In this issue:
- How to write an effective letter
- TIP: Possessive apostrophe
- ONLINE COURSE: Write books for kids and young adults
- Raspberry & Vine Short Story Competition
- Build a business blog
- Wordwise: Square meal
- How to get paid for your travels
- WEBPICK: Confident Writing
I was opening mail from my letterbox earlier this week and couldn't believe the letter I received from my television service provider. (And if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you'll have noticed me complain about it!) It was written so appallingly that I was tempted to rewrite the whole thing and send it back to the company so they could see how a letter SHOULD be written.I read the letter three times and was still none the wiser as to what they were trying to say. It's not that it was full of spelling mistakes or grammatical errors – it just didn't make sense!
Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence. Important letters from businesses are often poorly expressed and, therefore, are not effective at all. When it comes to writing letters (and emails), there are some simple rules to follow if you want to communicate clearly and concisely. More importantly, if you want to move the recipient of your letter to action, they need to understand what you want them to do.
That's why our one-day seminar, Writing Letters and Emails, is so important.
You'll discover:
- 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
- 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
When: Friday 15 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
TIP: Possessive apostrophes
We’ve looked at apostrophes before, and I’m sure that most of you know when to use one, and when not to! But sometimes the rules for this one aren’t always that clear cut. For instance, as one of our readers asked yesterday, where do you put the apostrophe if you’re referring to a ‘kids apron’? Is it ‘kid’s apron’ or ‘kids’ apron’?
Well, it depends on how many kids you’re talking about. If you are dealing with a possessive plural, then the apostrophe goes after the ‘s’. So if there are aprons for more than one kid, you would say ‘kids’ aprons’. If the noun is singular, then the apostrophe goes before the ‘s’. If there is one apron for one kid, you would say ‘kid’s apron’.
But keep in mind that some nouns, even if they’re plural, don’t use the apostrophe at the end of the word. This explanation comes from Mark Tredinnick’s Little Green Grammar Book:
A few nouns in English do not take an s or es where they go plural; they change in some other way. Child becomes children; woman becomes women; man becomes men; mouse becomes mice. Watch what you do with your apostrophes after those words.
YES: Men’s shirts
NO: Mens’ shirts or mens shirts.
YES: Children’s voices
NO: Childrens’ voices or childrens voices or childrens’s voices.
YES: Women’s business
NO: Womens’ business or womens business.
ONLINE COURSE: Write books for kids and young adults
Many of the great book success stories of the last few years have been in the children’s and young adults' market. Just think Harry Potter or Twilight. So it’s clear that kids love to read! If you’ve ever dreamed of writing for a younger audience but are not quite sure how to go about it, then our online course, Writing Books for Children and Young Adults, is for you. You’ll learn how to write engaging and inspiring stories for children and young adults, and what you need to do to see your book published. You’ll also learn:
- how to get started
- finding the right voice
- creating characters and stories young readers will enjoy
- how to write believable dialogue
- common assumptions about writing for children and about young readers
- how to structure a story that works
- the secrets to plotting for different age groups
- what you need to know about getting into the children’s publishing market
‘The online course gave me the confidence I needed to take my writing seriously and commit to pursuing my life-long dream to try and become published. I really can't thank you enough for that! The quality of the course notes and the comprehensive approach to the whole field of writing for children was outstanding. I'm really not sure how you could improve the online course further! The best thing about the online mode of delivery was being able to participate whilst living in another state, and of course, fitting the course in with other daily and weekly commitments.’
- Mieka Tabart
‘All of the material was relevant and I feel as though I am much more knowledgeable about writing for children without having endured the hard slog of being bombarded with irrelevant facts. As an older student, this was a fear as it's a long time since I have participated in any courses. The course was easy and convenient. I also love the fact that I can come back again and again to the audios to review or refresh my memory.’
