Start to Write - Faber Academy

brisbane

brisbane

Start to Write

w/ Kristina Olsson and Emily O'Grady

Have you always wanted to write fiction? Everyone needs to start somewhere and Start to Write is the course designed to get you across the basics, as you begin to generate ideas and get the very first words of your concept down on the page.

11 am – 5pm (AEST)
Saturday 9 November 2024

Avid Reader – Brisbane

Avid Reader
193 Boundary St
West End QLD 4101

Get directions

$195

This is a past course.

In this one-day program, you’ll get the hands-on teaching you need to start writing fiction from acclaimed novelists Kristina Olsson and Emily O’Grady.

Working with Kristina and Emily, alongside your fellow classmates, you will:

• Discover the tools you need to start writing
• Overcome common problems shared by emerging writers
• Understand some of the key fundamentals of writing fiction
• Meet other aspiring writers starting out in a welcoming, supportive classroom.

This course is designed to help you foster ideas, play with structure and techniques, and get your words going – plus practical advice on ‘where to next’. Interactivity is encouraged throughout, and there will be space for questions and answers during each session. At the end of the day, join Kristina and Emily for a complimentary drink and light refreshments, to hear about how to continue on with your writing.

Your course includes:

A complimentary copy of a recent A&U publication
On completion of the course, Alumni discounts on future Faber Writing Academy courses, including Writing a Novel.

Writers you'll be working with:

Kristina Olsson

Kristina Olsson is an award-winning writer of fiction, non-fiction and journalism. Her 2013 memoir, Boy, Lost, garnered multiple national awards. Her most recent novel, Shell, is set in Sydney against the backdrop of the building of Sydney Opera House and Australia’s entry into the Vietnam War. It launched the legendary Scribner Australia literary imprint and was shortlisted…

Emily O’Grady

Emily O’Grady is a writer from Brisbane. Her debut novel, The Yellow House won the 2018 Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award and was shortlisted for the 2019 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction. Her work has been published in Meanjin, Kill Your Darlings, The Big Issue fiction edition, and New Australian Fiction 2021. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Queensland University of Technology, where…

Course outline

· Ideas: where do they come from and how are they generated?
· Starting with an idea: the first stages of writing
· First thoughts: how to start when you don’t have a clear idea
· Writing exercises focused on getting started

· Speaking to books: what books do we love, and why?
· All about story: some archetypal story structures to help you plan your writing
· Momentum: how to maintain enthusiasm for a writing project
· Writing exercises focused on constructing a story

· What am I writing? Thinking about where your writing fits into the broader picture
· Revision: what to look for in the redrafting phase
· Troubleshooting: some common structural mistakes early writers make
· Writing exercises focused on revision

Praise for this course

“Kristina is a passionate and inspiring teacher, with a warm, encouraging manner.”

“Really practical tips to get started which was great, and what I was hoping for.”