Indochine Journey, Vietnam. Aug 16-30, 2014. Following the footsteps of Marguerite Duras.
Moroccan Caravan, Nov 6 – 19. Ride a desert caravan into the heart of your writin
Birth Your Book in 9 months! an intensive one-on-one mentoring program.
First Page to First Draft – Semester Two begins May 29
Draft Swap, April 27, 10am-4pm – annual swap meet in Petersham, Sydney with fellow writers. Bring a finished draft to swap.
Memory Into Memoir, June, NSW Writers Centre. Turning your life stories into powerful writing.
When I take groups of writers travelling, where possible I always like to invite local writers to join us. You could say my motivation is purely selfish for I prefer to get to know a country through the stories of its countrymen and women rather than its overcrowded tourist sites. In fact I would say for all the brochures, ads, travel documentaries, to which we are exposed, you cannot possibly say you know a country, until you meet its people. When I met Afghan student, Mujib Abid in Newtown in Feb, after one conversation I had gained more insight and understanding into life in Afghanistan than all the books, articles and docos could ever give. Sensing he had a story to tell I invited him to join our First Page To First Draft Course. The stories he told and read there, are of course powerful and moving. Mujib has a way with words and imagery and can weave historical detail into the simple description of the road a young girl and her grandfather must travel to meet their fate. From the first workshop his novel began to take shape and each week as we we listened to him read we learned from the inside out so much about this country we really know so little about. When you have the opportunity to meet one to one across cultures like this, you realise how small the world is. I hope to be telling you more about Mujib’s book as it progresses.
Feedback from our First Page to First Draft writers. Semester 2 begins May 29.
Jan invited me to join the writer’s workshop without any cost, right after I told her about an idea I had for a novel. Ever since she has been a mentor, a teacher, a friend and an inspiration to try harder and aim bigger. I came to the first session with a vague idea about my story, but now I have a complete image of the structure, narrative style and design of my book All thanks to Jan. I’ll always appreciate her support. Mujib Abid, Afghanistan,Masters student and novelist.
When I began writing this book it was a gift for my mother, to fill her in on the details of her family history.I imagined it as a picture book or a family scrap book. Since doing the exercises Jan has set for the course, I realise there are many oter options in the spinning of a yarn. From feeling intimidated by my admiration of great historical novelists, I now feel inspired to emulate them and draw from them.D. Kennedy, novelist.
The workshops brought scenes to life through the use of meditation, accessing images I had forgotten in my memoir. The opportunity to read my work with other writers provied feedback to structure tyhe shaping of individual scenes, characters , voice, and identifying when I tended to stray from the narrative plot line. Jan’s workshops also provide sustenance for the times when writing can be an isolated process. Knowing I had the workshop each week kept me focused.Elizabeth Bowden, memoirist.
Photo credit Montecristo Magazine – great articel on Kabul.
