Here's how it works:

Beginning on Tuesday October 31st, you will meet online for with Dr Kathryn Heyman and guests for a two-hour masterclass with an intimate group of 8 – 10 writers, culminating in an exciting pitch session and Q&A with a leading literary agent. Each masterclass runs from 10am - 12 midday Sydney/Melbourne time.
 
31st October – Structural secrets
We begin by looking at the process of ‘the big rewrite’. Where are you now with your project? We’ll check in with the specific structural problems and then acclaimed author and mentor Dr Kathryn Heyman will guide you in specific actions and solutions to solve your structural problems.

 

7th November – Transformational Secrets (with Ross Grayson Bell, producer of cult film Fight Club)

When producer Ross Grayson Bell pulled the novel, Fight Club out of the slush pile all those years ago, he restructured the story to create a narrative which led to that film becoming a cult hit which helped launch Brad Pitt’s career. Since then, Ross has worked with scores of memoirists and novelists to create the perfect structure for their stories. In this inspirational session, Ross will walk you through the questions you need to ask of your characters and your story in order to create the greatest possible transformational arc.

 

14th November– Character secrets

How do you create the edit which ensures that your characters do the work,  that your balance of scenes and summary is working? How do you know if your pacing is right? At the end of this session you’ll have the tools to ensure your voice is singing on the page.

 

21st November - Publishing secrets (with Robert Watkins, Publishing Director at Ultimo Press)

What kind of edit do you need before you get your manuscript to a publisher? What work will the publisher do? How can you maximise your chances of getting a publisher to take your manuscript on? And what can you learn from the publisher’s editing process?  Robert Watkins, Publishing Director for Ultimo Press, has published many of Australia’s most acclaimed contemporary novelists, including Miles Franklin and Stella Prize-winners. In this exciting session, Robert will check in with you on your project, and give you insider knowledge on what to do next to make sure that your voice is getting through.

 

28th November  – Editing secrets (with Ian See, Senior Editor at UQP)

Now we come to the scene-by-scene, page-by-page. We’ll share the skills for completing the fine edit. Drilling down into grammar, clarifying the language, checking the imagery and ensuring that every word is working to make your manuscript the best version of itself. Ian See is one of Australia’s most respected editors – he’s been a senior editor with Scribe, Text, and UQP. In this session, Ian will help you see exactly what you need to do to bring magic to each page, paragraph and line.

 

5th December – Presentation secrets

In the final stage of the final draft, there is still so much to consider. The synopsis, the strapline, the pitch email. The way the work looks on the page. The formatting. No fear – we’ll take the time this week to make sure everything is supporting the work. And then, crucially, how work on how to talk about your work whether it’s in pitch session or a tentative first meeting.

 

12th December – Pitching secrets (with Alex Adsett of Alex Adsett Literary)

Literary agent Alex Adsett has worked in the publishing world in Australia and the UK for more than twenty years. Her client list includes Miles Franklin winner Melissa Lucashenko, bestselling commercial novelists Josephine Moon, internationally renowned speculative fiction writer Isabelle Carmody, and renowned philosopher Damon Young.  In this very special final session, you will have the opportunity to talk to Alex about your work, to pitch to her and receive clear feedback in a warm and enthusiastic space.​