- Home
- Develop
Develop
Tools to help develop your writing skills.
- Program
Program
Workshops and events.
- Resources
Resources
Professional resources for writers.
- Manuscript assessment
- Mentorship Program
SA Writers Centre Mentorship Program
The mentorship program is designed to connect our members with a suitable mentor, at any stage of their writing careers. From writing craft, editing, pre publication, to marketing and publicity mentorships – and encompassing a wide range of genres – SA Writers Centre will assist you to identify the most appropriate mentor for your needs.Selection of Mentor
There are a number of mentors listed on our website. Please familiarise yourself with them and prepare a shortlist of preferred mentors.Karen Wyld Ruth Starke Rebekah Clarkson Cassandra Dean Anne Bartlett Carla Caruso Bernard Whimpress Anna Solding Scott Zarcinas Ben Stubbs Cameron Raynes Lauren Foley Jane Turner Goldsmith Tony Shillitoe Ray TyndaleMentorship Application Form
You will also need to identify at least one (maximum of three) goals for your mentorship and agree to the full terms and conditions.Process
SA Writers Centre will connect you with a mentor with four weeks of application. Mentorship fees must be paid in advance in full to the Centre.What to expect
Mentorship hours are billed for actual time spent, in 15 minute (minimum) increments. This includes all contact with the mentee including phone/Skype/IM conversations, emails, reading and feedback time and face to face meetings.Note this means that if you send four emails to your mentor, that will equate to one hour of mentorship time.The mentor and mentee will develop a shared timetable and plan, including identified goals, and will keep a weekly record that tracks progress towards goals and time spent by the mentor.Any questions or difficulties will be resolved by the SA Writers Centre.Rates
Mentorships are offered in five hour blocks.5 hours $55010 hours $88020 hours $1650You can add additional blocks upon completion of initial blocks if you and your mentor agree that this would be beneficial for your work.[gravityform id="15" title="true" description="true"] - Consultations
- Professional development
- First FeedbackAre you just starting out as a writer and looking for some guidance?Our online First Feedback service provides an opportunity for new writers to get a first reader for their work. Submit up to 1500 words of writing or up to four pages of poetry (Times New Roman, 12pt, double-spaced) and receive a page of general feedback on your story and your writing, with some questions designed to develop and challenge your writing skills. You will receive your feedback within four weeks of submitting. This service is available for members only.For more information, please contact info@writerssa.org.au[gravityform id="13" title="true" description="true"]
- Member Info Sheets
Members only: full access to our info sheets library is available to Writers SA members. Not a member yet? You can join us here. Logged in and having trouble viewing the info sheets? Email us.
Writers SA is dedicated to providing members with information and support for your professional and creative development, at any level of your writing career.We have developed information sheets for Writers SA members, offering guidance and information on the most common writing and publishing topics. These resources contain a wealth of knowledge on writers’ frequently asked questions, on everything from getting a literary agent to self-publishing.Don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter, which is free and designed to give you the latest opportunities and information. For more articles on writing, head to our blog.Info Sheets + Resources
Finding an agent
Everything you need to know about finding and submitting to literary agents. [PDF]Editing
There are different types of editing as you embark on the publication process – whether through a traditional publisher or as a self-publisher. These are some terms you’ll get to know. [PDF]Writing a synopsis
Summarising your book into a page or two can be a challenge for any writer. Read on for more information and tips. [PDF]How to get published
So you’ve finished a manuscript and want to get it published? Read on for an overview of how to stand out and head towards a publishing contract. [PDF]Self-publishing
Thinking of diving into self-publishing? Here’s what you need to know. [PDF]Book cover design
Whether you’re going through a traditional publisher or designing your own cover, here are some things to consider. [PDF]Grants
Grants are an important part of the Australian arts industry, but how do you write a competitive application? Check out our advice and tips. [PDF]Book launches
A book launch is a great opportunity for you to celebrate your publishing success and kick start the marketing of your new book. [PDF]Copyright
Copyright is an economic right that means you, as the creator, can control what happens to your work. [PDF]Legal issues for writers
Find out more about copyright, defamation and using other peoples’ work. [PDF]Vanity publishing
Learn more about the traps and pitfalls of vanity publishing, and how it differs from traditional publishing. [PDF]Writing Craft
Like any artform, writing craft must be learned and developed. Here, we explore the key principles of craft, including plot, setting, characters, dialogue and more. [PDF]Tax tip for writers
Tips and advice for compiling a tax return as a writer or creative. Read blog post.Submissions tracker
A template to keep track of your submissions. Download Excel template [Google doc] - Useful links
- Members
Members
Membership information and resources.
