- TIP: Expedite or Expediate?
- Take the guesswork out of Writing Letters and Emails
- Melbourne readers – we want to hear from you!
- Transform your travel stories - and win a book
- What we’re reading – Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster
- WORDWISE: Shoo-in
- WEBPICK: 750 Words
Mothers' Day is just around the corner so here's a quick video (right) on my recommendations for books for mum this year.In the meantime, I've been battling technology on the home front. My Apple TV went berserk last week and I was bereft to find all my movies gone. I'm sure they're in there somewhere – I just need to figure out how to get them back. I love my movies. There's nothing better on a rainy night than to curl up on the sofa with an entertaining film.
My friend Cindy has been working her way through all the films that have won Best Picture awards at the Oscars. Earlier this year, I only watched films about writers. But I'm not usually so systematic. And I'm not a movie snob. I'll watch (and enjoy) anything from movie classics to biopics to Fast and Furious 5 (cars, guns, chase scenes).
There's something about the way movies can transport you into another world. That's why I love our course Screenwriting Stage 1. If you've ever toyed with the idea of writing your own screenplay, this is the ideal place to start. Our presenter Tim Gooding is a master of the screenwriting craft and he loves sharing his knowledge.
Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding – only 3 places left!
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 11 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Expedite or Expediate?
One of our subscribers wrote to us recently and wanted to know why MS Word autocorrects “expediate” to “expedite” when she wants to suggest speeding something up – what’s the difference between the two words?Well, the correct word to use in this example is “expedite”:
To expedite the approval process, you can apply online.
It means to speed up the process of something or hasten; or to accomplish promptly.
Expediate is actually a common misconstruction of “expedite”. The two are easily confused but you should never use “expediate” in this way.
Interestingly, while it’s no longer listed in most dictionaries, expediate does have a historical use. It was a term used to describe injuring a dog in such a way as to prevent it from hunting. In fact, it was once a law of the forest that dogs be “expediated” to stop game being taken from freeholders’ land in England.
What’s new at the Sydney Writers’ Centre this week:
- We were at the launch of Mandy Sayer’s new book Love in the Years of Lunacy. Check out our interview with her.
- The Best Australian Blogs Competition winners will be announced tomorrow!
- Places in the next How to Get Your Book Published seminar are filling quickly. Book now.
Take the guesswork out of your writing
Very few jobs these days don’t require you to write emails or letters to your staff, colleagues, clients or customers. Yet the essential skill of writing correspondence is not taught in schools or universities and many people struggle with this part of their role.Our one-day seminar in Writing Letters and Emails will give you the tools to 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:
- knowledge of 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
- ability to apply the learning to your own sample letter and email
- an action plan for improving your writing
"The presenter was very good. She was informative and interested in making the content appropriate for all individuals in the class. This 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
"Deb is a friendly easy going presenter with loads of little tips on how to structure information/details into an email or letter."
- Candice Arzapitian
Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 12 May 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.00pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
To our Melbourne readers: We’d love your thoughtsYou have just a few days left to tell us which courses you’d like to see being held in Melbourne. We’ll be there from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 October 2011 and want to know what you want us to bring!
The survey will take less than a minute and you can fill it out here.
Write in Your Face applications
Express Media is one of Australia’s most important organisations for young writers, with a series of programs promoting the work of writers under the age of 30. As part of their annual program they offer a series of grants for young writers using language in innovative ways – such as zines, e-zines, comics, multimedia, multi-artforms or cross-media works, websites, live performance and spoken word.If you’re under 30, you can apply for a Write in Your Face grant of up to $5,000. You can also apply if you’re working with writers under 30.
You can find details and check out past recipients here.
Applications close at 9am on Monday 30 May 2011.
Transform your travel stories - and win this cool book!
We’ve all heard of Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert’s phenomenally successful memoir. It’s inspired many journeys to Italy and now her Roman guide, Luca Spaghetti, has his own book – Un Amico Italiano. Combination travel guide and memoir, this book is sure to be a big hit. And we have one copy to give away!If you’d like to win our copy of Un Amico Italiano, just tell us which city you’d include in your travel memoir and why. Email your answers to courses [at] spindriftmedia [dot] com [dot] au by 5pm Thursday 12 May 2011, and remember to include your postal address.
If you’re planning your own amazing journey, or have been on one and are ready to write about it, our next Travel Memoir course is starting soon. In this course, author Claire Scobie will show you how to turn your travel diaries into a must-read manuscript.
Here’s some feedback from previous participants:
“It was a great introduction to writing a travel memoir without providing unrealistic expectations. The presenter (Claire) was very generous with her knowledge and extremely helpful. The structure was very good and I learned a lot from her.”
- Kristine Madden
"It was truly enjoyable. I have wanted to do a course like this for such a long time. I never knew I could learn so much about travel memoir writing. Claire was excellent. Her method of teaching was encouraging and easy to follow."
