December Newsletter & Upcoming Courses
Welcome to our December Newsletter!
We are excited to announce the winners of our Short Story Competition and to publish the winning entries.
We would also like to congratulate and acknowledge all entrants – thank you so much for your entries. There was a worthy long list and our Judge also let us know that a lot of entries while needing more work, had significant merit.
We also want to extend to you our very best wishes for a safe, happy & relaxing Christmas and New Year with your family and friends.
We will be back with a bang in 2023, starting with Unlocking Creativity Live and Online course both starting on 18 January.
We look forward to welcoming new writers to the Writers’ Studio and welcoming back our fabulous current ones.
If your dream is to write, our courses will get you doing it – Happy Christmas everyone.
Short Story Competition Winners!
Congratulations to our 2022 Short Story Competition Prize winners and to all who entered.
We were thrilled with both the quality and number of entries received.
Our judge, Zahid Gamieldien has awarded the Top 3 prizes to:
1st Prize – Aqua Profonda by Zachary Pryor
2nd Prize: The Thirtieth Anniversary by Cassie Hamer
3rd Prize – Mr Penniforth Conducts An Assessment by Laura Kelly
Congratulations, Zachary, Cassie & Laura.
Click here to read the top 3 entries
$50 Discount off Gift Certificates for Xmas!
If you are thinking about creative Christmas presents, a Gift Certificate for our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity course is perfect for someone who has been wanting to write but needs a push, or is wanting to develop their writing further.
Plus, it is such a generous act to support people in realising their creative dream.
We are offering a $50 discount for our 4-Week Online or 4-Week Live Unlocking Creativity course Gift Certificates up until 23rd of December.
Use this promo code: XMAS to receive a $50 discount when purchasing a Gift Certificate.
Click for all the details here
The Power of Process
To bring out the best in your writing or the story you want to write, most writers thrive on having a process.
Having a process helps you access the power of your imagination while utlising the power of classic story structure. Enabling you to write a story that takes you, your characters and ultimately your readers on a profound journey.
 “Process saves us from the poverty of our intentions.”
That’s the quote Seth Godin says inspired his latest book, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work.
If you want to get our work out into the world, you have to start somewhere. Once you start, you have to keep going. If you keep at it long enough, you have a decent shot at coming up with something of real substance – which is probably why you wanted to create it in the first place.
One thing that excites our tutors is seeing writers’ stories get better and better as they work their way through the process. The power of the process and their imagination invariably enables writers to significantly exceed their original intention.
Snowflakes don’t turn into snowballs on their own, somebody has to roll them up. Process is all about rolling.
For your story to reach its potential you have to commit to the process and do the work. If you want to be a writer, the only failure is stopping.
Xmas Holiday Dates
 The upcoming holiday dates for writers currently undertaking Novel & Script courses are Friday 23 December until Sunday 22 January (inclusive).
Some tutors come back earlier In January and your tutor will be in touch with you about their own schedule.
OFFICE HOLIDAYS
Please note that the Office will be open for inquiries and for bookings over the Xmas and January holiday period, other than on public holidays.
Quick Course Round-up
The next Unlocking Creativity Online course will commence 18 January more >
The next Unlocking Creativity Live course will also commence on 18 January more >
The next 6-Week course is the Writers’ Gym – Advanced Writing Techniques course starting on 20 February (Unlocking Creativity is a prerequisite) more >
The next 10-Month First Draft Online course will commence on 13 March more >
The 10-Month First Draft Live with Roland, Kathleen & Richard is starting on 4 March more >
Second Draft Live will commence on 4 February more >
Second Draft Online will commence on 3 April more >
The next Third Draft Online will commence on 6 February, register now for your pre-course work. Limited places more >
The next Third Draft Live will commence October 2023 more >
Third Draft Part 2 Online will commence on 17 July more >
The Third Draft Part 2 Live will commence on 13 August more >
Please contact Anastasia in the office on (02) 9386 4994 between 10am and 5pm Monday to Friday, if you have any questions at all about which course is right for you.
Movie & Book Giveaways!
Triangle of Sadness
 Thanks to Sharmill Films, we have double passes to giveaway to Palme D’Or winner, Triangle Of Sadness.
In this wickedly funny Palme d’Or winner, social hierarchy is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power and beauty. Celebrity model couple, Carl and Yaya are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting for survival.
To win a double pass email with your name, address and mobile to:
rsvp@writerstudio.com.au
Emily
Thanks to Madman Films, we have tickets to give away to Emily.
Emily tells the imagined life of one of the world’s most famous authors, Emily Brontë. The film stars Emma Mackey (Sex Education, Death on the Nile) as Emily, a rebel and misfit, as she finds her voice and writes the literary classic ‘Wuthering Heights’.
To win a double pass email with your name, address and mobile to:
rsvp@writerstudio.com.au
This Devastating Fever
 We have two copies of This Devastating Fever by Sophie Cunningham to giveaway!
Alice had not expected to spend most of the twenty-first century writing about Leonard Woolf. When she stood on Morell Bridge watching fireworks explode from the rooftops of Melbourne at the start of a new millennium, she had only two thoughts. One was: the fireworks are better in Sydney. The other was: is Y2K going to be a thing? Y2K was not a thing. But there were worse disasters to come …
To win a copy email with your name, address and 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. They show what a large variety of writers get out of our writing courses.
 “What an excellent course structure. A simple path paved in gold. I love how the intensity of the timeline together with the Writer’s Board drives out creativity. I saw everyone improve, and the structure so cleverly enables a gradual build and evolution. Fabulous approach.” Amy, Unlocking Creativity
“What a wild 4 weeks it’s been! I’ve just completed the Unlocking Creativity online course from The Writers’ Studio (pass on the good word to the imaginary friends circle) and it might be one of the most positive experiences I’ve had in a long, long time.’ Chris, Unlocking Creativity
‘Before this course, I didn’t think I had much creativity and had very little faith that I would be able to think of characters and stories. Through this course, I discovered that if I let my mind wander, it comes up with all sorts of characters and stories, with little effort. Just over four weeks, I witnessed my own writing become more robust and full and everyone else’s too. We’ve all come such a long way in a short period of time. It’s amazing what we can achieve if we just dedicate a few hours in a week and not judge ourselves before we even get started.’ Rei, Unlocking Creativity
‘The course has been like learning to ride a bike as a child; having some guidance and instruction (and usually veering off course), some encouragement from the sidelines and a bit of praise as the tentative wobble of moving forward steadies, getting a little smoother and faster with each lap of the carpark. It’s been a fantastic six weeks.’ Chris, Genre Short Story
‘The length and content of each course was perfect, (4-Week Unlocking Creativity & the Six-week Short Story Genre) in pacing and in building on previous info and skills. I became comfortable in the creative space, it is exciting and centering for me. Some memorable triumphs, for me, were being able to write and share my work so easily. It was wonderful reading other writer’s work, to see them refine their characters and stories. Some of their characters will stay with me, as will some of mine! I am now committed to a daily routine of writing.’ Monica, Genre Short Story
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