What’s On

Make 2023 the year you write your novel.

Join author Sarah Armstrong for three terms of writing classes spread over the year. The small group will meet once a week for four-week blocks, and a total of 28 face-to-face hours.  Each week, you’ll also receive a short video (or two) from Sarah that includes discussion of each week’s topic with practical tools and tips, and guided writing exercises. The face-to-face classes will include opportunities for feedback and discussion.

Course Details

When: 12 x Tuesdays at 6pm – 8pm:

• Term 1: 7, 14, 21, 28 March 2023
• Term 2: 6, 13, 20, 27 June 2023
• Term 3: 5, 12, 19, 26 September 2023

Where: Hybrid format: In-person at the Byron Writers Festival office with remote attendance option available
Cost: $950 (member) / $1050 (non-member) – payment plans are available.

Group size: 10 particpants max. Please note all BWF workshops require a minimum 80% enrolment to cover costs.

Course Outline

First term will explore how to come up with ideas, planning, how to build a first draft, and some fundamentals of fiction: character, plot, point of view, scene and summary. Sarah will also talk about how to tackle procrastination and writer’s block.

Second term will drill down into narrative tension, character development, how character drives plot, secondary characters and structure. This is the term were you’ll get individual, written feedback from Sarah on 3000 words of your first draft.

Third term is all about how to tackle rewriting and editing: beginnings and endings, structure and themes, and a discussion about where to go from here. Come to this course with a story in progress or an idea.

About Sarah Armstrong

Sarah Armstrong has written three adult novels, including Salt Rain which was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. Big Magic, published in May 2022, is her first children’s novel and the sequel will be out in 2023. Sarah is an experienced writing teacher, mentor and manuscript assessor. She teaches creative writing at university, in schools, for writers festivals and on retreats. In a previous life she was a journalist at the ABC where she won a Walkley Award. She’s passionate about giving writers the practical tools to find and tell stories.

Testimonial

I couldn’t recommend this workshop highly enough. Sarah is one of the best teachers (of anything) I know. Her capacity to give very specific, targetted, positive and encouraging feedback makes it possible for all who attend her workshops to understand what strengths they have and how they can improve, without ever feeling despondent about their capacity to do this hard thing we call writing. She has an experienced writerly eye, combined with genuine care for her students. I mean, what more could you ask for? – 2020 Year of the Novel participant