Perth Writers Festival Workshops

The Nuts And Bolts of Publishing

In this hands-on seminar for emerging writers, you learn the basics of getting published – from finding an agent to working with editors to preparing yourself for performance. Featuring authors, publishers, editors, agents, booksellers and other industry representatives, this is your one-stop shop for everything you've always wanted to know about getting started as a writer. For the full line-up of speakers, please click here.

Judith Lanigan

Storyline

Novelist Judith Lanigan takes you through the process of preparing a detailed storyline for your next novel or story. You learn different ways to write a storyline, ways to resolve problems and the benefits of doing so.

TOP

Brian Dibble

Life Writing

We examine elements of the biography: you the writer (skills and motives), subject (appeal and importance) and reader (including marketing). Is it doable? Are there research problems, ethical or libel issues, no-go areas or nay-sayers?

TOP

Neil White

The Art Versus the Craft of Writing

In this workshop covering the art and craft of writing, you explore creating visual scenes with concrete detail, illustrating conflict and emotion, conveying intimacy and vulnerability and the search for meaning.

TOP

Sue Woolfe

Creative Writing

Drawing from her book The Mystery of the Cleaning Lady: a Writer Looks at Creativity and Neuroscience, Sue Woolfe reveals a technique to pull together writings that seem to have no common ground.

TOP

Eleanor Catton

The Unworkshoppable Story

We discuss whether workshops work, jargon and how concepts such as 'character' can conventionalise stories. We see how workshops can inspire and look at 'unworkshoppable' published writing and key exercises.

TOP

Amanda Lohrey

Developing Your Voice for the Page

Amanda Lohrey is an award-winning novelist and essayist. In this very focused workshop you undertake a number of writing exercises using different subjects and voices – designed to get you writing intensively without time for reflection or self-doubt.

TOP

Marele Day

Crime Writing

Ned Kelly Awardwinner Marele Day covers everything you need to know to kick-start your crime writing: the 'rules' and what readers want, research for crime, bringing characters to life on the page and keeping the writing suspenseful.

TOP

Sara Foster

Editing

In this practical workshop, you learn the importance of editing, what's involved (including structural, line and copy editing) and how it really can make all the difference to your writing.

TOP

Mark Tredinnick

The Little Red Writing Workshop

Writing is talk, tidied by art and set down on paper. Hear tips for tidying your talk into fresh and original prose or poetry – into a vernacular music that sounds like no one but you. From the author of The Little Red Writing Book.

TOP

Linda Jaivin

Come to Your Senses

Spice up your writing with internationally bestselling novelist Linda Jaivin. In this practical workshop for writers of all levels, you undertake exercises in sensual writing suitable for all genres, from fiction to travel.

TOP

Michael Adams

Pop Culture Memoirs

Memoirist Michael Adams examines the process of writing a popular culture memoir. He covers the technical perspective (notes and drafts), mistakes, finding an agent, sales, revision, proofing, marketing and social networking.

TOP

Emily Maguire

Creating Compelling Characters

Create characters readers will love and remember. Find techniques for characterisation of protagonists, antagonists and minor characters. Choose the right point of view, voice and interplay of character and plot.

TOP