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• Welcome Marina Go - our newest Feature Writing presenter
• TIP:That is a real problem
• You can write the next Twilight!
• Enter our first ever Facebook Photo Competition
• Want to see your name in print? Feature Writing Intensives start soon
• Learn the golden rules of Writing for the Web
• DID YOU KNOW? How CamelCase evolved
• WEBPICK:Lumosity

We all have quirky writing habits that need attention. Mine involves the word 'that'.

When I write, I know I overuse the term. So when I'm finished, I always go over my work and delete any extraneous 'thats'. It's a useful exercise for all writers so I encourage you to do it too.

Read through your work: if the sentence still makes sense when you delete the word 'that', do it.

For example:
Rambo the dog knew that he was going to get dinner soon.

Delete the word 'that' and it still makes sense:
Rambo the dog knew he was going to get dinner soon.

Online Course: Writing books for children and young adults
Here at the Writers’ Centre we’re jumping straight into the New Year with lots of options for you to start fulfilling your writing dreams. And we’re starting next week with one of our most popular online courses – Online Writing Books for Children and Young Adults.

If your New Year’s resolution is to start on the next big thing for younger readers, this is the course for you. You’ll learn what makes books such as Harry Potter and the Twilight series such a success - and how you can go about writing your own book. 

The course will cover:

• how to get started
• finding the right voice
• creating characters and stories young readers will enjoy
• how to write believable dialogue
• common assumptions about writing for children and about young readers
• how to structure a story that works
• the secrets to plotting for different age groups
• what you need to know about getting into the children’s publishing market
  
  

Facebook photo competition
In honour of the rapidly receding memories of holidays, and our Summer School Intensive courses, including our first ever Travel Memoir course, we’re running a photo and caption competition on our Facebook page.
 
One of the key pieces of advice our tutors give is to write for all the senses, to create a 3D world for the reader to enter and experience your story with more then just their imaginary eyes and ears, but to smell, taste and touch it too.
 
To enter the competition, simply upload your favourite holiday photo to our Facebook page, and post a vivid, descriptive caption with the image. (You will need to 'like' us to enter.) You must upload your photo by 5pm on Sunday 23 January 2011 to be eligible. The most descriptive caption as voted by the Sydney Writers’ Centre team wins a $100 gift voucher for any online or face-to-face course here at the Centre (excluding the 2-hour seminars).
 
We can't wait to see your entries! To enter the competition just visit us at Facebook.

Feature Writing
Now, you already know how excited we are about Marina Go joining the Sydney Writers’ Centre team for our next evening Feature Writing course. But for those of you who prefer a daytime or weekend course, we haven’t forgotten about you.

Our 2011 Summer School is for all those people who want to join us for an intensive, daytime course. We have two options for Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers – a 5-day morning intensive, or a two-day weekend intensive, both taught by travel and feature writer, Sue White. During the course, you'll learn all about writing great feature articles, getting them published, and getting paid for your work.  

The course will also cover:

• which ideas work - and where to get them
• understanding the magazine/news market
• different types of feature articles
• how to research, structure and write a feature
• what editors want from a writer
• how to pitch your article or idea to a magazine and sell it!
  
  

Here’s what some recent participants had to say about the course:
‘The course was the best Freelance Journalism one I have ever done. (I've completed 4 others at different places.) Before completion I didn't have the confidence to approach the market place. Now I have a plan to follow to begin writing professionally.’
- Carly Schultz

‘The course was fast paced, fun and utilised clear examples of published work to demonstrate key concepts. I particularly enjoyed the profile writing exercise, and appreciated the personalised feedback. I'm reading with fresh, discerning eyes and feel I have been given valuable insight into the publishing industry. The course has given me the basic skills to tackle the process of preparing and submitting my own work for publication.’
- Leanne Gillespie

The course is presented by Sue White, a successful feature writer whose work has featured in The Sydney Morning Herald, Vogue Australia, Travel + Leisure (Australia), Sun Herald Travel, Women’s Health, Vogue Entertaining + Travel, CNN Traveller, various ABC outlets, Green Living, G magazine and numerous other publications in both Australia and overseas.

Daytime Intensive Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Sue White
When: Monday 17 January 2011 - Friday 21 January 2011 (5 days in a row)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395

Weekend Intensive Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Sue White
When: Saturday 22 January 2011 and Sunday 23 January 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more info or to enrol online.

TIP: Word formatting tip
Have you  a whacky sentence with all sorts of annoying formats after you  have cut and pasted bits and pieces?
 
