- VIDEO: My interview with the amazing
Kerri Sackville - TIP: Complicated vs Complex
- Take your writing to the next level – Creative
Writing Stage 2 - More Student Success
- Pitch to a publisher!
- What we’re reading: The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
- WEBPICK: Pottermore
Thanks so much to all of you who commented or emailed your feedback about our new look online magazine, Writing Bar. We’re really excited about it and can’t wait to share our resources and articles with you. We’re also including videos – check out my interview with the talented Kerri Sackville (pictured right), uber-blogger and author of When My Husband Does the Dishes: A Memoir of Marriage and Motherhood. You’ll find it here. Kerri has successfully carved a niche not only as a blogger but also as a freelance writer. If you’ve completed Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers, you’re probably ready to take the next step and pitch your ideas to editors.
To maximise your “strike rate”, I suggest our two-week course Perfecting Your Pitch with Sue White. In my many years as an editor, I’ve received countless pitches from aspiring freelancers. Without a doubt, Sue’s pitches rank up there as the best. That’s why I know she is the perfect person to teach this course.
You’ll learn how to:
- overcome common hurdles that occur in the pitching stage
- write a pitch that will result in a commission from the editor
- refine and tailor a pitch to a specific audience or publication
- keep your confidence levels high during the pitching process
- sell your expertise on a given topic as part of your pitch
- better understand the needs of editors when they are selecting stories
- develop a "how to" process that works when selling your stories
- develop a step-by-step approach to transform your pitching "hit rate"
-
and MUCH more
When: Thursdays 13 & 20 July 2011 (two evening classes)
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Complicated vs complexThis question came to us from one of our Writing Bar readers, Jane. She wants to know what the difference is between complicated and complex and should you say “the task is complicated” or “the task is complex”.
The Macquarie Dictionary gives both words almost identical meanings. They both essentially mean “folded together, intertwined, difficult to separate”. And they are difficult to separate!
However, "complicated" has the added nuance of being "difficult to analyse, explain or understand". So in Jane’s example, the answer is: it depends.
Chances are that the complicated task is also a complex one. However, a task can be very complex but may not be complicated because it may be able to be understood/explained in a systematic way (despite its complexity!)
Now you can all sleep.
What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre
- Filling fast: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials, Friday 15 July 2011.
- Read the latest book club report and join the conversation on Tea Obreht’s, The Tiger’s Wife.
- Our free webinar exclusively for Feature Writing Graduates is on Wednesday 6 July. More details here.
- Creative Writing Stage 1 presenter Jeni Mawter has just published a new book!
Take your writing to the next level
If you’ve completed Creative Writing Stage 1 or Writing Books for Children and Young Adults you’re well on your way to writing better fiction. But if you need a little more motivation and would like to expand on the skills you’ve already learnt, then Creative Writing Stage 2 is your next step.This is a practical workshopping course that will give you an opportunity to get valuable feedback on your writing. You’ll finish this course feeling even more inspired and motivated!
Here’s what past participants say:
"I really benefited from the course and the feedback I received has given me the motivation and confidence to continue with my project."
- Tracey Jordan
"I enjoyed the opportunity to get feedback from the presenter and sharing my work with like minded people. It has really given me the courage to move forward with my book."
- Hera McCaffery
The course is taught by Jeni Mawter, the author of the hilarious “So” series for kids. Her latest book is Snugglebump Jump.
Creative Writing Stage 2 with Jeni Mawter
When: Tuesdays starting Tuesday 5 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Student Success
It’s been a big week for some of our former students. We heard from two of them who’ve had success in different areas of writing.First, feature writing graduate Jennifer Morton, had her first article published in Australian Family magazine. Here’s what she wrote:
Thank you so much; I couldn't have done it without your knowledgeable and practical course! I recommend SWC to all my writing friends. I think my writing group are sick of me saying, "Valerie says…".
We then heard from Danielle Burns. She did Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter in January this year and has just won her first writing award! Here’s what she wrote:
I have just returned from another whirlwind trip to sunny Sydney to collect first prize in the Black Dog Institute 2011 writing competition! Please pass on my thanks to Jeni for her encouragement. Keep up the good work!!
Congratulations Jennifer and Danielle! We can’t wait to hear more about your writing success.
Your chance to talk to publishersIf you have a manuscript that’s ready to be pitched to a publisher, check out Pitch Perfect at the Byron Bay Writers' Festival.
Six authors will be selected to pitch their project to a panel of Australian publishers at the festival on Saturday 6 August. Entries are open now and close on Thursday 7 July 2011.
For all the details and an entry form click here.
More apostrophe abuse
Thanks to Ambra Sancin for sending in this doozy.
She wrote: “I'm so used to seeing the dreaded apostrophe crop up in plurals these days, but this one
was a surprise!”
It was a surprise to us too!
Write your travel memoir
Who doesn’t love reading a good travel memoir? And publishers love them because readers love them. Just look at the success of Eat, Pray, Love. If you’ve taken your own life-changing journey, or are planning one, you too could turn your travels into a book. Award-winning author and journalist Claire Scobie will show you how you can turn your travel tales into a memoir. This five-week course is perfect for new writers or for anyone who wants to turn their writing skills to travel memoir.
