watt

This course is taught by Kate Forsyth. Kate is an internationally bestselling author of more than 20 books for children and adults, including The Puzzle Ring, The Gypsy Crown, The Starthorn Tree, and the bestselling fantasy series ‘The Witches of Eileanan' and 'Rhiannon’s Ride'.

Plotting and Planning with Kate Forsyth
When: Wednesdays 22 & 29 February 2012 (two evening classes)
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Voiceless Writing Prize
This year Allen & Unwin and Voiceless, the animal protection institute, have come together to launch a unique, and generous, writing prize. The competition is designed to raise awareness of the role and value of animals in our society.

On offer is a chance to be published by Allen & Unwin in a collection of stories on this important topic, and a chance to win up to $15,000. The competition is open to writers of fiction and non-fiction and closes on Friday 16 March 2012.

You can find more details on the Writing Bar.

Student Success
This week we want to congratulate Aurora Lopez, who completed our Life Writing course with Patti Miller. Aurora has been living in the US and working on her memoir – a chapter of which she’s had published! Here’s what she wrote to us:

I completed a course with Patti Miller on memoir writing, which I adored. It was the beginning of the most exciting adventure for me. I moved to the US three years ago, and amidst the publishing jungle of New York, I have been lucky enough to have a chapter of my memoir The Secret Drawer published in the 17th issue of the literary magazine 34th Parallel: http://www.34thparallel.net/in-this-issue.html

Thank you to Patti and thank you for your courses and newsletter!

Travel Memoir: Weekend Workshops
Publishers and readers love travel memoir. The world may be shrinking but this genre is growing in popularity every day thanks to authors like Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux, and of course Elizabeth Gilbert.

Travel Memoir takes a different set of skills to writing travel feature articles. You need to be able to turn your experiences into a compelling story that will grip readers from the first page. Whether you’re yet to take that trip of a lifetime, or you have travel journals from past holidays you’d like to turn into a memoir, the Travel Memoir course with Claire Scobie will show you how!

What past participants say:
"I wanted to write about my experiences and this course made me realise that I could actually do it. Claire was a warm, engaging presenter who really unlocked the creative potential in all of us."
- Chula Murray

"Claire is a phenomenal presenter with a wealth of writing technique knowledge and practical experience. She lives and breathes writing and it comes through as a passion that embraces and motivates her students."
- Penny Cannan

This course is taught by Claire Scobie. Claire is the author of Last Seen in Lhasa, winner of the Dolman Best Travel Book Award. So far, it has been translated into German, Dutch and Korean. She writes for numerous publications including the Daily Telegraph and the Observer Magazine in the UK, and is a contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald.

WEEKEND WORKSHOPS Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 February 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

TIP: Cannot or can not?
Is cannot one word or two? That’s a question that stumps many writers, but the form you choose will depend on the context.

The Macquarie Dictionary lists “cannot” as “a form of can not”, which suggests the two are interchangeable. However, cannot is most commonly used. AskOxford, and many other resources, prefer the use of “cannot” in formal writing. For example:

You cannot take sharp or dangerous objects on the flight.

In informal writing or speech, you can use the contraction “can’t”.

Want to go to the movies? Win tickets for The Grey
Thanks to Icon Movies we have 10 double passes for Liam Neeson’s latest thriller, The Grey, to give away. Here’s a bit more about the movie:

THE GREY tells the story of a group of oil-rig workers who find themselves stranded on the freezing Alaskan tundra after their plane home crashes. Their efforts to survive and find a way home to their loved ones are threatened when the men come under attack by a pack of wolves, who see the humans as intruders in their territory.

If you want to win one of 10 double passes to The Grey just tell us who your favourite thriller character is (from a film or a book) and why.

Email your answers to courses [at] spindriftmedia [dot] com [dot] au by 5pm on Friday 17 February 2012.

The right way to write at work
When you’re at work, it’s vital your written communication is clear and concise, and easily understood by your reader. There are fundamental rules for business writing, but these rules are rarely taught in school or at university. That’s why we think our Business Writing Essentials seminar is crucial for anyone who wants to improve their written communication skills.

In this one-day seminar, you’ll learn:

a step-by-step guideline on how to write most business documents
valuable templates to help you write your letters and emails
the 11 Golden Rules of business writing
the right way to write salutations, honorifics and signoffs
how to use apostrophes correctly
frequently confused terms
and much more.

