This course consists of twenty-two 2-hour Monday evening classes and six catered, full-day Saturday sessions at the Salamanca Arts Centre. Two additional evening sessions dedicated to the Faber Writing Anthology will take place over Zoom.
Stage One: Getting started with the Fundamentals
Session 1: Monday, 15 February
Introduction
with Liz Evans and Kate Kruimink
In this opening session, you’ll meet your tutors and fellow writers and share the project you’re bringing to the course. We’ll look at why your story matters now, consider the questions and tensions at its core, and address the obstacles—narrative, emotional, practical—writers face when committing to long-form work. We’ll also set realistic expectations for the course and discuss strategies for sustaining momentum.
Session 2: Monday, 22 February
Fundamentals of Fiction
with Liz Evans
What makes a story a story? What is unique to fictional narrative? In this session, we’ll be considering the key components of storytelling, including plot, theme, structure, setting, and character, and exploring how each of these interact within a novel. We’ll also be asking what works for you and your individual story, and looking at how you can employ these different elements in various ways for maximum impact.
Session 3: Saturday, 27th Feb
Beginnings
with Kate Kruimink
Where do you begin, and how much work should your opening line do? During this session, we will explore various ways to enter a story, testing different entry points to see which best establishes the stakes, the mood, and the central curiosity of your work-in-progress. We’ll look at some of the most remarkable beginnings in fiction and consider some of the formal principles of beginnings.
Session 4: Monday, 1 March
Sentences and Scenes
with Liz Evans
In this class, we’ll focus on the foundations of all good writing—the construction of effective sentences, and how to build these into scenes. We’ll consider the importance of knowing how to write a scene, look at what differentiates a scene from a summary, and think about scenes in terms of narrative drive, including moving from one scene to another.
Monday, 8 March
[Public Holiday]
Session 5: Monday, 15 March
Narrative Distance/Point of View
with Kate Kruimink
Who is telling the story, from where and when, and why? What is the effect of and distinction between a reliable and an unreliable narrator? What are the implications of omniscience, or lack thereof? This session examines point of view and narrative distance, with a focus on how these choices shape authority, intimacy, and reader trust. We’ll consider point of view not just as a technical choice, but as an ethical and narrative stance.
Session 6: Saturday, 20 March
Voice
with Liz Evans
What do we mean by ‘narrative voice’? How can we develop a sense of our own authorial voice, while working effectively with narrative point of view? And how can narrative voice bring our story and characters to life? Thinking about voice in terms of authority and authenticity, we will also consider the performative voice in relation to your story, and how to captivate your reader with this fundamental aspect of your writing.
Session 7: Monday, 22 March
Tense
with Liz Evans
How do you choose the right tense for your novel? How does tense work with narrative perspective? Which combinations will best support your story? And why does grammar matter so much when it comes to verbs and tenses? In this lesson, we’ll consider the various effects of different tenses, including the all-important perfect tense. We’ll also think about how tense and narrative perspective work together to create texture, tone and mood, and what kinds of responses these various combinations may evoke in your reader.
BREAK
Stage Two: Deep-Diving into Craft
Session 8: Monday, 3 May
Dialogue
with Kate Kruimink
This intensive session focuses on dialogue as both spoken exchange and narrative device. We’ll examine pace, subtext, and power dynamics, paying particular attention to what is left unsaid: the tension that exists between what characters say and what they actually mean, as well as the complicated choice of having a character decide to remain silent.
Session 9: Saturday, 8 May
Character
with Liz Evans
What makes a good character? Who are your favourite characters, and why? How important is character to story? And how well do you know the characters you’re creating? In this session, drawing on Liz’s psychoanalytic background, we’ll be thinking about the importance of creating believable and engaging characters and considering the various ways in which this can be achieved. We’ll also be looking at why ‘bedding down’ is a necessary process for your characters, and how compiling case files, or an equivalent that works for you, can help.
Session 10: Monday, 10 May
Active Reading/Learning to Read as a Writer
with Liz Evans
How important is reading to you? What part has reading played in your life, and how has it influenced your decision to try writing yourself? In this session, we’ll look at why reading is essential to the work of a writer and think about the differences as well as the connections between active engagement with a text and reading purely for pleasure, drawing on Liz’s lifelong passion for books as well as her literary critic’s perspective.
Session 11: Monday, 17 May
Object and Detail
with Kate Kruimink
This session explores the power of specificity in fiction. We will analyse the meaning everyday objects carry, and how to write significant objects and concrete details that anchor your scenes, reveal character depth, and carry subtext without over-explaining.
Session 12: Monday, 24 May
Place and Setting
with Kate Kruimink
In this session, we will discuss and analyse how to create a convincing fictive world, and foray into the distinction between place and setting. We will consider sensory details that transform your story’s location into an active narrative force that reveals and develops character and theme.
Session 13: Monday, 31 May
Guest Author – Robbie Arnott
with Kate Kruimink
Meet celebrated literary author Robbie Arnott (Flames, The Rain Heron, Limberlost, Dusk) and hear about his particular approach to process and craft.
Session 14: Monday, 7 June
Minor Characters
with Liz Evans
In this class, we’ll consider the pivotal role of your minor characters and look at the significance of your support cast. We’ll also be thinking about why it’s important to know these key figures well, and how to employ them strategically for the purposes of your plot as well as your main characters.
