10.30am to 2.30pm
WRITING FOR CHILDREN with Aleesah Darlison |
6.30pm to 8.30pm
FESTIVAL OPENING & WELCOME TO AUTHORS |
8:30am to 8:40am
STUDENT SHORT STORY COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED |
9:00am to 9:50 am
AUTHOR PANEL A WORLD OF INSPIRATION - FINDING YOUR PLACE with Aleesah Darlison, Richard Yaxley , Geneve Flyn and Lori-Jay Ellis |
10:00am to 12:30pm
CREATING MEMORABLE CHARACTERS with Richard Yaxley |
1pm to 2.20pm
WRITING PLACE with Richard Yaxley |
2:30pm to 4.00pm
CREATING CONFLICT AND SUSPENSE with Geneve Flyn |
7:00pm to 9:00pm
THE TRUTH BEHIND THE FICTION- AN EVENING WITH GARY CREW & JACK RONEY |
10am to 12.30pm
AUTHOR CONSULTS 10x 30 min slots with Lori-Jay Ellis and Sandra Makaresz |
1:00pm to 4:00pm
CRIME WRITERS AUTHOR CONSULTS 3 x 60 min slots with Jack Roney |
12 noon to 12:30 pm
STORYTIME - LIBRARY READING with Aleesah Darlison |
9:00am to 9.50
AUTHOR PANEL MAKE IT HAPPEN- FROM IDEA TO FIRST DRAFT with Barbara Hannay, Jack Roney and Gary Crew |
10am to 11.30am
ROMANCE WRITING with Barbara Hannay |
1:00pm to 2:20pm
WRITING YOUR FIRST NOVEL with Gary Crew |
2.30pm to 4.00pm
WRITING CRIME with Jack Roney |
10am to 12.30pm
AUTHOR CONSULTS 10x 30 min slots with Lori-Jay Ellis and Sandra Makaresz |
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Aleesah Darlison is one of Australia’s most popular, award-winning children’s authors. She has published over 65 books including picture books, chapter books, novels, and series.
She is well-known for her stories that champion the cause of animals and the environment and that empower children. |
WRITING FOR CHILDRENAn eye-opening and inspirational introduction to the nuts and bolts of writing for children.
Learn all about the genres, formats, styles, and word counts required for children's and young adult books. This workshop will demystify the writing process and the publishing industry for this exciting and rewarding slice of the book world. Aleesah will explain who the major players are in the children’s publishing industry, what the formats and word lengths are for various age groups and genres, what types of stories publishers are looking for, how to format your manuscript, and who to send your work to. She'll explain how to get your start in writing and how to network and connect with other creatives, organisations, publishers and agents, plus much more! This session is suitable for adults wishing to write picture books, chapter books, novels, and series, for children and young adults. Handouts and writing exercises will be included. Bring a sample of your work to read for constructive feedback. Hours: 10.30am to 12 noon then 1 to 2.30pm Cost $60.00 Select the button below to book and pay. Limited places so don't miss out! |
Richard Yaxley is an award-winning author based in Queensland.
Richard is a knowledgeable, engaging and entertaining speaker whose writing skills are backed by thirty years of teaching experience in the fields of English and Drama. |
10.30 am to 12noon
CREATING MEMORABLE CHARACTERS with Richard Yaxley American author Ray Bradbury described plot as ‘footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.’
In this workshop, we’ll focus on story development via character knowledge. What are the key questions that need to be asked of characters, and how can the answers to these questions proscribe the role of those characters within the narrative? Cost $40. Select the button below to book your place. |
1pm to 2.30pm
CREATING PLACE with Richard Yaxley Improve your writing of place as a key component of powerful fiction.
In this practical and stimulating workshop, we’ll work with place as a key component of fiction. We’ll examine the varying roles of place in narrative, consider ideas to do with memory, research and imagining, and select from a range of exercises that offer different techniques for writing about place. Cost $40. Select the button below to book your place. |
Geneve Flynn is a two-time Bram Stoker-, Shirley Jackson- and Aurealis Award-winning fiction editor, author, and poet.
She has been nominated and shortlisted for the British Fantasy, Ditmar, Australian Shadows, Elgin, and Rhysling Awards, and the Pushcart Prize. She is a recipient of the 2022 Queensland Writers Fellowship. |
3pm to 4.30pm
CREATING CONFLICT AND SUSPENSE with Geneve Flyn What's a story without conflict? In this workshop, you'll learn more about the critical narrative elements and writing techniques that will hook your readers and keep them turning pages. We'll explore the plot devices and structures that will help you increase the stakes and develop your characters - no matter your genre of choice.
Learning outcomes Participants will learn more about how to:
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JACK RONEY
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6.30pm to 8.30pm A NIGHT OF CRIME Former Queensland Police Detective turned crime fiction author Jack Roney and acclaimed author Gary Crew swap thrilling stories about the real events and experiences that inspired their stories. Enjoy canapés and a welcome drink as part of the festivities. You'll have your chance to ask questions. Cost $40. Select the link below to book now.
