The Writers' Studio

Step 3: Edit
Step 4: Love what your writing has become as a result of your hard work.

This photo is taken from the Writers’ Studio 10 Month Novel and Script First Draft Course in Bronte, Sydney. In the course, writers follow a step by step process that enables them to complete the first draft of their story in ten months. It is a profound journey of learning and discovery where the story builds every session.

The aim is to write a story that has your readers wanting to know what happens next while taking your main character and reader on a profound journey.

William Faulkner said, ’The human heart in conflict with itself is the only thing worth writing about. Worth the agony and sweat.’

http://www.writerstudio.com.au/ - Courses available live and online

Relatable 🤣

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One of the real pleasures of running writing class is seeing how the mood of the room shifts from the beginning to the end. People walk into the room feeling anxious and wondering what they got themselves in for. Most likely thinking they have so many important things to attend to. At the end the session they walk out on a high. The act of writing is a mood changing activity which alters how people feel about themselves and the world.

This is the last week that you can enrol in our 10-Month First Draft Online Course starting on the 23rd of September!

If your dream is to write, our courses will get you doing it.

For over thirty years, the Writers' Studio has nurtured the aspirations of writers from complete beginners to professional writers and everyone in-between.

This highly creative, yet totally practical writing course provides you with a step-by-step process that breaks the writing of your novel or screenplay into manageable weekly tasks and is designed for people working full-time. Here’s what a few of our past course participants have to say about the course:

Maria 🗣️ “The Writers’ Studio is arguably one of the best ways of turning a dream of writing into reality. I know for certain that if I didn’t come across the Studio I would still be dreaming of writing one day as opposed to making significant progress on my first book. These days there is no shortage of available information on the craft of writing as well as a wealth of wisdom from some of the best writers who have ever lived. However, the Studios’ genius lies in their ability to gather all that knowledge, distil the most important information and structure it into a plan which one can clearly follow.”

Enrol now to secure your spot. Please visit our website for all information, including reviews from course participants: https://buff.ly/3xPEDeG

Hope to see you join our wonderful community!

As we head into the end of the year, we would like to celebrate some of the wonderful published books by Studio alumni and tutors that have been featured in our monthly Newsletters.

👉 If you want to be up to date on Writers' Studio news, join our Newsletter mailing list through the link in our bio

In this article, Emily Temple collates writing advice from Philip Roth's interviews over many years:

"You begin every book as an amateur and as a dummy. And in the writing, you discover the book. Of course, you’re in charge. But gradually by writing sentence after sentence, the book, as it were, reveals itself through your language." Philip Roth

Read the full article here...

“Go With What’s Alive” and Other Writing Advice from Philip Roth Philip Roth, one of the most important writers of the last century, would have been 86 years old today. He was prolific, much-lauded, much-loved (by some), and much-derided (by others)—but whatever…

We are excited to announce that our annual Short Story Competition is open for submissions!

If you have been working on a short story project, this is your chance to get it out into the world. The Writers’ Studio Short Story Competition is a celebration of emerging writers and is open to anyone aged 18 and over. Writers can write to any theme.

DEADLINE: 5pm AEST, Thursday, 31 October 2024

Go to our page to learn more...

The Writers' Studio | Short Story Competition 2024 Our Annual Short Story Competition for 2024 is now open for entries! Please carefully read all instructions before submitting your entry.

Writing a novel or screenplay is a commitment, one that demands consistent effort and perseverance. The process can be exhilarating, but it’s also challenging, and there’s no shortcut around the work it requires. One of the hardest lessons for aspiring writers to learn is that inspiration can’t be relied upon to show up at the right moment. Writing when you're inspired is easy, but writing when you're tired, distracted, or unmotivated is what separates dreamers from doers.

Prioritising time to write means making it part of your routine, like exercising or eating. It’s about sitting down and facing the blank page, even when it feels difficult. You’ll have good days where the words flow, and hard days where you feel like everything you write is garbage. But the key is showing up, day after day, no matter what. Progress comes from persistence, not perfection.

Just remember that every word you write, even the ones you don’t like, is a step toward finishing your story. Editing and polishing come later. First, you need to get the words down. Writing is often about persistence over inspiration—it’s the act of creating, regardless of how you feel in the moment, that brings your ideas to life.

This is the last week that you can enrol in our 4-Week Unlocking Creativity, starting on the 25th of September!

If your dream is to write, our courses will get you doing it.

This practical and inspirational 4-Week online creative writing course will take you on a profound journey and give you the tools and techniques to dramatically improve your writing.

Enjoy the support and camaraderie of a small like-minded group, while working with your personal online tutor.

Please visit our website for all information, including reviews from course participants: https://buff.ly/3xPEDeG

Hope to see you join our wonderful community!

A reminder that persistence is key...

Today is the first day of our 10 Month Novel and Script First Draft Course. In this session we explore the big-picture dynamics at the heart of all great stories and how to bring your character’s voice and their journey to life on the page through vivid and evocative scene writing.

“The characters in my novels are my own unrealised possibilities. Each one has crossed a border that I have circumvented ... beyond that border begins the secret the novel asks about.” Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

http://www.writerstudio.com.au/

Your WIP will only get done if you work at it.

Is this you?

