Welcome to our September Newsletter.
Firstly, some exciting news! We want to let you know that our inaugural Short Story Competition for 2025 is now open. Please read below for more details.
Secondly, we would like to congratulate all the writers who joined us in August for our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity Online Course. It was wonderful to see the incredible work produced and it has been a profound and inspiring journey for all of our writers who committed and put in the effort. If you missed out, our next intake starts on the 24th of September. Enrol as early as you can to secure your spot!
There are still a couple of spots left in the Live-in-Studio Unlocking Creativity Course starting tomorrow at our Studio in Bronte, Sydney. Last chance to enrol!
From Idea to Award-Winning Novel: Emma Lord’s Journey
Like many writers, Emma Lord walked into our first class with little more than a desire to write a novel and the bare threads of an idea. What impressed us immediately was her diligence, openness, humility and eagerness to learn.
She kicked off her writing journey with our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity Course and then took the leap into our 10-Month Novel & Script Course.
She approached the First Draft Course with the same daring and curiosity she showed in Unlocking Creativity, putting her trust in the process and the power of her imagination, allowing her characters and story to reveal themselves on the page.
By the end of the ten months, Emma’s main character, Piper Manning, was born, she’d found the story she wanted to write, made a heap of discoveries and completed the first draft of the novel that would become Anomaly.
Recognising the difference between a raw first draft and a finished, published book, she made the commitment to realising her story’s potential by signing up for our Second and Third Draft courses.
She threw herself into the task of learning the craft and dedicated herself to re-writing and editing her story until she had a manuscript that was ready to submit to agents and publishers.
In 2024, Anomaly was published by Affirm Press / Simon & Schuster. It went on to win the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Writing for Young Adults, the Ethel Turner Prize at the NSW Literary Awards, and the Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel. She has also been shortlisted for the 2025 Prime Minister’s Literary Award in the Young Adult category.
Here’s what Emma said about her journey:
“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.”
The Writers’ Studio Short Story Competition 2025
We are excited to announce that our annual Short Story Competition is now open for submissions! The Writers’ Studio Short Story Competition is a celebration of emerging writers and is open to anyone aged 18 and over. Writers can write to any theme.
DEADLINE: 5pm AEST, Friday, 31 October 2025
First Prize $1000 | Second Prize: $400 | Third Prize: $200
The Top 3 Winning Entries will be published on The Writers’ Studio website.
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 29th of October, designed for writers who have completed Unlocking Creativity and are looking to continue their writing journey. Enrol as early as you can to secure your spot!
Success Stories
Anomaly by Emma Lord
Congratulations again to Emma Lord! Read below for the synopsis of her award winning young adult novel.
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. A high-octane YA debut, Anomaly will force you to question destiny, memory and how far you would go to survive.
Click here to buy Anomaly
Butterfly by Lesley Christian
Congratulations to Lesley Christian, an alumna of the Writers’ Studio, whose memoir, Butterfly: A Literary Journey of Genes and Memes through Generations, is out now!
Butterfly follows six generations of women linked by blood, loss, and resilience. It’s moving. It’s multi-generational. It’s unforgettable. A call to rise, to reflect, and to emerge-like the butterfly-resilient, radiant, and free!
In Lesley’s words, “Thank you Writers’ Studio. Your courses were essential in my ability to complete my radical memoir, Butterfly: A Literary Journey of Genes and Memes through Generations. Your tutors and their support in employing the structural framework was remarkable. Bite the bullet, join The Writers’ Studio.”
Click here to buy Butterfly
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!
Stillwater
Thanks to Allen & Unwin, we have 3 copies of Writers’ Studio alumna, Tanya Scott’s debut novel, Stillwater, to give away!
Stillwater is a crime thriller about a young man whose past catches up with him when the criminal he worked for as a teenager tracks him down and wants him back on the job. As his past and present collide, he holds his secrets close – but can he outsmart a man who’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants?
For your chance to win a copy of Tanya’s novel, email with your name, address, the book title and your mobile number to: rsvp@writerstudio.com.au
Splitsville
Thanks to Madman Films, we have 10x double passes to give away to Splitsville, the new hotly anticipated unromantic comedy releasing in Australian cinemas on 11 September.
After Ashley (Adria Arjona) asks for a divorce, good-natured Carey (Kyle Marvin) runs to his friends, Julie (Dakota Johnson) and Paul (Michael Angelo Covino), for support. He’s shocked to discover that the secret to their happiness is an open marriage, that is until Carey crosses the line and throws all of their relationships into chaos.
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
Recent Course Feedback
Some snippets of the wonderful feedback that we receive back from recently completed courses.
“I have found the First Draft course a brilliant introduction to starting out as a fiction writer. I found the structure very freeing in that it enabled me to have boundaries and pathways for my creativity to travel along and grow in confidence. I have found the tripartite leadership amazingly inspiring – thank you all so much. The face to face group experience has been enriching and inspiring – so many different personalities all focused on the same magical goal.” Julia, First Draft Course
“I’ve learnt so much over the six weeks of this writing course, it’s been both challenging and incredibly rewarding. I have come out the other side of the experience feeling a level of confidence about my writing I’ve not felt before and a clear vision in how I’d like to move forward. This is both due to the pace of writing exercises, the program design and the feedback component from fellow students and tutors, which is a pause for reflection and a great support. The step-by-step nature of the program allowed for me to learn character development. I’m incredibly very grateful for the whole experience.” Peta, Short Story – Writers’ Gym
“This short course has opened my mind to so many writing possibilities. It’s loosened my uptight ‘editor’ shackles and set my imagination on fire. I want to thank you for running such a collaborative, constructive and inspiring course. It’s been a pleasure taking part in it, and spending time among a bunch of incredibly creative, inventive and supportive people.” Sally, Unlocking Creativity Live
“My important take-away from this structured, productive and powerfully supported writer’s course fits neatly around an initial goal – that is, to develop and maintain a writing discipline. I now have a real taste of what it takes to sit and write, to consistently make time and space for it, to keep going even when circling around challenge, judgement and frustration. I know what it will take to achieve my aspirations.” Julie, Unlocking Creativity Online
“This course has provided what I was looking for, a guide to ‘story’ and how to tell one with a reader in mind. The external structure of set dates and the exercises helped keep me on track and the collective experience of a goal shared by the class is invaluable in the truest sense. It’s worth it that’s for sure. Highly recommended to anyone with a story to tell!” Alison, Second Draft Course
“When I started this course I thought I knew my story and my characters, I thought I knew the story I wanted to tell. But it was only by doing the course work and challenging my pre-conceived ideas that it was able to develop and grow into something much, much more.” David, First Draft Course
