In this issue:
- We meet uber-travel writer Tony Wheeler,
co-founder of Lonely Planet - TIP: Pluralising tricky surnames
- A weekend of Travel Writing
- “Lucked out” - is this good or bad?
- Enter our Photo Caption Competition
- Check out this punctuation mistake!
- TIP: Up and at ’em
This morning, I had the pleasure of chatting to fascinating author, publisher and entrepreneur, Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet (pictured with me right). It was great to get an insight into how he evolved Lonely Planet from a series of printed books, to embracing the internet, iphone apps and even television. This is the new world of publishing. Stay tuned to our blog where I’ll report on our hour-long chat. Meanwhile, if you want to live a life like Tony’s - he recently flew in from Zimbabwe - check out our Travel Writing course.Yesterday, I went to a networking lunch and I was amazed at the number of people who came up to me to find out more about writing books for children. This is clearly a very popular genre and judging by the number of kids’ books my friends buy every week, there’s certainly no shortage of demand!
If you want to write books for children or young adults, it’s important to understand the children’s market. And that’s what we unpack for you in our 5-week course Writing Books for Children and Young Adults.
You'll learn:
- details about what publishers are looking for
- what other successful children's/young adult writers do to turn their novels into best-sellers
- the steps you need to take to write your own children’s book
- and much more.
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 6 April 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Pluralising tricky surnames
Sometimes you need to pluralise surnames. Let’s say you live next door to a family of eight with the last name Jones or Ramirez.| RIGHT The Joneses The Ramirezes |
WRONG The Jones’s The Ramirez’s |
When you pluralise, you basically stick “es” at the end of the word. Using an apostrophe is wrong in this case.
Other tricky surnames are those that end in “y”, like Dennehy or Kennedy or Moody. While you may be tempted to change the ending to “ies”, this is wrong. You should simply add an “s”.
| RIGHT The Dennehys The Kennedys The Moodys |
WRONG The Dennehies The Kennedies The Moodies |
A weekend of Travel Writing
Few of us can say we don't love travel. To travel is to experience so much - new sights, new sounds, new people. And for writers, new inspiration! Many people dream of writing travel features for their favourite magazines or newspapers, and it is possible. Sure, it's a competitive industry, but with the right strategies and tools, you can confidently pitch your articles to editors, and get paid to travel.Over just one weekend, you can learn the tools of travel writing with Sue White, a prolific travel writer who has written for The Sydney Morning Herald, Vogue Australia, Travel + Leisure (Australia), Sun Herald Travel, Vogue Entertaining + Travel, CNN Traveller and various ABC outlets. Sue’s practical advice will help you turn your dream trip into a writing career.
Here's what some recent participants had to say about the course:
"As always having an experienced/successful 'real-life' writer makes all the difference (may seem obvious but I have been on courses where tutors have been want-to-be vs actual writers!) The focus on the 'business' of travel writing was great. Sue was great - I loved her relaxed style and openness to questions. She had loads of practical examples that brought things to life."
- Christa McDermott
"Inspirational & motivational - I've been given confidence that I can be a travel writer. Sue is a very experienced feature and travel writer and willing to share her experience and strategies. The Sydney Writers' Centre … has a very 'hands-on' and practical approach, and is very professional. It's great to be taught by professional writers who are actively engaged in the industry."
- Coral Cooksley
Weekend Intensive Travel Writing with Sue White
When: Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 April 2011 (two-day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information and to enrol online.
Want to take your travel writing further? Our first Travel Writing in Italy trip will be held in September with Sue White. Click here for more information and to download an itinerary.
Alan Marshall Short Story Award
One of Australia's most well-known short story competitions is now open for entries. The Alan Marshall Short Story Award is open to all Australian writers, in honour of the author of many books including I Can Jump Puddles. There are three categories in the award:
- The Open Section is for stories up to 2,500 words long by any writer living in Australia. First prize is $2,000 and second prize $1,000.
- The Young Writers section is open to writers aged 15 to 19 years old and is for stories up to 1,000 words long. First prize is $400.
- There will also be a Local Writers' Award, with a prize of $1,000 for a writer who lives in the Shire of Nillumbik.
Click here for more information, an entry form, or to read past winners.
Student Success
We received some exciting news this week from Candice Laidlaw who completed the online course in Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White in January. Candice has just had an article accepted by Good Reading magazine! Here's what she emailed to Sue:My pitch was accepted! ‘The Whispering in New York City’ story will be published in the September issue of the Good Reading magazine. I hope you can see from all the exclamation marks how excited I am!
Thank you for your guidance and proofreading skills. Your feedback really helped me nail this pitch ... I'd love to have the opportunity to study under you again. Thank you for helping me to realise my dreams.
Congratulations Candice! We can't wait to read your article.
If you'd like to see your writing published in your favourite magazine, and even get paid for it, our next Online Course in Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers will show you how. You'll learn how to write great articles, how to analyse publications, and how to make editors notice you.
Here's what some recent participants thought of the course:
"I loved being able to take the class whenever I wanted to from home, and the simple step-by-step process of the course. I learned lots, and feel more confident about my writing."
- Holly Lander
"The structure of the sessions gave a good progression through the structure, research and writing of a feature article. Sue's presentations were clear and easily understood. I especially appreciated the value in the feedback she gave on my assignments. I work and doing the course online gave me lots of flexibility but it also felt as though I was part of a group."