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In great stories, the setting does more than provide a backdrop—it becomes a character in its own right, influencing the plot and shaping the emotional tone. A well-crafted setting interacts with characters, driving their decisions and reflecting their inner states.

Consider 'Wuthering Heights', where the wild moors mirror the turbulent relationships, or 'To Kill a Mockingbird', where the small town shapes the story’s moral struggles. Setting should actively enhance the narrative, creating a vivid world for readers to immerse themselves in.

“Places are never just places in a piece of writing. If they are, the author has failed. Setting is not inert. It is activated by point of view.” ~ Carmen Maria Machado

Treat your setting as a living element, and readers will feel as though they're walking through your world.

This fascinating article explores how to create compelling characters using personality psychology.

Read the full article here...

How to create compelling characters | Psyche Guides It’s not only writer’s intuition. Use personality psychology to create just the right blend of surprise and believability

Congratulations to Emma Lord, an alumna and tutor of the Writers’ Studio, whose debut YA novel, 'Anomaly', will be published by Affirm Press and is OUT NOW!

Piper Manning survived the apocalypse. Barely.

She recovered from the virus that killed millions, but it left behind a new, uncontrollable power that’s forced her to isolate herself from others — for their sake. Now she’s on the run, risking everything for a shot at an actual future. But to get there, she’ll have to trust a stranger, control her abilities … and face her ghosts.

If you would like to show your support, you can find out more about Emma's debut novel in the comments below.

"If you’re writing a novel, you probably have a good handle on its central narrative arc, but you might’ve realized that to really make your book sing you need to create subplots.

"Or perhaps you’ve discovered you have too many subplots, and now you’re wondering if they’re all required. Balancing, identifying and executing multiple subplots can be a real challenge!

"In this article, The Novelry writing coach and Sunday Times bestselling author L.R. Lam provides definitions of subplots, as well as tips and techniques to make sure your main plotline and subplots are working in tandem."

Read the full article here...

Weaving the Plot: How to Write a Brilliant Subplot | The Blog | The Novelry Learn how to write a brilliant subplot with definitions, tips and techniques from the world’s top-rated writing school.

Our next Novel & Script First Draft Online Course starting on the 23rd of September, is the ideal place to turn your writing dreams into a reality.

This highly creative, yet totally practical writing course provides you with a step-by-step process that breaks the writing of your novel or screenplay into manageable tasks. This will enable you to complete your first draft in 10 months, while working with your personal online tutor.

Please visit our website for all information, including reviews from course participants.

Hope to see you join our wonderful community!

"Whether you’ve been struck with a moment of inspiration or you’ve carried a story inside you for years, you’re here because you want to start writing fiction. From developing flesh-and-bone characters to worlds as real as our own, good fiction is hard to write, and getting the first words onto the blank page can be daunting.

"Daunting, but not impossible. Although writing good fiction takes time, with a few fiction writing tips and your first sentences written, you’ll find that it’s much easier to get your words on the page."

Read the full article here...

How to Start Writing Fiction: The 6 Core Elements | Writers.com What are the elements of fiction writing? This article dives deep into the tools you need to start writing fiction.

We recently had the pleasure of celebrating the launch of Writers' Studio alumna and tutor Zahid Gamieldien's debut novel, 'All the Missing Children', at the Better Read than Dead bookshop in Newtown.

Zahid was a brilliant course participant and a terrific tutor for many years. So, it was a real thrill to see 'All the Missing Children' published by Ultimo Press and launched with over twenty Writers' Studio alumni there to celebrate the occasion.

Well done and a huge congratulations, Zahid! We're proud to see your book published and out in the world for people to enjoy.

Below is a link to our September Newsletter, which features an exciting announcement about our annual Short Story Competition, upcoming courses, success stories and exclusive giveaways.

Sign up to our monthly newsletter for the latest Writers' Studio updates!

Newsletters Archive - The Writers' Studio September 2024 Lessons in Creative Chemistry Never give up on a dream because you are worried about how long it might take to realise it. As Elizabeth Gilbert said when she held up her National Book Award, "This is for all the late-bloomers in the world." Writing is not like dancing or modeling; it'...

We are constantly evolving as writers. Embrace it.

Don't let the fear of not writing something transcendent stop you from just writing.

Can't resist the allure of writing to the perfect soundtrack 🤣

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John Cleese attributes much of his writing success to one key principle: patience. He recognised that solving story problems often requires time and persistence, rather than rushing to find a solution. Rather than forcing answers, Cleese would approach the problem with a calm and open mindset, allowing space for creativity to emerge. His belief was that by keeping your mind "resting against the subject"—engaging with it consistently but without pressure—the unconscious mind would eventually reveal the solution.

This approach underscores a vital aspect of writing: creativity can’t be rushed, and often, the best ideas come when you give yourself the freedom to step back and let the story breathe. It’s a lesson in trusting your instincts and knowing that the solutions to creative roadblocks will emerge if given time.

You don't need all the answers right away—sometimes, simply staying engaged with the problem is enough to bring a breakthrough.

Award-winning poet Rajinderpal S. Pal discusses his personal (and unexpected) challenges of completing and publishing a novel after retirement.

Read the full article here...

However Far Away—The Race Toward a Shifting Finish Line Award-winning poet Rajinderpal S. Pal discusses his personal (and unexpected) challenges of completing and publishing a novel after retirement.