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Course outline: Creative Writing Stage 1

Kick-start your life as a creative writer.
This powerful and inspirational course has been
featured in The Sydney Morning Herald and is tailor-made
to fire up your passion for writing.

Over 5 key modules you will learn:

MODULE ONE: How to get started
American journalist and biographer, Gene Fowler (18901960) once said:
Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank piece of paper until drops
of blood form at your forehead. Hopefully, well be able to make the process
much more enjoyable for you and far less painful.
Well learn where ideas come from and what inspires us to write. This module
is an overview of the creative writing process, from getting ideas to getting
words down on paper. Well discuss what you need to do when inspiration
is a no-show at your keyboard. Well talk about what you should do when you
only have half an idea for a story. And when your story grinds to a screeching
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Road Runner halt on page three of your novel.
Using practical exercises to get you started, we discuss different ways of
producing a piece of writing. We look at foundational aspects of craft, such
as voice, style and point of view. And why some writers write in their natural
voice the voice in which they feel that they can write most fluidly and
convincingly and others invent a whole new voice for each story. We also
look at ways to help you find your own voice.
MODULE TWO: How to create compelling characters
Where do characters come from? Are the best characters drawn from real
life? What makes a successful fictional character?
Characters may be drawn from life, but they are not the same as real people.
They undergo a process called characterisation, in which various creative
techniques are used to transform them into fiction.
This module looks at ways to create good dramatic characters, starting with
appearance, body language, back story and psychological depth. Well look
at ways of interrogating characters, to learn new things about them and make
sure they work. The most powerful form of character is active character; and
we look at ways to dramatise or make characters active and bring them
to life.
We also look at the relationship between characters, the role of major and
minor characters in fiction, and how to design a successful cast.
MODULE 3: How to hear and write authentic dialogue and create
a world through description
Once a character has been created, how do you animate them and put words
in their mouth? Just as characters are different to real people, so dialogue
is not the same thing as spoken speech. This module presents exercises
designed to build your dialogue technique.
It also looks at ways to write compelling description, how elements of place
can illuminate character, action and meaning. Well help you create a world
your reader will not just see, but feel.
MODULE FOUR: How to build the nerve centre of your story through
form, structure and plot
What makes a good story? How do authors develop structural shapes for
their work? What makes a good beginning or a good ending?
For most courses, well be drawing from Harper Lees classic To Kill A
Mockingbird as a reference point here. For courses run by Kate Forsyth,
well be using her immensely successful The Puzzle Ring.

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Real time may be linear, but fictional time can flash backwards and forwards,
begin at the end, or end at the start. This module looks at dramatic structure,
ways to kick off and end a story, the role of turning points, crises, climaxes,
resolutions, and the building blocks of narrative, summary and scene. Well
look at how the same story can be told differently, to different effect.
Well also be doing practical exercises designed to enhance your plotting
technique.
MODULE FIVE: How to polish and improve through editing and revising
As the great Ernest Hemingway so colourfully put it (forgive the language):
The first draft of anything is shit. Its kind of comforting to hear that from
the master. The fact is we all have to work at our craft no matter how brilliant
we become.
So what is revision and how much should you revise? When is your work
ready to show to a friend or a publisher?
Most works of good fiction go through three or four drafts; some go through
six, eight or more. This module looks at the drafting process, things to watch
out for when youve finished a draft and simple ways to improve your work. It
examines the difference between revising and editing, and how to do each.
It also looks at the issue of critical input. How do you evaluate critical advice?
When do you accept or reject criticism?
EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO OUR GRADUATES CLUB
When you graduate from Creative Writing Stage 1, you'll get exclusive
access to our Graduates Club. So youll get ongoing support in an
encouraging and very active community of writers.

Still not sure?

Head down to the rave reviews section and hear what past graduates
think of Creative Writing Stage 1. Or keep reading and meet your
fabulous tutors.

