This course consists of twenty-two two-hour evening classes, six full-day sessions and two additional evening sessions dedicated to the Faber Writing Anthology. All evening sessions will take place on Wednesdays, 6.30pm – 8.30pm. Full-day sessions will take place on Saturdays from 10.00am –4.00pm.
Session 1: Wednesday 1 March
Introductory Session: Goals, obstacles, desires. Why are you writing? What matters? What are your themes? Why this story?
Session 2: Wednesday 8 March
Reading as a writer: How to use techniques of close, targeted reading as an ongoing way of improving your craft. Setting yourself a ‘reading project’ for the year.
Session 3: Wednesday 15 March
Narrative point of view and tense: Who is telling the story? How and when? Will it be first, second or third person? Close or distant? Past or present tense?
Session 4: Saturday 18 March
Characters major and minor: Who is at the heart of your novel? Who are your secondary characters and what are their roles? Inventing and observing characters. Physical and psychological description.
Session 5: Wednesday 22 March
Scene and Summary: What is the difference between scene and summary? What is the function of each in your novel, and how do they work on the page?
Session 6: Wednesday 29 March
Voice: What is the voice and tone of your novel? What tone best suits the things you know? How can you consciously decide on and create the tone and voice of your novel?
Session 7: Saturday 1 April
Story, structure, plot: What are the different types of plot? Do you even need one? How do you maintain intensity and momentum with varied pacing? How do you find the right structure for your novel? While plot is related to structure the two operate independently, so consideration will also be given to the ways in which they should both support and develop the other.
Session 8: Wednesday 5 April
Place, setting, world building: Writing place convincingly. Setting as inspiration and as character.
COURSE BREAK
Session 9: Wednesday 26 April
Dialogue: Listening; recording; pace; precision. Imagined truth and overheard truth. The difference between dialogue as spoken and as it reads on the page.
Session 10: Wednesday 3 May
Showing and Telling: Giving your writing power and subtlety through techniques of ‘showing.’ Learning to trust your reader.
Session 11: Saturday 6 May
Handling time – flashback, flash forward and everything in between: How to handle the passage of time in your narrative, on both the plot-level and the scene-level. Different ways to incorporate back-story and to handle transitions between time periods.
Session 12: Wednesday 10 May
Genre and anti-genre: An industry professional will talk to us about different genres of writing and the differences (or not!) between them.
Session 13: Wednesday 17 May
Fiction and the Self: What are the fundamental differences between fiction and autobiography? How do we draw from our own lives to create, powerful and authentic fiction. When should we recall and record and when should we invent?
Session 14: Wednesday 24 May
Types of Prose: The relationship between prose style, tone and voice. What type of prose style is appropriate for your novel? Thinking about the impact of sentence-level choices on your novel as a whole.
Session 15: Wednesday 31 May
Guest industry professional and ‘Where to next?’ An industry professional will share their experience with you and answer your questions. Consolidating, taking stock and moving forward. Making the most of the break.
COURSE BREAK
Session 16: Wednesday 19 July
Revisiting beginnings: What are some of the common ‘ways of beginning a novel, and what effects and expectations do they create for the reader? What are you aiming to achieve in your own opening?
Session 17: Wednesday 26 July
Research, ethics, writing from life: Writing fiction has freedoms, but also some responsibilities. A consideration of some ethical issues raised by drawing on real events or real people’s lives in your work.
Session 18: Wednesday 2 August
Theme, Imagery and Symbolism: What are the ‘big ideas’ at work in your novel? How are they translated onto the page via imagery and symbol?
Session 19: Saturday 5 August
Editing, part 1: Structural Editing: All editing requires perspective, but editing for story, plot and structure is very different to a line edit. This session has a focus on the big picture.
Session 20: Wednesday 9 August
Editing part 2: Close Editing: This session focuses on the process of editing your work on the sentence level, with a focus on elements such as syntax, word choice, clarity and rhythm.
Session 21: Wednesday 16 August
Pitching and synopsis boot camp: How do you describe your work to other people, particularly other professionals? This session talks about the differences between the blurb, the synopsis and the pitch, and how to tackle each.
Session 22: Saturday 19 August
Acting coach and articulating your project: Guest: presentation and pitching. In this special session students are coached by a skilled actor/voice coach in using performance skills for presentations and readings, and also for pitching. In the afternoon you will work on refining and practicing your own pitches.
Session 23: Wednesday 23 August
Character and narrative arcs: How does character drive your novel? A consideration of the relationship between character, plot and structure.
Session 24: Wednesday 30 August
Language and detail: This session focuses on the use of detail to enrich your writing, and on figurative elements such as simile and metaphor
Session 25: Saturday 2 September
Guest writer – the publication process and resolving your novel: A guest writer will discuss their experience of the publication process. The second part of the class will focus on ‘resolving’ your novel in both senses – how to create a satisfying resolution, and how to sustain your momentum as you work towards that elusive finish line.
Session 26: Wednesday 6 September
Guest agent and pitches: In this session we will be joined by a literary agent. Students will have the opportunity to practice their pitch, and ask questions about getting an agent.
Session 27: Wednesday 13 September
Guest publisher and pitches: In this session we will be joined by a publisher. Students will have the opportunity to practice their pitch, and ask questions about how to get a publisher’s attention and how to work with them in the long term.
Session 28: Wednesday 20 September
Wrap up: how to maintain your writing practice. Followed by a celebratory dinner.
Faber Writing Anthology sessions:
- Session 29: Meet the Editor in Residence
- Session 30: Meet the Faber UK Team
All Saturday sessions are held in person at Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, 251 Faraday Street Carlton VIC 3053, and are fully catered. Evening sessions are hosted on Zoom, except for the first and final evening sessions, which will take place in person at the Kathleen Syme Library.
The exact course content could be adjusted according to the experience and concerns of the group and availability of guest writers. The detail of the course is at the discretion of the Course Director and Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin.
