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EXCITING NEW WORKSHOP PROGRAM

3/18/2019

WRITING FOR CHILDREN - CHAPTER BOOKS - DATE CHANGE - April 20th, 10am to 3pm - Instructor: Elaine Ouston
Writing for children requires as much, if not more, skill and perception than writing for adults. Many people believe it is easier than writing for adults. This is not so. The workshop includes feedback on the first 10 pages of your story.

INTRODUCTION TO SHORT STORY - April 27th - 8.30am to 1.30pm - Instructor: Elaine Ouston
How do you tell your story in a limited number of words and make it as interesting, exciting, and memorable as a novel?
The course will introduce writers to the craft of short fiction. We will be examining the structure that makes a short story powerful. And learning what to leave in and what to take out without spoiling the story. The workshop includes feedback on your story.

WRITING FOR CHILDREN - PICTURE BOOKS - May 4th, 10am to 3pm - Instructor: Elaine Ouston
Many people think writing picture books is easy. After all, they only have a small number of words. But writing an exciting story that will grip the young reader and make them want them to hear more is not as easy as it looks. Like all writing, technical skills are needed. The workshop includes feedback on the first 10 pages of your story.

MEMOIR - June 1st 10am to 3pm - Instructor Ron Day
We all have a wealth of stories to tell and one of the great joys is to be able to write those stories for others. The challenge is to express those stories with excitement and panache so that our readers can’t put the story down. We also need to know how to research the period to get the facts right. The workshop includes feedback on the first 10 pages of your story.

DEVELOPING OUTSTANDING AND MEMORABLE CHARACTERS - June 15th and 16th, 10am to 3pm - Instructor: Elaine Ouston
This workshop examines the great characters in books and explores what makes them that way. We will also examine the many personality types we meet and show you how to portray them effectively. For crime and mystery writers, the character workshop includes an examination of criminal types and what drives them to commit crimes. The workshop includes feedback on the first 10 pages of your story.

WRITERS' BOOTCAMP - DEVELOPING YOUR STORY INTO A BLOCKBUSTER - June 23rd, 8.30am to 4.30pm - Instructor: Elaine Ouston

We will be examining the construction of a few best sellers and learning what it was that made them that way. In this intensive workshop, you will learn how to develop the 7 things that make a bestseller. You will receive an evaluation on your writing and a full day of workshops and exercises to help you develop your story.

Go to the workshop page for more details and to book. http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html

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EXCITING NEW SCHOOL HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS

3/7/2019

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WRITING AND ART WORKSHOPS WITH ELAINE OUSTON
Two different workshops to choose from:

PICTURE BOOK WORKSHOPS
APRIL 8TH AND 15TH
Students will receive fun writing tasks based around story structure, developing a character and story development. Then they will draw the pages and set up the book.

DRAWING AND CREATING A 3D PICTURE IN CLAY
APRIL 11TH AND 18TH
For children who love art, spend a fun day drawing a scene and creating a 3D image in clay. Go to the page for details:

http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/school-holiday-workshops-elaine-ouston.html

WRITING A ONE ACT PLAY WITH RON DAY
WRITING, DRAWING AND ACTING IN ONE WORKSHOP:
April 10th and 17th
This course will help students to create and perform a one-act play working in groups of two. Go to the page for details:
http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/holiday-workshops-ron-day.html

ILLUSTRATION WORKSHOPS WITH KERRY IDE
April 9th
For children who love to draw, love turtles and love the environment. Spend the day drawing turtles and learning about how we can help these endangered sea creatures that visit our very own Sunshine Coast Beaches. Go to the page for details:

http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/school-holiday-workshops-kerry-ide.html

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DEVELOPING YOUR STORY INTO A BLOCKBUSTER

3/4/2019

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What is a Blockbuster novel? It's a novel that out sells all others. Blockbuster novels appear in all genres. In the juvenile fiction category, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones come to mind. In the adult category, The Godfather, Gone With the Wind, The Thorne Birds are just a few. In romance, 50 Shades of Grey is just one.

No matter what you are writing, children's fiction, romance, or adult fiction, you have one goal; to write a book that the reader can't stop reading until the end.

