In this issue:
- TIP: Whose or who’s?
- Get published faster
- More student success
- Write the next blockbuster
- Jetstar Travel Writing Competition
- Writing Letters and Emails
- Come fly with us… NEW international writing tours
- TIP: Single or double quotation marks
- WEBPICK:The Writing Workshop
It's baaaaack! Our seminar ‘PR and Media Releases That Get Results’ was such a success that we've scheduled one more date for this year. We were thrilled to receive such rave reviews from the last seminar. PR and social media expert Catriona Pollard will be back with her generous advice – you'll leave with a clear blueprint on what you need to do to get publicity for your business or cause.This seminar covers:
- the elements of a typical PR strategy
- how to determine your target audiences
- how to structure media releases and what you must include
- who you should quote and what they should say
- how to deal with journalists
- online distribution strategies
- contributing articles to publications
- how to approach bloggers as part of your PR strategy
‘The fast pace of delivery was excellent, along with the structure of the course. It was efficient, and allowed one to build a comprehensive PR strategy over the course of the day. Each component built on the previous component. The number of different real examples provided was also excellent. Catriona was excellent. Very entertaining, full of knowledge and remarkably pleased to share her tips as a true professional.’
- Lucy Marshall
‘Amazing and invaluable insights into the industry, and really hands-on advice that differs from other similar courses. Catriona was warm, friendly and receptive to all comments/questions. It's very encouraging to hear success stories (as well as what's unsuccessful) from someone so experienced, and her confidence is definitely contagious.’
- Annie Vaughan
PR and Media Releases that get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 25 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $495
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Whose and who's
Make sure you use the right word when it comes to whose and who's. What's the difference?Whose is the possessive of who.
For example:
Whose dog is this? (As in, who does the dog belong to?)Who's is the contraction of 'who is' or 'who has'.
The dog, whose lead you are holding, is called Rambo. (The lead belongs to the dog Rambo.)
Whose job is it to clean the kitty litter? (The job belongs to the person.)
For example:
Who's going to the ball tonight? (Who is going to the ball tonight?)
The girl who's going to win. (The girl who is going to win.)
Who's beside that man? (Who is beside that man?)
Get published faster
Do you ever read magazines or newspapers and wish you could see your name and your writing there in print? It doesn’t have to just be a dream. Even if you’ve never written before, our Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers course will show you how you can get published. Many of our former participants have been published in their favourite magazines. In fact, some people have achieved this before they’ve even finished the course! If you want to learn how to write a great article and get it published, don’t miss our last Feature Writing course for 2010.
The course will teach you about:
- which ideas work - and where to get them
- understanding the magazine/news market
- different types of feature articles
- how to research, structure and write a feature
- what editors want from a writer
- how to pitch your article or idea to a magazine and sell it!
'Matt Nott is an engaging, entertaining and insightful teacher. Honest in his appraisal and uplifting in his speech. Never a dull moment!'
- Caroline McCullough
‘The course was fast paced, fun and utilised clear examples of published work to demonstrate key concepts. I particularly enjoyed the profile writing exercise, and appreciated the personalised feedback. I'm reading with fresh, discerning eyes and feel I have been given valuable insight into the publishing industry. The course has given me the basic skills to tackle the process of preparing and submitting my own work for publication.’
- Leanne Gillespie
This course is taught by Mathew Nott. He has worked as a freelance and staff journalist in Australia and internationally for more than 20 years. He has recently returned to Australia from his base in Rome to act as a roving editor with Cumberland-Courier Newspapers – part of News Ltd. It’s a role that sees him occupying the editor’s chair at mastheads all over Sydney.
As a successful freelance, he has written on crime and travel for The Sydney Morning Herald and been published in The Sun Herald, Woman’s Day, Australasian Post and Rugby League Week among others.
Feature Writing for Magazines and Newspapers with Mathew Nott
When: Wednesdays starting Wednesday 17 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
More Student Success – Shona Parker and Jo-ann Duff
In the last couple of weeks we’ve been inundated with emails from former students who have successfully published their writing. Perhaps it’s something to do with the weather? Whatever it is, we love hearing about their success! First up is Shona Parker. She completed our Feature Writing course in April 2009 and has just had her first article published in House and Garden! Her feature, The Path to Pool Heaven, is in the December issue.
Shona Parker says:
Both of the courses I undertook through the Sydney Writers' Centre (Feature Writing 1 which I took online, and Feature Writing 2) were invaluable in leading to my first commission for the Australian House & Garden's December issue. Apart from learning how to construct a feature article to make it enticingly readable, I also discovered how to find the right editor to talk to and how to pitch the concept so that I didn't look like a complete newcomer. The advice on contracts, how to invoice, and so on, also stood me in very good stead and I now have a 'Vendor Number' with ACP which, hopefully, means I'll be getting even more commissions. Thank you Valerie and all the staff, for excellent courses, great mentoring and unending enthusiasm.
