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• TIP: Then or than?
• Learn the art of feature writing
• More Student Success - Congratulations Colleen Filippa
• TIP: Assume or presume? 
• Book giveaway - Fire & Song by Anna Lanyon
• TIP: When it comes to companies: “is” or “are”?
• Improve your writing at work
• WEBPICK: Styling You

Wow. What a week! Last week, the Sydney Writers’ Festival kept us all on our toes. It was great chatting to some of the world’s biggest authors on their writing processes. Many of them kindly agreed for us to video their interviews so you can get up close and personal with them here.

One thing is for sure, if the crowds were any indication, the festival proved that story telling is still one of the most powerful ways to reach people.

However, your stories won’t have the right impact if you don’t structure them correctly. That’s why Your Story Structure is such an important course. You’ll work with the amazing Kathryn Heyman on:

• finding the shape of your story
• making an active protaganist
• how to find and maintain conflict
• creating turning points
• set-up, pay-off and the perfect resolution
• and MUCH more
  
  

Rambo the dog eats more than Rocky the cat.

Rambo the dog ate his dinner, then Rocky the cat licked the bowl.

• It’s a busy time of year and Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson on 14 June is almost full.
  
  
• Did you miss the Sydney Writers’ Festival last week? Check out all our video interviews with authors here.
  
  
• New dates: Screenwriting Stage 1 starting 20 June; Creative Writing Stage 1 starting 27 June; Feature Writing Stage 1 starting 27 July. 
  

• which ideas work – and where to get them
• different types of feature articles – which will you write?
• how to research, structure and write a feature
• how to pitch your article or idea to a magazine and sell it!
• and MUCH more.
  
  

This week, we heard from Colleen Filippa, who attended our PR and Media Releases that get Results seminar in May. She’s the director of environment group Fifteen Trees and she used what she learnt in the seminar to get her first article published in her local paper. Here’s what she wrote to us:

“I thought I'd pass along a newspaper article that I got into our local paper today. I completed a one-day course with Catriona Pollard (PR and Media Releases).

“The course was exactly what I needed - practical advice that could be immediately implemented!”

Well done, Colleen. Good luck with your future PR projects!

Did you know? The wonderful world of crosswords
I was channel flicking the other night and came across a fascinating documentary about the Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Directed by the New York Times crossword puzzle editor, the event will celebrate its 35th year in 2012. Before you go making assumptions about the type of people entering crossword puzzle tournaments, one of the winners in this documentary was a 15-year-old schoolboy.

The most fascinating thing I discovered about crosswords is the many rules applied to their layout. For example, crosswords must be diagonally symmetrical. In other words, it should look exactly the same if you rotate it 180 degrees, light for light and dark for dark.

(If you’re interested in attending in 2012, you can find all the details here.)

Grammar and Punctuation Essentials
We often come across examples of bad grammar or incorrect punctuation, but this week we have good news – here’s a picture of someone getting it right!

If you want to make sure your apostrophes face the right way (or are, more importantly, in the right place!), and avoid more common English grammar mistakes, join us for our next Grammar and Punctuation Essentials seminar.
 
This intensive yet fun refresher will help you transform your writing. Understanding the basic rules of grammar and punctuation will make you more confident when writing or editing others’ work, and you’ll be able to apply everything you learn immediately.
 
You’ll also take away a comprehensive workbook, Grey Areas and Gremlins: A grammar and punctuation refresher, worth $50.
 
Here’s what previous participants had to say:
"This is a great course. Don't miss out!"
- David Ngo

"Deb really knew her stuff! She was able to answer all my grammar questions and help me work out the more difficult areas. This course was very helpful, the staff at the Sydney Writers' Centre are lovely, and the facilities are easy to find and very nice."
- Jordanna Epp

Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 3 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $450
 
Click here for more information or to enrol online.

TIP: Assume or presume?
I was reminded recently of a saying I learnt from a high school teacher:

“Never assume – it makes an ass of you and me.”

It’s a handy reminder of its meaning as well as how to spell it (though I think she meant it as a warning!).
 
Assume means “to take for granted”. When you assume something is so, you accept it as truth without proof. For example:

I assume that this computer is going to work when I turn it on.

Assume is sometimes confused with “presume”. While their meanings are similar, you typically use “presume” when you can “suppose that something is probably the case”. For example:

I presume our IT manager has qualifications in computing.

Book giveaway – Fire & Song by Anna Lanyon
Our latest author podcast is now available. This week we spoke to historian and author, Anna Lanyon. Her latest book is Fire & Song, the story of Luis de Carvajal, a Jewish man caught up in the Mexican Inquisition in the late 1500s.
 
Anna Lanyon has a strong interest in Mexican history and has dedicated many years to her research. She has written two other books on Mexico – Malinche’s Conquest and The New World of Martin Cortes – and Fire & Song promises to be just as enlightening for anyone interested in history.
 
