Queensland Writing Centre

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QWC Resource Sheets

Want some advice on writing for children and young adults? Check out QWC's resource sheet on the topic.

AWMonline Writing Race - 7 September
Steph Bowe is the AWMonline Writing Race guest on 7 September - all writers are welcome to attend this special event (live forums are usually limited to AWMonline subs only) - young writers especially encouraged to come along and hear 16-year-old Steph's amazing journey from blogger to debut author with Girl Saves Boy.

Young Writers Rollout!
When: 6 September for one month
What: Attendees of our Young Writers Bootcamp and youth writers it's time to catch up with each other and Tristan Bancks, to find out what you've been writing since the Young Writers Bootcamp, or if you didn't attend Bootcamp to find out a bit more about our youth writing programme.

We will be publishing the bootcampers line-by-line stories on our twitter account, publishing their full stories on our QWC blog, and linking their youtube clips to facebook!

To launch the Young Writers Rollout, bootcampers and friends also be able to participate in the AWMonline Writers Race with guest racer Steph Bowe this Tuesday (7 September). Steph just had her first book published at the age of 16!!!

We'll have other Writing Race guests during the month, including Tristan Bancks who's interested in hearing about what you've all been writing since bootcamp!

The Writers Race will run from 7.45pm to 9pm. It is a self-directed, one hour (plus introduction from the Writing Captain ie. Steph Bowe on Tuesday 7 September) writing session done in the company of your online peers as part of a Forum. You might like to spend the time writing, editing, plotting your own work or thinking about your next story. Steph Bowe will moderate the Writing Race and share her experience with race-goers.

Usually the Writers Races are for subscribers to AWMonline but for our one month Young Writers Rollout we're opening them up to our bootcampers and their friends! If you would like to access the free AWMonline forum and aren't a current subscriber, please email Kristina Smith at ksmith@qwc.asn.au your full name and your email address by midday Tuesday 7 September and we'll set up your account and give you details about how to access the Writing Race on Tuesday evening.

QWC Raffle Winners!!!
The winner of the QWC bonanza BWF General Fiction Raffle was Bob Cleland. The winner of the Speculative Fiction Raffle was Marie Dowd. Thank you to everybody who visited us during Brisbane Writers Festival weekend, and everyone who bought tickets to the raffle. We hope the winners enjoy reading their tower of books.

AWM Online Learning Centre - Upcoming Courses
Mini Course

Duration: two weeks, starting 20 September 2010
This two-week mini course gives you the opportunity to try out online learning activities and explore different aspects of creative writing. Practical activities are offered on the following topics: Generating Ideas, Plot & Structure, Beginnings, Characterisation, Dialogue, and Where to from Here?

For more information, or to book into a course, visit the website: http://awmonlinelearn.com.au/course/category.php?id=9.

YONline with Belinda Jeffrey
Duration: 26 fortnights, 1 October 2010 till 30 September 2011
Challenge yourself to complete the ultimate writing journey in Kim Wilkins' YONline under the tutelage of author of Brown Skin Blue and Big River Little Fish, Belinda Jeffrey. Belinda will guide you through this course created by Kim Wilkins and help you get that manuscript finished in a year! For more information, or to book into a course, visit the website: http://awmonlinelearn.com.au/course/category.php?id=4.

Pitching to Publishers with Sally Collings
Duration: four-week course, 1-28 September

You've written your manuscript (or the beginnings of one), now you need a publisher. This course will show you how to push all the right buttons to attract a publisher's eye. Discover what commissioning editors love and what they loathe, in a range of genres (non-fiction, fiction, children's). From writing a captivating synopsis to deciding where to send it, participants will work through all facets of the proposal process. For more information, or to book into a course, visit the website: http://awmonlinelearn.com.au/course/category.php?id=12.

Writing Your Life with Patti Miller
When: 10am-4.30pm each day, Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September
Where: Rockhampton workshop.
Cost: QWC members $160; concession members $140; non-members $220
A memoir is a powerful way to share your own personal story with the world. You may wish to share your extraordinary life with others, or highlight an event that changed your life. Shaping this story into a tale your reader finds memorable and rewarding can be a struggle. But with Patti Miller's help, you'll be enthralling them all. Patti, acclaimed writing teacher, will teach you techniques to help you find your voice, create a narrative from your life, and shape your story with texture and detail.

The Art of Writing Romance with Valerie Parv
When: 10.30am-4.30pm, Saturday 18 September
Cost: QWC members $110; concession members $100; non-members $160

Fallen in love with writing romance? Join Valerie Parv (The Art of Romance Writing) as she outlines various types of romance and their special requirements. By introducing you to the Awesome Foursome of Romance Writing, Valerie will help you create believable characters, handle dialogue and viewpoint as well as develop workable conflicts and effective plots.

QWC Special Event: Becoming a Professional Author with Simon Higgins and Rebecca Sparrow
When: 6.30pm-8.30pm, Thursday 23 September
Cost: $55
QWC and Simon Higgins have been hatching a new mentoring program for young writers over the last couple of years and are proud to announce their first joint fundraising event as part of this new initiative.

