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Many writers when just starting out, make the mistake of comparing their work to published manuscripts or completed film scripts. They become disheartened, forgetting that writing the best novel or screenplay you are capable of requires a number of drafts.

You have finally finished the manuscript of novel, having written numerous drafts, ideally had it assessed by a professional editor to ensure it is the best story you are capable of writing and are now ready to put your creative baby out into the world.

​When writing the first draft of your novel or screenplay you need to turn off your inner critic and try things. The art is in the doing, and writing a first draft is an act of discovery. This is one of the central tenants of our 10-Month Novel & Script First Draft course.
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We always say write about something that could change your life.

Every time you write a story, you take your main character, your reader and yourself on a journey of change. You face the same challenges and moral decisions and grow as a result.

We will be back with a bang in 2022 starting with Unlocking Creativity Live from January 13 and Unlocking Creativity Online from January 19.

We look forward to welcoming our new writers to the Writers’ Studio and welcoming back our fabulous current ones.

Once you’ve written the best novel you can and feel ready to get your novel published and release it to the world, the first decision you must make is whether to self-publish or pursue a traditional publishing deal. This article explores the pros and cons of both paths.

Roland Fishman explores the publishing landscape and gives writers an understanding of which publishing option is the most suitable for the individual writer.

If you have finished your novel and want to land a traditional publishing deal or self-publish, you must make your novel is as good as you possibly can. While this is a seemingly self-evident truth, many writers get impatient when they finish their novels and rush to publication.

In researching an article he has written, about getting your novel published, Roland Fishman found one of the key issues that came up was - what motivates people to write.

Seeing your novel in print is great, but it only comes at the end of the process and is not the reason most people start writing and keep writing.

Even though the situation we find ourselves in is not ideal, don't let the lockdown stop you from starting or putting off your writing dream. The time will pass anyway.

Writing creatively involves an unusual and contrary set of laws. People get into trouble and waste an awful lot of time as they are unaware of the rules governing the creative process,

In fiction, it is the emotional content that will connect readers with your writing and your characters. As Tennessee Williams said, nothing he wrote about actually happened to him. Rather his work reflected the emotional currents of his life.

People want to write stories for a variety of reasons. To explore who they are and share it with the world, express themselves, be engrossed in a story world and see their books in print and their films on the big screen.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, has spent many years encouraging people to experience the pleasure of accessing their creativity and to live their life to the fullest....

"At 81, I thought I might have been past it. But through the Writers’ Studio I have found a voice, my voice."

As this challenging year draws to a close, many people are starting to contemplate their writing goals for the coming year.

Many writers when starting out make the mistake of comparing their writing to an edited, copyrighted novel or screenplay, failing to recognise that writing is a four-part process - planning, writing, re-writing and editing.

Many people mistakenly believe that structure is writing by numbers and produces cliched storylines.
Classic story structure is designed to guide you in writing a story that has readers wanting to know what happens next, while taking your main character on a spiritual and emotional journey of change.

Many writers, particularly those just starting out, question whether they have the talent to be a writer, the implication being that only a successful few have what it takes to make it.

Writers can get into trouble and waste an awful lot of time because they don’t understand the rules of the creative process which differ greatly from the way most of us go through life.

One of the key ingredients to creating a compelling story is to throw characters out of their comfort zone, give them problems to solve and force them to face huge challenges and pressure.

The Power of Writing in Times of Change. In times of crisis, we turn to the arts to make sense of the chaos around us. Accessing the power of your imagination and spending time in a parallel universe is a powerful and positive antidote to life as it is at the moment.

We do hope that everyone is well, and slowly adapting to the massive changes and interruptions to our normal lives occurring at this time.

The question nearly every writer constantly asks themselves on a regular basis is, “do I have the talent?”

After an already difficult start to the year with the tragic bushfires, we have some very sad news closer to home.

It is never too late to use our emotional experiences to create new narratives for ourselves and to look at events as an opportunity to make sense of this crazy journey that is life.

For many people the holiday season is a good time to write. You will enjoy the writing so long as you don’t start worrying about whether you will win the Booker Prize or an Academy Award.

Writing a story doesn’t happen by accident. In our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity course, we quote James Scott Bell in his book, The Art of War for Writers, about two ingredients every writer needs:

Many people wonder what draws us to write and tell our stories. Part of it is to access a higher and deeper part of ourselves, our imagination, and see the world through different eyes.

From day one in our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity course, writers are given tools and techniques to help them tap into the power of their imagination, which we believe is the true source of creativity.

Just about everyone who does our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity Course gets fired up about writing. They tap into the power of their imagination and experience the thrill of writing creatively and

Many beginner writers question their talent, believing that only a lucky few are blessed with the natural ability required to write worthwhile stories.

We’re thrilled to share with you that three of our Novel and Script writers have debut novels being published either this month or very soon.

For those of you who haven’t done our courses, this video offers you the opportunity to hear first hand what you can expect to get out of our courses.

We’re thrilled to share eight success stories from our writers. Including several debut novels, a memoir and short stories.

Many people wonder with so many books having been written, how can they possibly write something that is unique and interesting.

In The War of Art: Breakthrough the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Steven Pressfield talks about how ...

"I really believe doing the 'Unlocking Creativity' course was instrumental in helping me to write a compelling pitch"

At the Writers’ Studio, we believe that the act of writing nourishes the spirit of the reader and the writer. It will add another dimension to your life as you tap into something bigger than yourself.

People often ask, “How many writers in your courses have real talent?” The implication being that a chosen few are lucky enough to be born with God given talent and that everyone else should pack up their pens, go home and find some other creative outlet.

In order to write powerful fiction you need to learn the art and craft of writing, which involves an unusual and contrary set of laws.

We always read the quote below in the first session of our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity course.