In this issue:
- TIP: Should you put a comma after 'however'?
- Take the next step on your writing journey
- The secrets of how to promote your book and sell it!
- Book giveaway – Brief Encounters by Susannah Fullerton
- TIP: What’s a ‘non sequitur’?
- Script Writing for Short Films
- WEBPICK: Meanjin Quarterly and Spike the blog
I was in the Yarra Valley in Victoria on the weekend, I was sitting in the lovely café at The Innocent Bystander Winery in Healesville when I opened The Age newspaper right on to a story written by one of my mentorees, Michelle Balmer. I often open newspapers and magazines to find stories written by former students but I thought this was particularly cool because Michelle is an Australian girl living in Singapore (Michelle previously did our Online Feature Writing course) and she had written an article on Dubai.
It just goes to show how transportable and flexible the world of writing can be!
TIP: Should you put a comma after 'however'?The word ‘however’ has a number of different meanings depending on how you use it in a sentence. If you’re going to use ‘however’ at the start of a sentence, to mean ‘but’, you must always use a comma. This example is from Mark Tredinnick’s The Little Green Grammar Book:
The book was longer and later than expected. However, it was better.If you don’t use the comma, it sounds like you’re using ‘however’ as an adverb. For example:
However you look at it, the book was better.
Take the next step on your writing journey – Creative Writing Stage 2
If you’ve completed Creative Writing Stage 1 or Writing Books for Children and Young Adults, you may be wondering how to maintain your motivation and keep writing.You can continue to hone your craft with our Creative Writing Stage 2 course. Presented by creative writing expert Judith Ridge, this course will give you a chance to workshop your writing and complete a short story. You’ll continue to explore Character, Voice and Plot while working with Judith and the class to really get your writing going.
Past participant Lis Blake had this to say about the course:
‘Judith's ideas were interesting and stimulating. Her feedback was very useful and encouraging. The course was full of lots of ideas and motivation. I am on the way to completing a piece of writing for the first time ever!"
Past participant David Andrews had this to say about the course:
"I enjoyed the opportunity to get feedback on my writing from several readers with entirely different perspectives than my own.
"As a result of the course I have become even more conscious of the importance of getting exactly the right words in the right place. I have always known this was important in other types of writing but in fiction it becomes absolutely vital."
Judith Ridge is a highly regarded creative writing teacher and has particular expertise in workshopping and facilitating practical sessions. Judith has worked with the Children's Book Council, as an editor at ABC Children's Books and the NSW School Magazine and freelanced as an editor for Random House. Judith taught 'Writing for Children' for two years at the University of Sydney MA in Creative Writing.
Creative Writing Stage 2 with Judith Ridge
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 26 August 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
What’s a ‘non sequitur’?
What does non sequitur mean? There are a lot of terms used in English that are taken straight from the original Latin words. One is "non sequitur". This means "it does not follow".
So here is an example where you might use it:
John: "I think we should explain to our shareholders that the revenue forecast is very positive of the company so we are changing the colours of our logo."
Bob: "That's a non sequitur."
The secrets of how to promote your book and sell it!
How do you make sure your masterpiece sells well? How do you get your self-published book into bookstores? How do you position yourself as an author? Developing an effective marketing campaign for your book is essential if you want to achieve all of this. Our Marketing Your Book course will give you the tools you need to make it happen.
This intensive course is full of practical tips to help you build your marketing campaign. We’ll even show you how you can do it with little or no budget!
During the course you’ll discover:
- the importance of positioning your book – who its for and where you find this target market
- positioning yourself - what’s your author brand all about?
- how to choose the most appropriate promotional tactics
- what your publisher does (if you have one) and when they do it – and what they want from you. Also, find out what they don’t do.
- how to prepare for media interviews
- how to generate your own PR long after your publisher has moved on to the next title
- how to promote your book using smart online strategies – do you need a website, blog, online video or a social media presence?
Here’s what recent participant Jennifer Ross had to say about the course:
‘Amanda is a vibrant, energetic presenter who believes in what she teaches. She is experienced and well prepared, using a variety of methods to convey her message, and convinced me that I should pay more attention to the marketing side of authorship. At all times she involved members of the class and drew on their experience. I now have a plan to follow when the time is right. Amanda gave us valuable skills, links and resources, dispelling the fear of self-promotion. I now feel equipped to find my own way in book marketing.’
Here’s what recent participant Kamal Weerakoon had to say about the course:
‘Amanda knew her stuff and gave us clear guidelines on how to market our book. She also gave me a reality check as to what's needed to successfully market a book - which is good!’
