Welcome to our August Newsletter.
We would like to give a a warm welcome to all the wonderful writers who are joining us today in our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity Online Course and 6-Week Short Story Genre Course.
We hope you embrace the transformation your writing will undergo and develop newfound confidence in your storytelling abilities throughout the course.
To those of you crafting your novels and screenplays with us, it is great to see the journey bringing your stories to life. Keep pushing forward, embracing the creative process, and unlocking the full potential of your stories. We look forward to seeing the compelling stories you will create.
Positive Feedback is the Breakfast of Champions
We are always deeply gratified by the feedback we receive from our participants, whether at the end of a course or through spontaneous posts on Google.
These testimonials from writers in different courses beautifully encapsulate the experiences we strive to provide through our creative writing courses. We are so pleased to be part of their creative journey.
Jo Stubbings shared this on Google Reviews:
“I can’t thank The Writers’ Studio enough for making the act of fiction writing finally doable (for me). I’ve now completed the courses Unlocking Creativity and Writers’ Gym. Coming from a background of analysing and critiquing literature (eight years of studying French and Spanish novels and plays), I thought I knew a good deal about what makes stories tick.
“Wrong! I realise I was always looking at literature from the outside. These courses have taught me the opposite – how to approach writing from the inside looking out. This is you, the writer, creating from scratch – and sharing with your like-minded colleagues. It’s a whole new ball game. Who knew the importance of anchoring your reader in a place of focusing on the senses add up to spinning a decent yarn. Muchas gracias!”
Tiffany Tran shared this on Google Reviews:
“I’ve done Unlocking Creativity, the First Draft, and am in the middle of the Second Draft Live Course. I am a professional writer by day, but writing a novel is a whole beast of its own, and these courses have blown me away with its writing philosophy, tools, processes, and the kind of tutors you dream of having (Rich and Emily, your wisdom, generosity, passion… ENERGY! I am so grateful!). The work is incredibly practical and motivating. Spiritual even. The Second Draft, in particular, has really pushed me in the best way possible.
“Before all of this, I had wondered if I needed a Masters in Creative Writing. I don’t. It’s safe to say that The Writers’ Studio is giving me the skills and confidence I need. At the risk of sounding dramatic, coming here is one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. Truly. Thank you so much Rich, Emily, Roland and Kathleen.”
If you’re inspired by these stories and are eager to dive deeper into your own writing journey, consider enrolling in our Novel & Script First Draft Course. This course is designed to help you bring your story ideas to life, providing the structure and support you need to complete your first draft with confidence and creativity over the course of 10 months.
You Can’t Be Taught How to Write, But You Can Learn
At The Writers’ Studio, we believe that writing is a journey of discovery rather than a skill that can be taught in a conventional sense.
This belief is rooted in the idea that while you can’t be taught how to write, you can certainly learn. Instead of passively receiving information, writers in our courses apply practical tools and techniques that dramatically improve their writing and help them develop their unique voice and storytelling style.
Creating Compelling Stories
The ultimate goal of our courses is to enable people to write stories that move, inspire, and entertain readers. Compelling stories nearly always revolve around characters dealing with ethical and moral problems and going on a profound journey.
It is by putting characters in situations where they face moral challenges that force them to dig deep that creates a profound and meaningful emotional journey that drives your story, engages your readers, and reveals your deeper themes.
Happy writing!
Intensive 6-Week Short Story Genre 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. Last chance to enrol!
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 is designed for writers who have completed our Unlocking Creativity course and are looking to continue their writing journey.
Success Stories
Anomaly by Emma Lord
Congratulations to Emma Lord, an alumna and tutor of the Writers’ Studio, whose novel, Anomaly, published by Affirm Press, is coming out on the 27th of August, 2024! Anomaly is her debut and was published after an early draft was selected for the Varuna and Affirm Press Mentorship Award in 2020.
If you’re in Sydney, join us to celebrate the release of Anomaly on the 11th of September at Better Read Than Dead, Newtown! Emma will be joined by author, Lauren Keegan. Learn more about the Book Launch here
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.
Click here to pre-order Anomaly
All the Missing Children by Zahid Gamieldien
Congratulations to Zahid Gamieldien, an alumnus and tutor of the Writers’ Studio, whose debut novel, All the Missing Children, published by Ultimo Press, is coming out this month!
If you’re in Sydney, join us next week to celebrate the release of All the Missing Children on the 14th of August at Better Read Than Dead, Newtown! Zahid will be joined by award-winning stand-up comedian and author, Benjamin Stevenson. Learn more about the Book Launch here
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?
Click here to pre-order All the Missing Children
Share the Good News!
If 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.
Giveaway!
THELMA
Thanks to Nixco, we have 5 double passes to give away to THELMA, a film starring Oscar nominee June Squibb, Fred Hechinger and Richard Roundtree, opening nationally in cinemas on September 5th.
Inspired by a real-life experience of Margolin’s own grandmother, THELMA shines the spotlight on an elderly grandmother as an unlikely action hero.
When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.
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. We update these each newsletter.
“It was a terrific course, clearly laid out with achievable tasks and wonderfully generous encouragement from everyone. I feel I have some sparkle back in life.” Geraldine, Unlocking Creativity
“When I think back to the beginning, 9 months ago, I never imagined that the woman who left her job would find herself scaling cliffs in the rainforest. It seems like years ago, but her journey, like mine, has only been 9 months. Whenever I reached a road block in the story, I dove back into the structure. My journey in writing has all been about movement – the structure keeps the plot moving; the character development keeps moving; and being in this creative community has been moving. The latter has changed and championed both my story and myself.” Dyranda, Novel & Script First Draft
“I’ve learnt so much about how dynamic writing is and how much variety I can employ in my own work. I’ve learned to approach it in a way that is courageous and unburdened from the voice of my inner critic.” Tom, Unlocking Creativity
“Loved the course. I found it both frustrating and revelatory. I had no idea where my story was going at the beginning – well most the way through – so each month, each story step was as frightening as it was exciting. I liked the idea of pushing my character into unexpected places and found it fascinating to see the ways she responded. The best thing about the course was the group experience – seeing and supporting one another through our fears and vulnerabilities was so much better than trying to write a book on your own. Whether you’ve never written before or have a couple of books under your belt there is so much to learn from this course.” Lisa, Novel & Script First Draft
“I have thoroughly enjoyed this course and couldn’t recommend it more highly to anyone who wants to write. This course has enabled me to put pen to paper, let the words flow and not stifle my creativity by editing as I go. This really has brought me so much joy – even when I wrote junk!” Lucy, Unlocking Creativity
“Unlocking Creativity was the course I didn’t know I needed. Not to just learn new skills, but to deepen my connection with my imagination and reignite a spark and belief within myself as a creative human. But most of all, it was a catalyst for self-reflection, breaking down walls, believing in oneself to pursue the art of writing. To say my writing improved is an understatement, I feel like I now have the tools to expand my craft, to keep moving forward in self-expression and art. Each week I let the pen flow and my imagination weave the way and quietened the part of me that always aims for perfection. That is not the goal. This course gave me the trust and faith in my own talents and gifts. I once sat on the fence, wondering whether I dip my toe into an industry I didn’t feel I was good enough for, but yearned to be part of. But I now see and feel the possibilities. Every good writer started somewhere.” Carly, Unlocking Creativity