Proceeds from the event will enable QWC to kick off this amazing program in early 2011. The authors are generously donating their time to help get this new program off the ground. So have you entertained the dream of turning your love of writing into a career? How do you make the words pay the bills? And how do you take that step from being a hobbyist to a professional?

Join Simon Higgins and Rebecca Sparrow as they explain how they made the leap and turned their passion into a career at this captivating seminar. Simon and Rebecca will offer advice on what it means to be a professional author, the peaks and pitfalls of the industry . warts, champagne and all!

Editing Romance Without the Heartbreak with Valerie Parv
When: 10.30am-4.30pm, Sunday 19 September
Cost: QWC members $160; concession members $150; non-members $210
Explore the changing face of modern publishing and why your work needs to be publishing-ready when submitted. Valerie Parv (The Art of Romance Writing) will demonstrate her theory of matter versus manner and demystify the elements of editing romance writing such as line and copy editing, and looks at when not to make editorial changes. Learn to bullet-proof your manuscript before you take aim at your chosen market.

Bring out your Dead! Writing a Family History with Ian Townsend and Stephanie Ryan
When: 10.30am-4.30pm, Saturday 25 September
Cost: QWC members $110; concession members $100; non-members $160

A helpful course designed to get the most out of a most useful resource - The State Library of Queensland (SLQ). SLQ is the first place you should start when you want to research your family history. With an extensive collection of newspaper archives, genealogical resources, indexes published by the Australian state registries of births, deaths and marriages, photographs, and much more. Book into this session to find out how you can access this magnificent wealth of information, what is available, how to search the collection, and who to talk to when you have any questions. Uncover your family's past and trace your background as far as you can!

PIR NEWS
Poet-in-Residence Legacy Launch
When: 6.30pm-7.30pm, Tuesday 21 September
Where: The Edge Auditorium, slq
Join QWC in farewelling the 2010 Arts Queensland Poet-in-Residence Emily XYZ as she launches her legacy item, Electronic Voice Phenomena: New Poems by Emily XYZ. EVP consists of recordings of works Emily has produced during her residency as well as remixes by Brisbane artists. Those of you who caught her performances at the Queensland Poetry Festival and Brisbane Writers Festival will not want to miss getting a copy of this gem to take home with you! Please RSVP by Thursday 16 September to rsvp@qwc.asn.au.

Fellowship of Australian Writers Queensland : 3 QWW Events!
Fellowship of Australian Writers Queensland (FAWQ) are plunging head first into the spirit of Queensland Writers Week (QWW) with these three great community events! For more information about QWW, visit www.queenslandwritersweek.com.

Readings on Sunday
When: 10 October (The QWW warm up event!)
Where: St Luke's Anglican Church Hall, Toowoomba
Cost: Gold coin donation.
This open mic session is set to sizzle with local writers of all ages being invited to come along and share their work. Gold coin donation requested to cover catering costs. All welcome! They request that material is family friendly. For more information contact Susan Skowronski on 0409 614 493.

Classroom Workshops
When: 11-15 October
Where: Gayndah State School
Cost: Free!
Students from Gayndah State School will be exploring Susan Skowronski's book Farmer's Kids using resources developed by Duncan Richardson to develop their skills and explore the wonderful world of writing!

Meet the Author
Where: 15 October
When: Springfield College
Cost: Free!
Springfield College students will meet Susan Skowronski and explore her book Farmer's Kids using resources developed by Duncan Richardson and engage in classroom activities using the work of both authors.

Resident Partners
How Does a Career in Publishing Sound?
black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing Project is seeking Indigenous trainee candidates for the kuril dhagun Indigenous Editing Mentorships program, located in Brisbane at the State Library of Queensland. This two-year mentorship will train two trainee editors in the craft of manuscript development and the processes of book publishing. Tertiary qualifications, in any field, are required. Contact black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing Project to set up an appointment for an interview. Interviews close COB Wednesday 15 September 2010. Email indigenous.writing@slq.qld.gov.au.

Community

Book Launch
Rebecca Bloomer will be launching her book, Foley Russel and That Poor Girl, published by Odyssey Books.
When: 11am, Sunday 19 September
Where: Billy's Beach House, Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise
The launch will be a combination book launch/fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Champagne and fingerfood provided. For more information, contact Rebecca on bloowillbooks@bigpond.com.

Book Launch
Gisela McIntyre will be launching her book, So Many Stories to Tell, which spans three centuries and three continents.
When: 10am-1pm, Saturday 25 September
Where: Blue Mango Bar, Cairns Espanade, Mercure Habourside (next block after Cairns Base Hospital along Esplanade)
To order a copy of the book, or for more information regarding the launch, please contact Gisela on
giselamc@optusnet.com.au.

