Welcome to our April Newsletter!
We hope everyone had a relaxing Easter long weekend and maybe even found a moment to work on your writing.
Progress in writing is rarely about sudden breakthroughs; more often, it comes from steady effort and a willingness to keep going, even when the path isn’t entirely clear.
Across our courses, it’s been wonderful to see writers continuing to develop their work, strengthening their ideas, refining their characters, and deepening their understanding of story.
With that in mind, we’re looking ahead to a busy April, with our Short Story Genre Course starting 22 April, our Unlocking Creativity Live course beginning 23 April, and our Unlocking Creativity Online course commencing on 29 April.
Accessing the Power of Your Imagination
One of the first steps in improving your writing is learning how to access the power of your imagination, the true source of creativity.
Yet many writers, especially when starting out, fall into the trap of trying to write a perfect first draft. The moment they begin, their inner critic steps in, second-guessing every word, every sentence, every idea.
This is where most writers get stuck.
One of the biggest blocks to creativity is the need to write and edit at the same time. This interrupts the natural flow of ideas. Instead of discovering what you want to say, you start judging it before it even hits the page.
In our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity Course, this is one of the core principles we encourage writers to follow. This practice consistently transforms people’s writing and brings it to life on the page from the very first session.
As Peter Elbow, Professor of English Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, puts it:
The habit of compulsive, premature editing doesn’t just make writing hard. It makes writing dead. Your voice is damped out by all the interruptions, changes, and hesitations between the consciousness and the page…
In your natural way of producing words there is a sound, a texture, a rhythm – a voice – which is the main source of power in your writing. I don’t know how it works, but this is the voice that will make a reader listen to you.
‘Trying to write well’ for most people means constantly stopping, pondering, and searching for better words. If this is true of you, then stop ‘trying to write well.’ Otherwise, you will never write well.
However, if you want to write a novel, a memoir, a short story or a screenplay, free writing is only the first step.
In our 10-Month First Draft Novel & Script Course, we aim to create a dynamic balance between structure and imagination.
Structure gives your story direction, meaning and coherence. Imagination gives it energy, voice, and helps bring your characters to life.
When the two work together, writing becomes not a struggle, but an act of discovery.
Intensive 6-Week Short Story Course
The 6-Week Short Story Genre Course will keep your writing process alive and inspired as you learn some key story dynamics within the framework of four key genres. By learning the basics of the various genres you can add drama, depth and resonance to your characters and stories.
It also gives writers considering the 10-Month Novel & Script First Draft Course an excellent opportunity to explore ideas before embarking on the longer journey of writing your novel or screenplay.
This comprehensive short story course starts on the 22nd of April, designed for writers who have completed Unlocking Creativity and are looking to continue their writing journey.
For $50 off the full course fee, enrol and use code: GENRE50
Success Stories
The Farm by Jessica Mansour-Nahra
Congratulations to Jessica Mansour-Nahra, an alumna of the Writers’ Studio, whose Gothic thriller, The Farm was published by Hachette Australia and shortlisted for the Aurealis Award for Best Horror Novel in 2025.
After a health crisis, new couple Leila and James retreat to James’ family farm to recover. But Leila starts to experience eerie phenomena. As Leila’s isolation grows amid the haunted landscape, so does her suspicion that she isn’t the first woman James has relocated to the farm. Is what she’s experiencing real? Or is it all in her head?
In Jessica’s words, “I found the Writers’ Studio when I was working on a stressful, time-consuming corporate project. I enjoyed Unlocking Creativity so much that I signed up for the 10-Month Novel & Script First Draft course.
“While the novel I worked on during this time did not get published, the lessons about story structure I learned at the Writers’ Studio formed the backbone of the novel that did – The Farm, published by Hachette Australia in 2025. The Farm has achieved bestseller status, and my second novel is due in late 2026. Roland and Kathleen kick-started my writing journey and helped me establish an ongoing writing practice, which has resulted in my dream career.”
Click here to buy the The Farm
Dancing Rat by Zahid Gamieldien
Congratulations to our senior tutor and author Zahid Gamieldien, whose short story, Dancing Rat, is featured in the current issue of Overland.
“In this highly anticipated new issue, we encounter brilliant examples of what writing can do in a hypernormal time – whether that’s Benjamin Gready on the absurdity of fieldwork on land under active occupation or Zahid Gamieldien‘s short story about a dancing rat who finds itself enmeshed in systems too shadowy to be true.”
Click here to buy Overland No. 259
Goodbye, Little Love by Erin Barwood
Congratulations to Erin Barwood for receiving the Local Encouragement Award for her story Goodbye, Little Love, and being published in the 2025 Wyndham Writing Awards Anthology.
