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• How to make your website stand out
• TIP: Reign versus rein
• Victorian Premier’s Awards shortlist announced!
• TIP: Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely? 
• Take your writing to the next level – Creative Writing Stage 2
• What we’re reading: She Came to Stay by Simone de Beauvoir
• WEBPICK: Literature and Latte

It’s been a food filled week at the Sydney Writers’ Centre. On Tuesday, we visited Masterchef winner Adam Liaw’s very own home kitchen to talk about his wonderful cookbook, Two Asian Kitchens. You’ll find our online video out soon on our online magazine Writing Bar – stay tuned!

On Tuesday, I had a beautiful dinner with Booker prize-nominated author MJ Hyland. And this morning, I chatted to Lauren Shockey from her New York base. Her book Four Kitchens was written after she interned in restaurants in New York, Paris, Hanoi and Tel Aviv. I’ll admit, talking to these authors made me hungry!

I’ve also been chatting to lots of frustrated managers in the corporate world who are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the fact that many of their team members haven’t been equipped with good business writing skills. Let’s face it – it’s not a subject that’s covered at university or school.

As a result, you might have customer-facing staff who don’t know the right way to structure a letter or may not understand the best way to convey a negative message. That’s where our seminar Better Business Communications comes in.
 
In this one-day workshop, you’ll learn:

• the four steps you must take when writing any document
• the ‘CSAW’ method of writing: Collect; Select; Arrange; Write
• an action plan to improve your writing
• valuable templates to help you write your letters and emails
• how to draft formal letters and informal emails
• and much more.
  
  

The vendor can hand over the reigns today.

Elizabeth’s reign as queen of England lasted 44 years.

When I’m not home, the pets have free rein of the house.

What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre

• FILLING FAST: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials, Wednesday 10 August; Writing Books for Children and Young Adults, starting Wednesday 10 August.
  
  
• Want to join our Book Club? Places are available for the next meeting on Thursday 18 August at 1.00pm.
  Click here for more info or call 02 9929 0088 to join.
  
  
• NEW VIDEO: Why storytelling is so important in business.

A good website is one people want to visit again – it will be easy to read, easy to navigate, and visitors will be able to find what they want, quickly. To achieve this for your own website, you need to know the golden rules of Writing for the Web.

When customers visit your website they want to read clear, concise and engaging content. It’s not enough to write the same way you would for a print brochure. In just one day, we can show you how to write that content for your website.
 
Here’s some feedback from previous participants:
"I learnt so many new things and all of it can be applied in my work. The presenter's expertise and knowledge was invaluable."
- Liesl Laker

"I really enjoyed how Grant went to our individual websites and provided feedback. That really took it to a personal level and showed how we can apply the information we were learning directly to our own situations."
- Rebecca Bodman

This seminar is presented by Grant Doyle, an experienced copywriter, content manager and web editor. Grant's background is as a print journalist and author. He has spent the last 11 years in web writing and has been contracting or consulting to major corporations in various online content capacities since then.

Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Tuesday 16 August 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

Melbourne Writers Festival
The Melbourne Writers Festival program has been launched and tickets are now on sale! The big drawcards this year include Jonathan Franzen, who’ll deliver a keynote address on autobiographical fiction, Lynda La Plante, crime thriller novelist and tv writer, and award-winning Australian author, Kate Grenville.
 
The festival will run from 25 August to 4 September.
You can check out the full program and buy tickets here.
If you’re in Melbourne, we’ll see you there!

2011 Victorian Premier’s Awards shortlist

Congratulations to all those authors who have been shortlisted in the 2011 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards!

We’re especially excited to see Rohan Wilson’s name on the list. He’s been shortlisted for The Roving Party, which also won Rohan the 2011 Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award. We were there for that and you can watch our interview with him here.
 
For more details on who’s been shortlisted, visit the Writing Bar.

Publish your ebook!
Amazon’s Kindle has been a boon for writers, many of whom have become bestsellers simply by publishing their work as an ebook. The beauty of publishing this way is that you, the writer, receive royalties of up to 70 per cent, much more than a traditional publisher can offer.
 
And it’s not just novels that are published as ebooks. This format is perfect if you’re writing short stories, non-fiction, or even travel journals. All forms of writing can be uploaded and sold as an ebook, giving writers in all fields an opportunity to see their work published.
 
Here’s some feedback from previous participants:
"I really enjoyed the brilliant sense of humour in Steven’s delivery and interaction. He was honest, realistic, approachable, fun – a walking Wikipedia of writing/publishing/marketing."
- Nano Pinder

"The presenter was brilliant – funny articulate and left you feeling inspired but also armed with practical steps to take."
- Andrew Gillman

This seminar is taught by Steven Lewis, an author and online publisher whose own titles are available in Amazon’s Kindle store, Apple’s iBookstore, and as audiobooks through Audible. Steven also helps other writers publish their ebooks.