- Michelle Peterson
Online Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge/Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 11 October 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Raspberry & Vine Short Story Competition
The Raspberry & Vine short story competition has been running twice a year since 2004, and they’re now accepting entries for their October competition. Stories in any genre and up to 4,000 words long can be submitted. The winner will receive $300 and have their story published on the Raspberry & Vine website.
Entries close on Friday 29 October 2010. Don’t forget to include your entry fee of $10 per story (or $8 for students). You should also carefully read the submission guidelines before sending your entry.
Full details are here, where you can also read the stories of past winners.
Build a business blog
Blogging can be a great way for you to reach out to customers and staff and keep them informed about what’s happening in your business. There are many ways you can build your blog and our Blogging for Business seminar will help you develop the best plan for your company’s blog. Using case studies, you’ll learn which blogs work, which don’t, and why. The seminar will also cover:
- the critical distinctions between a blog and an ordinary company webpage
- the terminology of blogging
- what readers expect from a corporate blog
- how to write a blog that stands out
- finding and building an audience
- how and what to measure
- common internal objections to blogging and how to overcome them
- best practice policies and guidelines for corporate bloggers
- building the business case for your blog
- what you should be looking for in your blogging software
‘Perfect pace to learn and be stimulated - great presenter and teacher. Dragged me out of the dark ages of social networking knowledge to be talking the talk!’
- Sally Berry
‘Relevant - fun presentation - dynamic - enthusiastic presenter. Lots of new motivation for marketing ideas for the business.’
- Miranda Corkin
Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Thursday 14 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Cost: $365
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
Wordwise: Square meal
If you want to eat a good, square meal, then what you’re after is a meal that is considered nutritious, preferably one that includes some vegetables and protein. Of course we know that the ‘square’ doesn’t refer to the shape of the meal, but where did this strange term come from? The most prominent theory involves square dinner plates. According to this story, the ‘square meal’ originated in the US Navy, where sailors would eat off square, wooden boards. They usually didn’t get much of a meal, but if duty that day included heavy work, the meal might just fill the board – hence the square meal.
Unfortunately this delightful story isn’t true. Square actually has a number of meanings, including 'proper, honest and straightforward'. In fact, 'square' has been used to mean this since as far back as the 1600s. One of the first uses of the term ‘square meal’ was found at the Howling Wilderness Saloon in a town in Nevada back in the 1860s. The proprietor there promised a ‘Good square meal for 50 cents’, and he explained the meal as ‘not, as may be supposed, a meal placed upon the table in the form of a solid cubic block, but a substantial repast of pork and beans, onions, cabbage and other articles of substance.’
I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound terribly appetising to me.
How to get paid for your travels
Spring has sprung, and no doubt many of you are thinking about (and maybe even planning) those long-awaited summer holidays. For those writers among you, holidays are also a perfect chance to practice your craft and share the stories of your travels. Travel writing is a competitive industry, but it is possible to help pay for your travels if you know what’s involved. Our Introduction to Travel Writing seminar will give you an overview of:
- publishing opportunities (newspapers, magazines, electronic publishing, travel literature, other avenues)
- types of travel stories (service stories, destination stories, personal essays)
- what it takes to be a travel writer
- some straight talk about earnings
- finding and focusing your story (the right subject, travel trends, developing your story)
- the art and craft of travel writing
- getting published and making contacts (including tips on joining professional associations)
‘Having the course notes to take home and review as well has having attended the seminar gives me the confidence to get going on this dream I have had for a while! Geoff made everyone feel that despite their background, age or experience it was actually possible to break into travel writing and he gave us the practical tools and no nonsense information to do so. I have all the info I need now and it is all up to me to actually get going with writing.’
- Gretta Gregan
‘I really enjoyed Geoff's presenting style and the wealth of information he presented us with. He was informative, engaging, gave plenty of useful and interesting information and gave us a clear insight into the industry. It really opened my eyes about how the travel writing industry works and by the end of the seminar all the questions I had beforehand had been answered. I can't recommend it highly enough.’
