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Murray Mallee Writers - Wide Open Road

Date:

With:

Lyndel Caffrey and Cate Kennedy

Rating:

ALL

Summary:

Poetry, short stories, history, memoir, graphic novels and more. Creative writing is a Wide Open Road.

a portrait of Cate Kennedy

Cate Kennedy

Details

Whether you are a first time writer, an experienced author, a born storyteller or someone with an amazing story you just have to write down, Murray Mallee Writers offers a supportive and intensely creative space for writers of all ages and backgrounds to hone their writing skills.

Over six months, Swan Hill Neighbourhood House & Swan Hill Library will host an author talk, masterclass and storytelling session with well known author Cate Kennedy, and a forum and 4 monthly writing workshops and mentoring sessions with Lyndel Caffrey, award winning writer, teacher, mentor and manuscript assessor.

During the program, you will be able to discuss your work, share your writing and build your knowledge and practice of the creative writing process. In addition to presenting specific teaching points to increase your skills and confidence and advance your writing project, the workshops aim to help new and emerging writers develop critiquing skills and build supportive writing networks with like-minded writers.

The program is presented in partnership with Swan Hill Neighbourhood House and Swan Hill Library and supported by the Grace Marion Wilson Trust. 

What to Expect

Murray Mallee Writers - Wide Open Road is a subsidised, low cost program for writers.

Writers that commit to this program will take part in a range of creative writing events commencing in July 2018. Across the program, you will share extracts of your work and take part in hands on activities that will help to develop both your writing skills and your draft material. Dedicated writing and mentoring sessions will help you build a deeper understanding of the story you have to tell, and how to tell it. Just as importantly, you will get the time and space you need to write, talk writing and collaborate with fellow writers.

Writers are invited to submit up to 500 words of their writing to [email protected] prior to the first workshop on Thursday 9 August, and are welcome to take part in an email loop, sharing your work with other interested participants.

Bookings

You can book into the full program of events by clicking 'Make a Booking' on the bottom of this page. Alternatively, if you can't make it to the full program, you can book into the workshops and masterclass individually by using the links below.

Program

Forum - Swan Hill Library, Saturday 28th July 11.30-1.30pm

Celebrate the beginning of the Murray Mallee Writers - Wide Open Road program and find out how you can be involved at this two hour forum facilitated by program teacher and mentor, Lyndel Caffrey.

Workshop 1 – Tell me a Story, Swan Hill Neighbourhood House, Thursday 9th August, 6-8pm

How do you find your voice and tell your story? What are your influences? This first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and our stories. Bring along a favourite book, and tell us about the writers who have influenced your work. Then we’ll look at ways to develop and adjust that sometimes elusive but always vital “writing voice”.

Workshop 2 - Stitching Together Stories, Swan Hill Neighbourhood House, Sunday 9th September, 2pm-5pm

Some stories are like a patchwork quilt and others resemble a road trip, with unexpected characters hitching a ride, unplanned detours and entertaining stops along the way. Even for the writer, beginnings, middles and ends not always straightforward. In this workshop we’ll look at how patchworking, mapping, tapestry, embroidery and more provide insights into the way we shape our stories.

Workshop 3 - Places of the Heart, Swan Hill Neighbourhood House, Thursday 11th October, 6pm-8pm

What is the geography of your fictional (or non-fictional) world? Is it urban or rural, river land or a red dirt farm, a crowded schoolyard or a ramshackle country town? Most importantly, is it a place your reader will want to spend time in? In this workshop, we’ll explore how ‘real’ the backdrop of our story should be and practice techniques designed to draw the reader deeper into our writing world.

Author Talk with Cate Kennedy, Swan Hill Library, Friday 26th October, 2pm

Come and hear regional writer Cate Kennedy, award winning author of the short story collection “Dark Roots”, poetry collection “The Taste of River Water” and much more, read from and discuss her writing.

Masterclass with Cate Kennedy - Elements of Storytelling, Swan Hill Neighbourhood House, Saturday 27th October, 10am-1pm

There are some basic building blocks of storywriting which help aspiring authors revise and shape their work to its maximum potential.  In this fun and engaging three-hour workshop, Cate will cover ways to create compelling characters, devise situations and plots we care about, and use description, dialogue and imagery to bring it all to life.  If you need some energising inspiration in your writing life, this workshop is for you!

Storytelling with Cate Kennedy & Murray Mallee Writers, Swan Hill Neighbourhood House, Saturday 27th October, 2-4pm

Come and share your writing and your stories with Lyndel and Cate at this informal reading and storytelling session at the Neighbourhood House following Cate’s Masterclass.

Workshop 4 – Heroes Villains and Lovable Rogues, Swan Hill Neighbourhood House, Sunday 11th November, 2-5pm

If your story is a road trip, who will you bring along for the ride, and who might you meet along the way? Just as importantly, who will you leave behind? In this workshop on character and dialogue, we’ll examine how the words and actions of protagonists, antagonists, allies and mentors can drive your story and keep your readers turning the pages.

Murray Mallee Writers Meetings (dates and times to be confirmed)

In these independent monthly writers group meetings at Swan Hill Neighbourhood House, writers can discuss topics raised in the workshops, complete writing activities and follow up worksheets, enjoy dedicated writing time, and/or share and critique their work.

About Lyndel Caffrey and Cate Kennedy

Lyndel Caffrey is an award winning author whose memoir pieces, family stories and historical fiction have been published by newmatilda.com, vignette press, Southerly and Melbourne Child among others. Her novella Glad featured in Griffith Review 38 and she was shortlisted for the 2015 Richell Prize for her manuscript Gunclub. She works as an assessor and mentor with Writers Victoria and the Victorian Mentoring Service, and on local history projects.

Cate Kennedy writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry and has been published widely in all these genres, although short story is her favourite form.  She has won several awards for her work, and both her short story collections are currently studied on the Victorian School Syllabus for years 11 and 12.  She lives in regional Victoria and loves meeting and working with other writers. Her books include short story collections “Like A House on Fire” and “Dark Roots”, the novel “The World Beneath”, the poetry collection “The Taste of River Water” and the travel memoir “Sing and Don’t Cry”.

Cancellation Policy

Venue:

Swan Hill Neighbourhood House
98-100 Gray St,
Swan Hill
Victoria 3585 Australia

Contact:

Phone: 390947855
Email: [email protected]

Registration for this event ended on 09 August 2018 - 4:00
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