UWA Extension

Narrative structure is about choices and about writing your novel, short story or script in scenes. The choices hinge not only on the integration of the story and the plot (which are subtly different) and the voice and point of view of your characters, but also on the sequence of the scenes. In other words, do you start your narrative at the beginning, the middle or the end? Or even after the dénouement? The choices you make about your characters and your story’s sequence, as well a... [More]

Everyone ‘knows’ that English is suffering a slow decline, that apes can use language, and that Eskimos have 12,000 words for snow. Or do we? Leave your linguistic preconceptions at the door as we put some of the most commonly held ideas about language to the test. Along the way, you’ll learn to evaluate claims like a linguist, hone your baloney detector, and find out about some useful language resources. But be prepared – cherished notions about language may not survive the rigorou... [More]

The art of exposition – showing not telling – is a subtle one. Behind every story there is an entire world complete with a history and peopled by real-life characters. How does the writer handle this mass of detail? This workshop shows how and where writers can employ techniques to weave exposition into the fabric of the story so readers are scarcely aware of being given essential information. Stories do not come out of a void. There is much the reader needs to know about the time, ... [More]

How do you begin to write about your experiences, your past and your memories? This course will cover all forms of life-writing including memoir, family history, the personal essay, blogging and more. Everyone’s life contains enough excitement, emotion and adventure to form the basis of a wonderful story. Writing your life story can be a way to preserve memories for your family. But it can also be so much more. Whether you’re interested in writing a comprehensive record of your life... [More]

Completing the first draft of your manuscript – whether for a novel, short story, non-fiction book or magazine article – is a major achievement. Yet this is only the first step in a long journey to getting published. In this course you will learn the step-by-step process including market research, finding an agent, approaching publishing houses, and the pros and cons of self-publishing. Your first draft is only the beginning. Now comes the rewriting, and yet more rewriting; then the... [More]

This is a course for anyone who wants to begin writing or who has started and got stuck. We will work with simple exercises that will take you off your intellectual guard, bypass the inner critic and bring your writing into flow. Central to our work will be the recovery of the artistic imagination as a creative source for the writer. The imagination is born in stages during childhood and youth. If these stages are missed, creativity remains stunted. In this workshop we will re-enact... [More]

Whether you’ve read a few blogs or never heard of one, this course will get you blogging. Find out how to write and manage a blog, what to include, who your audience is, and how you can even make money from blogging. Participants will have the opportunity to start their own blog. For beginner bloggers, the process of starting up a blog can seem daunting, but this course will show you how and get you off on the right foot, all in just one day. Learn about how to set up your blog, how... [More]

Fictional characters must possess sufficient strength of character to handle difficult dilemmas. In other words, they must be up to the demands of the plot. John Harman will show you how to create convincing characters, even those of the opposite gender. A story may be structured like a journey with: A Compass – the premise, theme, threads Map – the plot Engine – the motivation of the protagonist (plus other central characters) Fuel – the dialogue The depth, dimensionality and authe... [More]

Dialogue should leap off the page. In novels, short stories, scripts and screenplays it must move the story forward, reveal character and provide essential exposition. Yet it must also be dramatic and believable. All of which is a hard ask. How to reconcile these apparently incompatible necessities is the subject of this dynamic and interactive workshop presented by John Harman. A story is a completed process of change which has the ability to move readers' feelings powerfully and p... [More]

7.30pm Thursday 1 March 2012 (5 week course) To book tickets now click here. The shaping presence of the poet – introducing the structure and themes of the poems. Four Quartets is a set of four poems by T. S. Eliot, published individually over a six-year period. These interlinked meditations have as the common theme, man’s relationship with time, the universe, and the divine. Eliot blends his Anglo-Catholicism with mystical, philosophical and poetic works from both Eastern and Weste... [More]