Writer's Toolbox Day | Everything you need to know to flourish as a writer

Network with other writers and get the answers to those burning questions you have about embarking on a journey in writing.

Pick and choose the sessions you'd like to attend and book your tickets today!

Planned Schedule:

• 9.30am to 10.30am - Building your writing network

• 30 min morning tea with complementary refreshments

• 11.00am to 1.00pm - Everything you need to know about publishing

• 30 min lunch break with refreshments

• 1.30 to 3.30pm - Concurrent writing workshops (choose from fiction writing or memoir writing)

Building your writing Network with Maureen Flynn

Writing can be an incredibly lonely business which is why writing communities matter so much. Do you want to learn strategies to find and grow your writing community? Do you want to hear about how to make writing communities work for you in your current practice? During this one-hour talk, you will hear about real life strategies and examples so you can connect with the right communities for your writing goals.

Everything you need to know about book publishing with Benny Agius

Publishing is a multi-layered beast, and in this ever-changing publishing world, having the right information is crucial. So, let’s take a trip through the Australian Publishing industry – the in’s and out’s, the do’s and don’ts, the who’s who, of all things publishing. No matter what you are writing, whether you are looking to be traditional published or self-publishing, this information will be invaluable.

Fiction Writing - Introduction to Character & Conflict with Dinuka McKenzie

In this two-hour workshop, best-selling crime fiction author Dinuka McKenzie will guide participants through crafting compelling characters and generating narrative conflict, two essential elements of engaging, page-turning fiction. The workshop is suitable for aspiring and emerging writers looking to develop their fiction writing skills, and will include short writing exercises during the session. (Please bring along preferred writing materials such as a laptop or a notepad and pen to use during the session.)

Memoir Writing - Writing your memoir with Ashley Kalagian Blunt

The memoirist’s lived experience provides the raw material for their writing. But how do you shape that material into something greater than a series of recollections? How do you craft a cohesive, compelling narrative arc from messy and possibly long ago events, and the quiet moments our lives often turn on? Filled with writing exercises, analysis of memoir extracts and answers to the top memoir FAQs, this practical workshop will help you craft a moving memoir.

Author Bios:

Maureen Flynn is a speculative fiction and romance writer as well as the youth librarian at Sutherland Shire Libraries. She has had her short stories published in Australian anthologies and was the Georges River Council Artist in Residence in 2024 working on her first romance novel. She has self-published two fantasy novels for teens and a romantic suspense under a pen name.

Benny Agius An industry professional for over 40 years, Benny has run her own successful publishing house, and has also held various positions as Managing Director, General Manager, Publisher, and Sales & Marketing Director. She has worked across most genres and has had international success with both fiction and non-fiction titles.

Ashley Kalagian Blunt teaches writing courses on a variety of topics including creativity, memoir writing, scene structure, narrative tension, and building an author platform. She has ten years' teaching experience, mainly working with adults. She is a is a writer, speaker and podcaster. She's the number one bestselling author of the psychological thriller, Dark Mode, and a memoir called, How to be Australian.

Dinuka McKenzie is an Australian writer and the author of the Detective Kate Miles crime series, The Torrent, Taken and Tipping Point, published in Australia and the UK. She is the winner of the 2020 HarperCollins Australia Banjo Prize. Her writing has been shortlisted for the Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards, the Bad Sydney Crime Danger Awards, and longlisted for the Richell Prize. Her short fiction appeared in the 2022 Dark Deeds Down Under Crime and Thriller Anthology.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Kirrawee Library+, 6 Kiln Road, Kirrawee, Australia

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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