This course is presented by Amanda Falconer, a brand and marketing expert with over 20 years experience across industries ranging from the rag trade to building and now, books. Amanda is currently the national marketing manager of the Australian division of a global manufacturing company. She is executive editor of LookHome magazine and producer of myLOOKHOMEtv. She is also author of The Renovator’s Survival Guide. Since the book’s launch, she has been featured on Sunrise, 9am with David & Kim, A Current Affair, as well as numerous radio interviews including ABC Radio in Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, as well as 3AW and 2CA.
Marketing Your Book with Amanda Falconer
When: Every Monday starting Monday 14 September 2009 for three weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $265
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Book giveawayRecently I interviewed Susannah Fullerton about her writing journey and her latest book, Brief Encounters: Literary travellers in Australia 1836-1939. You can listen to the podcast here or on iTunes.
Susannah is a popular literary lecturer and an expert on 19th and 20th century writers. Brief Encounters is a witty and occasionally funny account of various literary heavy weights and their time in Australia. Mark Twain visited our shores, as did Robert Louis Stevenson, Rudyard Kipling and DH Lawrence. They all had very different reasons for visiting, and all left with very a different impression of our country.
We have one copy of Brief Encounters to give away. If you’d like to win it, just watch the video below and answer the question. Email your answer to courses@spindriftmedia.com.au by 5pm Friday 28 August and don’t forget to include your postal address.
Script Writing for Short Films
If you’ve got an idea for a short film but you’re not sure what to do next, our Script Writing for Short Films course is a fantastic way to start. You only have to check out all the short film festivals that are held in Australia alone to see how popular short films are. Think Tropfest, Flickerfest, the Bondi Short Film Festival - it seems more and more film-makers are getting their start in short films.
This course will show you how to craft your short film screenplay and get it made. You’ll discover:
- how to select and develop suitable ideas for a short film
- what narrative elements you need in a short film screenplay (characters, plot, dialogue etc)
- what technical elements you must consider in a short film screenplay (locations, props, budget etc)
- the roles of the writer/director/producer and how they interact
- how to get your film seen and sold
Here’s what recent participant Katie Whiffen had to say about the course:
"It was fantastic to understand the process of a short film and how ideas become reality. Before this course I had a few vague ideas for short films. I know what to do next if I want to enter Tropfest! Also have a range of resources from the presenter which will be invaluable."
Here’s what recent participant Chris Bradford had to say about the course:
"Geoff's real world experience was invaluable and worth the price alone. I've rethought how I practice writing based on Geoff's research and real life examples."
This course is presented by Geoff Bartlett, who has written for several Australian TV shows and produced three short films. Two were semi finalists at Tropfest and one screened in competition at Flickerfest. They were also bought by Foxtel (The Comedy Channel), ABC TV, Qantas, Telstra and Japanese TV.
Script Writing for Short Films with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 3 September and Thursday 10 September 2009 (two evening seminars)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $165
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
WEBPICK: Meanjin Quarterly and Spike the blogMeanjin Quarterly is actually a print magazine promoting the best new Australian writing. They do, however, also have a blog named Spike. For news about writing and events around Australia, information about publishing and other online resources, this is a great blog to check out.
Written by Jessica Au and Sophie Cunningham, as well as the occasional guest blogger, Spike is updated regularly with interesting articles from the world of writing.
Check it out here - http://meanjin.com.au/spike-the-meanjin-blog.
Other upcoming courses
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Kate Forsyth - FULL
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 20 August 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Judith Ridge
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 26 August 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Online Business Booster Bootcamp with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 28 August 2009 (one-day bootcamp)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $695
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman - FULL
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 1 September 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Script Writing for the Short Films with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 3 September and Thursday 10 September 2009 (two evening seminars)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $165
Seminar: Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Friday 4 September 2009 (one-morning seminar)
Time: 10am to 12noon
Cost: $75
Course: Online Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Valerie Khoo
When: Week beginning Monday 7 September 2009 for five weeks
Time: Whenever you want
Cost: $395
Course: Online Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman / Cathie Tasker - NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 7 September 2009 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson
When: Wednesday 9 September 2009 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 11 September 2009 for six weeks
Time: 10am – 12noon
Cost: $450
Course: Marketing Your Book with Amanda Falconer
When: Every Monday starting Monday 14 September 2009 for three weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $265
Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Gayle Bryant and Valerie Khoo
When: Thursday 24 September 2009 (one-evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 30 September 2009 (one-evening seminar)
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett - NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 7 October 2009 (one-evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Crime Writing Weekend Workshop with Marele Day - NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2009 (2 day workshop)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Katrina Lobley
When: Every Monday starting Monday 12 October 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Self-Publishing: How to do it with Geoff Bartlett - NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 14 October 2009 (one-evening seminar)
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Writing for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge - NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 15 October 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 20 October 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Feature Writing Stage 2 with Judy Skatssoon
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 21 October 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Editing Essentials with Katrina Lobley - NEW DATE
When: Thursday 22 October 2009 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $345
Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Pamela Wilson
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 5 November 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
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