Also finding success in her new writing career, is Jo-ann Duff. She emailed us last week: I completed the Creative Writing Stage 1 course with Jeni Mawter. Since then I have been re-ignited with a passion for writing. I have launched my own freelance writing business and website and am starting to get paid for my work! I am also working on a children’s book with a view to it eventually becoming an Ibook.
I find the writers’ forum an excellent tool and all of the above has come from the Creative Writing Course with you guys, so thank you!
Congratulations to Shona and Jo-ann. We look forward to hearing more about your writing success!
Write the next blockbuster
You know when you’ve seen a good film. You walk out of the cinema feeling elated, excited that you’ve had the good fortune to see this wonderful work of art. You may not be aware of it straight away, but that great film you’ve just seen owes its success to a great screenplay. Screenwriters may not get all the credit, but they’re key to making the film come to life. Our Screenwriting Stage 1 course will take you through all the important elements of a great script, and help you get that idea for a film onto the page – and ultimately made into a film!
Whether you’re a complete beginner or you’ve got a rough draft of your script already, this course will help you refine your writing and bring your script to the screen.
Here’s what some recent participants had to say about the course:
‘Tim is passionate about his subject and inspired me to write and to continue after the course has finished. I wanted a "cut to the chase" experience that emphasised practice rather than theory and that's what I got. I feel inspired and have some basic tools to continue developing my screenplay and possibly others.’
- Colleen Winney
‘Tim is great. He’s very helpful and obviously knows his stuff, he’s also enthusiastic and inspirational. I've been struggling with some aspects of my writing for years and in this short course Tim has opened a few doors by revealing that rather than a mystery there is a simplicity to the process of writing for the screen. He has inspired me with the confidence to keep plugging away. Already my work has improved and I feel motivated to keep pushing on with my writing.’
- Chris Mitchell
This course is presented by Tim Gooding who writes for stage, film and television. He has written television drama – Rafferty’s Rules, Blue Heelers, Stingers, Water Rats, All Saints – and comedy – The Aunty Jack Show, The Norman Gunston Show, Wollongong The Brave, Ratbags.
Tim’s feature film credits include “Heatwave” and “On the Loose”. He is the recipient of a “Distinctly Australian” Writer’s Fellowship from the Australian Film Commission. He devised and co-wrote the ABC TV series “Sweet and Sour”, the soundtrack of which achieved platinum sales and was a nationwide hit.
Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Mondays starting Monday 15 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Jetstar Travel Writing Competition
If you think you can recount your most treasured travel memory in 600 characters or less, then you should check out Jetstar’s ‘What’s Your Story?’ competition. Every day until 1 February 2011, one entrant will win a flight for two people to anywhere on the Jetstar network.OK, so the story has to be about a trip you took with Jetstar, but who hasn’t taken advantage of a budget flight to get away for the weekend? Remember, even if you’re travelling to a city you’ve been to many times before, there’s always inspiration and new experiences to be written about.
If you’d like to enter, check out the competition details here.
You can also browse other stories and the winners so far.
Writing Letters and Emails
We all know how important communication is in business. It’s vital that you can make your meaning clear in all correspondence, whether it’s coming from a large corporation or the smallest of small businesses. How you write your letters and emails will say a lot about you as the writer – and ultimately your company. That’s why we’ve developed the one-day Writing Letters and Emails seminar. This intensive seminar will show you how to write effective letters and emails and how to get your point across efficiently.
The seminar will show you:
- knowledge that you can apply easily and immediately when writing correspondence
- knowledge of the four steps for writing any document
- the four key questions you should ask yourself when drafting your letters or emails
- the ‘CSAW’ method of writing: Collect; Select; Arrange; Write
- ability to apply the learning to your own sample letter and email
- an action plan for improving your writing
- valuable templates to help you write your letters and emails
- more confidence in drafting formal letters and informal emails
- ability to ensure that any paragraph you write is clear, concise and conveys the right information
- and much more
'I've learnt the structure of a good email or letter, which in turn will read more clear and concise. Deb is a friendly, easy going presenter with loads of little tips on how to structure information/details into an email or letter.'
- Candice Arzapitian
'The presenter was easy to follow and friendly. Deb was always happy to answer our questions and tackle any issues we were facing in our everyday line of work.'