WINTER BREAK
Stage Three: Big-picture thinking
Session 15: Monday, 19 July
Research
with Liz Evans
Why is research important for your novel? And how do you go about doing it effectively? In this session, Liz draws on her research background to demystify an essential aspect of writing fiction. We’ll look at the need for accuracy and authenticity in relation to keeping your reader on board, consider the various ways in which you can undertake your research, and focus on the pleasure of this part of the process. We’ll also think about the problems posed by AI.
Session 16: Monday, 26 July
Ethical questions
with Kate Kruimink
We will discuss some of the most pressing ethical questions relevant to fiction today, including matters of AI, own voices and representation, and plagiarism. We’ll take a look at some real-life cases and controversies for analysis.
Session 17: Saturday, 31 July
Plot and Structure
with Kate Kruimink
This session examines the architectural framework of long-form narrative. We will experiment with structural models and more intuitive approaches to ensure your plot remains cohesive, maintains momentum, and delivers satisfying narrative payoffs for your readers.
Session 18: Monday, 2 August
Rhythm and Pace
with Liz Evans
What’s the difference between rhythm and pace, and how are they connected? How can you put them to work in your novel? In this class, we’ll look at each of these related but separate elements of storytelling in turn, focusing on the ways in which they impact momentum and propulsion, and finding out which tactical methods can help you shift your narrative gears.
Session 19: Monday, 9 August
Themes and Symbolism
with Liz Evans
Theme is the connective tissue of your story, offering the Why to the What of your Plot. Symbolism supports and reinforces Theme, adding depth and meaning through patterns that run throughout your narrative. In this class, we will look at the importance of understanding your themes, and how they relate to the topics of your narrative and consider the benefits of knowing your symbols inside out, as well as where to place them.
Session 20: Monday, 16 August
Handling Time
with Kate Kruimink
Time is one of the novelist’s most powerful tools and most exciting avenues for experimentation. This session examines how to manipulate narrative time through flashbacks, flash-forwards, pacing, and compression. We will discuss how to control the pacing of your novel, so that it is in sync with the atmosphere and tone you intend to evoke.
Session 21: Monday, 23 August
Genre
with Liz Evans
Why is genre important? Who is it for? You? Your readers? Publishers? Or bookshops? Where does your novel sit in relation to genre? The answers to these questions are varied and complex, so this session aims to unpack, navigate, subvert, and/or embrace the sticky topic of genre conventions. Whether your novel is comfortably aligned with genre or not, we will think about ways in which you can work consciously with ideas about categories and reader expectations to hold your nerve, sharpen your narrative focus and confidently position your manuscript within the marketplace.
Stage Four: Looking Outwards
Session 22: Monday, 30 August
Guest Author – Keely Jobe
with Liz Evans
Meet author and non-fiction editor at Island magazine, Keely Jobe (The Endling) and hear about her particular approach to process and craft.
Session 23: Saturday, 4 September
Editing and Revision
with Kate Kruimink
In this session we will explore practical strategies for tackling the next draft of your manuscript. Learn how to systematically approach structural editing, refine character arcs, polish prose at the line level, and embrace the rewriting process.
Session 24: Monday, 6 September
Synopsis and Pitch
with Liz Evans
How do you command the attention of the publishing industry and keep your novel off the slush pile? What do you need to communicate about your story, and how can you do this effectively and memorably? In this class, we’ll look at the difference between an elevator pitch, a slightly longer publishing pitch, and a more comprehensive synopsis, and why you need to develop both before sending your novel into the world. We’ll also think about the value of learning to pitch your novel verbally.
Session 25: Monday, 13 September
Guest Publisher – TBC
with Kate Kruimink
Session 26: Saturday, 18 September
Guest Agent & Pathways to Publication
with Liz Evans
With invaluable input from today’s Guest Agent, we’ll take a thorough look at the Australian publishing business and consider the best ways for you to approach the industry with your novel. Whether or not you choose to reach out to agents or head straight to the publishers, you’ll need to think about which individuals are best positioned to champion your novel. You’ll also want to be aware of legal issues, contracts, international rights, any existing support within the field, and the pros and cons of self-publishing. Finally, we’ll focus on setting realistic targets, and think about preparatory routes for emerging writers.
Session 27: Monday, 20 September
Future Directions
with Liz Evans and Kate Kruimink
As we come to the end of the course, hopefully you’re well on the way to having a polished draft under your belt. But how can you maintain momentum, find support, and seek out realistic opportunities towards the goal of publication? In this session, we discuss awards, prizes, City of Literature initiatives, and achievable ways to start building your portfolio as you begin to establish a career in writing. We’ll also discuss how to balance a private writing practice with active participation in the wider literary community.
Session 28: Monday, 27 September
Soiree celebration at venue TBC
with Liz Evans and Kate Kruimink
In our final session, writers will share excerpts from their novels-in-progress to friends and relatives at a soiree (with wine!).
Faber Writing Anthology sessions:
- Session 29: Meet the Anthology Editor (Zoom session)
- Session 30: Meet the Faber UK Team (Zoom session)
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.