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LEARN FROM THE BEST
Our presenters are all acclaimed published authors and editors whove
had the same dream as you and are now living that dream.
Dr Pamela Freeman is the award-winning author of more
than 25 books, most recently the Princess Betony series
published by Walker Books. In 2010, Full Circle (Book 3
of the Castings trilogy), was published in the US, the UK,
France, Spain, Portugal and Germany as well as Australia.
Another childrens book, Victors Challenge, was published
in 2009 in Australia and the UK.
Pamela started as a childrens writer and many of her
books have been shortlisted for the State Literary Awards, the Children's
Book Council Book of the Year Awards, the Koala Awards and the Wilderness
Society Environment Awards. Pamela who is also an accomplished
scriptwriter has taught creative writing at the University of Technology,
Sydney for many years.
She has also been a guest lecturer at the University of Sydney and taught
writing workshops around Australia for the National Book Council and various
State Libraries. Pamela has a Doctor of Creative Arts in Writing from the
University of Technology, Sydney.
She is best known for her junior fantasy novels, Victors Quest and Victors
Challenge and an associated fantasy series, The Floramonde Books (The
Willow Tree's Daughter, Windrider and The Centre of Magic), as well as for
Pole to Pole, a non-fiction book about Arctic and Antarctic animals.
Pamela has published numerous short stories and has spoken at various
writers festivals around the country. Her most recent book for young people,
The Black Dress, a fictional account of the childhood of Mary MacKillop in the
Australia of the 1840s-1860s, won the NSW History Prize for Young People.
Pamela Freeman teaches Creative Writing Stage 1 in Sydney.
Kate Forsyth is the internationally bestselling author
of 26 books, which have been published in 15 countries,
including The Wild Girl and Bitter Greens. She was
recently voted one of Australia's Favourite 25 Novelists
and has been called one of the finest writers of this
generation. Since Locus magazine named her first novel
a Best First Novel of 1998, she has been shortlisted for
numerous awards, including a CYBIL Award in the US.
In 2007, Kate became the first author to win five Aurealis Awards in a single
year when Books 2-6 in the Chain of Charms series were jointly awarded
the 2007 Aurealis Award for Children's Fiction. The Childrens Book Council
of Australia also named The Lightning Bolt a Notable Book for 2007.

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She has also written The Puzzle Ring, The Gypsy Crown, The Starthorn
Tree, and the bestselling fantasy series The Witches of Eileanan and
Rhiannons Ride.
Kate has a BA in Literature, majoring in Children's Literature, from Macquarie
University, and a MA in Writing from UWS. Kate has taught creative writing
from primary to tertiary levels for over ten years, including 'Writing for
Children' at Sydney University. She mentors for the ASA Mentorship Program
and the Central West Writers' Group.
She lives by the sea in Sydney with her husband and three children, and
many thousands of books.
Kate Forsyth teaches Creative Writing Stage 1 in Sydney.
Jeni Mawter, sometimes known as J.A. Mawter to
disguise her true identity, is the childrens author of
the hilarious So series: So Gross!, So Feral!, So Sick!,
So Festy!, So Grotty! and So Stinky! (HarperCollins)
as well as the Freewheelers series: Unleashed!,
Launched! and Extreme! (HarperCollins). Unleashed!
was shortlisted for the WAYRBA Older Readers Award
2009. Other books include the junior novel Team Dream
and the picture book Theres a Sun Fairy in Our Garden.
Jeni has also published fiction, non-fiction, poetry and verse narrative for
the education market. In 2007, she published a groundbreaking work on
Critical Thinking, Humour and Text for Macmillan Education. One of her
most recent ventures was in co-writing the scripts for the interactive exhibition
at The Powerhouse Museum, The Magic Garden: MBF Foundation Healthy
Kids Unit.
With a Master of Arts in Childrens Literature and a Diploma in Book Editing
and Publishing, Jeni has taught creative writing for many years at Macquarie
University and various writers centres. Her enthusiasm for words and books
is infectious. She is a speaker for the Lateral Learning, Show & Tell and
Speakers Ink speakers agencies and presents at numerous other schools,
conferences and festivals. She has been a judge for the Stanton Library
Creative Writing Competition and the Wakakirri National Story-telling
competition.
Jeni Mawter teaches Creative Writing Stage 1 in Sydney.
James Roy was born in country NSW in 1968, and grew
up in Papua New Guinea and Fiji. He fell in love with
books and stories at a young age, and couldn't wait until
he was old enough to write his own. Since his first novel
was published in 1996, James has written some 20 books,
including the Children's Book Council Honour Books

