- TIP: When should you use an ampersand?
- Online course: Feature Writing. Learn from wherever you are
- Short + Sweet plays
- Travel Writing starts soon – get paid for your adventures
- UQP is accepting unsolicited manuscripts
- TIP: When should you use the semi-colon?
- Grammar and Punctuation – what you need to know, in one day
- Did you know? Brangelina and Tomkat
- WEBPICK: Journo Advice
Next week is going to be a busy one here at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. It's a hive of activity here at the Sydney Writers' Centre as our Summer School is well underway. I’m so excited that there are so many people flying in from other states to take part in our courses – plus loads of Sydney-siders too, of course!If you’re not attending our Summer School, you can be part of our dynamic Sydney Writers’ Centre community with our acclaimed online courses.
Recently, we’ve seen a spike in demand for our course in Writing Books for Children and Young Adults. No doubt this is thanks to the popularity of books like Twilight and more recently, Embrace (written by Sydney Writers’ Centre graduate Jessica Shirvington). I had a chance to read Embrace over the holidays and I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to read a book by one of our former students!
Whether you’re into Twilight, or are more inclined to enjoy Harry Potter or Where the Wild Things Are, books for young adults and children certainly have a magical quality about them.
The online course Writing Books for Children and Young Adults covers the same content as the face-to-face course. You’ll have weekly assignments and will receive feedback from your online tutor.
The course will cover:
- how to get started
- finding the right voice
- creating characters and stories young readers will enjoy
- how to write believable dialogue
- common assumptions about writing for children and about young readers
- how to structure a story that works
- the secrets to plotting for different age groups
- what you need to know about getting into the children’s publishing market
When: Week beginning Monday 17 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: When should you use an ampersand?
We're often asked when it's ok to use an ampersand. If you're not sure what this is, it's the symbol for and: '&'. Yes the 'squiggle for the word and' as we've heard it referred to. The short answer is: almost never. It's acceptable to use it when it's part of a name like:
- sass & bide (clothing label)
- Johnson & Johnson (health company)
Write for your favourite magazines
Do you have an idea for an article you’d like to see published? Think you have what it takes to write for your favourite magazine or newspaper? Our online course, Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers, will show you how you can achieve this. We know how rewarding it is to see your writing published in a major magazine or newspaper. And we know this because so many of our former students have achieved it – some before they’ve even finished their course!
The course is held in our virtual classroom, which means you can log in whenever and from wherever you like. It will show you:
- which ideas work and where to get them
- understanding the magazine/news market
- different types of feature articles
- how to research, structure and write a feature
- what editors want from a writer
- how to pitch your article or idea to a magazine and sell it!
‘It was very convenient to do the course online as I am located in regional NSW and was unable to attend an in-person course in Sydney at this time. Sydney Writers' Centre Feature Writing course is a great way to make the time for yourself to learn what you need to know about feature writing. It gives you the 'nuts and bolts' of feature writing plus plenty of hints, feedback and suggestions from the trainer and your classmates.’
- Angie Reed
‘It was fabulous to be able to fit the course in around the kids and life, and still feel like I was in the classroom with other people. The more you participate the more you gain. I finally stopped talking about writing and actually focused. As a result I have a piece being published in Sydney's Child. It's broken the drought! Many thanks to this course.’
- Monique van Tulder
Online course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 17 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
UQP accepting unsolicited manuscripts
We all know how hard it can be to get a publisher to read your work. While not impossible, it can sometimes seem that way! That’s why this opportunity from the University of Queensland Press (UQP) is such a great one. Until Monday 31 January 2011, they’ll be accepting unsolicited children’s and young adult manuscripts. They’ll look at works in the following areas: - Young adult fiction
- Middle reader fiction
- Younger reader fiction
- Non-fiction for children and young adults
Get paid for your travels
Our Summer School kicked off this week and we’re having a great time here in Milsons Point. This is the perfect time of the year to do a course – New Year’s resolutions are still fresh, the weather’s nice, and there’s (relatively) little Sydney traffic to contend with. So why not join us for one of our Travel Writing courses? You have the option of a four-morning intensive course, or four evening classes. You’ll learn the essential elements of great travel articles and, more importantly, how to get them published. Imagine it – making money from your holidays!
The course will cover:
- how to structure and sell your work, when it’s important to provide photos and other key elements such as trip notes
- how to research travel stories and finding interview subjects on the road
- travel writing ethics
- different types of travel articles and why they suit different markets
- what you should have in your Travel Writers’ Toolkit
- planning itineraries with stories in mind
- travelling on your own versus an organised trip with other writers
'Sue White is an excellent teacher. The class was very well structured and planned (compared to other institutions I've done short courses through). Logical, approachable, and with practical advice – Sue had obviously spent a lot of time structuring the course and it flowed perfectly in a timely manner.'
- Mark Holmes
'I really enjoyed having Sue's insight and experience on the travel writing industry. I have learnt some good tips to start and think it is now possible to have some articles published.'
- Agnes Samour
This course is presented by Sue White, who 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.
In the last few years, Sue has trekked through the jungle in Belize for Vogue Entertaining + Travel, been photographed with serious helmet-hair while rock-climbing for Women’s Health and proven that it’s possible to compress a lifetime’s worth of adventure activities (rafting, jet-boating and learning to fly) into a gourmet/well-being itinerary (visits to romantic bath houses, spa treatments and great restaurants) while writing for two different audiences on a visit to New Zealand’s South Island.