Well, try this:

Highlight the text
Have you  a whacky sentence with all sorts of annoying formats after you  have cut and pasted bits and pieces?
 
Press Ctrl-spacebar.

Hey presto! All that annoying formatting has disappeared and you can start working on your text. (This shortcut works in Word for both PCs and Macs.)

Writing for the web
We all know when we’re reading a great website. It's one where the information you’re after is easily found and you’re happy to visit it again. This is easy to achieve for your own website too, as long as you 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.

During the Writing for the Web seminar you will learn:

• 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
  
  

Here’s what some previous participants had to say about the seminar:
‘The presenter has a wealth of knowledge and experience in copy writing for the web, demonstrated through his references to past and current formats for online copy, technology influencers as well as the timelessness of grammar and structure of the English language. It was a really well-structured course that moved through the four stages to produce user-friendly web copy across a broad spectrum of audiences, with some hands-on exercises to practice your technique and learn from others.’
- Carolyn Eade

‘Grant was very well informed, very enthusiastic about the subject, and answered all questions. This was a great seminar taught by working professionals, and I found the course very practical.’
- Heather Kane

The 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. 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: Thursday 3 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Click here for more information or to enrol online.

DID YOU KNOW? How did CamelCase evolve?
So, what have camels got to do with writing and why are they carrying a case? Once upon a time, it was easy: There was:

• UPPER CASE
• lower case
• and sentence case.

But now there's also CamelCase (sometimes known as 'medial capitals' or 'embedded capitals'). This is where compound words are joined without spaces in between. Here are some examples:

• YouTube
• PayPal
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers
• WikiLeaks
• HarperCollins

The name CamelCase is used because of the 'bumps' (like the ones on a camel, get it?) in the middle of the compound word caused by the upper case letters. It gained momentum when computer programmers wanted to avoid using spaces in the work. More recently, as you can see from the major names above who use it, the practice has become more common among marketers and branding experts. The general rule is that unless you are writing an official name that uses CamelCase, there should be no other reason for you to use it!

WEBPICK: Word Bubbles
If you feel your brain needs a wake-up call after all that Christmas over-indulgence, here’s where you go to get it. Lumosity helps you improve your brain function through a series of ‘mental workouts’, including our favourite, Word Bubbles. This one will test your verbal fluency – or how well you access your vocabulary while writing.

In this game, you are given a three-letter stem, like ‘con’. You then have 1 minute to guess as many words starting with those three letters as you can. The trick is to raise the bubbles out of the water, with each bubble representing the number of letters in a word. If you get three 5-letter words starting with ‘con’, that bubble will rise out of the water and you get extra points!

Seriously, this is super fun, and a great way to get your writing muscles working again. 

Check it out here.

Other upcoming courses
Course: Daytime Intensive Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Monday 10 January 2011 - Friday 14 January 2011 (5 days in a row)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 10 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 10 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Every Friday starting Friday 14 January 2011 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $450

Online Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 17 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Daytime Intensive Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Monday 17 January 2011 - Friday 21 January 2011 (5 days in a row)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395

Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 19 January 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75

Course: Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 20 January 2011 for four weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $345

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – NEW COURSE
When: Saturday 22 January 2011 and Sunday 23 January 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Weekend Intensive Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Saturday 22 January 2011 and Sunday 23 January 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Course: Daytime Intensive Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White – SUMMER SCHOOL
When: Monday 24 January 2011 - Friday 28 January 2011 (4 mornings with a 1 day break for Australia Day)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $345

Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers Stage 1 with Marina Go
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 25 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 31 January 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395

Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 1 February 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Thursday 3 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Thursday 3 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie – NEW COURSE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 3 February 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Monday starting Monday 7 February 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson
When: Tuesday 8 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450

Seminar: Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 16 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 16 February 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75

Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 17 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $495

Course: Perfecting Your Pitch with Sue White
When: Thursday 17 February 2011 and Thursday 24 February 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Edit with Confidence with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 25 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 12 March 2011 and Sunday 13 March 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $450

Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 14 March 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Writing about Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett – NEW COURSE
When: Thursday 24 March 2011 and Thursday 31 March 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Self publishing - How to do it with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 24 March 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75

Seminar: Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 25 March 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395

Course: Boost Your Creativity with Laurine Croasdale
When: Monday 28 March 2011 and Monday 4 April 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175

Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Friday 1 April 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $365

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: 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: 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: Life Writing Masterclass with Patti Miller – NEW COURSE
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