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Captain Mack and Billy Mack's War, as well as the 2008 NSW Premier's
Award-winning Town. A much sought-after presenter, James has appeared
at a number of festivals, including the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and
Perth Writers Festivals, and most of the leading children's festivals.
He has worked as a guest lecturer at Sydney and NSW Universities, and
visits around 70 schools a year across the Asia-Pacific region, conducting
workshops and speaking with students about the joys and trials of being
a writer. James is also the Creative Program Director for the Anglican
Youthworks Writers in Residence camps. He lives with his family in the Blue
Mountains and enjoys playing the handmade guitar his father made for him.
His latest books are Anonymity Jones and Edsel Grizzler: Rescue Mission.
James Roy teaches Creative Writing Stage 1 in Sydney.
Claire Scobie is author of Last Seen in Lhasa, winner of the
Dolman Best Travel Book Award. So far, it has been
translated into German, Dutch and Korean. She writes for
numerous publications including The Daily Telegraph and the
Observer Magazine in the UK, and is a contributor to The
Sydney Morning Herald, Sun-Herald, Marie Claire Australia
and the Qantas in-flight magazine, The Australian Way. Claire
has gone on the trail of rhino poachers in Assam, done heli-fishing in
Patagonia and crossed the Tanami Track in Australia.
Claire started her career as a journalist working for Londons Telegraph
Magazine. In 1997, after winning a national award as Best Young Woman
Journalist of the Year, Claire went to Tibet in search of a rare red lily. Six
more journeys to Tibet followed, resulting in her acclaimed travel memoir
Last Seen in Lhasa, published by Random House, about her friendship with
a wandering Tibetan nun.
She teaches writing workshops across Australia, mentors writers and appears
at international literary festivals as a speaker and facilitator. In September
2010, she appeared on ABC TVs First Tuesday Book Club in On the Road,
a special show dedicated to travel writing.
Claire has taught journalism at Macquarie University in Sydney and been
a judge in the Australian Society of Travel Writers Travel Journalism Awards.
Since 2008, she has been a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers. In
2013, Claires second book and first novel, The Pagoda Tree was released
and named one of 2013s Best Fiction Reads by Goodreading Magazine.
Claire Scobie teaches Creative Writing Stage 1 in Sydney.

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Nicole Hayes is a Melbourne-based writer and editor
whose novel, The Whole of My World, was published
by Random House in June 2013. She teaches fiction
and screenwriting at the University of Melbourne. Shes
twice been awarded editorial mentorships by Varuna,
The Writers House, and was the recipient of the New
Feature Writers award and a script development grant
by Film Victoria for a feature film script later optioned by
award winning producer Robyn Kershaw and shortlisted
for the Australian Writers Guild Monte Miller award.
She has a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and has fiction and non-fiction
published in anthologies Chicken Soup for the Hawaiian Soul and WritersNet
Anthology of Fiction, as well as journals, most recently, Mamamia, Footy
Almanac, UK-based The Australian Times, and Newton Review of Books.
She has co-edited Creative Writing anthologies for the University of
Melbourne, and provided editorial consultancy to a range of commercially
published authors, including PD Martin, Jacqueline Tomlins and New York
Times bestselling author Melanie Benjamin.
Nicole Hayes teaches Creative Writing Stage 1 in Melbourne.
Natasha Lester is the award winning author of two novels,
What is Left Over, After and If I Should Lose You. She has
been described by The Age newspaper as a remarkable
Australian talent and was awarded an Emerging Writers'
Fellowship by the Australia Council for her second book,
as well as a Publisher Fellowship at Varuna, The Writers
House. She was also the recipient of the TAG Hungerford
Award for Fiction.
In between writing novels and looking after her three children, Natasha blogs
at While The Kids Are Sleeping and writes poems, short stories and essays,
which have appeared in journals such as Overland and Wet Ink. She is
currently working on her third novel.
Natasha Lester teaches Creative Writing Stage 1 in Perth.
REQUIRED READING
For courses with Pamela Freeman, Jeni Mawter, James Roy, Kylie Ladd,
Nicole Hayes, Claire Scobie or Natasha Lester
Before the start of the course, you need to have recently read To Kill A
Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
For courses with Kate Forsyth
Before the start of the course, you need to have recently read The Puzzle
Ring by Kate Forsyth.

