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• TIP: Are you in uncharted or unchartered territory?
• Start your writing journey here
• More Student Success – Leonie Curgenven
• Don't miss the Big Issue Fiction Edition
• Improve your writing in one day
• What we’re reading: Kafka on the Shore by
  Haruki Murakami
• WEBPICK: whichbook

It's an exciting week here at the Sydney Writers' Centre. Rose, our communications coordinator, is off to cover the Melbourne Writers' Festival so stayed tuned for videos, blog posts and interviews with fabulous authors. For those of you who can't make it to Melbourne, we'll bring the Festival to you via our Writing Bar.

Meanwhile, as you read this, I'm heading back to Sydney after spending the last four days in California immersed in book publishing and marketing. I've been at a small gathering of agents, publishers and New York Times best-selling authors, all organised by Tim Ferriss (pictured with me, right), author of The Four-Hour Work Week and The Four-Hour Body.

It's been very exciting to talk at length about the new world of publishing. During the week, Amazon also announced that Tim's book is the first major acquisition for their new imprint, Amazon Publishing. You can read more about that here.

• the Kindle itself (its capabilities, limitations and user-experience)
• listing a book in Amazon’s Kindle bookstore
• formatting your book for the Kindle (a major stumbling block for Kindle authors)
• building your writer’s platform
  
• and much more
  
  

Rambo was in uncharted territory when he went for a walk in the new park.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

• Filling fast: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding, starts Monday 29 August; Online Feature Writing with Sue White, starts Monday 29 August.
  
  
• New dates: Professional Business Writing with Sue White, Wednesday 14 September; How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett, Tuesday 27 September.
  
  
• Interview with Tim Ferriss: When Tim visited the Sydney Writers’ Centre here at our training rooms in Milsons Point to talk to us about The 4-hour Work Week. You can watch the full video here.

There are some amazing authors touring the country at the moment for this busy writers festival season. Jonathan Franzen, Louis de Bernieres, Lynda La Plante, Kate Grenville, and Nick Earls, to name just a few. If you’re feeling inspired by all the literary goings on, why not join us for a creative writing course? This is your chance to learn how the greats do it – and maybe even get started on your own novel.
 
During the course, you’ll learn how to tap into your imagination, how to write a compelling story, how to use characters and dialogue and how to give structure to your writing. And because we know many of you can’t make it to our weekly evening classes, we’ve scheduled some intensives as well! These will fill quickly so get in fast.
 
Here’s what past participants say:
"I would recommend this course for a whole range of people; from those who want to awaken the writer within, to those who have got a novel in the works. It's a good 'kickstart' course."
- Michelle Stewart

"The creative writing course is a great place to get started with writing. The teachers are writers themselves and the course is a great way to move your writing to the next level"
- Teena Johnston

Creative Writing Stage 1 with Laurine Croasdale
When: Thursdays starting Thursday 14 September 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
 
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
 
Already completed stage 1 and want to continue your writing journey? If you want to consolidate what you’ve learned and workshop more of your writing, our Creative Writing Stage 2 course is for you.
 
ONLINE COURSE: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman
When: Week beginning Monday 29 August for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

More Student Success
When we say students are often published before they finish their course, we really mean it. The latest student success is from Leonie Curgenven, who's midway through her Online Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newpapers. She has been submitting pieces to her local paper and has so far had two accepted. She also had a feature accepted by Reader's Digest, which will be published in their November edition. Here’s what she wrote:   
 
“I'm so excited. I've been submitting small pieces to the Caloundra paper and they have published one and have two more in the pipeline. Reader's Digest commended me on an article well written! Your course has been invaluable for me. I feel like I've soaked it all in.”
 
Congratulations Leonie!

Big Issue Fiction Edition

Each year, the Big Issue releases an edition devoted completely to fiction. It’s always a hit and includes some of Australia’s best established and up and coming writers, and this year’s is no different. Writers include Chris Womersley, Frank Moorhouse, Nick Earls, Charlotte Wood, Peggy Frew and Amanda Lohrey.
 
The Big Issue Fiction Edition goes on sale from Friday 26 August. You can buy your copy from your local Big Issue vendor. It’s only $5 and half of that will go to the seller. Grab one quickly – it will sell out!

Improve your writing in one day
You can improve your writing in just one day. Learning the essential rules of grammar and punctuation will give you the confidence and the skills to write well. Your work will become clearer and more succinct just by knowing where to put a comma, when to use an apostrophe, and how to structure your sentences correctly.

Whether you’ve never learnt the basics of grammar (and many of us didn’t), or you just need a refresher, the one-day Grammar and Punctuation Essentials seminar is perfect for you.

Here’s what past participants say:
"Deb is obviously a master of the English language. Her knowledge is evident and her presentation style was lively and kept the class awake and enthusiastic!"
- Angela Gilmour

"Deb is an excellent presenter. She was very professional and passionate about her subject matter."
- Madeline Gill

This seminar is taught by Deb Doyle. Deb is an experienced editorial-training consultant and publication editor. Deb's courses are interactive and fun. You'll be amazed at how engaging and interesting a workshop in grammar and punctuation can be.

Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 9 September 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Oops words
We spotted this spelling error in a golfing newsletter. They very helpfully underlined it for us:

I’m sure they meant to write “amendments”, not “ammendments”.

New additions to Oxford English Dictionary
They may be crimes against fashion, but if their recent addition to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary is an indication of their staying power, mankinis and jeggings could be around for a while.