- Nanette Irvine
Online course: Feature Writing in Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 4 April 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Facebook Photo Caption Competition
The Facebook Photo Caption Comp is back! In April, we’re celebrating our international writing program in Bali, so your challenge is to write a photo caption with the word "island" in it. The photo can be of anything you like, as long as you include the word "island" in the caption. You can be as creative as you like with this one!You can post your entry on our Facebook page or email it to courses [at] spindriftmedia [dot] com [dot] au. The most creative entry as voted by the Sydney Writers’ Centre team will win a $100 voucher to be used on any 5-week or one-day course.
Entries close 5pm Friday 22 April 2011.
What we're reading
This week our course manager, Danielle Williams, is reading The Book of Rachael by Leslie Cannold. Leslie Cannold is considered one of Australia's leading intellectuals, and she has recently been announced Humanist of the Year by the International Humanist and Ethical Union. So it's no surprise that her first novel, The Book of Rachael, tackles some big themes, like equality and feminism.
The novel is a re-imagining of the story of Jesus, told from the perspective of his younger sister, Rachael, a woman blessed with a photographic memory and an intellect rarely acknowledged (and certainly never encouraged) in women of that time.
The Book of Rachael is a remarkable book. Combining all the emotion of a tragic love story with an epic historical novel, it has obviously been painstakingly researched. It’s a fascinating snapshot of daily life in Jesus’s time, as well as a history of the tribes of this area (modern day Jordan and Israel).
For anyone familiar with the Bible, this is a refreshing and startling take on one of history’s most enduring stories.
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.
“Lucked out” - is this good or bad?
When you “luck out” of something, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Well, it depends on what country you’re in. In Australia and Britain, this typically means something bad.For example:
“I lucked out on my flight back from New York. My seat was broken and they ran out of food.”
However, in the US, it means the opposite. It means you’ve gotten lucky.
For example:
“I lucked out on my flight back from New York. They upgraded me to first class and no one sat next to me!”
Why punctuation is important
Here's why punctuation is so important:
If you want to avoid making mistakes like this, you need to know the rules of grammar and punctuation. Didn't learn them at school? Well, you're not alone. Many Australian students in the last few decades weren't taught these important skills. That's why we developed the one-day Grammar and Punctuation Essentials seminar with Deb Doyle. In just one day, you'll learn the basic rules that will enhance your writing, and your confidence.
Here's what some recent participants had to say about the seminar:
"This is a great course. Don't miss out."
- David Ngo
"The structure was excellent, the material was excellent. Overall, a great course that I attended. Deb is a talented presenter who listens and answers questions from the audience. She ensures that the audience understand the topic and solves their queries."
- Pankaj Mankani
This seminar is taught by Deb Doyle, an experienced editorial-training consultant and publication editor. Deb has conducted courses for the Productivity Commission, AMP and Wizard Home Loans as well as many other corporate and government entities located in Sydney and Melbourne. 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 8 April 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Up and at ’em!
Be careful when using the term “up and at ’em”. Believe it or not, I have seen it written as “up and Adam”, which of course, makes no sense. The phrase means to get going or get busy, as in: "Up and at ’em, there's a lot of work to be done." It’s a shortened form of “up and at them”, and definitely shouldn’t be written as “up and Adam” or “up and atom”.
Incidentally, the phrase was made popular in the 1960s by a crime-fighting cartoon ant, Atom Ant. His catchphrase was "Up and at ’em, Atom Ant!" and he would shout this as he flew off on each daring mission, every one showing up the (two) local police as incompetent and inept.
WEBPICK: Literary Minded
Our Best Australian Blogs 2011 Competition has not only attracted over 200 entries, it’s also bought together some of Australia’s best bloggers as judges. One of them, Angela Meyer, will be judging the Words category, so we thought we’d remind you about her blog, Literary Minded. Literary Minded has been going for four years, two of those on Crikey’s blog network. In that time, Angela has established the blog as the place to go for book reviews and literary news. There are also posts on her latest project - 20 classics in 2011, as well as plenty of guest book reviews and news from writers’ festivals around Australia.
Toni Jordan, author of Addition and Fall Girl, describes Literary Minded as “an essential part of my morning procrastination ritual”. We think it should part of yours too!
Check it out here
Other upcoming courses
Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 1 April 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Online Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 4 April 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 4 April 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 April 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 6 April 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 6 April 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 8 April 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Course: Weekend Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White
When: Saturday 9 April 2011 and Sunday 10 April 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395
Online Course: Writing Books for Young Adults and Children with Laurine Croasdale/Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Every Monday starting Monday 11 April 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Daytime Intensive Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Monday 11 April 2011 - Friday 15 April 2011 (5 days in a row)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 12 April 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Tuesday 12 April 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 13 April 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Sell your ebook on Amazon with Steven Lewis – NEW SEMINAR
When: Thursday 14 April 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 14 April 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85
Seminar: Edit with Confidence with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 15 April 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson
When: Tuesday 19 April 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with James Roy
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 21 April 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 21 April 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85
Course: Perfecting Your Pitch with Sue White
When: Thursday 28 April 2011 and Thursday 5 May 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 3 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 4 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
Cost: $395
Seminar: PR and Media Releases That Get Results with Catriona Pollard – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 5 May 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $495
Course: Daytime Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 11 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Magazine Writing Stage 2 with Gayle Bryant
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 18 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Plotting and Planning with Kate Forsyth – NEW COURSE
When: Thursday 19 May 2011 and Thursday 26 May 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Seminar: Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Friday 27 May 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
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
Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 22 June 2011 and Wednesday 29 June 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
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: 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: 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
When: Saturday 18 June to Saturday 25 June 2011
Writing in Paris with Patti Miller
When: Thursday 20 October to Saturday 5 November 2011
Travel Writing in Italy with Sue White
When: Friday 16 September to Friday 30 September 2011
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