Start to Write: Fiction

online

w/ Ben Hobson

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 your very first words down on the page.

6.30 – 8.30pm (AEDT)

Tuesday 8, Wednesday 9, Thursday 10 November 2022

$ 175/$ 148.75

This is a past course.

Over three consecutive nights, you’ll get the hands-on teaching you need to start writing fiction, from acclaimed novelist Ben Hobson. Working with Ben and 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 online classroom.

This course is designed to help you foster ideas, play with structure and techniques, and to 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.

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 and books from the Allen & Unwin website.

Writers you'll be working with:

Ben Hobson

Ben Hobson is a teacher of English and Music, and an author, based in Brisbane. In 2014 his novella, If the Saddle Breaks My Spine, was shortlisted for the Viva La Novella prize. To Become a Whale, his debut novel, was released in 2017. It was longlisted for the ABIA Debut Fiction award, and shortlisted for…

Course outline

Session 1: Tuesday 8 November

Ideas: where to start your thinking
Mapping out a variety of approaches from famous authors
Getting into a scene
Learning from errors
The vomit draft, and the slow work of refinement

Session 2: Wednesday 9 November

Basic foundational storytelling
Show, don’t tell: What does it mean exactly?
Intention and obstacle: the heart of good drama
Writing research

Session 3: Thursday 10 November

Dialogue in practice
Adding tension
Common mistakes to avoid
How do you know when it’s done? Redrafting techniques
Where do I send it? Practical advice

Praise for this course

“Awesome course! I’d definitely recommend it to friends.”

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

How to Book

This is a past course.