This seminar is taught by Tony Spencer-Smith. Tony is a corporate writer, editor and trainer, an award-winning novelist and former editor-in-chief of Reader’s Digest magazine. Over the last eight years he has delivered writing training courses to many hundreds of people from numerous organisations including the ABC, Allianz, AMP, Macquarie Bank, Optus, the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children and the Wesley Mission.

Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith
When: Tuesday 28 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Apostrophe will work for food
We love this sign, tweeted by @WstonesOxfordSt and sent to us by @Robert_Ashton.

We’re glad it hasn’t offered to help out with plurals too!

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre office manager, Andrew Gillman, is reading Men Are Like a Box of Chocolates by Elly Klein. He writes:

Thanks to the folky wisdom of Forrest Gump, it has become a pop culture truism that "life is like a box of chocolates". But one writer, and Sydney Writers’ Centre graduate, Elly Klein, has turned that on its head somewhat.

Her recently released book, Men Are Like a Box of Chocolates, categorises men as various types of chocolate that she and her friends have had to sample during their time in the dating world. Its aim is to take a humourous look at life as a single woman and Elly remarks that it has struck a chord with its intended female audience.

“It gives (women) some comic relief from dating and trying to find Mr Right, maybe even some sound advice,” said Klein.

With Valentine’s Day looming, it looks to be the perfect book for a holiday that promises much for the romantic in all of us, but which is also fraught with some peril. Elly, who says she does fancy herself as a bit of a dating counsellor, encourages everyone to look for true love, but sample everything they can along the way.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: The 20 “Best” Suspicious Quotation Marks
Thanks to Faun Harbord who sent us this amusing piece on the misuse of quotation marks. (You thought I was going to say apostrophes, didn’t you?)

This list of the 20 “Best” Suspicious Quotation Marks shows why you really should avoid using them to highlight words, when their intended use is to indicate a direct quote or speech.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 9 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Saturday 11 February and Sunday 12 February 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Saturday 11 February and Sunday 12 February 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 13 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 20 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 20 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 20 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Melina Marchetta – FULL
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 22 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Plotting and Planning with Kate Forsyth
When: Wednesday 22 February and Wednesday 29 February 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 23 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $495

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 24 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Saturday 25 February and Sunday 26 February 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Life Writing with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Saturday 25 February and Sunday 26 February 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Business Writing Essentials with Tony Spencer-Smith – NEW SEMINAR
When: Tuesday 28 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Thursday 1 March 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 1.00pm
Cost: $295

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Monday starting Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 6 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 6 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Wednesday 7 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 7 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 12 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Editing Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 15 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 15 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Thursday 15 March and Thursday 22 March 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 19 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 22 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Weekend Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go – NEW DATE
When: Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Monday 2 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 26 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 28 April and Sunday 29 April 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012

2 February 2012

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:07:00 GMT

In this issue:

TIP: Specially or especially?
Penguin’s Monthly Catch
Write stories to inspire children
Book giveaway – Tell Them to Get Lost by
Brian Thacker
Writing for the Web
What we’re reading – The Thousand Autumns
of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
WEBPICK: Grammarics

I love summer here at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. With daylight savings and our gorgeous sunny days, the Centre is buzzing every day with students. It’s such a great atmosphere and the perfect time of year to start on your writing projects.

We have a wonderful range of creative writing courses coming up. If you haven’t done a creative writing course before, then Creative Writing Stage 1 is the best place to start. This will make sure you have the right foundation to write fiction, short stories and novels.

If you have a bit of experience under your belt, then Plotting and Planning will help you unveil your story to your readers at the right points.

In Creative Writing Stage 1, you’ll learn how to:

kick-start the creative writing process
tap into your imagination
draw from everyday experiences and memories
examine different types of creative writing
give structure to your writing
use characters and dialogue
and MUCH more

Weekend Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Saturday 11 February and Sunday 12 February 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

Filling fast: Travel Writing with Sue White, starts Monday 6 February.
We’re getting lots of interest in our Paris and Bali writing tours. They’ll both fill quickly so don’t delay if you want to be part of one of these amazing trips.
Our new Write Your Novel program has only 4 places left! Check out details here.