Survey - Authors, Copyright, and the Digital Evolution
Francina Cantatore is conducting research on authors' views on copyright issues. She is currently doing an online survey entitled 'Authors, Copyright, and the Digital Evolution'. If you would like to have your say on this issue, you can do the survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/authorsandcopyright. The survey will only take a few minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. It will be open for completion until 30 September. Francina will be making the results of the survey available to the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) for their newsletter. There is a free paper available on the ASA website on E-books:
Royalties and Contracts if you would like more information on copyright issues.

Opportunity
FAW NSW Inc. Walter Stone Award 2010 for Life Writing
The Walter Stone Award is given on the even biennial year for an original, unpublished manuscript to show some aspect of Australian history or have some Australian historical significance. The prize is paid from a trust fund established by Margaret Stone to honour her late father. ife Writing' is defined as biography, autobiography, memoir, monograph, bibliography. Biography and autobiography may be an extract to meet the word count requirements. Word limit is between 10,000 and 25,000 words. Entry fee is $20. First prize is $1,500. Deadline for entries is Thursday 30 September. Further details and an entry form can be found at www.fawnsw.org.au/News/competitions.htm.

Songwriting Competition
When a song is created do the words or music come first? As an Australian poet/wordsmith, you are being set the challenge to write lyrics for a new hit single! You will have until Thursday 30 September to submit lyrics for this new song, composed by established ARIA award-winning music composer/producer, James Roche, who will select the winning entry in consultation with a judging panel. Please email admin@australianpoetrycentre.org.au with all questions. To download the music, or more information, visit the Australian Poetry Centre website: www.australianpoetrycentre.org.au/?page_id=975.

Publishing Freelancers - Expressions of Interest Required
Red Hill Publishing is seeking expressions of interest from talented professionals who wish to be added to our directory of freelance suppliers. They need people with skills and experience in the following fields:
Writing; Editing; Proofreading; Researching; Project management; Publicity and marketing. Commercial experience is important, but talent and enthusiasm are the real must-haves. Work will be offered on a project-by-project contract basis. Send your CV along with a brief letter noting your areas of interest and expertise to: sally@redhill.me. Red Hill Publishing is a Brisbane-based publisher. They publish their own list of non-fiction titles, and they provide book creation services to individuals and organisations with great ideas of their own. Find out more about them at http://redhillpublishing.com.

Ghostwriter for Memoirs
Former model Lisa Cox is looking for a ghostwriter to assist with the creation of her memoir. Lisa had the world at her feet before a massive brain haemorrhage put her in a coma a few months prior to her 25th birthday. Lisa lives on Brisbane's north side and would like a writer to assist her in conducting interviews and review her partially written manuscript. A female writer is preferred. Payment by negotiation. If you are interested please contact Lisa directly by emailing LisaCox1@hotmail.com. For more information on Lisa's story visit www.lisacoxpresents.com.

Win! Win! Win!
The second part of the film version of Stieg Larsson's world-famous Millennium Trilogy: The Girl Who Played With Fire, is released on 23 September. In this follow-up to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, when a Swedish couple are murdered in their apartment, a nation-wide manhunt begins for the prime suspect, Lisbeth Salander. The couple were working closely with Mikael Blomkvist at Millennium magazine to expose the sex trafficking trade in Sweden, and Blomkvist, convinced of Salander's innocence, starts his own investigation into his friends' murders. Once again Salander and Blomkvist find their lives entangled in the most mysterious, and dangerous, way. www.milleniumtrilogymovie.com

For your chance to win one of 10 double in-season passes, please answer this question: What is the name of the final book in Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy?

Send your answer in the subject line of an email to jdevantier@qwc.asn.au, with your name and postal address in the body.

Classified Advertising
The events listed as classified ads are not organised or hosted by QWC. Please contact the relevant advertiser for further information.

Writing and Yoga Retreat
Byron Bay 6 - 12 October 2010
Join Sarah Armstrong, Alan Close, and Kathryn Riding in a beautiful peaceful setting. Be supported and encouraged in your writing, with one-on-one feedback and guidance as well as daily classes. Come away with lots of writing and confidence in your own writing voice. Beginners and unconfident writers welcome. From $1,780 for accommodation, classes, and all meals. For more info, visit www.sarah-armstrong.com, or call 0414 228 563.

Publishing Boot Camp 2010 - Everything you need to know about the business of books.
Publishing is a business. Big business. Unless you're prepared to sit around waiting for your lucky break the smartest thing you can do is get educated. That's why we created Publishing Boot Camp 2010. Using a typical publishing workflow we explain every process that makes a commercially viable book. Editorial, design, marketing, print, ebooks, distribution and more.

Publishing Boot Camp is about the business of books. The forum and workshop program is designed for: aspiring & established authors; independent publishers; current & future publishing professionals.

This might just be the smartest investment you make in your publishing career this year.
Publishing Boot Camp 2010. 16 October. Brisbane, Australia.
For more information visit www.redhillpublishing.com
Publishing Boot Camp 2010 is proudly presented by Red Hill Publishing.
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