In this issue:
- TIP: Don’t use no double negatives
- How to publish your book
- Student Success - Chantelle Thompson
- The golden rules of good business writing
- Did you know? Rule of thumb
- Kickstart your creative writing
- WEBPICK: Book Book MacBook covers
One of the things I love about working at the Sydney Writers' Centre is you – that's right, YOU. I love our community and I'm really passionate about shaping the Centre to ensure we are catering to your needs. We want to make sure that we are providing you with the courses and seminars that you actually want and need. So we'd love your input on something.As you know, we have three wonderful online courses currently available. And we have many more in the pipeline. It takes an incredible amount of time and resources to create these online courses for you – because they are top quality courses, designed so that you get the same learning and similar experience as you would in our face-to-face courses. But there are only so many hours in the day and, as much as our team wishes we could clone ourselves, we can't do that yet!
So we'd love your input on which courses you'd like to see available online first. Don't worry, they will ALL eventually be available. But your feedback will help us determine the ORDER in which they will become available. To put it simply, the ones you ‘vote’ for will be the ones that will be available first. So I'd be so grateful if you could help us out by voting here. Thanks so much!
TIP: Don’t use no double negatives
It seems even Grammar Girl can make mistakes! Here’s what she wrote in a recent newsletter:
I made an embarrassing mistake the other day. I wrote "I can't hardly believe . . ." when I should have written "I can hardly believe . . ."
"Can't hardly" is an example of a double negative – something writing experts say you should avoid – and it also doesn't make much sense. Often double negatives mean the opposite of what you are trying to say.
Did you know that using a double-negative in a sentence will actually change your meaning to a positive? For example:
‘Rambo didn’t eat no biscuits’ actually means he ate at least one. For this reason alone double-negatives should be avoided in your writing.
Other examples are:
It seems even Grammar Girl can make mistakes! Here’s what she wrote in a recent newsletter: I made an embarrassing mistake the other day. I wrote "I can't hardly believe . . ." when I should have written "I can hardly believe . . ."
"Can't hardly" is an example of a double negative – something writing experts say you should avoid – and it also doesn't make much sense. Often double negatives mean the opposite of what you are trying to say.
Did you know that using a double-negative in a sentence will actually change your meaning to a positive? For example:
‘Rambo didn’t eat no biscuits’ actually means he ate at least one. For this reason alone double-negatives should be avoided in your writing.
Other examples are:
“I’m not uninterested in what you’re saying.”
“I’m not unhappy about that.”
How to publish your book
The path to publication can be a difficult one. But if you know what is required of you, you may increase your chances of getting your manuscript read by your publisher of choice. How to Get Your Book Published is a two-hour seminar that will make the process much clearer. You’ll discover:
- how to write a winning book proposal
- how to approach publishers
- do you need an agent?
- how much should you write before approaching a publisher?
- negotiating a fair contract
- the editing and re-writing process
Here’s what some recent attendees said about the seminar:
‘Clear, easy to understand information. Knowledgeable lecturer with quirky anecdotes. All my questions were answered. I thought it was a very good seminar and I was surprised at how much fitted into two hours. The dream is now a lot more tangible!’
- Amber Rose Gabriel
‘Simply packed with information from start to finish, the seminar provided all the answers to questions that I have had for years about how books get published! I now have a definite plan to work towards in getting my first book published.’
- Lucy Marshall
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, including The Sydney Morning Herald, Courier Mail, Canberra Times, West Australian and Australian Style.
How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 2 February 2010 (two-hour seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Student Success – Chantelle Thompson
We’ve received more exciting news this week from one of our former students.
Chantelle Thompson completed our Feature Writing course in December last year – and already she’s been commissioned to write a travel feature for the Medical Observer Magazine!
This is great news Chantelle – congratulations!
The golden rules of good business writing
Most people are required to write at work – everything from emails and letters to annual reports. And it’s important that you can make yourself understood in your writing. Good business writing is an essential skill for any employee. One of our most popular seminars is Professional Business Writing. It will help you refine your writing style – and maybe you’ll even start to enjoy one more aspect of your job!
This practical seminar covers:
- business writing - the golden rules
- how to structure reports and proposals
- the fundamentals of persuasive writing
- tips and rules for stress-free writing
- how to gain the reader's attention
- the 8 step plan to write winning proposals
- the words you should never use
Here’s what some recent participants thought of the seminar:
‘Mel was an excellent trainer. I enjoyed her examples and lessons learnt, which made much of what we were learning more relevant. The course was also a confidence booster for me, knowing that I am on track with my writing.’
- Romina Cavallo
‘Mel was an excellent presenter, providing practical real-world examples of the subject matter. Value was also gained from Mel's ability to reinforce topics learnt earlier in the day. Good class size and people management skills of Mel assisted the day to flow easily. The day reinforced to me the value of mind-maps and planning your writing as well as providing me a number of methods to better understand my audience and what they want from my writing.’
