With Margot McGovern

Term 2 dates: Saturdays April 27th to June 29th, 10:30 am – 12 pm

The Teen Writers Club is a place for young writers to make new connections, be inspired, and develop their writing. We provide a safe, fun and engaging program for passionate high school writers of all interests, ages and abilities.

Do you struggle to find time to write? Are you too distracted by the Book of Face or binge-watching TV series? Do you ever think to yourself, ‘If only I just had a solid day to write, I’d get so much done’? Then TWELVE, the literary lock-in, is for you.

"TWELVE" means no excuses, no limits, no distractions. Crank your writing projects up to boiling point with twelve hours of uninterrupted writing. You’ll be surprised how much you can get done.

Whether you’re starting a novel, finishing a work-in-progress, or just looking for time to focus, TWELVE is the way to do it.

with Clare Connelly

How do you write really great sex? We see it in movies, read it in books, but putting pen to paper and writing fast-paced and sensual sex scenes is a skill that can be difficult to master. More than just a single act, great sex begins in dialogue, with a couple's push/pull or tension; it's the brush of two hands, the promise of a glance that lingers just a moment too long, it's a need that ignites and demands attention. Great sex scenes can be made even greater when you know how!

with Andrew P Street

I’m sure we’ve all asked ourselves the question, ‘Can I make a living in the rough and tumble world of freelance writing? Is it possible to make a career of it? Can I do it at home without having to put on pants?’ The answer to all these questions is yes – but there are plenty of potential pitfalls you'll need to sidestep to enjoy that glorious, fulfilling, pants-free future. Andrew P Street has been there and done that, and will talk you through pitching, dealing with editors, hammering out pay rates, and making the day-to-day work for you.

with Katie Spain

Love food and want to write about it? It's not as easy as scoffing a meal and slapping words on a page. Learn the art of describing a food experience in a way that enlightens and informs readers. Author and food and wine journalist Katie Spain will provide tips on how to prepare for an interview, how to conduct yourself within the industry and how to tell the stories of people who put food on our plate. Great food writing should evoke emotion and when dealing with the food and wine industry, integrity is everything.

with Writers SA

Finding a good critique partner is an art unto itself. You’ve written something and your mum/dad/partner/friend loved it but they love everything you do. Receiving great feedback from non-biased community members is constructive and challenging. Giving it is a balancing act also.

Let us help you by sharing some tips and traps before your journey begins to hopefully matching up to the perfect writing buddy. After the general chit-chat, we’ll send you on a relaxed-style speed-dating whirlwind where you’ll get to share what you’re looking for with other like-minded authors in the hopes you’ll click and fall in mad writerly like.

In this fun and safe environment you'll enjoy networking with other writers and forge friendships in your local writing community.

Member Price: $30 / Non-Members: $60

Venue: Hutt St Library, Community Meeting Room (Level 2, 235 Hutt St, Adelaide

** This workshop is now full! If you'd like to be added to the wait-list, please email info@writerssa.org.au with the workshop name and 'wait-list' in the subject line. Thanks!

with Hannah Kent

Whether you have an idea for a novel based on true events or you wish to create a work of fiction set in the past, writing historical fiction requires deep consideration of character, narrative and prose to ensure that the work feels alive and relevant to a modern reader.

Through a series of writing exercises and insights into the creative practice of developing a work of historical fiction, this workshop will demonstrate the ways in which research can be used to strengthen characterisation, setting and plot, and will teach efficient techniques and approaches to avoid burdening your fiction with superfluous historical information or lapses into anachronism.

with Lisa L. Hannett

Are your daydreams filled with strange creatures, otherworldly characters, and haunting locales? Are your notebooks scribbled thick with ideas about odd magic, twisted tales, or “what ifs” that lead the imagination down weird and wonderful paths? Aimed at new and emerging writers, this workshop highlights the nuts and bolts of writing dark fantasy fiction, offering relevant tips, exercises, and inspiration for novelists and short story writers alike. This half-day course will equip you with tools like world-building, characterisation, plotting, and research for the most unusual, enchanting, and unsettling Fantasy stories.

with May-Kuan Lim

Many people write other people’s stories: family historians, journalists, social justice advocates, and NGOs seeking donor dollars. This workshop will examine ethical questions that arise when writing these kinds of stories and consider issues such as:

• What can these stories hope to achieve?
• Should this story be told? Should I be the one telling this story?
• Permissions, privacy and story ownership
• Potential pitfalls such as over-simplification
• The interplay between the writer’s agenda and the subject’s lived experience

May-Kuan Lim will lead participants to respond to examples of representation in writing and art and, through this, develop strategies to help us to write other people’s stories well.

with Maggie Tonkin

Feminism has made a thrilling mainstream resurgence with the rise of digital media and the urgency of #MeToo, in what is being dubbed the fourth-wave of feminism, focused on combatting sexual harassment, assault, and misogyny. But women (and a few men!) have been writing from a feminist perspective for centuries in various forms and pursuits. This workshop, held in the year of the 125th anniversary of women's suffrage, will acquaint you with key feminist writers both past and present, and help you find your own feminist voice across writing forms and genres.

Presented in partnership with The Centre of Democracy.