In this issue:
- TIP: To comma or not to comma?
- Learn to write for magazines and newspapers – from home!
- Make your website stand out – Writing for the Web
- How to get your book published
- Do you know where the word “facsimile” comes from?
- WEBPICK: Gorgeous bookmarks from Note Couture
I’ve
been re-living my childhood recently as I’ve been clearing out some old
boxes, some filled with the books I used to love as a kid. Everything
from Richard Scarry to Ramona The Pest, The Hobbit, The Outsiders and – dare I confess – even a couple of Sweet Dreams books thrown in (hey, I’m a girl!).On this trip down memory lane, I was supposed to be decluttering but ended up absorbed in some of the stories all over again. That’s the magic of the books you read when you’re growing up – they can make such an impact on your life in so many ways. That’s why I’m so excited about the upcoming course in Writing Books for Children and Young Adults. This is one of the best children’s writing courses in Australia and if you’re interested in writing children books – or just appreciate their magic – it’s the one for you. You can find out more about that course, which starts Tuesday 18 August, here.
TIP: To comma or not to comma
Welcome to the dilemma of the Oxford comma. At school, most of us learnt that a serial comma merely replaces the 'and' in a list of nouns. For example: Valerie, Tracy and Danielle share an office in Milsons Point.Did you notice that I didn’t use a comma between ‘Tracy’ and ‘and Danielle’? This is typically an Australian and British convention. However, some people argue that you should use an Oxford Comma (also known as a Harvard comma) – that is, the optional comma before the word ‘and’ at the end of a list. The sentence would then go like this:
Valerie, Tracy, and Danielle share an office in Milsons Point.There are some people who are dead against using it in this way. However, Mark Tredinnick, in his book The Little Green Grammar Book, concludes that the Oxford comma actually comes in very handy as it can make a writer’s intention clearer. Here’s an example of a possible book dedication:
To my parents, Rex and Rocky.Here there could be ambuiguity that my parents names are Rex and Rocky when, in fact, they are my cats. To clarify, adding a comma will do the trick.
To my parents, Rex, and Rocky.So, remember, it is quite acceptable to use the additional comma, and occasionally even necessary, so don’t feel bad about it!
Online Feature Writing
Many
of our former students live outside of Sydney – some even live
overseas! Yet they’ve all been able to benefit from our incredibly
popular Feature Writing course through our online program. If you don’t live close to our Milsons Point training room, or you just prefer to learn from home, our online course could be just what you need. You can attend the virtual classroom at a time that suits you and still benefit from the experience and knowledge of our presenters through the online forum. You can check out how the classroom works here.
The course suits first-time writers or anyone who wants to hone their writing skills. During the course you will learn to:
- find ideas that work and know where to get them
- understand the magazine/news market
- analyse different types of feature articles
- research, structure and write a feature
- understand what editors want from a writer
- pitch your article or idea to a magazine and sell it!
Online Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Valerie Khoo
When: Week beginning Monday 10 August 2009 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Make your website stand out – your last chance for 2009
Writing
for the web is very different to writing for traditional print
publications. How do you know if you’re website content is appropriate?
Is it engaging and concise? Can your website visitors get what they
need at a glance? Our Writing for the Web seminar will help you write the best content for your website. We’ll teach you the golden rules of writing for the web. This practical seminar covers:
- the difference between print and online writing
- good content versus poor content
- how your readers engage with web content
- golden rules of information design
- writing for scannability
- guidelines for concise writing
- do you need contextual links?
- using keywords for search engine optimisation
- writing for accessibility and usability
- why you need a style guide
- and much more
Our very last Writing for the Web seminar for 2009 will be held on Wednesday 19 August so enrol now!
The seminar will be taught by Grant Doyle, an experienced copywriter, content manager and web editor. After many years as a print journalist and author, Grant gravitated to web writing in 1999 and has been contracting or consulting to major corporations in various online content capacities since then. Grant continues to initiate and teach many in-house web writing programs in addition to developing corporate web writing style guides.
Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Wednesday 19 August 2009 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4pm
Cost: $365
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Did you know? Facsimile
Ok, so I'm a little bit of a Latin freak - and yes, I used to do geeky things like enter Latin Reading Competitions. But I hope you find this series of words and their Latin origins interesting.
