- TIP: Its or it’s?
- The Best Damn Creative Writing Blog submissions
- Avoid the cold – learn from home
- TIP: Avoid dislocated subjects
- Sydney event – When Genres Attack
- What we’re reading – Still Alice by Lisa Genova
- WEBPICK: Museum of Me
Hello from sunny Rio de Janeiro. This newsletter is winging its way to you from Brazil where I'm speaking at the Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network conference (pictured right at the opening dinner at a lovely place in the rainforest). It's been inspiring to chat with amazing women like US-based Carley Roney, founder of online and print magazine, The Knot, on the future of online and traditional publishing. (I think both are alive and well.)In an increasingly connected world, it doesn't matter where you live in order to communicate, connect and learn. That's why I love our online courses so much – it's wonderful that we're able to help students from all over the world, including places like Italy, France, Hong Kong, Canada and, of course, Rio!
Travelling to somewhere like Rio means I've just spent a long time on planes. I find this is a great chance for me to catch up on movies. I watched The Adjustment Bureau starring Matt Damon and The Next Three Days starring Russell Crowe. I secretly wanted to catch Fast and the Furious 5 – because it's set here in Rio (and to unleash my inner bogan) – but, unfortunately, Qantas must not have deemed it classy enough.
Having said that, Fast and the Furious 5 has consolidated its place in movie history by recording the highest April opening weekend ever. Not bad for a movie about fast cars. Whether you prefer action movies like this or more considered films, you can learn the skills to write your own film in our course Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding.
You’ll discover:
- the ideal way to structure your story
- what you need to include in your plot
- how to write characters people love to watch.
- the difference between story and plot
- genre, style and theme – and how this applies to your screenplay
- and MUCH more.
When: Every Monday starting Monday 20 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Its or It's
Two of our particularly sharp-eyed readers emailed us this week to point out a typo in our book review. Here’s the error we missed:The characterisation of both his family and the other animals he discovers and the vivid descriptions of the beauty of Corfu give this book it's wide appeal.
Did you spot it? We used the contraction it’s instead of the possessive its. This is an error we see all the time and distinguishing between it’s and its confuses a lot of people. So, here’s how they’re different.
It’s is a contraction of it is or it has. For example:
It’s (It is) freezing in Sydney today!Its shows possession. For example:
The kitten wants its food.Remember – no possessive pronouns (his, hers, ours, yours) use an apostrophe. So if it owns something (and is therefore being used as a pronoun) there should be no apostrophe.
What's new at the Sydney Writers' Centre
- New date: ONLINE COURSE Writing Books for Children and Young Adults, starts 4 July.
- Filling fast: Your Story Structure with Kathryn Heyman, starting 17 June.
- Filling fast: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding, starting 20 June.
- Sydney Writers' Festival video: We talk to Téa Obreht about her Orange Prize winning novel, The Tiger’s Wife. Check out the video here.
Write for Belle, Home & Garden and more!
Watch TV these days and it’s hard to miss Australia’s obsession with all things domestic – cooking, renovating, and home decorating are all popular and don’t the networks know it! Magazines like Belle, Home Beautiful and House & Garden are also popular, with readers and writers alike. As part of our industry insight program, we now offer a short course in Writing about Interiors, Style and Design. It’s the perfect course for anyone who’s done the Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers and is interested in writing about architecture and design. The course is also ideal for those who work in design and would like to try their hand at writing, or for anyone who’d like an insight into the world for writing about the home.
In this two-part seminar you’ll learn about the most common types of articles magazines want, how to find features, properties and contacts, and how to find that unusual angle that could get you published.
Here’s some feedback from previous participants:
"This course was excellent. Nigel showed a keen interest in sharing his knowledge. It's the best short writing course I have been on and wasted no time in presenting the right information for getting your work published."
- Phillip Brook
"Nigel's personal insights were really valuable and interesting. I particularly appreciated that he had asked people he knows in the right positions, such as magazine editors, to provide their dos and don’ts. Nigel is engaging and interesting."
- Nicola Duncan
The course is taught by Nigel Bartlett, a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years’ experience in magazines. He has written and edited interior design features for Belle, Inside Out, Real Living and other magazines. His work has included house and apartment stories, before-and-after pieces, kitchen and bathroom supplements and interviews with architects, interior designers, furniture makers and store owners.
Writing About Interiors, Style and Design with Nigel Bartlett
When: Wednesdays 22 June & 29 June 2011 (two evening seminars)
Time: 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
The Best Damn Creative Writing Blog
The internet has been a boon for new and unpublished authors, with this latest online opportunity being one of the better ones we’ve found. The Best Damn Creative Writing Blog is devoting one month to short fiction. Every day in July they’ll publish a short story on their site – 31 stories in total.There are few limitations on what they’ll accept (the only genres that won’t get a look in are fanfic and erotica) but they do have a preference for stories under 3,000 words long. Submissions will be accepted until Thursday 30 June 2011 and selected authors will be contacted for a bio and photo.
Check out the full details here.
If you’re not sure, just make it up
Thanks to Ulrike Sturm who sent us this interesting interpretation of the word “calendula”. The photo was taken outside a florist in Mona Vale in Sydney.
Book Club
Since March this year, we’ve been holding a monthly book club for a small and devoted bunch of readers. We’ve read some interesting books and had plenty of discussions about their merits – and their faults. You can read about our March book (Truth by Peter Temple) and our April book (An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin) on our blog. We’re now into our second round of meetings for the year, and we have just two places available for new members. If you think you can read The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht by Thursday 16 June 2011, and would like to join the discussion call Danielle on 02 9929 0088. Attendance at each meeting costs $10, which will be donated in full to Doggie Rescue.
