Welcome to our August Newsletter!
We would like to give a warm welcome to all the writers who joined us yesterday in our Unlocking Creativity Online Course.
We hope you embrace the transformation your writing will undergo over the next four weeks and develop newfound confidence in your storytelling abilities throughout the course.
If you missed out and would like to start your writing journey with us, our next intake of Unlocking Creativity Online will commence on the 23rd of September.
The Creative Journey
Many writers dream of seeing their novel on a bookshop shelf. Some hope their stories might win awards, hit the bestseller lists or become a film or television series.
Those are all worthy goals and creative ambition is part of being a fiction writer. We want our stories to touch readers and reach a wide appreciative audience.
But while you’re sitting in front of a blank page doing the actual writing, we encourage writers to focus on the task at hand and experience the pleasure it gives you.
As Stephen King said, “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates or making friends. In the end, it is about enriching the lives of those who will read your work and enriching your own life as well.”
Writing fiction gives you the chance to explore your imagination, discover unexpected truths and create something that didn’t exist before. It often challenges you, surprises you and nourishes your spirit in a way few other pursuits can.
As Lucy Lehmann, winner of the Kathleen Mitchell Award, said, “Even three years ago I wasn’t completely committed to writing novels, but I suddenly became so passionate and grateful. It gives meaning to my life and makes me able to cope with things. I don’t know who I’d be without it … I love words and I think you can do anything with them.”
Of course, this doesn’t happen by accident. You have to steal back the time from your busy life and sit down and do the work.
“In a sense writing will create the mood. Generally, I’ve found this to be true. I have forced myself to begin writing when I’ve been utterly exhausted, when I’ve felt my soul as thin as a playing card, when nothing has seemed worth enduring for another five minutes… and somehow the activity of writing changes everything.” Joyce Carol Oates
Intensive 6-Week Short Story Course
The 6-Week Writers’ Gym Course will keep your writing process alive and inspired as you learn some key story dynamics that will help you create compelling moral dilemmas and develop your characters, writing and storytelling skills.
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 26th of August, 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: GYM50
Success Stories
The Vape Lord of Queanbeyan Stories by Omar Musa
Winner of the 2024 Writers’ Studio Short Story Competition, Omar Musa has a new collection of his Short Stories eponymously titled, The Vape Lord of Queanbeyan, published by Penguin.
Omar is the 2026 Victorian Premier Literary Prize Award winner for his novel Fierceland.
Click here to buy The Vape Lord of Queanbeyan Stories
Click here to read Omar’s 2024 Writers’ Studio Short Story Competition winning entry.
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!
Sunrise at Sunny Cross Farm by Maya Linnell
Thanks to Allen & Unwin, we have 2 copies to give away of Writers’ Studio alumna, Maya Linnell’s latest novel, Sunrise at Sunny Cross Farm!
Widowed, cautious and clearly out of his depth, Spencer Hawkins never expected to find himself in front of a reality TV crew, let alone as a contestant on Love on the Land.
Clem Crossley has her hands full with her sunflower-filled property, two daughters, her new farm gate cafe and catering for the TV crew, without adding romance to the mix.
As the TV show airs, misleading edits and small-town gossip threaten to undo the bond Spencer and Clem are building. Clem, fiercely protective of her daughters, begins to wonder if Spencer is a risk she can’t afford.
For your chance to win a copy of Maya’s latest novel, email with your name, address, the book title and your mobile number to: rsvp@writerstudio.com.au
& SONS
Thanks to Transmission Films, we have 5 double passes to give away to & SONS, a film written by Sarah Polley and Pablo Trapero.
A sweeping yet deeply intimate portrait of family, inheritance, and the fragile ties that shape identity. When world-renowned but reclusive novelist Andrew Dyer (Bill Nighy) summons his estranged children to New York, the reunion sparks a collision of grief, memory, and long-buried secrets. As the brothers navigate their father’s towering shadow, questions of legacy, love, and belonging rise to the surface with piercing urgency.
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.
“The most revealing aspect has been letting my pen to do the thinking (i.e. the imagination). It has given me a lot of confidence and has been a great deal of fun… The course convinced me that I can do it if I just keep writing.” Mark, First Draft Course
“I’m so glad that I did the Writers’ Gym course. It’s been a challenging, but extremely rewarding experience. When I started, I wasn’t sure if fiction writing was really going to be for me, but it’s been amazing to see how applying the structure of storytelling that we’ve learned actually works. One of the best things about the course was the feedback from the other course members and my tutor, Elise. I’ve constantly been amazed by readers’ incredible generosity, and I’m always surprised when they have seen something in the characters or situation that I wasn’t expecting. Thank you so much!” Rosemary, Short Story – Writers’ Gym
“I’ve had such a wonderful four weeks coming to the Writers’ Studio for Unlocking Creativity. Really enjoyed it. I must admit I was quite nervous when entering the class feeling very much the amateur among the 20+ students, not having written anything for so many years. I realise now that I have picked up again where I left off and I’m back on track with a strong desire to write daily – I hope. I cannot thank Richard and Yasmin enough for their support guidance and showing me that my stories are worth writing about. It’s been a cathartic journey finding an inner peace and freedom within my writings.” Pamela, Unlocking Creativity Live
“Not only has this process allowed me to be vulnerable and creative again, but it has reignited a spark I thought was dead and buried. I’ve literally “let the pen flow” and been surprised and the results. I’m always someone who thrives with structure and process, so the way the course was laid out step by step was a perfect way for me to learn, and ultimately play.” Brett, Unlocking Creativity Online
“I am very grateful for the support from everyone at The Writers’ Studio. The people that have had involvement already continue to inspire and give me the confidence to realise my dream. It’s a long process and as tough as it is, it’s humbling to know that there are others just like me who are striving towards something so special and trudging through the thick of it to get there. I’m so lucky to have found you all and very excited about working on my third draft. Thank you!” Crystal, Second Draft Course
“Each of the Novel& Script courses has seen my writing and understanding of story improve, but now, for the first time, it feels like a shape is slowly but surely emerging from the chaos. My characters and story feel so much more real to me than they ever have and I’m excited to see where they take me next.” Amy, Third Draft Part One Course