- Barbara Cullan
Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 14 October 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm
Cost: $75
OR
Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Wednesday 10 November 2010 (two-hour morning seminar)
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $75
Click here for more information or to enrol online.
WEBPICK: Confident WritingThis blog has recently been chosen as one of the top 10 writing blogs of 2010, by Michael A Stelzner’s Writing White Papers. Confident Writing is a blog and website set up by author Joanna Paterson. Her aim is to help you write with confidence, by embracing blogging, social media and online communities.
There are posts here on writing your blog, beating writers’ block and other distractions, how to write poetry and fiction, as well as lots of writing tips and inspiration.
Check it out here.
Other upcoming courses
Seminar: Grammar and Punctuation Essentials with Deb Doyle
When: Friday 8 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Writing for the Web with Grant Doyle
When: Monday 11 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Cost: $365
Course: Online Creative Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 11 October 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Online Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Nicola Robinson
When: Week beginning Monday 11 October 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Novel Writing Workshop with Pamela Freeman
When: Every Tuesday starting Tuesday 12 October 2010 for six weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $495
Seminar: PR and Media Releases that Get Results with Catriona Pollard
When: Thursday 14 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: $495
Seminar: Blogging for Business with Steven Lewis
When: Thursday 14 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am – 4.00pm
Cost: $365
Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett
When: Thursday 14 October 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – FULL
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 14 October 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Writing Letters and Emails with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Friday 15 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $365
Course: Online Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Valerie Khoo/Pamela Wilson/Sue White – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 18 October 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Seminar: Professional Business Writing with Mel Wilkinson – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 19 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Online Business Booster Bootcamp with Valerie Khoo
When: Thursday 21 October 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am sharp - 5.30pm
Cost: $695
Writing Tour: Writing in Paris with Patti Miller – FULL
Dates for 2010:
Arrival: Thursday 21 October 2010
Departure: Saturday 6 November 2010
Course: Writing Books for Children and Young Adults with Judith Ridge
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 27 October 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 28 October 2010 (two-hour evening seminar)
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $75
Course: DAYTIME Magazine Writing Stage 1 with Pamela Wilson – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 3 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Course: Perfecting Your Pitch with Sue White
When: Thursdays 4 & 11 November 2010
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Course: Your Story Structure with Kathryn Heyman – NEW COURSE
When: Fridays 5 & 12 November 2010 (two half-day classes)
Time: 9.30 - 12.30pm
Cost: $215
Course: Boost Your Creativity with Laurine Croasdale – NEW DATE
When: Mondays 8 & 15 November 2010
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $175
Seminar: Perfect Your Proofreading with Deb Doyle – NEW DATE
When: Tuesday 9 November 2010 (one-day seminar)
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Introduction to Travel Writing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Wednesday 10 November 2010 (two-hour morning seminar)
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $75
Course: DAYTIME Creative Writing Stage 1 with Jeni Mawter – NEW DATE
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 11 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 10.00am - 12noon
Cost: $395
Seminar: How to Get Your Book Published with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 11 November 2010 (two-hour morning seminar)
Time: 10.00am – 12noon
Cost: $75
Course: Online Creative Writing Stage 2 with Pamela Freeman/Cathie Tasker – NEW DATE
When: Week beginning Monday 15 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: Whenever suits you
Cost: $395
Course: Screenwriting Stage 1 with Tim Gooding – NEW DATE
When: Every Monday starting Monday 15 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Creative Writing Stage 1 with Kate Forsyth – NEW DATE
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 – NEW DATE
When: Every Wednesday starting Wednesday 17 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Course: Build Your Online Profile with Tristan Bancks
When: Every Thursday starting Thursday 18 November 2010 for five weeks
Time: 6.30 - 8.30pm
Cost: $395
Seminar: Self-Publishing with Geoff Bartlett – NEW DATE
When: Thursday 2 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: 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: 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
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