In this issue:
- Want to see Joss Whedon in Melbourne?
- TIP: Are you good or well?
- Take your creative writing to the next level
- Self-Publishing success – Congratulations Pamela Thorne
- Ticket giveaway – The Disappearance of Alice Creed
- Did you know? Double spaced sentences
- When punctuation goes on holiday
- Get paid for your adventures
- WEBPICK: Café Press
Want to see Joss Whedon in Melbourne?
If you live in Melbourne and you’re free tomorrow night, you have just hours to enter our Joss Whedon ticket giveaway! He’ll be speaking at the Melbourne Town Hall as part of the opening night celebrations of the Melbourne Writers Festival.
Visit our facebook page for details. And remember, you have until 5pm today to enter!
When it comes to writing emails and letters at work, the words you choose and the way you structure your letter/email can have a huge impact. It can be the difference between whether or not you get the deal done, score the job or make the sale. The way you write your letter/email can inspire, offend, placate or agitate.If you don’t know the right way to structure a letter or email, or if you struggle with what to write don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Often, this fundamental work skill is not taught at schools or universities. When you learn the skills and simple steps to writing better letters and emails, you’ll also find the whole process easier and much more enjoyable.
So if you, or your staff, are responsible for correspondence, our seminar in Writing Letters and Emails is for you. I’m very passionate about this topic and have trained the staff of some of Australia’s biggest companies training them on writing effective letters and emails.
So I’ve worked hard with our presenter Deb Doyle in creating a one-day seminar that will give you a clear guideline on what to do – including templates for different types of letters to take the guesswork out of what to write.
Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 31 August 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Are you good or well?
Here’s a quick tip from How Much Can a Koala Bear by Pamela Thorne, on whether you say ‘I’m well’ or ‘I’m good’ when someone enquires about your health.
Good is an adjective: good luck, good health.
Well is an adverb, but may be used as an adjective to describe a person’s health.
He writes well [adverb], even though he is not feeling well [adjective].If you are asked how you feel, it is grammatically correct to reply I’m well, meaning ‘I am in good health’. It is incorrect to reply I’m good, as you were probably not being asked if you are morally righteous.
Take your creative writing to the next level
Want to kick-start your creative writing? Keen to keep the momentum going after your course in Creative Writing Stage 1 or Writing Books for Children? Then Creative Writing Stage 2 is for you and it starts next week – so you better be quick! This is the last time this course will be held in our training rooms this year.
This is the ideal course for creative writing or writing books for children graduates. It will build on everything you learnt in your first course and give you a chance to workshop more of your writing. During this course, you’ll cover:
- 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 proof reading, using examples from both published and student work
- and much more.
‘Most enjoyable about the course was having a presenter as educating and friendly as Pamela Freeman. Pamela was always happy to answer any questions and made the learning experience enjoyable. Different from creative writing stage one, stage two challenged me more, making me put what I have learnt to the test and pushed me that extra little bit.’ and I feel that I have progressed to a stage where I am feeling more confident about the process of structuring a story.’
- Angharad Dalton
‘I find Pamela Freeman a great inspiration and an excellent teacher. She has in depth knowledge of the industry and brings humour and personal experience effectively into each session. My workshop skills have improved
- Gustavo Panucci
Creative Writing Stage 2 is presented by Pamela Freeman, author of 21 books, the most recent of which, Full Circle (Book 3 of the Castings trilogy), is being published in the US, UK, France, Spain, Portugal and Germany as well as Australia. Pamela’s latest children’s book, Victor’s Challenge, was published in 2009 in Australia and the UK.
Pamela started as a children’s writer, and many of her books have been shortlisted for the State Literary Awards, the Children's Book Council Book of the Year Awards, the Koala Awards and the Wilderness Society Environment Awards. Pamela – who is also an accomplished scriptwriter – has taught creative writing at the University of Technology, Sydney for many years.
Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Tuesdays starting Tuesday 31 August 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
If you can’t make it to our training rooms in Milsons Point, you might like to consider our online course.
Online Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 6 September 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Self-Publishing Success – Pamela Thorne
Today’s tip came from a book called How Much can a Koala Bear, by Pamela Thorne. This guide to commonly confused words has become one our favourite office references, and as a business writer and trainer, this is a great way for Pamela to show off her expertise. Pamela self-published her book, and she did it with the help of our seminar, Self-Publishing: How to do it. Our upcoming seminar will help you decide if self-publishing is the way for you.
It will cover:
- self-publishing versus commercial publishing
- the steps to successful self-publishing
- the importance of editing and layout
- how to get your book printed
- marketing and distributing your book
- what's it all going to cost?
Here’s what some recent participants had to say about the seminar:
‘It has opened my eyes to the process of self-publishing I didn't realise how many 'bits and pieces' really do need to be considered. I look forward to putting it all into action... soon! Content was great, Geoff is great, very inspiring as were some of the other participants.’
- Marcia Tsiliris
‘Geoff really knew his stuff when it came to the business of self-publishing. I learned a lot about what it takes to self-publish, what issues need to be considered and what other businesses/services are involved.’
- Karen Beilharz
This seminar is presented by Geoff Bartlett who is an author, journalist, actor and producer. He has filed articles and interviews for over 20 major newspapers and magazines around the country. In 1999, Geoff's first book, was published in Australia and New Zealand through Harper Collins. Comedians in the Mist was a series of interviews with top Australian comedians.