Sell Your Ebook on Amazon with Steven Lewis
When: Tuesday 16 August 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

TIP: Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?
When you’re writing an email or letter how do you sign off? Do you use "Yours faithfully" or "Yours sincerely"? Or maybe you’re just signing off with "Kind regards". It can be hard to know which is the most appropriate sign off but generally you use:

• Yours faithfully for a formal letter that you’ve addressed “Dear Sir/Madam”
  
  
• Yours sincerely for a formal letter addressed to a particular person
  
  
• Kind regards, Regards, or Best wishes when you know the recipient or you’ve previously exchanged several letters or emails.

Confused spelling
We spotted this error on an online news site.
 

 
Seeing as "crepy" isn’t a word, we assume they meant "creepy". The dolls certainly are creepy, but perhaps this writer also meant "crappy".

Apostrophe Catastrophe
Some of you may have read a post on the Writing Bar about the worst apostrophe crime we’ve seen. It was about this sign spotted by a Herald Sun reader in Victoria:

Well, in breaking news (via Twitter) we’ve learned that the sign is being fixed. If we can get a photo of the new sign, we’ll be sure to feature it here!

Take your writing to the next level
If you’ve completed Creative Writing Stage 1 or Writing Books for Children and Young Adults, then you already know the essential elements to a good story. But maintaining your motivation and inspiration is also an important part of your writing journey and that’s where Creative Writing Stage 2 comes in.

Workshopping your writing is essential if you want to extend your skills and make your stories shine. This course will give you the chance to put into practice what you’ve learnt and get invaluable feedback from the presenter and your classmates.

Places for this course fill quickly, so if you want to continue your writing journey, enrol soon.

Here’s some feedback from previous participants:
"I really enjoyed the opportunity to get feed back from someone as knowledgeable as Pamela. Sharing my work with like minded people has really given me the courage to move forward with my book."
- Hera McCaffery

"Pamela is an amazing teacher. We give her a really average paragraph or page and she gives feedback that will turn it into an amazing story with tight structure and great prose."
- Jenny New

This course is taught by Pamela Freeman. Author of 23 books, the most recent of which, Lolly Legs, has been published by Walker Books. In 2010 Full Circle (Book 3 of the Castings trilogy), was published in the US, UK, France, Spain, Portugal and Germany as well as Australia.

Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Tuesdays starting Tuesday 23 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

What we’re reading
This week reader, Kate Walter, is reading She Came to Stay by Simone de Beauvoir. She writes:

Set on the eve of WW2 Paris, She Came to Stay is a fictionalised account of a love triangle between Jean-Paul Sartre, Beauvoir, and Wanda Kosakiewicz. Exploring themes of relationships, desire, and freedom, it is Beauvoir enacting revenge on Kosakiewicz, who almost destroyed Beauvoir and Sartre's relationship.

I have wondered if I would’ve found the story so engaging had I not known it was based on a salacious truth. As it was I was captivated from beginning to end. It’s skilfully written, and the access she provides to her character’s most intimate thoughts is fascinating. It’s a window into Parisian society – a glimpse of social and intellectual history.

Overall it was an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Next time you consider reading a classic, consider this one.

This is an edited extract of Kate’s full book review on the Writing Bar. Click here to read the full review.

We want to know what you're reading! You can write a book review for the Writing Bar, and we'll feature an excerpt here in the newsletter. If you'd like to submit, check out the review guidelines here. 

WEBPICK: Literature and Latte (Scrivener)
We don’t often recommend software (let alone software for Macs only) but we really like this one, and we hear Tim Ferris used it to help write his latest book, The Four Hour Body.

Scrivener is a writing tool that helps you bring together all your research so you can easily access it while writing your novel, essay or any other long-form text. It’s like a word processor and project management tool in one. You can input your ideas, notes on structure, research – anything to do with your writing project. Scrivener will order all this for you and make it easily accessible. It also has tools for re-drafting and re-structuring your work.

You can download a free trial, but the complete package costs $45. If it really can “create order from chaos”, we think that’s a small price to pay.

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 8 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
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

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 10 August 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
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
When: Thursday 11 August 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $495

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 15 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 15 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Tuesday 16 August 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

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: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Thursday 18 August 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 18 August 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 23 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Laurine Croasdale
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 23 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30om
Cost: $395

Seminar: Edit with Confidence with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 24 August 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Thursday 25 August 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Marina Go
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 25 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 29 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 29 August 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 1 September 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85

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: How to Write a Business Book with Valerie Khoo
When: Wednesday 14 September 2011 (half-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 1.00pm
Cost: $295

Seminar: Self-Publishing – How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Monday 26 September 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85

Seminar: Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Tuesday 27 September 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

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
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 11 October 2011 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $495

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 12 October 2011 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 13 October 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Daytime Intensive Creative Writing Stage 1 with Kate Forsyth
When: Monday 17 October to Friday 21 October 2011 (5 consecutive days)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395

Course: Your Story Structure with Kathryn Heyman – NEW DATE
When: Friday 4 November 2011 and Friday 11 November 2011 (2 half-day classes)
Time: 9.30am - 12.30pm
Cost: $215

Course: Screenwriting Stage 2 with Tim Gooding – NEW COURSE
When: Every Monday starting Monday 7 November 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
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 – FULL
When: Thursday 20 October to Saturday 5 November 2011