- Interact
Interact
Keep up to date with those around you.
- Blog
- SA First Nations Writers Group
The South Australian First Nations Writers Group was established to foster and develop the continuing diversity and growth of local First Nations writing in South Australia. It is coordinated by Edoardo Crismani, a descendant of the Wiradjuri people, author of poetry and short stories and working on his first novel manuscript.The group meets once a month, and currently these gatherings take place over Zoom due to Covid-19 restrictions.Meeting dates for 2020:- Wednesday 21 October
- Wednesday 18 November
- Wednesday 16 December
- A Year in ReviewWriters SA in partnership with The Adelaide Review have launched ‘A Year in Review’, a new national program of literary criticism, supported by The Australia Council for the Arts. As a recipient of The Australia Council of the Arts COVID-19 Resilience Fund, Writers SA will deliver a year-long literary criticism program designed to provide important coverage to Australian authors affected by the pandemic, and a platform for emerging local critics.The first review will be published shortly. Keep your eyes on The Adelaide Review and this page for the latest. For more information on the project, click here.
- Writers & Readers in ResidenceIn 2018, Writers SA launched its Writers and Readers in Residence Project, in which South Australian and international writers undertake an artistic residency in regional communities to activate reading as well as writing in the town. The Writers and Readers in Residence Project will take place from 2018 to 2020, and has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.In the first year of the project, residencies were awarded to Bernice Chauly (Malaysia), Jane Howard, Karen Wyld and Manal Younus.
2018 Writers and Readers in Residence
Bernice Chauly
Bernice Chauly is a novelist, poet and educator. She is the award-winning author of six books of poetry and prose which include the acclaimed memoir Growing up With Ghosts, Onkalo, and the novel Once We Were There, which won the Penang Monthly Book Prize 2017. Since 2011, she has directed the George Town Literary Festival, shortlisted at the London Book Fair’s International Excellence Awards 2017. Her contribution to the Griffith Review: Commonwealth Now is “The Batang Kali massacre, Truth still denied”.While on her Writers SA residency, Bernice worked with South Australian poet Ali Cobby Eckermann at her property in Koolunga. She also appeared at Adelaide Writers Week and New Zealand Festival.Jane Howard
Jane Howard is a journalist, critic, artist and researcher who works throughout Australia. She is a contributing editor at Kill Your Darlings Journal, where she focuses on podcast criticism, and a regular contributor to Guardian Australia. Jane has worked for the Guardian across Australia and in Asia; had writing commissioned in England, Scotland, Canada, and the Czech Republic. She was director of the 2016 Digital Writers’ Festival and coordinator of HIVE at the 2017 Adelaide Film Festival. Jane is currently manager of communications and development at ActNow, and a research assistant at Deakin University.Jane undertook her residency in Renmark in partnership with the Renmark Paringa Library. Jane met with local readers at the library and with students at St. Joseph’s School Renmark and Glossop High School, and ran a workshop at Riverland Youth Theatre.Karen Wyld
As a freelancer, Karen writes trade book reviews for Books + Publishing and has op-eds published in NITV, Meanjin, Al Jazeera, Guardian Australia and Indigenous X. She has a piece in the Spring issue of Meanjin, which is a fictional telling of four girls in Western Australia, who were part of the Stolen Generations. Her debut novel, When Rosa Came Home, was shortlisted for a SA Readers & Writers People’s Choice Award in 2015. Her draft manuscript, Where the Fruit Falls, was shortlisted for the Richell Prize in 2017. Karen was a participant of Hardcopy in 2018, after being awarded the inaugural ACT Writers & First Nations Australia Writers Network Indigenous Writers Scholarship.
Karen spent a month in Ceduna for her residency, where she edited her novel, Where the Fruit Falls, which she worked on during the Hardcopy professional development program for writers. She also commenced her next project, Bestiarium Terra Nullius: peculiar beings of uninhabited southern lands, which is a series of three novellas. Following the journeys of maritime explorers, such as Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders, some of this work is based in the Great Australian Bight.
While in Ceduna Karen was hosted by the Ceduna School Community Library, and presented writing workshops with readers from the wider community, the Ceduna Area School, and met with community at Arts Ceduna and Far West Languages Centre.