TIP: Specially or especially?
Specially and especially are often used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences, so watch how you use them.

Pamela Thorne, in her book How Much Can a Koala Bear? A Guide to Commonly Confused Words, explains it:

Specially is the adverb form of special, and means “specifically, in this particular way”. For example:

The chair is specially designed for people with bad backs.

Especially (from especial) means “more than usual, above all” (or exceptional in some way). For example:

The weather’s been especially wet in Sydney this Summer.

Learn to write for magazines and newspapers
Want to know the secret to getting your articles published in newspapers and magazines? Our online course in Writing for Magazines and Newspapers will show you not only how to research and write great features, but also how to get an editor to pay you for them!

Many of our online course graduates have gone on to publish articles in their favourite publications, and some have even changed careers. This course is perfect for first-time writers or anyone who wants to brush up on their writing skills.

Want to see how our online classes work? Check out the sample page here.

What past participants say:
"The online format was easy and, unlike some online courses, it felt as if you were in a class. The course had a great sense of coherence. I liked being able to undertake the work at times that suited me."
- Shirley Schulz-Robinson

"Sue was great. Her answers to my questions were concise and covered even more than I asked. She obviously has an immense amount of experience and this showed in all of her correspondence."
- Alan Taylor

ONLINE COURSE: Magazine and Newspaper Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 6 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Penguin’s Monthly Catch
Exciting news for budding authors – Penguin is now accepting unsolicited manuscripts! As part of their Monthly Catch, publishers at Penguin will accept unsolicited submissions in fiction for adults, children or young adults in the first week of every month.

This is a great opportunity to get your manuscript seen by one of Australia’s biggest publishers.

You can read more about it on the Writing Bar.

Write stories to inspire children and young adults
There’s a lot more to writing books for children and young adults than meets the eye. They’re discerning readers and publishers are always on the look out for kids’ books that are engaging and inspiring.

Whether you’re still nutting out your idea for a kids’ book or you’ve been working on a young adult novel, the Writing Books for Children and Young Adults course is your chance to learn from an industry expert. You’ll discover how to find the right voice for your characters, how to structure your story, and how to get an editor to take notice of your work.

What past participants say:
"Judith is very knowledgeable and a specialist in her field. She generously shared her knowledge of many years’ industry experience and gave us plenty of interesting anecdotes and insiders’ tips. Worth every penny!"
- Catherine Jane Bennetts

"I found the course incredibly inspiring and helpful. It was practical, technical and creative. A perfect balance."
- Kristen Toovey

This course is taught by Judith Ridge. Judith is internationally recognised as one of Australia’s leading experts on writing for children and young adults. In a highly specialised career spanning more than 20 years, Judith has worked as an editor, community arts coordinator, writer and critic.

WEEKEND INTENSIVE: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 February 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Mondays starting Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Leverage your writing and research – with apps!
One lesson magazine writers quickly learn when researching stories is that it's often possible to repackage a story for a different audience, with a fresh angle.

Here's an example of how freelance writer and Sydney Writers' Centre presenter, Sue White, has done just that. After years of writing about yoga, health and wellbeing, including for Australian Yoga Journal, the Sydney Morning Herald, and the South China Morning Post (fun fact: she even used to teach yoga), Sue has become a wealth of knowledge about the best places in the world to take a yoga holiday.

She recently applied her journalistic eye to this knowledge, and launched Yoga Holidays Worldwide, an app for iPhones and iPads that features over 140 of the best yoga breaks on the planet. Featuring yoga holidays everywhere from Byron Bay to Bali to Brazil and back again, Yoga Holidays Worldwide is an excellent example of how savvy freelance writers can leverage their work into other paid opportunities!

Check it out on itunes, for $2.99.

“Litricay” required
Thanks to @clemhall and @becfrolics who alerted us on Twitter to this doozy.

Perhaps a misguided attempt at phonetic spelling… Of course, that should say “Literacy”. Hopefully the person they hire can remind them of the importance of getting your spelling right!

Book giveaway
Thirty years after Lonely Planet published the first of its now ubiquitous shoestring travel guides, writer and author of six travel books, Brian Thacker, undertook his own South-East Asian odyssey – using that very first LP guidebook, South East Asia on a Shoestring. The result is Brian’s latest book, Tell Them to Get Lost: Travels with the Lonely Planet guidebook that started it all.

