October Newsletter & Upcoming Courses
Welcome to our October Newsletter.
For those of you embarking on your writing journey, we thank you for joining us,  and for writers currently participating in our courses, we trust that you are enjoying the process in whichever course you are participating in.
Whether you are writing your novel or screenplay, short stories or unlocking your creativity, we believe the act of writing creatively nourishes the spirit of the writer and ultimately the reader.
Six Keys to Unlocking your Creativity
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.
Many aspiring writers get into trouble and waste an awful lot of time as they are unaware of the rules governing the creative process, which are very different from the way most of us tackle problems in life.
One of the aims of our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity course is to give you a practical understanding of the creative process.
In fact, many of our published writers often say how when stuck they often go back to the principles they learned in the first class of Unlocking Creativity to solve their writing and story problems.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.” Albert Einstein
Click to Six Keys article
Queen of the Dessert opens this week
Just a reminder that Writers’ Studio tutor Ruth Fingret is directing a new musical comedy based on the beloved Australian icon Margaret Fulton, which opens this week in Sydney.
Ruth says “Directing a show is just like writing. You have to understand the motivations and drivers of the characters and have the actors perform truthfully or else you lose the audience. Lessons I learnt at the Writers ‘Studio find their way into every show I am involved in whether as writer or director. This cast are superb and I can’t wait to see how they bring Margaret Fulton’s story alive on stage this October.”
Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert will run for 10 performances only in October from 12th to 27th at the Bondi Pavilion Theatre in Sydney.
All bookings and ticket details can be found here:
Click here to buy tickets
Success Stories
Sarah T.
One of our Novel & Script writers has let us know that she has just secured a book deal with a major publisher! It is her first novel that she wrote in our Novel & Script First Draft Online course and is scheduled for publication in 2019. She is currently working on her second book in the series. We will let you know all the details closer to publication date.
Congratulations Sarah, we can’t wait to reveal all!
Michaela Hatfield
Michaela has let us know that one of her stories was chosen as the runner-up in the 2018 Berkelouw Books sponsored Pittwater Short Story Competition. She also wrote”I will definitely try to do another course, I loved Unlocking Creativity”.
Please let us know if you have been successful in any of your creative writing projects. We love to celebrate all and any successes!
Leanne Koster
Leanne who is currently undertaking her First Draft Online Novel & Script has published a piece on her own blog about the writing process, and about undertaking the course.
We were glad to read that she is feeling supported not only by the process, but by her wonderful online tutor.
Click here to read
Mark Townsend
Mark posted this on our facebook page – “I have participated in a couple of Writers’ Studio courses and they were excellent, I can’t recommend them enough. My writing has improved as a result, so much so that I recently received a commendation and had a short story published by the KSP Writers Foundation in their Annual Ghost Story Anthology. This wouldn’t have happened without the valuable lessons I learned about story structure from the Writers’ Studio.”
Thank you Mark and congratulations!
Click to read more
Recent Course Feedback
Some snippets of the wonderful feedback that we receive back from recently completed courses. We update these each newsletter and we know there are a lot, but we are thrilled to share with you how much people get out of the courses.
“Rich has been a welcoming and elegant guide. I am awake to a joy in writing I have not felt since I was a teenager.” Sarah Unlocking Creativity Live, Sept 2018
“The course has reopened my lost love of writing. The joy it brings to me I feel like I have experienced freedom. The ability to express my thoughts, my dreams, my goals, I no longer feel restricted.” Michael, Unlocking Creativity Live, Sept 2018
“I have never done any creative writing before, at least not since high school. So I was really surprised to see characters and stories appearing on the page in front of me. Characters and stories I actually like and want to explore further.“ Joanna, Unlocking Creativity Live, Sept 2018
“It was so liberating to just write, and see what came out. There
is something to be said for sharing my thoughts, receiving generous,
thoughtful and often quite loving feedback. It all added up to a
delicious bundle of positive gratification that hit the pleasure centres
in a way that made me want more.” Margaret, Unlocking Creativity Online August 2018
“I just finished a short ‘creativity’ course online. I had no idea what to expect when I first started it, however, I was surprised to discover what an amazing affect it had on me. This course has been incredible. Mad-props to tutors Robin and Yasmin, the most patient and encouraging pair out there.” Laura, Unlocking Creativity Online August 2018
“If you want to write, do write, or want a creative challenge – I can highly recommend this online course Writers’ Studio – Unlocking Creativity. It is extremely well structured and clear to follow.” Oona, Unlocking Creativity Online August 2018
“The great thing about this course was that it taught me to let go and simply ‘let the pen do the writing’ – i.e. not to hold back or censor or worry about whether what I was writing was ok or not, or where it was headed. In doing this it unleashed a flow of images and stories that simply came pouring out. What a surprising and joyful experience!” Catherine, Unlocking Creativity Online August 2018
I have taken most of your courses and am blown away by the difference they have made in my writing – dedication (no more procrastination), turning snapshots into an interlinked story and giving me confidence in my work that I have never had before. This course has added a further dimension to my story and encouraged me to continue writing a story I had almost despaired over. Jennifer, First Draft Online completed 2018
“This has been an epic process. I have been trying to write a novel since I was twelve and I’ve finally achieved it! I would not have been able to manage it without the support and materials this course has offered me, and now I feel like this is a process I can undertake again independently. When I first signed up I was worried about the cost, but it has been worth every dollar. This was a fantastic course which fit in perfectly with my lifestyle and my learning style. I have recommended this course to everyone I know who has mentioned wanting to write a novel, I can’t recommend it enough.” Marnie, First Draft Online completed June 2018
“Thumbs up, round of applause. I have never attempted such a long online course before and am thoroughly impressed …. I’m so proud to finally have something, a draft, after 30 years of wanting to put my experiences into words and several failed attempts. I believe the real writing of the story is only just beginning.” Jacqueline, First Draft Online completed June 2018
“I’d like to thank the Writers’ Studio for your amazing course, and I’m so happy I stumbled across it on the internet one afternoon while lolling about in the backyard. It has truly changed my life.” Leanne, First Draft Online completed June 2018
“I have really enjoyed the first draft process; it has opened my eyes to how to write a story from start to end. I also now realise the amount of work that must go into a finished novel… but rather than deter me, it actually really excites me.” Jennifer, First Draft Online completed 2018
“I soon learnt to hang my story loosely on the frame of structure, like a piece of fabric draped on a dressmaker’s mannequin. In the act of putting pen to paper I was amazed by the magic that was elicited and each writing experience was a joy…” Fiona, First Draft Live completed July 2018
“The insights I learnt about story-telling, narratives, and moral choices forced me to dig deep and have taken my characters to a completely different place. The program is slick, and well run. I learnt so many practical tools and techniques.” Nancy, First Draft Live
completed July 2018
What a journey! I can’t believe how much we’ve achieved in ten months. I’ve wanted to write a novel for years but didn’t have a clue where to start. I’m always enamoured by authors and how they create a story…and wondered how the hell they do it! Now I know – thanks to this course…Thanks to Roland, Rich and Kathleen for their incredible guidance and knowledge. I’ve loved the journey.” Jackie, First Draft Live completed July 2018
“I loved the almost mathematical structure of the course. It made me feel safe. And in feeling safe, I was driven to push ahead…The detailed, thoughtful feedback from both Rich and Roland really buoyed me along. And Kathleen? There is no one like her – a truly caring nurturer.” Kristen, First Draft Live completed July 2018
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