Anyone can come up with an idea for a story, but to turn that idea into a best seller, you must use your imagination to come up with a way to make it LARGER THAN LIFE?

Albert Zuckerman, in his book, Writing the Block Buster Novel, says, 'Combine "high concept" with a strong dramatic question and you may have a better chance of coming up with a BIG BOOK.' (High concept being a radical or even somewhat outlandish premise or plot.)

Perhaps the most important ingredient in a “high concept” work is the same one that every good story requires: a main character with whom the reader or viewer can identify. The chief difference between a “high concept” story and a “regular” story is that the main character’s success or failure will have huge consequences not only for him, but for others.

At the workshops below, we will be showing you how to turn your story into a blockbuster. Send me the first 10 pages of your story for an evaluation before we start to give me an idea of help you need.

DEVELOPING YOUR STORY INTO A BLOCKBUSTER
- PROGRESSIVE WORKSHOPS

MARCH 11th & 25th & April 8th and 22nd 1.30 to 4pm
This is a hands-on course for all writers. In these intensive workshops, we will examine the technical aspects of your manuscript to make sure they are doing their job and equip you with tools and techniques to support your story and turn it into an exciting narrative. You will do exercises on all topics in the workshops.

Evaluation: If you have a work-in-progress, please send the first 10 pages of your manuscript 5 days before the workshop date for a progress appraisal.

We will cover the following subjects:

Workshop 1 – March 11th: Examining and developing your character until he/she jumps off the page. Developing strong, believable characters that your reader either loves or hates ... depending on your intention is vital. Many writers make the mistake of having characters who are too similar to each other and not well enough developed.

Workshop 2 – March 25th: Plotting your scenes to make sure the story progresses in a way that creates the tension needed to keep your reader hooked.
Examining Point of View and Tense to make sure you have chosen the best one for your story.

Workshop 3 – April 8th: Choosing the best setting for the story, describing it using all senses, and using it as a tool to add tension or peaceful interludes.

Workshop 4 – April 22nd: Adding hooks to keep the reader intrigued. Ways to strengthen your writing. The use of word pictures, metaphors and similes, show not tell, and the ability to create rising tension are all important tools. How to use these tools to create your masterpiece is covered in this workshop.

Format: Course for beginners, intermediate and advanced writers
Where: Gondor Writers’ Centre, 19 Caloundra St, Landsborough.
Cost: $60. per workshop. Pensioners $45 per workshop.

Two payment options: Discount available for payment for all workshops at once or pay before each workshop.

To book go to the website page. http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/developing-your-story.html

DO IT ALL IN ONE DAY:

WRITERS' BOOTCAMP - March 16th
Instructor: Elaine Ouston
Polish your manuscript until it shines with this intensive workshop, appraisal, and personal interview. They will get you writing and help you shape your work-in-progress into A BLOCKBUSTER.

This day of workshops and interviews will take you through all the things a publisher’s editor will be looking for and help you polish your story until it shines.

In this intensive workshop we will examine the technical aspects of your manuscript to make sure they are doing their job and equip you with tools and techniques to support your story and turn it into an exciting narrative.

Evaluation: If you have a work-in-progress, please send the first 10 pages of your manuscript for an appraisal so I can let you know what you need to focus on during the workshop. Manuscripts must be in by February 28th.

We will cover advanced workshops in:

* Ways to strengthen your writing

* Examining and developing your character until he/she jumps off the page

* Plotting your scenes to make sure the story progresses in a way that creates the tension needed to keep your reader hooked

* Examining Point of View and Tense

* Choosing the best setting for the story, describing it using all senses, and using it as a tool to add tension or peaceful interludes

* Adding hooks to keep the reader intrigued, and everything else you need to make your story exceptional.

This is a hands-on course for all writers. You will go away with ways to make your writing sing. To book, go to the website page.

http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/writers-bootcamp.htm

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EXCITING NEW WORKSHOP PROGRAM

EXCITING NEW SCHOOL HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS

DEVELOPING YOUR STORY INTO A BLOCKBUSTER

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