“No matter what the genre, a story needs tension. If the reader knows everything up front, there’s no hook, no questions and no reason to read on.”
To learn how to hook your reader and keep them caught, join Pamela Cook in her Saturday 15 September workshop Turn Up The Tension.

These days, there are expectations on writers beyond finishing a manuscript. Do you have a website or blog? Do you need to be on social media? Join Karen Andrews on Saturday 15 September to learn all the tools you need to enter the digital space.

Adele Dumont reveals some of her experiences from her one week residency with Varuna. She reflects on how the fellowship gave her the opportunity to disconnect from her normal rhythm and write in a new environment.

‘The writing that really makes me tingle when I read it is that which somehow makes the familiar world seem new and strange and wonderful again. It doesn’t always follow the rules that we’re often taught in creative writing classes, but it surprises us and makes us see differently.’

‘By drawing upon these archetypal figures in our creative writing and storytelling, we can speak from our unconscious to the unconscious of the audience, imbuing our characters with greater symbolic power and emotional resonance.’

‘Personally, I like heroes with all the old-fashioned virtues of honour and courage, with a good sense of humour and a sharp brain.’