Dear Fellow Writer,
In this issue:- More students are published
- Editing Essentials – next week Friday 16 March
- Red Bubble Short Story Competition
- Win 5 double passes to movie: Becoming Jane
- New weekend courses – now available
- How to writing winning reports and proposals
- Novel writing workshop
t's been a productive week at the Sydney Writers' Centre with news from former students being published and preparations underway for our new courses.
There will be a three-week gap between this newsletter and the next one because I will be overseas. Next week, I am going to Singapore to present a writing training program for a global corporation. After that I will be heading to Cambodia to work with land mine sufferers and orphans in poverty with my work with Taylor & Khoo.
However, you are in very capable hands with Tracy and our wonderful team of presenters at the Sydney Writers' Centre. If you do need to catch me before I go, call me by Wednesday 14 March.
More students are published
I was thrilled to receive a couple of emails this week from former students ...
Anh Dang only finished the course Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers
on Monday night (five days ago) and the next day she emailed me with
the great news that her first article is going to be published by The Sydney Morning Herald. Great work Anh!
Ray O'Brien completed the Creative Writing course back in 2005 and it was wonderful to hear from him that's he's still writing. Ray had a small piece of creative nonfiction in the latest edition of online publication (or Ezine) Flashquake http://www.flashquake.org/
His story, The Green Coat, can be seen if you follow the link to Nonfiction on the left. Great work Ray.
I also spoke to recent student Eden Riley who completed the Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers
course in February. She is embarking with gusto on her career as a
freelance journalist. She has been busy printing her new business cards
and has already been commissioned! Well done Eden.
There are only a couple of places left in next week's seminar: Editing Essentials on Friday 16 March.
If you have to edit documents at work, this seminar will help make your job easier. Katrina Lobley is our resident editing guru and is a veteran journalist and editor. Katrina will provide you with insight, tips and techniques behind the editing process.
When: Friday 16 March 2007
Time: 9.30am-4.30pm
Cost: $265
For more information visit our website or enroll by calling (02) 9929 9237.
Red Bubble Short Story Competition
If you haven't yet discovered it, Red Bubble is a new Australian website that "combines a creative community with a marketplace for artists to sell their work online".They are currently running a short story competition. Short stories of no more than 1500 words incorporating the theme of "unleashed" are being sought. Fifteen winning short stories will be published in a compilation book. Winners will receive two copies of the book, tickets to the Emerging Writers' Festival and a $200 voucher to spend at RedBubble.
Entries due by Friday 13th April 2007.
Book launch will be held in late May 2007.
I love how technology is providing more opportunities for writers than ever before - so check them out!
For more about Red Bubble, visit: www.redbubble.com.au/competitions ...
Opening paragraph competition: 
Win one of 5 double passes to the movie Becoming Jane
It's time for another Sydney Writers' Centre Opening Paragraph Competition. This time you get a chance to win one of 5 double passes to the movie Becoming Jane, thanks to Dendy Films. The passes are valid for the sneak preview weekend, from Friday 23 – Sunday 25 March, before the film’s official release on 29 March.
Here's some information about the movie …
Jane Austen is famous for one of the "most romantic books of all time" Pride and Prejudice.
Now, a major new film is about to detonate the common perception of the
famous author as a dowdy maid toiling away in a lonely room. We know
Jane Austen lit up the world with her words, wit and wisdom, but her
life too was stoked by passion and romance. At the age of 20 she fell
in love and sparked a tale as real and romantic as her greatest work.
In Becoming Jane, a young lady on the first rung of literary greatness
risks a romance that was to shape her life and her work.
Starring Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) and James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland), BECOMING JANE releases in cinemas across Australia on March 29.
So what do you have to do to win? Write an opening paragraph to a short story or novel that must contain the name "Jane".
Send your entry to competitions@spindriftmedia.com.au by 5pm Wednesday 14 March 2007.
Weekend courses: now available 
I
really appreciate the feedback from everyone who emailed their thoughts
on weekend courses. I am pleased to announce that these are now
available. We're starting off with Feature Writing for Magazines
and Newspapers and will add more later in the year. Email me on which courses you'd like to see available on the weekend.
Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers (Intensive weekend sessions)
with Valerie Khoo
Course fee: $395.
9.30am-3.00pm on two consecutive Saturdays
Course dates:
Saturday 26 May AND Saturday 2 June 2007
(You must be able to attend both days)
Other options for Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers
Intensive daytime weekday sessions
Course fee: $395
5 consecutive days
9.30am-11.30am
Course dates: Monday 16 April to Friday 20 April 2007
Course fee: $395
Evening classes (once a week) for five weeks
6.30pm-8.30pm
Course dates: Every Monday for five weeks from Monday 18 June 2007
How to Write Winning Reports and Proposals
One-day seminar
If you need to write reports and proposals that clearly communicate details about a project or initiative, this one-day seminar is for you. It will cover:
• how to structure reports and proposals
• the fundamentals of persuasive writing
• tips and rules for stress-free writing
• how to gain the reader's attention
• the 7 step plan to write winning proposals
• the words you should never use
When: Friday 27 April 2007
Time: 9.00am-5.00pm
Cost: $345
Alison Aphrys has taught business writing and provides participants with a comprehensive – yet straightforward – overview of how to write winning reports and proposals. Participants receive a take-home workbook with useful reference material.
For more information visit our website or enroll by calling (02) 9929 9237
This is already being booked so secure your place. If you've already done the Creative Writing course and are ready to sink your teeth into your novel, then our Novel Writing Workshop with Pamela Freeman will get you where you need to go.
The class meets approximately every six weeks over a five month period. This means participants have a block of time to develop their work further before each session.
Participants should be able to attend on the following dates:
1st meeting: Tuesday 10 April
2nd meeting: Tuesday 22 May
3rd meeting: Tuesday 10 July
4th meeting: Tuesday 21 August
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Course fee: $450
For more information visit our website or enroll by calling (02) 9929 9237.
Other upcoming courses
Seminar: How to get your book published with Geoff Bartlett
When: Tuesday 3 April 2007
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Cost: $65
Seminar: Freelance success with Valerie Khoo & Gayle Bryant
When: Tuesday 3 April 2007
Time: 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Cost: $65
Half-day seminar: How to Write Media Releases with Valerie Khoo
When: Friday 13 April 2007
Time: 9.00am-1.00pm
Cost $165
Travel Writing with Cameron Duffy
When: Thursday 19 April 2007
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Cost: $65
When: Every Tuesday for 5 weeks starting Tuesday 2 May 2007
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Cost $395
Creative Writing with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday for 5 weeks from Tuesday 5 June 2007
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Cost $395
Thanks for signing up to this
newsletter. Remember, if you'd like to leave this list at anytime just
reply to this email letting us know.
Wishing you much writing success,
Director
Sydney Writers‘ Centre
102 Alfred Street Milsons Point
Ph: (02) 9929 9237
valerie@spindriftmedia.com.au
www.sydneywriterscentre.com.au
About Valerie:
Valerie Khoo is a journalist, author of five books and founder of the Sydney Writers' Centre. She is passionate about helping people achieve their writing goals. The Sydney Writers' Centre runs short courses and seminars that will help you improve your writing skills and get published.
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