- Beverly Pang
Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Mondays starting Monday 9 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Did you know? Shoo-in
When something or someone is a “shoo-in”, it means they’re certain to win or succeed. For example:Rambo would be a shoo-in in a race to the food bowl.
It’s a strange saying that seems to have originated in the horse-racing scene. A “shoo-in” was originally the winner of a rigged race. On its own, “shoo” is a verb meaning to drive a person or animal in a given direction making noises or gestures. The horse-racing connection originated some time in the early 1900s and suggested that a particular horse would win a fixed race even if it just wandered up to the finish line and had to be “shooed-in” to victory.
This one is often misspelled as “shoe-in”, which is always wrong as there’s no such saying. The correct spelling is always “shoo-in”.
Continue your creative writing journey
If you’ve completed our Creative Writing Stage 1 course, you now have the tools to write great fiction, but do you have the motivation? If you want to take your writing to the next level you obviously need to practice, but you may also want more guidance and feedback on your work.Our online course, Creative Writing Stage 2, is designed for those people who want to apply what they’ve learned in stage 1 and workshop their writing with others. During the course, you’ll complete regular writing exercises and get invaluable feedback from your online tutor.
Many of our stage 1 graduates take advantage of this great opportunity, and here’s what just a couple of them had to say about the course:
"I would highly recommend this course. Do it! You won't regret the decision."
- Maurice Venables
"This was an excellent course. The lectures were very informative and had lots of little tricks and tips that will be very helpful both now and in the future. It's great that the timing is flexible - and you can listen to the lectures over and over as a refresher."
- Jessica Smith
ONLINE COURSE: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 9 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Want to go to the movies?
Because we can’t read all the time, we love being able to offer you movie tickets as well. And this week, thanks to Icon Films, we have double passes to give away to Oranges and Sunshine, a great new film starring Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham. Here’s a bit more about the film:ORANGES AND SUNSHINE tells the true story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham who uncovered one of the most significant social scandals of recent times: the deportation of thousands of children from the United Kingdom to Australia.
Almost single-handedly, against overwhelming odds and with little regard for her own well-being, Margaret reunited thousands of families, brought authorities to account and drew worldwide attention to an extraordinary miscarriage of justice.
To win one of 10 double passes just tell us, who is your hero and why? Email your answers to courses [at] spindriftmedia [dot] com [dot] au by 5pm Thursday 12 May 2011, and remember to include your postal address.
Congratulations to Margo Hutchison, who won a copy of Mark Abernethy’s book, Counter Attack. Thanks to everyone who entered!
What we’re reading
This week our course manager, Danielle Williams, is reading Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster. Beneath the Shadows is Sara Foster’s second book. Set in the spooky Yorkshire Moors during a brutal winter, this atmospheric mystery is perfect reading for a cold, rainy weekend.
One year after her husband goes missing from their cottage in the village of Roseby, Grace returns. While she’s ostensibly there to clear out the cottage in preparation for its sale, she also hopes to find out just what happened there 12 months ago, and whether her husband is dead or alive.
The moody setting and foul weather give this book its spooky feel. Grace finds herself quickly losing her grip on reality but determined to discover the truth.
This is an easy book to read but it will have you hooked from the start. With winter well and truly here, there’s no better way to spend a weekend than curled up on the couch with a good mystery, and Beneath the Shadows fits the bill.
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.
Apostrophe abuse
This one was spotted in a marketing email for a certain online travel company.
Of course, they mean “Aussie dollar highs”, not “high’s”.
WEBPICK: 750 Words
Anyone who’s read The Artist’s Way would be familiar with the morning pages exercise. It’s a creativity exercise designed to get you into the habit of writing every day but also freeing up your mind and ideas for the rest of the day. The idea is that you commit to writing three pages of long-hand text every morning. There is no editing or censoring. It’s essentially a 3-page brain dump.Well, now there’s an online version of this exercise. 750 Words is morning pages online. It’s not a blog – all your entries are private. Once you set up an account and start writing, you’ll get points for each day you write, with more points for writing over 750 words, and more again if you write for a few days in a row. So, you get the morning pages exercise with encouragement and a record of your writing.
This is a great tool for anyone who struggles to get their writing brain switched on in the morning.
Check it out here.
Other upcoming courses
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 9 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Monday starting Monday 9 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 11 May 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85
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
Seminar: Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 12 May 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 16 May 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 16 May 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: Every Monday starting Monday 16 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Edit with Confidence with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 18 May 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
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: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 24 May 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85
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
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Laurine Croasdale
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 31 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Boost Your Creativity with Laurine Croasdale
When: Thursday 2 June 2011 and Thursday 9 June 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 2 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Friday 3 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
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: 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
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
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
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 – NEW DATE
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 – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 13 July 2011 and Wednesday 20 July 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
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
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