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Heres the fine print stuff you should probably know.
ENROLMENT CONDITIONS
Please read the following enrolment conditions carefully.
If you cannot attend the course you have booked into, you must advise
us in writing at least two weeks before the course starts. If this happens,
you will receive a credit note to the full value of the course. You can use
this credit note towards another course.
In exceptional circumstances, special consideration may be given
for withdrawals or transfers within the two week period. Exceptional
circumstances are defined as serious personal considerations or illness
(documentation is required). If this occurs, you will be charged a $50
administration fee and a credit note will be issued for the outstanding
amount. Once the course has commenced, there are no transfers or
refunds in the event you are unable to attend.
Please note that these conditions apply whether or not you enrol in a
course after the two-week grace period.
All enrolled students are automatically included on the Australian Writers
Centre's mailing list which informs people about upcoming courses, writing
opportunities, author events, competitions and exclusive discounts with
our partners. You are welcome to unsubscribe at anytime. You understand
the course materials are copyright and agree never to sell, rent or otherwise
distribute your course materials in any way.
RAVE REVIEWS
What our past graduates think of Creative Writing Stage 1 (both
classroom and online courses) and the benefits you can look forward to.
We dont expect you to read all of them (although youre most welcome to) so
maybe close your eyes, twirl your index finger over the pages or screen, and
land on any one of them. Theyre all good. (And this is just a small sample.)
Reviews from our Creative Writing Stage 1 classroom students
Pamela was excellent. She is a genuine and experienced presenter friendly
and non-threatening, inspiring and fun.
- Martina Coffey
I particularly enjoyed the actual writing exercises. It is much easier to
understand the theory when you can actually put it into practice.
- Stephanie Hunt

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An excellent course. Learning how to critique my own work was really helpful,
and I've been applying Jeni's tips and had lots of light-bulb moments since
finishing the course.
- Janice Dib
I enjoyed learning about the principles of writing, and learning how to edit
writing to make it better. The presenter (Pamela Freeman) was very
passionate about the craft, and communicated very clearly and effectively
in an engaging way. Very encouraging. Highly recommended.
- Peter Damalas
I loved the insight Pamela provided as a current and successful writer in
Australia. When we workshopped our work, she shared some of her work
to show that we all start with a first draft and that even a successful author
goes through the same process as the aspiring authors in her class. Love
it, love it, love it! The Australian Writers Centre has great presenters, and
a fabulous approach that there is no 'right' way to write. It's all about making
you the best writer you can be.
- Carolyn Francis
"Information coming from a published author is invaluable, Pamela Freeman
helped not only with many ways to go about refining a piece of work but also
ensured we knew what to expect in the book industry."
- Asha Davidson
"I have now learnt how to put the pieces together and the true gift of that
knowledge is that I have found my creative flow. I am now writing everyday
and really experiencing the beauty of the creative process, the difference
for me. It's an inspiring experience to be in a room with minds that are all
hungry for the same thing and a room filled with passion. This is a brilliant
course!"
- Imogen Bailey
"I loved the course. With writing, you need to understand the basics of good
dialogue, characterisation, structure (scene and summary), point of view,
and editing. Pamela gave us a really solid foundation to work from, as well as
a fair dose of reality and inspiration as she shared her own stories of writing
with us. So, whilst I haven't written a novel YET, I have got my outline done
and have a way forward, finally!"
- Michelle Barraclough
"Ive just been offered my first contract, a four-book deal with Omnibus
Press ... Big thanks to you, Valerie, for the Australian Writers' Centre,
to Pamela for her course and to Geoff for reading my proposal. Thanks!"
- Mitch Lewis
"I found the presenter to be incredibly dynamic and informative. The exercises
to unlock your imagination were very valuable and I will continue to use
them."
- Susan Rovelli