The editors of the latest edition of the Concise OED have announced that mankini, jeggings, retweet, sexting and cyberbullying are now, officially, words. In fact, there are 400 new words included, in an edition that has over 240,000 entries.

This is the 100th year of the Concise OED, which was first published in 1911. Back then new words included aeroplane, carburettor, motorist and radioactive. Who knows what the next 100 years will bring!

Make money from your travels
Want to know what it’s really like to be a travel writer? There are many options for budding travel writers – you can write features for print or online, or you can write for guidebooks. Whatever you decide, if getting paid for your adventures is your dream, you need to know where to start.

That’s where our industry insight Introduction to Travel Writing comes in. This two-hour seminar will give you an idea of what’s involved. You’ll learn about publishing opportunities, how to generate story ideas, how to get your articles published, and much more.

Here’s what past participants say:
"If you are serious about writing and want to get ahead of other aspiring writers, get yourself to the Sydney Writers' Centre."
- Tina Lambert

"If you're passionate about writing and travel I would highly recommend this seminar."
- Tenille Schell

Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 1 September 2011 (two-hour seminar)
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

TIP: Back to basics – commas
For such a ubiquitous and essential punctuation mark, the comma sure does cause a lot of confusion. It can be hard to know when to use one and when to leave it out, but there are a number of rules to keep in mind when using commas. Here are two of them:

1. Use commas for parenthetical phrases, or words or phrases that interrupt an independent clause. For example:

Dougal the dog, who moved in only a few months ago, is already taking over the house.

Rocky the cat likes to sleep in the sun, but Rambo the dog prefers the bed.

What we’re reading
This week our communications coordinator, Rose Powell, is reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. Rose writes:

At the risk of sounding shallow, I bought Kafka on the Shore because of its beautiful cover. Stark white with a black cat and calligraphy inspired type, the cover is magnetic. Fortunately for me the sparse aesthetic with sharp details continues from the cover art to the narrative.
 
Written by Haruki Murakami, one of Japan's leading authors, this story is a tale of quirky characters, the impact of fate, and reality's relationship with the supernatural. If that sounds silly enough to dismiss, don’t do it – as the 2006 winner of the World Fantasy Award, and one of the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2005, you'd be missing out.  
 
The characterisation of Kafka, a 15-year-old run away, inflicted with an Oedipal curse by his father, and the ageing, simple Nakata who can talk to cats, keeps this book from becoming absurd. Their parallel struggles ran alongside a wonderful cast of problematic characters, and the increasing encroachment of the fantasy world into contemporary Tokyo is well managed by Murakami. What I loved most about this book was the extensive conceptual intertextuality, which Murakami thankfully explains for his millions of western readers. 

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: whichbook
Can’t decide what to read? Need help choosing a book for a friend or family member? whichbook is like browsing your local library or book store, online. All you need to do is rate the book you want to read, using sliders on the home page that let you choose between happy or sad, funny or serious, beautiful or disgusting – even optimistic or bleak! whicbook will then give you a list of books you may like.

The unique thing about this site is that you won’t find the latest bestsellers listed, because they’re easy to find yourself. The books are chosen by a changing team of readers from libraries and literature organisations. Only books that have been read by someone on this team make it onto whichbook, so there’s lots here you may never find by yourself.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Marina Go
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 25 August 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 29 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 29 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 29 August 2011 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 29 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 29 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 1 September 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 9 September 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Every Friday starting Friday 9 September 2011 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Wednesday 14 September 2011 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 1.00pm
Cost: $295

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 14 September 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Laurine Croasdale
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 14 September 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell Your eBook on Amazon with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 14 September 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 15 September 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $495

Seminar: Better Business Communications with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 22 September 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 27 September 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 28 September 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Writing Picture Books with Cathie Tasker – NEW COURSE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 6 October 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White – MELBOURNE COURSE
When: Thursday 6 October and Friday 7 October 2011 (two-day course)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Valerie Khoo – MELBOURNE COURSE
When: Thursday 6 October 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo – MELBOURNE COURSE
When: Friday 7 October 2011 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 1.00pm
Cost: $295

Seminar: Edit with Confidence with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Friday 7 October 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – MELBOURNE COURSE
When: Saturday 8 October and Sunday 9 October 2011 (two-day course)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White – MELBOURNE COURSE
When: Saturday 8 October and Sunday 9 October 2011 (two-day course)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Novel Writing Workshop with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 11 October 2011 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $495

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 12 October 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 13 October 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Intensive Creative Writing Stage 1 with Laurine Croasdale
When: Saturday 15 October and Sunday 16 October 2011 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Intensive Creative Writing Stage 2 with Jeni Mawter
When: Saturday 15 October and Sunday 16 October 2011 (2 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Daytime Intensive Creative Writing Stage 1 with Kate Forsyth
When: Monday 17 October to Friday 21 October 2011 (5 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 18 October 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: The Business of Freelancing with Gayle Bryant – NEW COURSE
When: Wednesday 19 October 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Monday 24 October 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing About Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 26 October 2011 and Wednesday 2 November 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Course: Your Story Structure with Kathryn Heyman
When: Friday 4 November 2011 and Friday 11 November 2011 (2 half-day classes)
Time: 9.30am - 12.30pm
Cost: $215

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding – NEW COURSE
When: Every Monday starting Monday 7 November 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Plotting and Planning with Kate Forsyth
When: Monday 28 November 2011 and Monday 5 December 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Thursday 20 October to Saturday 5 November 2011

Writing in Bali with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Saturday 21 July to Saturday 28 July 2012