Welcome to our April Newsletter.
It’s wonderful to see writers in both our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity March Course and our Six Week Writers’ Gym Short Story Course in February work through the process and put up some fabulous writing pieces on our bespoke Writers’ Boards.
Both courses conclude by writing a guided short story. Many writers have sent their stories to various competitions with great success. Others have used the characters and story ideas they developed in those courses to kickstart their novel or screenplay in our Novel & Script First Draft Live and Online courses.
While the act of writing is rewarding in itself, we also know how exciting it is to share your work with others. That’s why we love celebrating our alumni and tutors each month in the Success Stories segment of our newsletter, from debut novels and memoirs to short stories.
Congratulations and well done to all of you. You are such a great source of inspiration for all of us.
This month, one of our writers and a former tutor, Emma Lord, won the Victorian Premier’s award for Writing for Young Adults. An exceptional achievement! Read more about Anomaly below.
Daring: The X Factor in Creativity
One of the great joys of writing fiction is the opportunity it creates to embrace that untamed part of yourself and be daring. Creative writing involves pushing boundaries, taking creative risks, discovering things about yourself and going on an adventure—one where you don’t always know exactly where you’ll end up.
Too often, writers play it safe. They try to over-control the process, find themselves second-guessing themselves at every turn and stifle their creativity. Playing it safe in a first draft leads to predictable stories—ones that don’t truly move, entertain and inspire readers.
Writing is an act of discovery. Creating a first draft of anything is a time to write boldly, take chances and allow the unexpected to unfold on the page. It’s about embracing the unknown, trusting the process, answering the call to adventure and seeing where the story wants to take you.
“If I had my life to live over … I’d relax … I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers … I’d start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.”
— Nadine Stair at age 86
When you allow yourself to play, to write freely without the pressure of perfection, you tap into something deeper and bigger than your conscious mind. Characters come alive on the page. You have “uh huh” moments of insight where unexpected twists emerge. Your voice becomes stronger and more authentic.
This is the spirit we encourage in our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity Course and our 10-Month Novel & Script First Draft Course. This approach frees writers from hesitation and self-doubt, helping them dive into their stories with courage, curiosity, and a sense of play.
Here is a fun moment from one of our Live First Draft classes in Bronte: our fearless leader, Roland, was deep in a creative session when his papers went flying off the table. Without missing a beat, he crawled under the table, continued with the lesson on the floor, then jumped back up like a surfer catching a wave—proof that creativity (plus strong and quick reflexes) come in many forms!
Daring creates the X-factor in creativity. So be bold. Be playful. Be daring. Push the boundaries and make discoveries. You can always pull back, think it through and shape it later—but first, you have to dare to write it.
As the great crime writer, Elmore Leonard, said, he only started getting anywhere when he started having fun.
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 23rd of April, designed for writers who have completed Unlocking Creativity and are looking to continue their writing journey.
Success Stories
Anomaly by Emma Lord
Congratulations to Emma Lord, an alumna and former Writers’ Studio tutor, whose debut novel, Anomaly, published by Affirm Press, won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for YA Fiction!
Anomaly was published after an early draft was selected for the Varuna and Affirm Press Mentorship Award in 2020.
Piper Manning survived the apocalypse. Barely.
She recovered from the virus that killed millions, but it left behind a new, uncontrollable power that’s forced her to isolate herself from others — for their sake. Now she’s on the run, risking everything for a shot at an actual future. But to get there, she’ll have to trust a stranger, control her abilities … and face her ghosts.
A high-octane YA debut, Anomaly will force you to question destiny, memory and how far you would go to survive.
In Emma’s words, “I had only the earliest inklings of Anomaly in my head when I began the First Draft Course at the Writers’ Studio. That course – and the subsequent Second and Third Draft courses – provided the framework I needed to explore the possibilities of my story without binding commitment to what I put on the page. In short – I was empowered to make a very big, very necessary mess!
“Each draft – and the encouraging feedback I received along the way – helped me refine my story possibilities, until the novel took on thematic layers and momentum. For me, the structure provided was the key to creative freedom and productivity. My time with Roland, Kathleen, and the wonderful tutors at the Writers’ Studio was an essential part of making Anomaly a reality – and now I’m implementing everything I learned for book two.”
Click here to buy Anomaly
A World of Silence by Jo Skinner
Congratulations to Jo Skinner, an alumna of the Writers’ Studio, whose new novel, A World of Silence, has been published by Hawkeye Publishing and is coming out soon!
Three women. Three secrets. A deadly silence.