Travel Writing course with Sue White
When: Thursdays starting Thursday 20 January 2011 for four weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $345
OR
Travel Writing Intensive with Sue White
When: Monday 24 January to Friday 28 January 2011 (four mornings, no class on Wednesday 26 January)
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $345
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Short + Sweet Theatre
If you’re one of those people who would like to get to the theatre more often, but just don’t seem to have the time, here’s a chance for you to see up to 10 plays in just one night. The Short + Sweet Festival is on right through January and February and features the very best in 10-minute plays from Australia and around the world. Now in its 10th year, Short + Sweet will feature over 300 plays and award more than $32,000 in prizes. And you can take part in judging which plays will make it to the grand final in March!
Plays are already being shown at the Newtown Theatre and will also begin at the Parade Theatre at NIDA in Sydney from Tuesday 8 February 2011. Tickets start at $22.
You can view the full schedule (including dates in other states) and book tickets here.
TIP: When should you use the semi-colon?
The semi-colon is probably one of the most misused punctuation marks in English. It’s not unusual to see it being used as a comma, but most people will simply avoid it altogether. But if you know when to use, there’s no need to fear it! The semi-colon separates parallel expressions within a sentence and, when used like this, can always be replaced by a full stop.
For example:
Rambo spent the day at the Sydney Writers’ Centre; he’s doing a course in Creative Writing.
They are also used to separate a series of items if some items already contain commas.
For example:
Rambo had breakfast before visiting the Sydney Writers' Centre. Today he could pick from: eggs, bacon and mushrooms; corn fritters, rocket and tomatoes; and ricotta pancakes served with honeycomb butter.
The golden rules of grammar
Want to know how to improve your writing at work? Or the writing of your colleagues? Correct grammar and punctuation are essential to good writing, but many of us weren’t taught these essentials in school. One of our most popular seminars in 2010 was Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle. This intensive one-day seminar will give you the basics, which you can apply to your writing immediately. You need never fear apostrophes again!
This seminar will give you:
- 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
- a taste of how professional editors approach their craft
- more confidence in applying the standard hard-copy editing marks to double-spaced copy
- and much more
‘The content was excellent. I found it super interesting!’
- Jodi Barry
'I feel much more confident with the basic rules of grammar and punctuation that once baffled me.'
- Sunni Hughes
Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 3 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Did you know? Brangelina is a portmanteau word
You've heard the words:- Brangelina - to describe the coupling that is Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
- Tomkat - to describe the bizarre partnership that is Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
- smog - smoke and fog
- spork - a spoon and fork
- brunch - breakfast and lunch
- Spanglish - Spanish and English
WEBPICK: Journo Advice
For those of you who have done our Feature Writing course and are getting straight into establishing a freelance career, here’s a great site full of essential information. Journo Advice is a collection of useful tips gathered by one new freelancer, who went out of her way to gather as much information as possible from other journalists.
There’s so much useful information here – everything from setting up your freelance business, essential books for writers, how to be more productive, and the ever-important topic of getting paid for your writing!
Check it out here
Other upcoming courses
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Every Friday starting Friday 14 January 2011 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $450
Online Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 17 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – FULL
When: Week beginning Monday 17 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Laurine Croasdale – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 17 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Daytime Intensive Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Monday 17 January 2011 - Friday 21 January 2011 (5 days in a row)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett – FULL
When: Wednesday 19 January 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 20 January 2011 for four weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $345
Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – FULL
When: Saturday 22 January 2011 and Sunday 23 January 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395
Course: Weekend Intensive Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Saturday 22 January 2011 and Sunday 23 January 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 24 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Daytime Intensive Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Monday 24 January 2011 - Friday 28 January 2011 (4 mornings with a 1 day break for Australia Day)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $345
Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers Stage 1 with Marina Go – FULL
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 25 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 31 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman – FULL
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 1 February 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Thursday 3 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 3 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 3 February 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Monday starting Monday 7 February 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson
When: Tuesday 8 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Kate Forsyth – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 9 February 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 16 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 16 February 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 17 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $495
Course: Perfecting Your Pitch with Sue White
When: Thursday 17 February 2011 and Thursday 24 February 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Seminar: Edit with Confidence with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 25 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 10 March 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Saturday 12 March 2011 and Sunday 13 March 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $450
Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 14 March 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett – NEW COURSE
When: Thursday 24 March 2011 and Thursday 31 March 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Seminar: Self publishing - How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 24 March 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 25 March 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Boost Your Creativity with Laurine Croasdale
When: Monday 28 March 2011 and Monday 4 April 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 1 April 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Daytime Intensive Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – NEW DATE
When: Monday 11 April 2011 - Friday 15 April 2011 (5 days in a row)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 3 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Magazine Writing Stage 2 with Gayle Bryant
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 18 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Your Story Structure with Kathryn Heyman
When: Friday 17 June 2011 and Friday 24 June 2011 (2 half-day classes)
Time: 9.30am - 12.30pm
Cost: $215
Course: Life Writing Masterclass with Patti Miller – NEW COURSE
When: Every Friday starting Friday 1 July 2011 for eight weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
Cost: $650
Course: Novel Writing Workshop with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 5 July 2011 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $495
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Every Friday starting Friday 9 September 2011 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $450
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