Erin first wrote the story as an exercise in her Unlocking Creativity Online course.
Click here to download the eBook of the anthology and read Goodbye, Little Love
Share the Good News!
If you have completed courses with the Writers’ Studio and you’ve earned recognition for your writing in competitions or received awards, we’d love to showcase and celebrate your accomplishments.
Please share a brief note along with relevant details or links to wstudio@writerstudio.com.au with the subject line “Success Stories.”
Giveaways!
Speak Up by Theresa Miller
Thanks to NewSouth Publishing, we have 2 copies of Writers’ Studio alumna, Theresa Miller’s newest release, Speak Up, to give away!
Speak Up is for everyone who has a story to tell, including authors who want to step up to the podium and promote their work so readers can discover them.
Whatever your role, this easy-to-use guide will empower you to step up to the microphone, tell your story and make an impact.
In Speak Up, Theresa Miller shows you how to successfully share your expertise and experience with an audience whether it’s creating an inspiring work presentation or media release, blitzing a job interview or nailing your message on a podcast, panel, TV or radio interview.
For your chance to win a copy of Theresa’s Speak Up, email with ‘Speak Up Giveaway’ as the subject line and provide your name, address and mobile number to: rsvp@writerstudio.com.au
A Private Life
Thanks to Transmission Films, we have 5 double passes to give away to A Private Life (Vie Privée), a film directed by Rebecca Zlotowski and starring Jodie Foster, opening nationally in cinemas on 23rd April.
Lilian Steiner (Jodie Foster) is an American psychoanalyst living in Paris whose life is turned upside down by the sudden death of one of her patients.
Convinced that it was murder and determined to uncover the truth, Lilian takes matters into her own hands and, with help from her ex-husband (Daniel Auteuil), becomes an unlikely sleuth in an increasingly delirious whodunnit. French filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski approaches the genre with genuine thrills and a joyful dose of dark humour.
You can watch the trailer here
For your chance to win, email with your name, address, the movie title and your mobile to: rsvp@writerstudio.com.au
Talamasca: The Secret Order
Thanks to AMC, we have 3 DVDs to give away to Talamasca: The Secret Order, a supernatural, spy thriller television series set in the Immortal Universe, a shared universe based on Anne Rice’s novels.
Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton) is just a regular guy until he gets tapped by Talamasca, the spy agency of the immortal world, to join its clandestine forces. As he navigates this new world, he discovers unexpected connections to his family’s past.
You can watch the trailer here
For your chance to win, email with your name, address, the series title and your mobile to: rsvp@writerstudio.com.au
Recent Course Feedback
Some snippets of the wonderful feedback that we receive back from recently completed courses.
“Every testimonial and claim about this course is absolutely true and it is thanks to The Writer’s Studio that I finally have a first draft after 16 years of trying to write my book. I am looking back on my absolute mess of a first draft and I couldn’t be any happier because I know in that messy draft is the golden story I have always wanted to write and I can’t wait to continue adding layers to the canvas with The Writer’s Studio to bring my masterpiece to life so THANK YOU!” Renee, First Draft Course
“It has been interesting to explore writing in genres I never would have otherwise. Learning about the elements that make each genre successful will be very useful going forward. I have enjoyed reading the writing of others and have found the process of giving and receiving feedback to be beneficial to my own writing.” Carol, Short Story – Genre
“One of the most important takeaways has been learning to let go of the inner critic. I realized that listening to that internal voice only creates obstacles and hinders the writing process. I was genuinely surprised by how easily the words came once I settled into the work. I have definitely seen my own writing improve. I found myself captivated by the short stories at the end and enjoyed following the work of specific writers.” Joshua, Unlocking Creativity Live
“This course reminded me of the magic of writing. Of the freedom that’s found between me and the blank page. Of feeling your way through characters and into a story. Of remembering that being a writer is a courageous thing to do. And it’s a lifelong process. And it’s fun. I’m so grateful. I feel like I’ve found my voice again. And maybe the start of a second novel.” Gabriela, Unlocking Creativity Live
“Second Draft was spectacular and I loved it. Hard as it was, it really tightened up my story and gave me the big picture view which then became my story bible. Emily’s energy kept us all going especially during the hard parts. She was truly amazing. Great great course!” Jasmina, Second Draft Course
“Third Draft Part Two helped me to find depths in my story that I had never explored despite years of previous work. My tutor was able to guide me in writing a draft that elevated the work to a new level entirely. They were a huge help, and their feedback was invaluable. Thanks to this course, I’m in a much better position to finish working on my novel and hopefully get it ready for publishing. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend this course, and would recommend it to any first-time author willing to accept constructive criticism and improve.” Michael, Third Draft Part Two Course