Packed with plenty of exercises, this intensive course will show you how to structure your travel memoir, how to make it unique from the first page, and how to write a compelling book proposal. You’ll also look at popular genres of travel writing and much more.
Here’s what past participants say:
"It was truly enjoyable. I never knew I could learn so much about travel memoir writing and Claire was excellent!"
- Beverly Pang
"Claire is an excellent teacher. It was great to have a presenter who has been published in the field.”
- Katherine Hill
Claire Scobie is the author of Last Seen in Lhasa, winner of the Dolman Best Travel Book Award. She writes for numerous publications in Australia and the UK.
Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 27 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Did you know?On 16 June readers around the world celebrated the life of James Joyce and his modern masterpiece, Ulysses. Known as Bloomsday, after the main protagonist of Ulysses, Leopold Bloom, events included readings, plays and, for those who haven’t read the book, pub crawls.
Joyce is most well-known for Ulysses, but did you know his final novel, Finnegan’s Wake, was actually written down by Samuel Beckett as Joyce dictated? Joyce was nearly blind when Finnegan’s Wake was written and much of it was taken down by Beckett, who unfortunately had limited hearing! Some scholars think this may have contributed to the impenetrable nature of the book.
Writing for the Web
For many businesses their website will be the first place potential customers will visit. We all know how important first impressions are so getting your website right should be a major priority for any business – big or small. Writing for the web is not like writing for print. Your website copy needs to give visitors the information they’re searching for in a clear and concise way. You may already be a confident writer, but there are some golden rules you need to follow if you’re going to turn your hand to writing for your website. Our one-day seminar, Writing for the Web, will show you those rules and help you ensure your website is accessible and usable.
Here’s what past participants say:
"A really good course on writing for the web that enables participants to become much more effective web communicators."
- Kate Healey
"Excellent tips and framework provided on how to write for the web. Grant was great!"
- Erin Roger
This seminar is taught by Grant Doyle, an experienced copywriter, content manager and web editor. Grant's background is as a print journalist and author and he has spent the last 11 years in web writing.
Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Monday 11 July 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Confectionary or confectionery?Thanks to Jenny Maclennan who sent us this alert. She wrote about a major online news site that referred to a "confectionary" company.
Jenny wrote: Spelling alarm! Correct spelling for that is "confectionery".
Jenny’s right – the Macquarie Dictionary lists the spelling as “confectionery”. We couldn’t find any listing for “confectionary”!
AA is a word!If you’re like us and addicted to Words with Friends (the iPhone app that lets you play scrabble with other word lovers) you’ll understand why we were so excited to discover that “aa” is a word! According to dictionary.com it means “basaltic lava having a rough surface”, though you won’t find it in the Macquarie Dictionary.
If you’re a Words with Friends player, what weird and wonderful words have you discovered during your games? Share your thoughts here.
What we’re reading
This week our course manager, Danielle Williams, is reading The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. Danielle writes:"The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas was possibly the most talked about book of 2009. And in just the first chapter, it’s easy to see why. One act, the slapping of a child, forces eight people to confront their own values and question whether a slap can ever be justified.
"The characters represent a typically multicultural Aussie suburbia. Christos doesn’t hold back with his characters – even when we might sympathise with them it’s hard not to find the actions of some repulsive. There’s a lot to think about reading this book and a lot to digest. It’s difficult to say you like a book when you’re struggling to identify with some of the characters, but The Slap is so well written and so thought provoking that it’s easy to see why it received the praise it did.
"I’m hooked and dying to know the outcome, so I expect there are a few late reading nights ahead of me."
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: Pottermore
Think the Harry Potter craze will end with the final movie? J K Rowling’s books have sold over 400 million copies worldwide so it’s not likely Harry will fade away. Instead, the stories will live on through Pottermore, an interactive website that will give fans a chance to visit Hogwarts themselves and read new chapters online. Pottermore won’t be released until October this year but you can register now. You may even get access to the site early with the beta version due to be released 31 July 2011. You can read more about it at the Writing Bar.
Other upcoming courses
Course: Life Writing Masterclass with Patti Miller – FULL
When: Every Friday starting Friday 1 July 2011 for eight weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
Cost: $650
Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Laurine Croasdale/Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 4 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 4 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
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 – FULL
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 5 July 2011 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $495
Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Monday 11 July 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395
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
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 14 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 15 July 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Online Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 18 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Tuesday 19 July 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 25 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 27 July 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 27 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
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
Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 27 July 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with James Roy
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 28 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 8 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Tuesday 9 August 2011 and Tuesday 16 August 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 10 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 11 August 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $495
Seminar: Sell Your Ebook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Tuesday 16 August 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85
Seminar: Better Business Communications with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 17 August 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 18 August 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85
Seminar: Edit with Confidence with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 24 August 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 9 September 2011 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
Cost: $450
Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 22 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
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 – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 11 October 2011 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $495
Course: Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 13 October 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Daytime Intensive Creative Writing Stage 1 with Kate Forsyth – NEW DATE
When: Monday 17 October to Friday 21 October 2011 (5 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
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
When: Thursday 20 October to Saturday 5 November 2011
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