We have one copy of Fire & Song to give away. If you’d like to read it just tell us which historical figure you would love to research and why. Send your answers to courses@spindriftmedia.com.au by 5pm Thursday 2 June 2011 – and don’t forget to include your postal address.
 
Congratulations to Diana Nestorovska who won our copy of Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. Hope you enjoy it, Diana!

TIP: Don’t turn a company into a plural
This is a very common mistake, particularly in the world of business. You might see a sentence like this:

AMP are holding a festival.
Dell are launching a new laptop.

AMP is holding a festival.
Dell is launching a new laptop.

People often pluralise a company. However, a company is a single (and singular) entity. A handy trick to work out if you’re using the right words (such as “is” or “are”): is to replace the company name with the word “it”.

You would say:

It is holding a festival. That sounds right.
It are holding a festival. I don’t think so!

And there you have your answer.

Writing Letters and Emails
We’ve all read correspondence that didn’t make sense, or that seemed rude in tone. But could you pinpoint why? Writing clear and concise business correspondence is not something that comes easily for many people – but learning just a few tools will improve your writing at work.  
 
Our one-day seminar in Writing Letters and Emails will help you tackle your correspondence with confidence. You’ll be given templates for writing your letters and learn simple structures for composing emails.
 
You’ll also discover:

• the four steps for writing any document
• the four key questions you should ask yourself when drafting your letters or emails
• the ‘CSAW’ method of writing: Collect; Select; Arrange; Write
• an action plan for improving your writing
  
  

Here’s what previous participants had to say:
"It was great having the chance to put into practice what we learnt by writing example letters. Deb was very knowledgeable and really tailored the course to meet the needs of the group."
- Nicole Xuereb

"Deb is informative and interested in making the content appropriate for all individuals in the class. The course is a good way to 'brush up' on skills and learn new ones. The teacher was very approachable and the location was great."
- Anna Cummins

Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 15 June 2011 (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 our course manager, Danielle Williams, is reading Too Close to Home by Georgia Blain.

Sydney author Georgia Blain’s sixth novel is Too Close to Home. Set in the months before the most recent Federal election, it follows the lives of a typical inner-west couple, Freya and Matt. Freya is a playwright and Matt an architect and they have a daughter, Ella. Freya has recently inherited some money from her mother so they’ve bought a house in Marrickville.

The setting of the book is very familiar to me, as are many of the characters. I must admit I’ve found myself scoffing at some of these inner-west Sydney “lefties” but I have to stop myself when I realise just how close to my own circle of friends they are! Far from being just a commentary on the lives of a seemingly privileged 21st century family, Blain tackles some big issues in this book, like racism. But she does this without the sledgehammer effect so the reader can relate to the situation, rather than judge it.

Blain’s seemingly easy writing style belies the tension of the novel, a sign of a skilled novelist. Reading Too Close to Home is like rediscovering my home town.

We spoke to Georgia at the Sydney Writers' Festival, here's a link to our video interview with her.

We want to know what you’re reading! If you’d like to submit a short book review (no more than 200 words) send it to courses [at] spindriftmedia [dot] com [dot] au and we’ll consider it for publication in our newsletter or blog.

WEBPICK: Styling You
Here in the Sydney Writers’ Centre office we’re not only concerned with words. We’re also extremely fashion conscious (?!) and even little doggie Rambo has an exclusive wardrobe of office wear (ok – winter coats). So when journalist and blogger, Nikki Parkinson, entered our Best Australian Blogs Competition with her Styling You blog, we were happy to spend hours our lunch breaks perusing her fashion advice.
 
Nikki won the Business Blog category and went on to win the competition overall with her honest, smart, and most importantly, helpful fashion tips. She’s covered everything from the latest skin care trends to the best winter bags to tackling bad hair days. She also posts tips on blogging (so writers can quite reasonably justify their time reading Styling You) and there are regular competitions for beauty treats. Really, there’s more at Styling You than we can tell you about.
 
Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Seminar: Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 27 May 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Friday 27 May 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 30 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Laurine Croasdale - FULL
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 31 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Marina Go - FULL
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 2 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 3 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 6 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Laurine Croasdale/Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 6 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Daytime How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 7 June 2011 (two-hour morning seminar)
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
Cost: $85

Seminar: Daytime Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 8 June 2011 (two-hour morning seminar)
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
Cost: $85

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson
When: Tuesday 14 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 15 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 16 June 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85

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

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 20 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 20 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Sell your ebook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Tuesday 21 June 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Wednesday 22 June 2011 and Wednesday 29 June 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 22 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 23 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $495

Course: Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 23 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Monday starting Monday 27 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 28 June 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Edit with Confidence with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 29 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Thursday 30 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Life Writing Masterclass with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 1 July 2011 for eight weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
Cost: $650

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 5 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

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: Perfecting Your Pitch with Sue White
When: Wednesday 13 July 2011 and Wednesday 20 July 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Marina Go – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 14 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 27 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 27 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 9 September 2011 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $450

WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Saturday 18 June to Saturday 25 June 2011

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