MAY Working with the Muse Through Resistance - a memoir workshop with Shirley Geok-Lin Lim

Shirley Geok-lin Lim is the winner of the Commonwealth Poetry Prize and the American Book Award. The focus of this workshop will be on life writing and memory work.

The workshop will:

- Use interactive strategies such as literary models and practical exercises
- Access resources for "inspiration"
- Break new ground for discovering and developing authorial voice
- Look towards publication

The workshop is aimed at both new and more seasoned writers using activities to jump-start the writing process and small-group work on the revision stage.

• Shirley Geok-Lin Lim (1944) was born in Malacca, Malaysia, came over to the United States as a Fulbright and Wein International Scholar in 1969, and completed her Ph.D. in British and American Literature at Brandeis University in 1973. Her first collection of poems, Crossing the Peninsula (1980), received the Commonwealth Poetry Prize. She has also published four volumes of poetry: No Man's Grove (1985); Modern Secrets (1989); Monsoon History (1994), which is a retrospective selection of her work; and What the Fortune Teller Didn't Say (1998).
  
  Lim is the author of three books of short stories and a memoir, Among the White Moon Faces (1996), which received the 1997 American Book Award for non-fiction. Her first novel, Joss and Gold (Feminist Press, 2001), has been welcomed by Rey Chow as an "elegantly crafted tale [that] places Lim among the most imaginative and dexterous storytellers writing in the English language today."
  
  She has published a second novel, Sister Swing (Marshall Cavendish, 2006). Lim's co-edited anthology The Forbidden Stitch: An Asian American Women's Anthology received the 1990 American Book Award. She has published two critical studies and has edited/co-edited many volumes and two special issues of journals. Among her recent honors, Lim has received the UCSB Faculty Research Lecture Award (2002) and the Chair Professorship of English at the University of Hong Kong (1999 to 2001), as well as the University of Western Australia Distinguished Lecturer award, Fulbright Distinguished Lecturer award, and the J.T. Stewart Hedgebrook award. She has served as chair of Women's Studies and is currently professor of English at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
  
  Venue: Hunter Writers Centre, 90 Hunter St, Newcastle
  Date: Saturday May 10, 2008
  Time: 10AM-4PM
  Cost: Members $50 / Non-Members $60
  Bookings: ph 02 4926 3485 / hwcadmin@optusnet.net.au
  
  
• JUNE Feature Writing with Ben Quinn
  
  Ben Quinn is the Features Editor and columnist at the Newcastle Herald, where he has worked for the past 13 years. On any given Saturday his unique style and take on life can be found entertaining Novocastrians as they crunch down on their cornflakes. This workshop will look at how to write a first rate feature article.
  
  Venue: Hunter Writers Centre, 90 Hunter St, Newcastle
  Date: Saturday June 14, 2008
  Time: 10AM-4PM
  Cost: Members $50 / Non-Members $60
  Bookings: ph 02 4926 3485 / hwcadmin@optusnet.net.au

• Script Writing Masterclass - (.pdf)
• How To End Your Novel - (.pdf)
• Mr Write Workshop - (.pdf)
• Poetry Workshop - (.pdf)
• Flash/New Media Poetry Workshop - (.pdf)
• Writing Life: Memoirs Workshop - (.pdf)
• Starting and Jump-starting the writing process - (.pdf)
• Writing the Wave - (pdf.)
• Libretto Writing - (pdf.)
• You Are a Poet - (pdf.)
• Travel Writing - (pdf.)
• Writing for Children - (pdf.)
• Scriptwriting - (pdf.)
• Songwriting - (pdf.)
• Writing Your Family History - (pdf.)
• The Long and Short of it- (pdf.)
• Crime Writing - (pdf.)
• Editing and Preparing Your Manuscript - (pdf.)

NATURE WRITING WITH MARK TREDINNICK - APRIL 2008

Matti Brown: Mark's workshop was inspirational and informative.

Sharyn Munro: The workshop was stimulating and expansive. Good discussions rather than exercises.

Steve Armstrong: Mark's knowledge of the area is very rich - we shared this knowledge in a easily accessible inspirational manner.

Marion Armstrong: I enjoyed the quality of the presentation.

Fergus Hancock: An excellent workshop - stimulating and challenging.

Inger Vandyke: Very thought provoking and inspiring.

SCRIPTWRITING WITH VANESSA BATES JULY 2006

Sherry Webster: Vanessa was excellent and generous in her teaching and facilitation of the group. Great guidance, info and excercises.

Sarah Gava: I found out about the workshop on the HWC website and enjoyed the group interaction and exercises. Vanessa has an abundant knowledge and got the creativity sparking.

WRITING FOR CHILDREN PANEL DISCUSSION MAY 2006

Vanessa Preston: This was a fantastic discussion panel. The intelligence and personal insight shared by the panel, coupled with their contrasting views on the writing process seemed to validate the diversity we each bring to our work. Many thanks to all involved!

WRITING THE WAVE WITH TIM BAKER APRIL 2006

Glendon Smith: This workshop was terrific. It gave me so many good ideas, it gave me confidence and answered the questions I had.

Scott Spicer: I liked the informal environment, the positive feedback and hearing people talk about a common interest but from different perspectives. I was stoked to be guided by one of the industry's best.

YOU ARE A POET WITH JAN DEAN MARCH 2006

Marlene Hunter: I like hearing about the writing of others and mixing with like minded pople. This workshop has helped me be aware of things that can prompt my writing.

Kylie Rose: The workshop had an engaging format, a great facilitator and was fun! I loved the combination of visual art and poetry.

STARTING AND JUMPSTARTING THE WRITING PROCESS FEBRUARY 2006

Maree Elliott: I really enjoyed the writing exercises. It took me outside of my comfort zone. Overall I learnt to extend myself and look outside the square for ideas.

Rebecca Hartley: I enjoyed the comfortable environment to experiment. The activities were very stimulating and got me to look at things in different perspectives.

Tracey Howard: I really liked Brian's workshop. His intelligence and constant stream of information was incredible. I am now challenged to write from different directions.

David Brittloff: It was great to be around people with a similar interest. The only area for improvement would be to make the course longer!

JAN CORNALL SCRIPTWRITING MASTERCLASS SEPTEMBER 2005

Anne Frost: As this was my first workshop with the writers centre I was feeling a little nervous but I found Jan Cornall’s manner and method very comforting and relaxing. I particularly enjoyed the automatic writing exercise and have continued to use it as part of my writing process.

MR WRITE WORKSHOP AUG 2005

Rod Malcolm: May I compliment you for your initiative in putting today's workshop, Mr Write, in place. As an aspiring writer I found the day very beneficial in that I learnt so much. And I am still coming to terms realising what I did not know! This workshop was an eye-opener and so well conducted by both Greg Bastian and yourself. May I suggest a follow-up workshop shortly? Thank you so much for the opportunity to attend.