This week: facsimile.
Yes the humble fax machine comes from the Latin words "fac simile". This means "make something similar". That's a good one to have up your sleeve at the next office trivia night!
Slim Ink book giveaway
It’s time for our monthly book giveaway thanks to Slim Ink Book Rental and this month’s book is We Are All Made of Glue by Marina Lewycka. Here’s a bit about the book: Georgie Sinclair's husband has walked out; her sixteen-year-old son is busy surfing born-again websites; and all those overdue articles for Adhesives in the Modern World are getting her down.If you’d like to win a copy of We Are All Made of Glue, simply answer this question:
So when Georgie spots Mrs Shapiro, an eccentric old Jewish émigré neighbour with an eye for a bargain and a fondness for matchmaking, rummaging through her skip in the middle of the night, it's just the distraction she needs. And although they mistrust each other at first a firm friendship is formed over the reduced-price shelf at the supermarket.
Soon Georgie finds herself unravelling a mystery that takes her from Highbury to wartime Europe to the Middle East, and learning a bit about DIY along the way.
What would you make out of glue? (You can be as creative as you like)Email your answer, along with your name and postal address, to courses@spindriftmedia.com.au by 5pm, Friday 14 August.
The most creative answer will win a copy of the book.
How to get your book published
Getting
your book from manuscript stage – or even just idea stage – to a
publisher can be a daunting task. But it is possible to turn the dream into reality – you just need to know the essential steps and you could be on your way to becoming Australia’s next best-seller!This two-hour seminar will give you the information you need to get your book published. It will cover:
- 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
The seminar is taught be Geoff Bartlett, an author, journalist, actor and producer. He has filed articles and interviews for over 20 major newspapers and magazines around the country and has also published a number of books. In 1999, Geoff's first book, was published in Australia and New Zealand through Harper Collins. Comedians in the Mist was a series of interviews with top Australian comedians.
His latest books are Cattitude, released in 2006 and Mutterings which was published in 2007.
How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 19 August (one-evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
WEBPICK: Gorgeous book marks from Note CoutureIf you want to avoid the dreaded ‘dog ears’ in your books (you know, the pages where someone has bent over the top corner to keep their place, ruining its pristine condition) then you need bookmarks – and plenty of them. And just because they do nothing but keep your page marked in a book, doesn’t mean they can’t be pretty!
Check out Note Couture’s selection of bookmarks. They have bookmarks for men, women and children (really, they do), and they all feature a lovely quote from the wonderful world of literature.
Have a look here.
Other upcoming courses
Course: Online Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Valerie Khoo
When: Week beginning Monday 10 August for five weeks
Time: Whenever you want
Cost: $395
Course: Novel Writing Workshop with Pamela Freeman
When: 5 evening classes held approximately every six weeks beginning Tuesday 11 August 2009
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $450
Seminar: Self-publishing - How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 12 August 2009 (one-evening seminar)
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: Editing Essentials with Katrina Lobley
When: Thursday 13 August 2009 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $345
Course: Online Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman / Cathie Tasker - NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 17 August 2009 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Writing for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 18 August 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Wednesday 19 August (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $365
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 19 August (one-evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 20 August 2009 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Kate Forsyth - FULL
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 20 August 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Judith Ridge
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 26 August 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Online Business Booster Bootcamp with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 28 August 2009 (one-day bootcamp)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $695
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman - FULL
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 1 September 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Script Writing for the Short Films with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 3 September and Thursday 10 September 2009 (two evening seminars)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $165
Seminar: Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett -
When: Friday 4 September 2009 (one-morning seminar)
Time: 10am to 12noon
Cost: $75
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson
When: Wednesday 9 September 2009 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 11 September 2009 for six weeks
Time: 10am – 12noon
Cost: $450
Course: Marketing Your Book with Amanda Falconer
When: Every Monday starting Monday 14 September 2009 for three weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $265
Seminar: Successful Freelancing with Gayle Bryant and Valerie Khoo
When: Thursday 24 September 2009 (one-evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett - FULL
When: Wednesday 30 September 2009 (one-evening seminar)
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman - NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 20 October 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Feature Writing Stage 2 with Judy Skatssoon
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 21 October 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Pamela Wilson
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 5 November 2009 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
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