If you can’t join us but would still like to be involved, we’ll be posting regular reports on our blog and you can join the conversation there.
Sydney Writers’ Centre Book Club
When: Thursday 16 June 2011
Time: 1.00pm - 2.30pm (we'll provide tea, coffee and nibbles)
Cost: $10 donated to Doggie Rescue
Click here for more information or to register your interest.
Avoid the cold – learn how to write for magazines from home
Think it’s too cold to go outside, even for a course? We agree, that’s why we have plenty of online opportunities coming up. Our online courses are perfect if you’re interstate, overseas, or would just prefer to study from home. Online Feature Writing is coming up and in this course, you’ll learn the essential skills you need to write great articles and get them published.
Here’s some feedback from previous participants:
"I enjoyed working online, the valuable information, and the enthusiastic way it was presented. The course gave up-to-date information on the industry. It was inspiring and confidence building! The online tutor was excellent and very friendly. The online delivery meant there was no car travel or late nights and I could work from a semi-rural area. I have already recommended the course to a colleague."
- Monique de Nicola
"The best thing about the course was the format – I could listen to the modules on my mp3 player as I walked the dogs, and I could fit it into my busy life. This is a highly relevant and useful course run by people who actually do the job!"
- Jane Gibbs
ONLINE COURSE: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 13 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Dislocated subjects
Did you know it’s possible to dislocate your sentences? When you read a dislocated sentence, it’s almost as if you’re reading it backwards – or reading sentences written by Yoda!When you dislocate a sentence you move the subject, switching the order of the sentence around. For example:
We ate all the cupcakes.Left-dislocated version:
These cupcakes, we ate all of them.This type of sentence is best avoided in formal writing and you’re most likely to come across them in conversation or more casual writing.
When Genres Attack
Here’s an event for Sydney-siders. Shearer's Books in Leichhardt hold regular launches and discussions with local writers. In May they held the incredibly popular, When Genres Attack, a lively discussion on the differences between genre fiction and literature. Like any good genre, there has to be a sequel! When Genres Attack 2 is happening on Wednesday 13 July 2011 at 7.30pm. Writers appearing to chat about awards, heroes, heroines, writing and genre will be P M Newton (The Old School), Kirsten Tranter (The Legacy), Mardi McConnochi (The Voyagers) and Georgia Blain (Too Close to Home).
Bookings are essential. Call Shearers on 02 9572 7766 or visit their blog for more information.
Learn how to write for the web
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 came away buzzing with ideas for what to do next, and a boost in my confidence. Grant was very responsive to the group and clearly knows his topic well."
- Nicole Michel
"I liked the interaction and tutorial style presentation. Grant is knowledgeable and approachable. The web writing course is worthwhile for anyone new to this media."
- Amanda Davey
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. 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: Tuesday 21 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Dr. or Dr?
I recently overheard a heated discussion about whether to include a full stop after honorifics such as:DrThe short answer is "No". While it was previously standard practice to write:
Mr
Ms
Mr.with the full stop in front of people's names, it's now considered old-fashioned and it's not commonly used. So ditch the full stop or you'll seem out of touch with today's writing conventions.
Mrs.
Ms.
What we’re reading
This week our new media manager, Tracy Tan, is reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova.Still Alice by Lisa Genova follows the story of Alice, a Harvard Psychology Professor who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. At the time of her diagnosis Alice, 50, maintains a busy academic schedule teaching at Harvard, guest lecturing and jet-setting around the world to speak at and attend conferences.
When Alice starts to forget things here and there she assumes it’s from being tired or stressed (I can’t imagine it would be easy being a Harvard Professor). As her mishaps become more frequent and alarming a visit to the Doctor reveals that she has early onset Alzheimer’s. The once highly skilled and talented academic rapidly deteriorates, sending her world and everything she once knew into a jumble.
What I love about the book is that it’s written from Alice’s point of view. It gives you a real sense of what it’s like for someone with Alzheimer’s, how their brain works and how it deteriorates.
Genova, a neuroscientist herself, offers a fascinating insight into the world of Alzheimer’s.
We spoke to Lisa in our author podcast series about the book and her latest, Left Neglected. Click here to listen to the podcast or read the transcript.
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.
WEBPICK: Museum of Me
We love this – it has nothing to do with writing but it’s just so cool we had to tell you about it! Museum of Me takes all the information from your Facebook account and turns it into... a museum! Click on the link and you’ll get to explore your own virtual museum. The pièce de résistance is a neat little trick using all your photos. We won’t spoil the surprise, just check it out for yourself.
(Note: the Museum of Me won’t keep any of your Facebook information.)
Check it out here.
Other upcoming courses
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 13 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Online Course: Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 13 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson – FULL
When: Tuesday 14 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Seminar: Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 15 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
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
Online Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 20 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 20 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
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
Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Tuesday 21 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $395
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
Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 23 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $495
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
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Monday starting Monday 27 June 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 28 June 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $85
Seminar: Edit with Confidence with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 29 June 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
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 – FULL
When: Every Friday starting Friday 1 July 2011 for eight weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
Cost: $650
Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Laurine Croasdale/Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 4 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Jeni Mawter
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 – 1 PLACE LEFT
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
When: Wednesday 13 July 2011 and Wednesday 20 July 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 14 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 15 July 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Sue White
When: Tuesday 19 July 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $450
Seminar: Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle
When: Wednesday 27 July 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Daytime Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 27 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon
Cost: $395
Course: Travel Memoir with Claire Scobie
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 27 July 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 27 July 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
Course: Writing a Picture Book with Cathie Tasker – NEW COURSE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 6 October 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Plotting and Planning with Kate Forsyth – NEW DATE
When: Monday 28 November 2011 and Monday 5 December 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
WRITING TOURS
Writing in Bali with Patti Miller – FULL
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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