- Marissa Loe
This seminar is presented by Deb Doyle, an experienced editorial-training consultant and publication editor. Deb has conducted courses for the Productivity Commission, AMP and Wizard Home Loans as well as many other corporate and government entities located in Sydney or Melbourne. Deb's courses are interactive and fun. You'll be amazed at how engaging and interesting a workshop in writing letter and emails can be.
Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 26 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Come fly with us … NEW International Writing Tours
Tuscany or Bali? How would you choose which one to visit? Well, we couldn’t decide either, so in 2011 we’ll be holding writing tours to both destinations! For the first time, we’ll be holding a Travel Writing tour to the world famous region of Tuscany in Italy. There are only 16 places on this unique tour. The lucky participants will stay in the medieval town of Lucca, not far from Florence, and take part in an 8-day writing course with one of Australia’s most widely published travel writers, Sue White.
We’re incredibly excited about this, and we’re sure you will be too when you read about it! You can download all the information you need from our website and, if you get in now, you’ll be able to take advantage of our early bird offer!
For those people who are keen to stay a little closer to home, our incredibly successful Writing the Senses in Bali will be held again in June 2011. Participants this year loved this experience and all came away inspired by their writing course with Patti Miller, and the beautiful surroundings of Ubud, the artists’ mecca of Bali.
We’ve confirmed details for next year’s itinerary and they’re available now. Don’t forget the early bird offer – there’s one for this too!
Writing in Tuscany with Sue White
When: Saturday 14 May to Friday 27 May 2011 (14 days)
Click here to register your interest and download the itinerary.
Writing the Senses in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 18 June to Saturday 25 June 2011 (7 days)
Click here to register your interest and download the itinerary.
TIP: ‘Single’ or “double” quotation marks?
There are two types of quotation marks, so which do you use? Both indicate word for word replication of another person’s words, and there isn’t a particular reason for choosing either, provided you consistently use which ever you opt for. The reason why there are two versions of quotation marks is because you will need to use both when the source you are quoting involves a quotation of it’s own. For example:
The articles tell us that ‘Often Sara would correct peoples grammar with her grandmothers slogans, interrupting their unfolding stories with comments such as “Julia and I, not Julia and me".'
It is worth noting that the Australian Style Manual advocates single quotation marks, but most newspapers prefer double quotation marks. Neither is incorrect, so it’s up to you.
WEBPICK: The Writing Workshop
School holidays are fast approaching (again – is it just me or does it seem like they only just finished?) and it’s around this time that we start getting queries from parents keen to find a writing program for their kids. So we wanted to remind you about the Writing Workshop in Annandale, Sydney. If you’re looking for a program for your kids over the holidays, the Writing Workshop is now taking bookings for their Summer program. There are classes for kids as young as 6, and young adults up to 15 years old. They can start with a program on writing beasts – dragons, unicorns, griffins and whatever else the imagination can come up with – and continue with a program for more ambitious writers, which will give 8-13 year olds a chance to plan and write their own story.
There are some great programs here and, sadly, there are very few opportunities for younger writers to take part in this sort of course, so get in quick!
All the course details are here
Other upcoming courses
Course: Online Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker
When: Week beginning Monday 15 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding
When: Every Monday starting Monday 15 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson
When: Tuesday 16 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Kate Forsyth – FULL
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 16 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Mathew Nott
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 17 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – LAST CREATIVE WRITING CLASS FOR 2011
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 18 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Online Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Valerie Khoo/Sue White
When: Week beginning Monday 22 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Online Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 22 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle – FULL
When: Monday 22 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $365
Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 25 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $495
Seminar: Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 26 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $365
Course: Online Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 29 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle – FULL
When: Wednesday 1 December 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 1 December 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Seminar: Editing with Ease with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 3 December 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Self-Publishing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 8 December 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Every Friday starting Friday 14 January 2011 for six weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $450
Course: Daytime Intensive Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Monday 17 January - Friday 21 January 2011 (5 days in a row)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 19 January 2011 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 20 January 2011 for four weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $345
Course: Daytime Intensive Travel Writing: Get Paid for Your Adventures with Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Monday 24 January - Friday 28 January 2011 (4 mornings with a 1 day break for Australia Day)
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $345
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 3 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 3 February 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $365
Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge – NEW DATE
When: Every Monday starting Monday 7 February 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Life Writing with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 12 March 2011 and Sunday 13 March 2011 (2 day workshop)
Time: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Cost: $450
Course: Boost Your Creativity with Laurine Croasdale – NEW DATE
When: Monday 28 January 2011 and Monday 4 February 2011 (2 evening classes)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis – NEW DATE
When: Friday 1 April 2011 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $365
Course: Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 3 May 2011 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Novel Writing Workshop with Pamela Freeman – NEW DATE
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 5 July 2011 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $495
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