- Robert Levee
This seminar is presented by Mel Wilkinson, an experienced corporate writer and former guest lecturer at the Financial Services Institute of Australia. Mel runs a corporate writing agency and specialises in writing, editing and proofreading corporate collateral such as tender documents, annual reports, brochures, website content, newsletters, newspaper editorial, advertising copy, adviser and employee communication and sector reports.
Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson
When: Tuesday 9 March 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Did you know? Rule of thumb
To quote the ‘rule of thumb’ means you are referring to informal guidelines or standards, or things you know from experience. It’s such a common phrase that you may not have thought about where it comes from. But I have – and I’ve found the answer.
The ‘rule’ in ‘rule of thumb’ actually refers to a measurement. From the tip of an adult thumb to the knuckle is more often than not very close to 1 inch long. It’s not exact, but it’s close enough that if you didn’t have a ruler, you could use the ‘rule of thumb’ to get an approximate measurement.
Word crime: What were they drinking?
Spotted: on a menu in a café in Sydney. What’s wrong with this picture?
Right: “Cappuccino”The word “cappuccino” comes from the Italian word “cappuccio”, which refers to a hood worn by friars. Apparently the colour of the coffee is similar to the colour of the hood!
Wrong: “Cappiccinno”
Kick-start your creative writing – DAYTIME courseHave you decided it’s time to let that book you’ve always had in you out? Even if you’re writing short stories or a memoir, our Creative Writing course will help to kick-start your creativity.
Over five weeks we’ll teach you the importance of structure, plot, voice and character, and show you how to apply it to your writing. If you want to write engaging and absorbing stories, this is a great way to start. And the best thing – we now run courses for those of you who can’t make it to our evening courses. Our next daytime course starts soon!
This creative writing course will teach you how to:
- tap into your imagination
- draw from everyday experiences and memories
- examine different types of creative writing
- give structure to your writing
- use characters and dialogue
Here’s what our most recent participants had to say about the course:
‘Our presenter, Jeni Mawter, was very, very good! She was able to give us valuable information about actual writing but also about how the publishing world works. She was also a very engaging speaker and the course was structured well. I have a much better understanding of what the process of writing actually involves.’
- Elizabeth Ormiston
‘Apart from the help with actual literary techniques, Jenni gave me a realistic sense of what it would be like to be a writer. She spoke well about the industry and its intricacies as well as speaking of her own experiences. This course gave me a great sense of how to write for different audiences and how to overcome writers block. Most importantly though, it helped me realise that the first draft doesn't have to be perfect and that there is no harm in doing numerous drafts.’
- Raymond Cachia
DAYTIME Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 18 February 2010 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12 noon
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
WEBPICK: Book Book MacBook coversWow, I’ve found the ultimate geek/booklover accessory – a MacBook case that looks like a hardcover book! Touted as ‘a novel way to cover your macbook’ (pun intended I’m sure), these covers are designed to protect your laptop not only from the odd bump, but also by disguising it as a tatty old book, so potential thieves won’t even know your laptop is there.
The covers come in black or red and are only available for MacBook or MacBook Pro. You can order them online here.
Other upcoming courses
Course: Online Creative Writing with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman - FULL
When: Week beginning Monday 1 February 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Online Feature Writing Stage 1 with Valerie Khoo - FULL
When: Week beginning Monday 1 February 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to get your book published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 2 February 2010 (2-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge - FULL
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 3 February 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Online Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge - FULL
When: Week beginning Monday 8 February 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson - FULL
When: Thursday 11 February 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller - FULL
When: Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 February (two-day workshop)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $450
Course: Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 15 February 2010 (2-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Online Feature Writing Stage 1 with Valerie Khoo
When: Week beginning Monday 15 February 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Online Creative Writing with Cathie Tasker/Pamela Freeman
When: Week beginning Monday 15 February 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 16 February 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman - FULL
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 16 February 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 DAYTIME course with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 18 February 2010 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 25 February 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Online Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Week beginning Monday 1 March 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Editing Essentials with Katrina Lobley
When: Tuesday 2 March 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $345
Course: Feature Writing Stage 1 DAYTIME course with Vanessa Waters
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 3 March 2010 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $395
Course: Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Friday 5 March 2010 (2-hour morning seminar)
Time: 10.00am - 12 noon
Cost: $75
Course: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson
When: Tuesday 9 March 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Self-Publishing: How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 15 March 2010 (2-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: How to get your book published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 23 March 2010 (2-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 30 March 2010 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 5 April 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Kate Forsyth
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 8 April 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 5-day Intensive course with Jeni Mawter
When: Monday 12 April - Friday 16 April 2010 (5 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Course: Feature Writing Stage 2 with Judy Skatssoon
When: Every Wednesday beginning Wednesday 14 April 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Script Writing for Short Films with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 13 May and 20 May 2010 (two evening seminars)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $165
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July (two-day workshop)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $450
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 12 August 2010 for six weeks
Time: 10am - 12noon
Cost: $450
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