Welcome to our March Newsletter.
Today, we welcome writers into our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity Online course for March. There are still a few places remaining in this course (click here) for writers interested in starting their creative writing journey with us.
To those of you who have recently completed their Unlocking Creativity course either Live in the Studio or Online, we hope you came away fired up and inspired to take the next step in your writers’ journey.
We would also like to give a very warm welcome to all the writers in our March First Draft Live & Online courses who started last week, on the exciting journey of writing the first draft of their stories. It is a big leap of faith to commit to writing a novel or screenplay whether you have been writing for a long time or are just starting out.
The Transformative Power of Storytelling
One of the great pleasures of writing fiction is that it takes the writer on a transformative inner journey where they go deeper into themselves and their understanding of the human condition.
Whether you are writing a novel, a screenplay, memoir or a short story, the further you delve into your psyche, the more compelling your writing and stories will become.
In our Novel and Script courses, we always recommend that writers write about something that will change their life. It is one of the best gifts you can give yourself.
As the filmmaker and writer, Barnet Bain said, “Are you able to look beneath the surface? Go to the deep dark places and explore what is there. Ask what’s beneath that? And what’s beneath that? Look for what is underneath your assumptions about life. That’s where you find something that will touch the soul.”
Over the weekend one of our writers, Graham, posted this 5 star review on Google. “Trusting and learning to trust more often and more deeply is possibly the most rewarding aspect of the course for me… Without exaggeration, it’s given me a new perspective on my life. Challenges are now opportunities. This always sounded like theory to me. It’s now a fact and a very helpful one.”
Tapping into the strong personal dimension and combining it with powerful story elements fuels the creative process, informs the writing, and gives your stories depth, richness and meaning that touches the soul of the writer and reader.
Intensive 6-Week Short Story Course
Starting on the 15th of April, the 6-Week Writers’ Gym will teach you advanced writing tools and techniques to further nurture your craft and flex your creative muscles. This comprehensive course is designed for writers who have completed our Unlocking Creativity course and are looking to continue their creative journey.
Success Stories
Downstream by Annika Johansson
Congratulations to Annika Johansson, an alumna and tutor of the Writers’ Studio, whose debut novel, Downstream, will be published on the 30th of April 2024 by Echo Publishing.
What happens when your great Australian dream gets washed away? And then tries to drag your marriage down with it?
When the 2022 flood hits, Lismore resident Rob and his wife Sal find themselves homeless and forced to flat share with strangers in Ballina – a slightly older hippy couple, also impacted by the floods, who couldn’t be more different from their new flatmates.
A two-bedroom, one-bathroom flat with very thin walls… Surely they can stick it out for six months – they’re all grown-ups, right? As each awkward, yet entertaining week rolls into the next, they graciously try to deal with one another’s personal quirks while waiting for life to get back to normal. Only life has bigger plans for all four of them.
Click here to pre-order Downstream
Man to Man by Vivien Thomas
Congratulations to Vivien Thomas, an alumna of the Writers’ Studio, who has written and directed a short play, Man to Man. Vivien’s work was played for the Manly Theatre Group and was also accepted into the Short and Sweet Theatre Festival from the 14th-17th March.
A jilted lover, no longer a cash card, seeks self-empowerment during a humorous visit to a cosmetic clinic. Willing to do whatever it takes for positive change, the result of the makeover is unexpected. Revenge is sweeter when served with the help of a comrade.
Vivien wrote, “I used all the techniques I was taught by you. It is exciting seeing it come to life.”
Click here to buy tickets to watch Man to Man
Share the Good News!
If you’ve recently 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.
Writer in Residence Program
North Sydney Council invites writers (of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, plays) to apply for this wonderful opportunity to pursue their creative project in the tranquil and historic Don Bank Museum, a heritage building in a garden setting located in the heart of North Sydney CBD.
The aim of this program is to support writers at all stages of their career and enhance the cultural enrichment and vitality of the North Sydney community.
Applications for 2024 close on Sunday 31 March.
Click here to learn more
Recent Course Feedback
Some snippets of the wonderful feedback that we receive back from recently completed courses. We update these each newsletter.
“The First Novel Draft program has been terrific, informative, the tutor input has been wonderful and I am excited for the next stage. I found myself going back to the online materials regularly, and there were many times I appreciated the encouragement to keep going in those materials. Thank you, I look forward to the next phase.” Caren, First Draft Online
“It has rejuvenated my confidence for writing which I’ve really aimed for. Ultimately for me, getting good at anything is all about confidence, I think the positivity of the course really resonated with me and gave me a reason to keep going. I’ve also learned how to spark my imagination, but most importantly it has got me writing, which is the hardest part of the battle.” Jeffrey, Unlocking Creativity
“Thank you for providing this space for my almost fifty-year-old self to finally live the dream I had from when I was ten; to write. I tell people now that I am a writer. I do not need to have a book published, nor a publishing deal to be a writer. I am a writer because every day I wake up and I write. I may write junk some days. But I write. I close my eyes. I take a deep breath. And words magically created appear on the page. My days are filled with joy when I am a writer.” Angela, First Draft Online
“Well, after years of thinking about writing, I found a ‘toe in the water’ writing course that has suited me perfectly. My favourite quote of the course that resonated with me ‘Thinking about writing is not writing’ has really held. It only went for four weeks, but the wealth of knowledge and exposure to practice has been very valuable. We have been given a chance to explore and learn in a supportive and kind environment with others also exploring their desire to write.” Kathy, Unlocking Creativity
“I have just finished the Writers’ Gym course that I was so excited about when I visited –just a couple of weeks in at that stage. I have continued to enjoy wonderful feedback from my tutor and my classmates. It encouraged me and helped me identify what worked well and where I could improve. I took some risks going with my gut instinct about what to write and it paid off.You know what … I have a lot more to learn about writing. I am very pleased I gave myself the gift of this course and I look forward to doing another one.” Brigid, Writers’ Gym
“Who would have thought working out what you are trying to say would be so difficult, and there is that bit about trying to make what you are saying sound beautiful. The hours disappear and the coffee cups mount up and at the end of a long day you emerge triumphant with a page of text.” Philippa, Third Draft Part 2