What's New

Writing in the mythic realms

With Jane Meredith Saturday 23 March, 10am - 4pm

Myths are a potent and lively source of inspiration for a writer; whether you are a novelist, playwright, poet, picture book or YA writer. Writers who have successfully written with myth include Kim Falconer (fantasy); Peter O’Connor (psychology); Judy Grahn (poetry); the Greek playwrights; Anita Diamant with The Red Tent and many, many others. Myths can form a rich background tapestry for your story, a delicate underpinning for a poem or an entry into investigating character and unpicking the myth itself. Imagine stepping into a Greek story of labyrinths; a biblical story of floods or serpents; Mesopotamian, Indian, Celtic and Norse stories… they live in our imagination and are endlessly retold, with each telling revealing a new layer. How do you discover something fresh within a story that’s already known? How can a mythic character inspire you, or a myth guide your structure? How can such ancient stories come alive in the present? Writing in the Mythic Realms will dive deeply into several myths, laying them out and then literally walking into the stories. We will inhabit their characters, speak their words with our own mouths and choose their actions afresh; rediscovering and rewriting the mythic. We will experiment with different writing voices, learn what questions to ask and how to listen to and feel the myth. Exercises will include different styles and approaches including first person narrative, collaborative writing, multiple viewpoints, and translating the mythic into modern.

BIO Jane Meredith is an author and ritualist. Her books are: Journey to the Dark Goddess: How to Return to Your Soul and Aphrodite’s Magic: Celebrate and Heal Your Sexuality. Her third book will be published in July. Jane presents workshops and talks in Australia and the UK on myth, ritual and the Goddess. She lives in Sydney, has been a long-term resident of Byron Shire and eventually will return to her house in the hills. She keeps a website and blog at: www.janemeredith.com

SCU Room, Byron Community Centre, Jonson St Byron Bay
Saturday 23 March, 10.00am-4.00pm	$75 NRWC members or $95 non-members call 02 6685 5115

How to keep the pages turning: Writing commercial fiction

Dianne Blacklock Saturday 13 April, 10am - 4pm

Dianne Blacklock’s first manuscript was picked up off the slush pile, but never published. The publisher urged her to keep writing, invited her to send in whatever she wrote in future, but didn’t want to publish that manuscript. Dianne was confused. The publisher explained, ‘Even when I knew I didn’t want to publish it, I couldn’t stop turning the pages.’

So Dianne went away and kept writing. She worked out how to keep the pages turning - and has since had eight novels published.

In this workshop, Dianne will explore the ingredients for writing successful, commercial fiction: developing a process you can call your own; how not to let the writing get in the way of a good story; character vs plot; dynamic openings and page turners; talking the talk – writing dialogue that speaks to your readers; and common pitfalls to avoid.

SCU room, Byron Community Centre
10.00am-4.00pm (Saturday, 13 April)	$75 NRWC members; $95 non-members, call 02 6685 5115 to book

Read more: How to keep the pages turning: Writing commercial fiction

Where is the love? Putting the romance into your writing

Dianne Blacklock Sunday 14 April, 10am - 4pm

Even experienced writers squirm at the idea of writing a love scene – and not in a good way. But what self-respecting novel doesn’t have a love story woven somewhere into the narrative?

This workshop is suitable for both beginner and more experienced writers of all genres – anyone who lacks confidence exploring and developing the more romantic elements of their stories: love, sex, the whole catastrophe.

Elements to be explored include:

• What to do after boy meets girl. Creating conflict and tension. • Character, character, and character. • Keeping the URST* alive for 100,000 words or more. • Writing a love scene. • Writing a sex scene. • Men are from Mars … Wait, no they’re not. The blokes’ perspective. • How to leave them wanting more.

(*UnResolved Sexual Tension)

DIANNE BLACKLOCK is the bestselling author of Call Waiting, Wife for Hire, Almost Perfect, False Advertising, Crossing Paths, Three’s a Crowd, The Right Time, and The Secret Ingredient. She has been a teacher, trainer, counsellor, check-out chick, and even one of those annoying market researchers you avoid in shopping centres. Nowadays she tries not to annoy anyone by staying home and writing. She is the author of eight novels of contemporary women’s fiction exploring a broad range of life experiences – marriage, divorce, family, work and love. You can find Dianne on Twitter and Facebook, or follow her blog at Wordpress. To find out more about Dianne and her work, visit www.dianneblacklock.com

SCU room, Byron Community Centre
10.00am-4.00pm (Sunday, 14 April)	$75 NRWC members; $95 non-members.  Call 02 6685 5115 to book.

The insiders guide to digital publishing

With Anna Maguire When: Saturday 4 May 10am-4pm Where: SCU Room, Byron Community Centre Cost: $75 members/ $95 non-members

Join digital expert Anna Maguire as she explains how best to prepare your digital content and your various routes to self-publishing and selling your book. You’ll hear about the ebook market in Australia and internationally and work out what format suits your work. Find out who can convert your title and what are some of the paths to retail distribution. If you want to print your book, you will have a clearer understanding of who can you work with and what is important to consider. Find out what metadata is and why it’s important to understand it if you want your book to be discovered and purchased online. If you need to know how to fund your work we will cover a brief ‘Crowdfunding 101’ to introduce the concept. We will cover the various options to market your work and you’ll leave with comprehensive handouts and a clear path of the direction you should take.

About Anna: Anna Maguire has worked in publishing and digital content for 25 years. Anna teaches authors about their digital publishing and crowdfunding options and trains publishing students. In October 2012 Anna published Crowdfund it! - her first ebook with information on 38 platforms and a comprehensive Tips for Crowdfunding Success. Anna writes about crowdfunding and digital publishing developments.

Moving Right Along

With Laurel Cohn When: Saturday 4 May 10am-4pm Where: Bellingen CWA Hall Cost: $75 members/ $95 non-members

Do your opening chapters entice the reader to keep turning the pages? Do they inspire curiosity? Whether fiction or non-fiction, book-length narratives need momentum to keep the reader engaged. And your opening chapters are crucial to securing interest from an agent or publisher, or competition judge. This workshop explores what it is that engages readers and how to deliver that narrative pull. We will look at the importance of story essence, the perspective of the reader, and specific tools and strategies you can use to tighten and trim your text. With a focus on the opening of your manuscript, drawing characters, scene setting, establishing the hook and avoiding dead ends, this workshop will help you to differentiate between what you need and don't need on the page in order to keep the reader moving right along.

First hand feedback: Individual consultations with Laurel Cohn When: Sunday 5 May 9.30 – 5.00 Where: Bellingen CWA Hall Cost: $175

Writers can submit up to 15,000 words prior to the consultation together with a synopsis (max 250 words) and a chapter outline. The 1 hour face-to-face session will focus on this submitted work. Writing should be submitted by 16 April to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About Laurel: Laurel Cohn is an editor passionate about communication and the power of narrative to engage, inspire and challenge. Laurel has been helping writers develop their stories and prepare their work for publication for over fifteen years. She spent five years with one of Australia’s top literary agents and four years as Consultant Editor to the NSW Writers’ Centre. She now works with writers, publishers, businesses and community organisations.