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"One of the difficulties I find in writing is finding a couple of hours to focus
the discipline of going to the Writer's Centre every Tuesday night got me
into that rhythm and allowed some time to think without distraction."
- Ken McKenzie
"I loved every stage of the course, all the tips, writing exercises, exploring
different ways of writing, building character profiles. Every bit of it was
thoroughly enjoyable and I'm sad that the five weeks has come to an end."
- Kate Bradley
Reviews from our Creative Writing Stage 1 online students
The best thing about the course was learning the actual crafting skills
structuring, character development and dialogue. The online tutor was
prompt and had fabulous comments that were applicable not only to the
individual, but after reading other students submissions enabled me to
learn from their work as well.
- Carol-Anne Croker
I enjoyed the exercises, comments, and interacting with other members of
the class. There was a lot of valuable information and feedback in the tutors
comments. It was easy and convenient and I found it very rewarding. Writers
work in isolation, but having the online connection with others was great. Also,
feedback and understanding are very important. If youre interested in doing
a course, I say go for it. It will open you up to many writing possibilities.
- Anthony Sevil
"I just wanted to send Cathie, Valerie and the team a VERY BIG THANK
YOU for coaching me in the online Creative Writing course. The
information I received during the course has been invaluable and gave
me the tools I needed to become one of the 28 winning co-writers of
James Pattersons chain thriller AirBorne. I still cannot believe the
news but as I have had emails from Random House and my name
has been posted on Facebook, I had better get my head around it!"
- Kylie Williams
"I am so pleased you put this together!! I have a two-year-old who I am home
with four days per week so the minute he went down for his midday sleep
I would dash for the computer. I found the presenter's voice and sense of
humour a delight to listen to and Pamela's exercises fun. It was great to be
able to stop the recording and go back where I missed something or was too
slow in taking notes and the handouts will be a great reference for later on.
It was just what I was needing to do."
- Nicole Stenson
"It was certainly easy and convenient. The biggest benefit is simply that I
can do it when I have the time without having to travel to Sydney (from the
Netherlands)."
- Elfi Gilissen
"I signed a three-book deal with Hachette Australia. My young adult
novel, Embrace, Book 1 in The Violet Eden Chapters, will hit bookstores

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across Australia on October 14th 2010. I would like to thank both
Cathie and Pamela for their input along the way. It was fantastic to be
able to use the online course to help me focus and identify problems
in my manuscript. Thank you to the entire team.
- Jessica Shirvington
"I have had an amazing five weeks. I have learnt so much in such a short
time. I want more! This course gave me permission to spend hours writing.
It gave me joy and it gave me focus. It gave me 'me'. My husband just looks
at me and smiles now because, even after I have worked all day I still want
to keep going ... I just want to write, write, write!"
- Angelina Cimino
We look forward to seeing you at our next Creative Writing Stage 1
course.
Australian Writers Centre
SYDNEY
Suite 3, 55 Lavender Street
Milsons Point NSW 2061
Ph: 02 9929 0088
MELBOURNE
The Abbotsford Convent
1 St Heliers Street
Abbotsford VIC 3067
Ph: 03 9005 6737
PERTH
Wembley Hotel
344 Cambridge Street
Wembley WA 6014
Phone: (08) 9468 0177
Cant make it to the training rooms?
No problem. You can do the course online. We have students from all over
the world and they get the same hands on advice and guidance as students
in the training rooms.

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