In the electronic media, Geoff has written for Good News Week, Backberner, Life Support, The Comedy Channel and 2MMM. He also writes regularly for the finance and travel industries. His latest books are Cattitude, released in 2006 and Mutterings which was published in 2007.
Self-publishing: How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 2 September 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Ticket giveaway – The Disappearance of Alice Creed
Thanks again to our friends at Icon Films, who have given us 10 double passes to their latest release, The Disappearance of Alice Creed. This British flick was shown at the recent Sydney Film Festival and this is what you’re in for if you go to see it: Two ex-cons kidnap a young woman and plan to make a mint on the ransom. Their hostage is Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton), daughter of a rich businessman, chosen by Danny (Martin Compston) and Vic (Eddie Marsan) as their passport to a better life. Terrified and immobile at first, it soon becomes clear that Alice isn’t about to let her captors use her as capital without a fight.
As determined to escape as Vic and Danny are to succeed, Alice enters into a battle of wills which strains the already fractious relationship between the two men. As the deadline for the exchange draws nearer, all three are brought close to breaking point, with Vic and Danny’s foolproof plan descending into a desperate struggle for survival.
If you’d like to win an in-season double pass, just tell us your favourite thriller (film or book) and why. Email your answers to courses [at] spindriftmedia [dot] com [dot] au by 5pm Friday 3 September 2010. And please remember to include your postal address!
Did you know? Double spaced sentences
If you learnt to type on a typewriter, then you’re probably familiar with double spaced sentences. The convention of typing two spaces after a full stop was standard practice from the end of the 19th century until the advent of computers, and was meant to help readers distinguish between two sentences. Now, we generally use proportional fonts instead of monospace fonts, which is what was used on typewriters. Letters and characters in monospace fonts take up the same amount of horizontal space, while proportional fonts use only the space they need. Proportional fonts are much easier to read so the double space after the full stop isn’t needed.
But it’s still used! And there’s no rule that says you mustn’t use two spaces to separate sentences, but most style guides suggest that you don’t. Of course if your company style guide says you should use it in letters or emails, stick to their instructions.
When punctuation goes on holiday
Our intrepid travel and feature writing presenter, Sue White, was recently in Broome and spotted this sign:
It looks like the apostrophe was also on holiday!
Get paid for your adventures!
We’re so excited about our course, Travel Writing with Sue White. And why wouldn’t we be – Sue has years’ of experience writing travel articles for mags such as CNN Traveller, Travel+ Leisure Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald and Vogue Traveller. She’s doing what many writers dream of – travelling the world and getting paid to write about her adventures! If you’ve done our Feature Writing course, you’re in a perfect position to build on your knowledge and apply it to the world of travel writing. This course will introduce you the highs (and lows) of writing about your travels.
You’ll also learn:
- 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
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: Get paid for your adventures with Sue White
When: Thursdays starting Thursday 2 September 2010 for four weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $345
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
WEBPICK: Café PressWhat do you buy the journalist who has everything? A mug, of course! Or a t-shirt or a badge, a water bottle… they’re all available on the Café Press website.
Everything comes with a witty, writerly slogan – such as ‘Headlines & Deadlines are my life’, ‘Trust me, I’m a journalist’, ‘Go away, I have a deadline’, or simply ‘I write’.
You can even buy baby jumpsuits with ‘My daddy is a journalist’, ‘Journalist in training’ or, for the editing geeks, ‘Stet’.
Check it out here.
Other upcoming courses
Seminar: Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 31 August 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $365
Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Tuesdays starting Tuesday 31 August 2010 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 2 September 2010 for four weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $345
Seminar: Self-publishing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 2 September 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Online Creative Writing - Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 6 September 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Online Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 6 September 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Online Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 6 September 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 8 September 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with James Roy
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 9 September 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 10 September 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to get your book published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 15 September 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: Proofreading at work with Deb Doyle – NEW COURSE
When: Friday 17 September 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $365
Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding – NEW DATE
When: Every Monday starting Monday 20 September 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Creativity Unleashed with Laurine Croasdale – NEW COURSE
When: Tuesdays 21 & 28 September 2010
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson
When: Tuesday 21 September 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Course: Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Holly Nott – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 22 September 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to get free publicity with Catriona Pollard – NEW COURSE
When: Thursday 23 September 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $495
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 5-day Intensive course with Jeni Mawter
When: Monday 27 September - Friday 1 October 2010 (5 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Course: Magazine Writing Stage 2 with Gayle Bryant
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 29 September 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Editing at work with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 29 September 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Novel writing workshop with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 12 October 2010 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $495
Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Thursday 14 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.00pm
Cost: $365
Course: Build Your Online Profile with Tristan Bancks – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 14 October 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Online Business Booster Bootcamp with Valerie Khoo – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 21 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am sharp - 5.30pm
Cost: $695
Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 27 October 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Perfecting Your Pitch with Sue White
When: Thursdays 4 & 11 November 2010
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Every Friday starting Friday 14 January 2011 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $450
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – NEW DATE
When: Saturday 12 March 2011 and Sunday 13 March 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $450
Writing Tour: Writing in Bali with Patti Miller – FULL
When: 30 September to 5 October 2010
Writing Tour: Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Dates for 2010:
Arrival: Thursday 21 October 2010
Departure: Saturday 6 November 2010
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