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GARY CREW
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With Lori-Jay Ellis and Sandra Makaresz from Queensland Writers Centre.
Get yourself a one-on-one Consult with a team member at Queensland Writers Centre and walk away with three solid recommendations tailored to your specific project to move your writing forward. Designed for writers at any stage, consults are the perfect tool to access insights, point you in the right direction and keep up the momentum on your writing journey. You’ll also receive a helpful Consult Report and a follow-up email to see how your work is progressing. Cost $25. Select the button below to book now. Saturday bookings 30 consults with Lori-Jay Ellis. Please choose a time when you book.
Saturday bookings with Sandra Makaresz. Please choose a time when you book.
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After 33 years as a police officer, Jack handed in his badge and gun to focus on being a fulltime crime fiction author. His novels are inspired by first-hand experience as a patrol officer and detective.
He draws on these experiences to bring authenticity and realism to his writing. |
In addition to my Crime Writing Workshops, I'm stoked to now offer a coaching service for aspiring crime fiction writers whose stories are set in Australia. As a former police officer with over 33 years’ experience, I will give you the inside drum on Australian police procedures to really bring your manuscript to life.
But the advice I give you is not just about police procedures. My point of difference is that I'm also a writer, so I know your struggles when it comes to writing authentic dialogue, describing crime scenes, creating tension and suspense, creating a killer twist, devising a satisfying conclusion and getting procedural information correct, to keep your readers engrossed in the story. You don't want to bump your readers out of your story because of basic errors or poor research. Limited time allocated so book early, so you don't miss out. After booking, please send Jack an email with your questions and he will answer them at the appointment. Cost $90. Select the button below to book now. |
10.30am to 11.30am
STORYTIME with Aleesah Darlison Aussie Animals Galore!
Join award-winning children’s author, Aleesah Darlison, in a fun and informative Storytime Session featuring some of Australia’s most iconic and unique animals. Learn about koalas, echidnas, bats, bettongs, handfish, and more! Hear about the inspiration behind Aleesah’s stories and read them with her. Suits ages 3 – 8 years. This a FREE event. |
Barbara Hannay writes women’s fiction with over 12 million books sold world- wide.
Her stories set in Australia have been translated into 26 languages and have been published by Penguin Australia, Harlequin Mills and Boon and Tule USA. |
10am to 11.30am - ROMANCE WRITING with Barbara Hannay DISCOVER THE TWISTING PATH TO WRITING SUCCCESSFUL HAPPY ENDINGS.
Readers know that every romance novel has a happy ending, but our task as writers is to keep them guessing. Learn how to develop characters your readers really care about and how to balance their experience of falling in love with believable obstacles, tension and conflict. As part of this workshop, participants will:
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Alli Sinclair is a multi-award winning and bestselling author, producer and screenwriter whose fact-based fiction explores little-known historical events.
Alli’s latest novel, The Codebreakers, is inspired by the real-life female codebreakers in Brisbane in WWII. This book is being made into a feature film and is also the inspiration for the documentary Red Lipstick Intelligence. |
12.30pm to 2pm -
WRITING MEMOIR AND HISTORICAL FICTION with Alli Sinclair This workshop is designed to help writers use research to not only add layers to their story and characters, but to use as a promotional tool once their book is published.
Learn the best tools for research, how to incorporate your research into your story without overloading the reader, and how to use research and deep point of view to give readers a sense of time and place, whilst also creating three-dimensional characters your readers will fall in love with. Cost $40. Select the link below to book now. |
After 33 years as a police officer, Jack handed in his badge and gun to focus on being a fulltime crime fiction author. His novels are inspired by first-hand experience as a patrol officer and detective. He draws on these experiences to bring authenticity and realism to his writing.
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2.30pm to 4.30pm
WRITING CRIME with Jack Roney This workshop is a must for writers of Australian crime fiction. Gain first-hand knowledge and insight into the real world of policing to add realism to your storytelling.
Discover the connection between character arc and theme to write compelling crime narratives. Learning outcomes: * Police tropes and cliches * Debunking the myths * Suspect interviews * Investigation protocols * Australian police jurisdictions and procedures * Developing character and theme Cost $40. Select the link below to book now. |
With Lori-Jay Ellis and Sandra Makaresz from Queensland Writers Centre.
Get yourself a one-on-one Consult with a team member at Queensland Writers Centre and walk away with three solid recommendations tailored to your specific project to move your writing forward. Designed for writers at any stage, consults are the perfect tool to access insights, point you in the right direction and keep up the momentum on your writing journey. You’ll also receive a helpful Consult Report and a follow-up email to see how your work is progressing. Cost $25. Select the button below to book now. Sunday bookings with Lori-Jay Ellis
Sunday bookings with Sandra Makaresz
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