What’s On

Creative non-fiction relies on the personal connection between author and subject for its narrative drive and emotional heart. But how much of ourselves should we put on the page? And what are the ethics when we do? Where is the line between truth and a good story? And how do we make a good story great?

Course Details

When: Saturday 17 & 24 April, 10.30am – 12pm
Where: Online
Cost: $100 members, $120 non-members

Detailed outline

Session 1:

1.5 hours

• What exactly is creative non-fiction? We’ll explore key examples and techniques to get a sense of what works and why.
• How do we get ourselves on the page? We’ll explore being brave, finding the balance between too much and too little, and appealing to the reader’s emotions.
• Short presentation, followed by discussion of examples circulated before class. 3 writing exercises followed by Q&A

Session 2:

1.5 hours

• Creative non-fiction is often characterised as ‘the truth, well told.’
• We’ll explore finding our voice, developing the right structure for a particular piece, and the ethics of telling ‘true’ stories – what to put in, and what to leave out. We’ll finish with the X-factor, the ingredients that make a piece of creative non-fiction fly.
• Short presentation, followed by discussion of examples circulated before class, and 4 writing exercises, closing with Q&A.

Who is it for

Writers at all levels and stages with an interest in nature writing, memoir, travel writing, the personal essay, sports writing, literary non-fiction, and any other form of creative non-fiction.

What you will need to participate

Internet connection, a device with audio and video capability

About Inga Simpson

Inga Simpson is an award-winning Australian novelist and nature writer. She has been running writing workshops and retreats for more than a decade. Her most recent work, Understory: a life with trees (Hachette, 2017), chronicles her decade spent living inside a south east Queensland forest, and was shortlisted for the Adelaide Writers Week Award for Nonfiction.