Newsletters
One Writers' Inspirational Journey
Erina Redden published Lilia's Secret this year. Her journey is a source of inspiration to all aspiring writers ...
Feedback from a recent Unlocking Creativity Course
Feedback from a recent Ten Month Novel and Script First Draft Course
Feedback from Six Week Genre Character Short Story and Critique Course
Donald Maas Interview
Agent and Author In this section of the interview, he talks about what makes a novel come alive on the page and stand out in the bookstore.
E.L Doctorow's Thoughts on Writing
A reporter once asked author E.L. Doctorow, "What's it like writing a book?"
The Source of Creative Inspiration
One of our writers forwarded us this inspiring video link below that demonstrated one of the key points we like to make in our courses.
In Writing, Mistakes are Opportunities
Pixar, the animation studio that created Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and now Wall-E have revealed the secret to their success. The thing most writers fear more than anything. Failure....
Writing Through Your Fears
One of the keys to telling a good story, we believe, is developing a close relationship between character and structure. Both are...
The Importance of Fiction by The Sydney Morning Herald columnist, Elizabeth Farrelly, May 27, 2006.
The article came out the day she finished the first draft of her novel with us.
The importance of Character Development
One of the keys to telling a good story, we believe, is developing a close relationship between character and structure. Both are...
How to delve into your creativity
Even the best writers doubt their ability and their stories. But experience has taught them to move forward and dig deeper despite their misgivings...
Festive Season Message plus Upcoming Courses
One of the keys to telling a good story, we believe, is developing a close relationship between character and structure. Both are...
Character and structure
One of the things we stress to people who come to us wanting to write stories is that character and structure are two sides of the one coin. One exists to reveal the other.
If you want to write a classic story, the starting point should always be the character journey, no matter what the field you are writing in or no matter what the genre.
Learning versus performing
This newsletter looks at some of the ideas from Robert Fritz's intriguing book, Creating. In the book, he explores the creative process in depth. What we're going to focus on is the difference between the performer and the learner.
The power of your imagination.
We find in all of our courses, from Unlocking Creativity to those writing their novel or screenplay, that the best fiction writing comes when people are forced out of their own experience and called upon to make up fictional characters and storylines.
The Writers' Studio Process and the Feature Film, The Bet, June 28
Caroline Gerard's first feature film, The Bet, was a real hit at The Sydney Film Festival.
Here's what she said about the Writers' Studio process and the making of the film.
The Joy and Freedom of a Writing Process - June, 13, 2006
We’ve always believed the key to writing fiction is to have a process. It is the key to making writing fun and enabling you to realise your creative potential. Everything flows from finding a process that works for you.
The question of who is talented, July 14.
Here's what best-selling Australian fantasy author, Sara Douglass has to say on the subject of talent. A question that plagues many writers when they just start out.
What qualities you need to be published - June, 06, 2006
In her book about writing, Write Away, the best selling American crime fiction author, Elizabeth George, outlines what qualities a writer needs to be published.
Sydney Morning Herald Article
This article was written by Ali Gripper after completing Unlocking Creativity.
Tension on Every Page - April, 4, 2006
As we have often said, writing is both an art and a craft. Learning how to create tension on every page of your story is an essential element of the craft.
Roland Fishman interviews Robert McKee - who travels the world giving seminars on the art of story
To Robert McKee stories and their heroes are the most important thing in the world. Telling people how to create them is what he has dedicated his life to, and it is that, rather than his own writing, that has made him a name in Hollywood.
Man in The Arena - May, 2, 2006
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
Lessons from The Playwright's Process for Writers
It is always very satisfying to come across a book that shares the same philosophy as The Writers' Studio courses. The Playwright's Process explores the writing process in depth.
Six key questions every writer should ask themselves
Bob Mayer is the author of The Fiction Writers' Toolkit. He has published 30 fiction books and has two million books in print, translated into eight languages. He is a regular teacher and speaker at the Maui Writers' Retreat and Conference.
He says there are six important questions to consider when writing a novel (this applies even more so to films.).
Developing a writing habit is the key
To state the obvious: Writers are people who write. It is easy enough to become a writer but much harder to stay a writer.
As Walter Mosely said, "If you want to be a writer..
A dramaturge's take on The Writers' Studio Novel and Script FIRST DRAFT Process - Interview with NICK LATHOURIS
Nick Lathouris is a dramaturge, who has worked with scripts and actors for over thirty years and is now working on scripts with Kennedy Miller, the company that created Babe, Mad Max and Lorenzo's Oil.
An article about the Creative Process by Roland Fishman
The lights went on for me in a seminar called Learning to Learn. I'd just completed the second draft of a novel and I knew something was missing.....But what?
Keys to the Writer's Journey
Some key features that the Writers' Studio offers to help you to realise your potential as a writer.