We recently chatted to Brian about his journey and his writing and you can listen to the podcast or read the transcript here. We also have one copy of Tell Them to Get Lost to give away. Just tell us what country would feature in your travel memoir and why. Email your answers to courses [at] spindriftmedia [dot] com [dot] au by 5pm on Friday 10 February 2012.

Writing for the Web
If you want to send the right message about your company or small business, then you want to be sure your web copy is right. Writing for the web is not like writing for print – there are certain rules you need to follow and strategies you should know for increasing your website’s traffic.

Writing for the Web is a one-day seminar that will show you how to make the most of your website. You’ll learn how to write engaging content and ensure your customers get the most out of their visit to your website.

What past participants say:
“I thought it was very well structured and easy to follow and it covered a lot of what I wanted to know. Grant was enthusiastic and explained things well – I was really impressed.”
- Lisa Smyth

"I have gained more confidence to go forward and write content for the web without the doubt as to whether I am writing correctly."
- Debbie Ansell

This seminar is presented by Grant Doyle, an experienced copywriter, content manager and web editor. Grant's background is as a print journalist and author. He has spent the last 11 years in web writing and has been contracting or consulting to major corporations in various online content capacities since then.

Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Thursday 9 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week Sydney Writers’ Centre course manager, Danielle Williams, is reading The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell. She writes:

I have to admit, when I interviewed David Mitchell at last year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival, I was a little starstruck. After all, David Mitchell is something of a literary star, having achieved critical and commercial success with Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green. So I approached his fifth novel with pretty high expectations.

Set on the Dutch trading post of Dejima in Japan, late in the 18th century, The Thousand Autumns follows a young Dutch clerk as he struggles to make his fortune in a world of deceit and corruption.

It took me a little while to get into this book but I think that’s only because Mitchell has created such a convincing setting, one you need to immerse yourself in to fully appreciate it. Japan in 1799 is an insular and fiercely parochial place, with few foreigners allowed access. The Dutch traders and their cohorts are hard men, committed to the expansion of the Dutch East Indies trading empire and with a distinctly colonial attitude to other races.

This is a wonderful book exploring the trying relationship between two vastly different cultures.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here.

WEBPICK: Grammarics
Grammarics – pictures explaining key grammatical rules or concepts. So simple, and so perfect!

There are currently 12 grammarics on the website explaining everything from the Oxford comma, the correct use of your and you’re, and how to use modifiers. There are even some “Brand-o-grammarics” made for devotees of certain brands.

(Thanks to Anne Sorenson for sending us this one.)

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 2 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Daytime How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Friday 3 February 2012 (two-hour morning seminar)
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $85

Course: Weekend Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Marina Go – FULL
When: Saturday 4 February and Sunday 5 February 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 6 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 6 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 6 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 6 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Every Monday starting Monday 6 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White – FULL
When: Tuesday 7 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 8 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Thursday 9 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 9 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Saturday 11 February and Sunday 12 February 2012 (two consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Saturday 11 February and Sunday 12 February 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 13 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Melina Marchetta – NEW PRESENTER
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 22 February 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Plotting and Planning with Kate Forsyth
When: Wednesday 22 February and Wednesday 29 February 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 23 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $495

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 24 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Saturday 25 February and Sunday 26 February 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Life Writing with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Saturday 25 February and Sunday 26 February 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Business Writing Basics with Tony Spencer-Smith – NEW SEMINAR
When: Tuesday 28 February 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Thursday 1 March 2012 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 1.00pm
Cost: $295

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Monday starting Monday 5 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 7 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 7 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 12 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Edit with Confidence with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 15 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Thriller Writing with L.A. Larkin
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 15 March 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Thursday 15 March and Thursday 22 March 2012 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 19 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 22 March 2012 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 26 March 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Every Friday starting Friday 13 April 2012 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: From Blog to Book with Kerri Sackville
When: Monday 16 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 19 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Valerie Khoo and Gayle Bryant – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 19 April 2012 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 24 April 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Food Writing with Carli Ratcliff – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 28 April and Sunday 29 April 2012 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Program: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Monday starting Monday 21 May 2012 for six months
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $1980

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 July 2012 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012

Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
Arrival: Thursday 18 October 2012
Departure: Saturday 3 November 2012