Kate is juggling work, family, and her ailing relationship to Ryan. Tori is raising her son alone, adamant he will never meet his father. When old friends Shelley and Daryl arrive, uncomfortable truths emerge.
Will Kate, Tori and Shelley confront the past? What are the consequences of speaking out? Of keeping silent?
In Jo’s words, “I always thought I was too busy to write as I was working as a GP and had three young children. After I signed up to do Unlocking Creativity, I was hooked and immediately signed up for several other courses including the 10-Month Novel & Script Course. Every tutor I had was so supportive and I loved giving and getting feedback from other students.
“The Writers’ Studio has not only unlocked my creativity but inspired me to immerse myself in my passion for words. I have since had two novels published, written a third, and regularly submit non-fiction articles to magazines and journals. I have learnt so much, not only about writing, but about myself and how creativity and words really can change us from the inside out.”
Click here to preorder A World of Silence
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 like 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.”
We look forward to showcasing your achievements.
Giveaways!
All the Missing Children
Thanks to Ultimo Press, we have 4 copies of Writers’ Studio alumnus and tutor of the Writers’ Studio, Zahid Gamieldien’s debut novel, All the Missing Children, to give away!
All the Missing Children is a literary mystery-horror novel. It’s about the effect that the enigmatic presence and mysterious disappearance of two children has on various characters, from their working-class mother to a suspended detective obsessed with a cold case. While these characters’ stories unfold, the novel gives readers clues to help answer the question—what happened to the children?
For your chance to win a copy of Zahid’s novel, email with your name, address, the book title and your mobile number to: rsvp@writerstudio.com.au
Warfare
Thanks to A24, we have 10 double passes to give away to Warfare opening in Australian cinemas on the 17th of April.
Written and directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland (Civil War, 28 Days Later), Warfare embeds audiences with a platoon of American Navy SEALs on a surveillance mission gone wrong in insurgent territory.
A visceral, boots-on-the-ground story of modern warfare and brotherhood, told like never before: in real time and based on the memory of the people who lived it.
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
Darby and Joan: Series 2
Thanks to Acorn TV, we have 5 DVDs to give away of Darby and Joan: Series 2.
Widowed English nurse Joan Kirkhope (Emmy® Award winning actress Greta Scacchi) is on a quest to find answers about her husband’s mysterious death, while ex-detective Jack Darby (Iconic Australian actor Bryan Brown) has taken to the open road to escape his past. But when they collide in the Australian outback and become drawn into a series of mysteries, this unlikely investigative duo soon realise the most intriguing puzzle they face is each other.
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.
“I’m grateful to have had my world open up to new people, new experiences, new feelings and new emotions. I’ve met characters who clearly live inside of me that I didn’t know existed – they have surprised and delighted me.” Stefanie, Unlocking Creativity Live
“I am at the end of another incredible writing course and am so grateful for having been given the opportunity to learn, grow and expand my knowledge and writing with an amazing bunch of people. Writing inspires me daily and has reignited my passion for literature and the classics. More importantly, I believe I have grown emotionally simply by giving generous feedback to fellow students. The knowledge and growth I have gained through their generous feedback has been an enriching experience. There are lots of things I have discovered about myself, and one of them is I began calling myself a writer halfway through this course and believe there is a book inside of me wanting to be written!” Louise, Writers’ Gym
“Writing a little each day is now my form of meditation, my escape from the grind. I find now that as I walk the dog rather than listen to podcasts I’m noticing details around me and making up little descriptions about them. The course has enriched my life in little and unexpected ways. I’m extremely grateful to everyone involved in this course, all complete strangers but all showed each other a kindness as well which is a lovely reminder that there is good in this world.” Victoria, Unlocking Creativity Online
“This course has been like a tall glass of water in the desert. I’m so glad I did it!” Jane, Unlocking Creativity Online
“I’d been writing paragraphs of junk for many years, so when I started learning about story structure, it was like a magic formula or language that finally made sense to me! This is how good stories are written. Aha! Once I got it, things started clicking – I’d be watching a movie or reading a book and suddenly seeing the story steps I’d been learning come to life. What my time at the studio has taught me, is that the most valuable lessons you will get from writing a story/ manuscript is not the journey of discovery that happens while the story is being written, but the sense of self-discovery and revelations about myself along the way. It’s been an experience I’ll always hold close to me as it’s given me the skills to be the writer I’ve always dreamed to be.” Joey, Third Draft Part Two
“I’ve discovered that writing opens doors to my soul, and that when approached humbly, has a gift for every writer. My curiosity is now on fire.” Emma, Unlocking Creativity Live