Manal Younus
Manal Younus is an Australian based freelance storyteller from Eritrea who believes that language and stories are the very fabric of our existence. The young artist also facilitates writing, performance, public speaking, youth empowerment and intercultural awareness workshops in schools, community groups.Younus has featured on ABC’s QandA, presented at the Adelaide TEDx Conference in 2016, the National Multicultural Women’s Conference of 2016, the Adelaide Festival of Ideas and Open State Festival, the Halogen Foundation’s Young Leaders Convention, The Council for International Schools Conference 2017 and James Cook University’s Young Language Ambassadors Conference of 2018.Manal’s residency took place in Port Augusta in partnership with the Port Augusta Public Library. She also spent time with local writers, readers and artists, in particular with the local community arts groups Desert Voices Choir and Dusty Feet Mob. Manal focused on writing a new collection of poetry, which explores youth, self, femininity, faith and migration. Following her residency, Manal will keep in touch with the community through digital updates to show the progression of her writing work. Subscribe to Writers SA for news about the 2019-20 iterations of the Writers and Readers in Residence Project. - National Writers’ Centre NetworkThe National Writers’ Centre Network is Australia’s largest network of writers. The network supports and connects writers in all the States and Territories of Australia. Together, we represent more than 10,000 members and a much broader constituency of early career, emerging and established authors – across all genres, all styles and all parts of Australia.
ACT Writers
Doonkuna Wing, Gorman House Arts Centre, Ainslie Avenue, Braddon ACTNT Writers’ Centre
Froghollow Centre for the Arts, 55 McMinn Street, Darwin NTQueensland Writers Centre
Level 2, State Library of Queensland, Cultural Centre, Stanley Place, South Bank QLDTasWriters
77 Salamanca Place, Hobart TASWriting NSW
Callan Park, Balmain Road, Rozelle, NSWWriters SA
Institute Building, Kintore Avenue, Adelaide SAWriters Victoria
Level 3, The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale Street, VICWriting WA
Alexander Library Building, 25 Francis Street, Perth Cultural Centre, WA - Southern Write ArchiveSouthern Write is the SA Writers Centre newsletter/magazine. It was discontinued in 2014, but there is a wealth of information on writing craft in these pages.2014March editionJune edition 2013March editionJune editionSeptember editionDecember edition 2012February editionMarch editionJune editionSeptember editionDecember edition 2010February editionMarch editionApril editionMay editionJune editionJuly editionAugust editionSeptember editionOctober editionNovember editionDecember edition 2009February editionMarch editionApril editionMay editionJune editionJuly editionAugust editionSeptember editionOctober editionNovember editionDecember edition 2008February editionMarch editionApril editionMay editionJune editionJuly editionAugust editionSeptember editionOctober editionDecember edition 2007February editionMarch editionApril editionMay editionJune editionJuly editionAugust editionSeptember editionOctober editionNovember editionDecember edition 2006February editionMarch editionApril editionMay editionJune editionJuly editionAugust editionSeptember editionOctober editionNovember editionDecember edition 2005February editionMarch editionApril editionMay editionJune editionAugust editionSeptember editionOctober editionNovember editionDecember edition
- About
About
About our organisation.
- News
- Staff
- Board
- Sponsors
- FAQ
- Advertise
- Volunteering
Volunteering with the SA Writers Centre offers a chance for you to expand your skills, ready you for the workforce and provide you with an operational understanding of a professional arts organisation. Whilst we currently don’t have any vacancies for volunteers, we do encourage you to register your details with us here and we will notify you of any suitable opportunities.SA Writers Centre has a wide reaching professional development program that offers free and ticketed events for local writers – from our Quick and Dirty reading nights, Member Meetup events – through to ticketed events such as literary dinners, fundraising events and regular workshops. The majority of our volunteer opportunities require event preparation, venue set up and pack up, front of house and bar shifts for our regular onsite and offsite events and often reside out of normal office hours, such as evenings and weekends.We really value our volunteers and are committed to ensuring the experience is positive and useful and we strive to provide pathways for them. Many of our current staff began with us through our volunteer program. Occasionally, we also have volunteering vacancies in the areas of administration and workshop delivery. We’re looking for people who want to begin or boost their career in the arts, who want to support opportunities for local writers, or who just want to get involved and have some fun.If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please ensure you fill out this form and you will be contact should we require your assistance or further details. - Gift Vouchers
- Contact
- Subscribe
- Donate
