Welcome to Grassroots 2019

We would like to invite you to the 2019 Grassroots Writers’ Weekend hosted by Coffs Harbour Writers’ Group at the Coffs Harbour Community Village from the 17 to 19 May 2019. It is a fabulous weekend of hands-on, practical workshops held each year in our region. Starting on Friday afternoon and finishing on Sunday afternoon, the ‘doing’ sessions and conversations are available to everyone from school students to seniors, everyone who loves storytelling. Places are limited so please make your bookings early.

The aim of this weekend is to provide affordable, practical workshops for the beginning, the aspiring, and the published writer. It’s only $25 for the whole weekend with a barbecue and dinner optional paid extras.

Participants will also have the opportunity to have manuscripts and story pitches assessed for an additional fee by well-known editor and manuscript development consultant, Laurel Cohn.

There are sessions on memoir and life writing; writing for children and young adults; murder mystery and historical fiction; flash fiction, short stories, blogs and competitions; writing craft such as perfecting your dialogue, structure and setting; using humour and imagery; making your characters and their relationships real; and techniques for effectively starting and finishing your manuscript (plans of actions and review). And there are sessions on editing and the final polish and how to get published, marketing and social media.

What: Coffs Harbour Grassroots Writers’ Weekend

When: Friday 17 May 2019 (3.00 pm) to Sunday 19 May 2019 (4.00 pm)

Where: Coffs Harbour Community Village, Earl Street, Coffs Harbour (off Harbour Drive near skate park)

Cost

Weekend of Workshops: $25

Optional extras:

Friday night Barbecue: $25 Chill Out Café, Coffs Harbour Community Village (Partners welcome)

Saturday night Dinner: $35 Park Beach Surf Club (Partners welcome)

Manuscript appraisals: Dr Laurel Cohn $80. Payments on day to Laurel. Manuscript sample (synopsis and first 4000 words) submitted by 8 May 2019 and 30 minute consultations with Laurel on Sunday 19 May 2019. Please see requirements.

How to book your ticket: Contact Julianna Garaty on 0404236762 or jgaraty1946@gmail.com

Paying for the weekend of workshops and optional barbecue and dinner: Indicate your preferred method of payment in your email or phone contact with Julianna.

Direct credit can be made to our bank account:

Coffs Harbour Writers’ Group Inc

BSB: 533000

Account no: 46423

Note: Make sure your name is in the required field

Registrations required by 8 May 2019

Workshops for the Grassroots Weekend are filling up fast. 'Not Just Poetry' is already fully booked. Please give second and third preferences when booking. 

Registrations close 8 May. 

And don't forget to register now for the fabulous Grassroots Writers' Dinner on Saturday night 18 May at the Park Beach Surf Club. A great opportunity to mix with other writers, enjoy some general trivia and have a delicious meal. All for just $35 a ticket. Partners/friends welcome. Book here.

More information on the sessions: 0412668315 or 0437221619

Choosing your workshops: There is a full selection of workshops for the beginning and experienced writer. Please choose your workshops by consulting the  program and noting to Julianna with your payment so that we can accommodate your first choices.

Accommodation: There is a range of accommodation on the Coffs coast to suit all budgets and special needs. See www.coffscoast.com.au

and www.coffscoast.com.au/accessible

The Grassroots Writers’ Weekend hosted by Coffs Harbour Writers’ Group at the Coffs Harbour Community Village 17-19 May 2019 has something for everyone and is affordable and practical.

Please note: The program is subject to changes beyond our control.

2019 Grasssroots Writers’ Weekend Program Coffs Harbour 

Manuscript appraisals Dr Laurel Cohn $80

Grassroots Editorial consultations info

Feel free to join the Grassroots Writers Weekend Facebook Group, go to: Grassoots Writers’ Weekend on Facebook

Meet Your Workshop Facilitators

Roby Aiken

Roby Aiken

Roby Aiken is the author of The Traders Series, an epic fantasy trilogy. She has written many short stories, and is currently working on a suspense thriller set in the Australian Outback. She has been a member of the Nambucca Valley Writers’ Group for twenty years, and is proudly their current President. 

Kick Start your Writing:

Facilitator: Roby Aiken

Roby Aiken takes you through a practical guide to make sure your writing resolutions for 2019 stick! Roby has a number of published works and speaks from the experience of knowing what works!

Where do you begin? How do you start? Do you schedule your writing time? Are you a plotter or a ‘pantser’? How many words do you write each day? How many do you need for your WIP? 

This discussion will look at these questions and more, and will help both experienced writers and new writers find out how others write and what works for them. 

Greg Barron

Greg Barron

Crime, terrorism, history, international politics and the wide open spaces of outback Australia are all passionate interests of author Greg Barron. He has lived in North America, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. His books, published by HarperCollins Australia and Stories of Oz Publishing, are gutsy page turners that tell the truth about the world, then and now. Rotten Gods was long listed for the prestigious Ned Kelly awards, and has been lauded as "one of the most sophisticated geopolitical thrillers ever written." Savage Tide was described by ABC Radio reviewer Rob Minshull as: "Both supremely intelligent and written at breathtaking pace."

Camp Leichhardt is the first of his Australian Stories , and was serialised in 2016 to wide acclaim. Rotten Gods, Savage Tide, Voodoo Dawn and Lethal Sky all feature Marika Hartmann, the Australian intelligence agent who won the hearts of readers all over the world.

Writing Historical Fiction

Facilitator: Greg Barron

Make your historical fiction ring true with tips from widely published author, Greg Barron. The authenticity of historical fiction depends on your knowledge and use of historical detail but also your characterisation, your creation of setting and use of language. You must build the world of your characters and make the period and the characters come alive

Michael Burlace

Michael Burlace

Michael Burlace is a newspaper sub editor who is learning fiction writing as he goes. He teaches others to write, edit and rewrite so their work flows and draws the reader along. This method liberates writers from their pesky inner critic and allows them to drop habits that interfere with good writing.

His workshops are fun and full of useful tools and techniques for writing, editing, publishing and promoting works.

Engaging your Reader

Facilitator: Michael Burlace

The most important character in your book is the reader.

How do you get that person to stay in the story all the way from the title to the final lines that wrap it up neatly?

Editor and writer, Michael Burlace, will look at how to carry a reader along with you and what turns them off!

Bring some of your writing. Also bring a novel you've read and love re-reading.

Leonie Harrison

Leonie Harrison

Leonie writes mainly short stories and flash fiction across a range of genres with a number of publications to her credit. She has also had success in the competition sphere with several winning and highly recommended entries. Leonie enjoys sharing her love of writing and encouraging others to create their best work.   

Writing for Competitions Facilitator: Leonie Harrison

Writing competitions can be an adrenaline rush for your writing or they can leave you feeling like the proverbial deer in the headlights. Should I? Shouldn’t I? Join Leonie, serial competitor, as she guides and skills you through the maze of writing competitions for short story and flash fiction and explains how competitions can help to hone your writing skills. Key points include: why enter; the challenge of writing to a deadline and strict criteria such as word length and key words/phrases/themes; free versus paid entry and keeping track of your entries.

Yvonne Kachel

Yvonne Kachel

Yvonne Kachel worked in both community and government sectors across NSW, Tasmania and the ACT at an executive management level before retiring to Coffs Harbour over five years ago. Yvonne has an Honours degree in Sociology, a Diploma in Agency and TESOL and has travelled extensively, speaking at International Conferences about her work. It is Yvonne’s hobbies that have drawn her to writing. With two years at Newcastle University pursuing drama, acting on the stage, playing in television commercials and back up advertisements for cinema, Yvonne also featured in videos and scenarios for the Medical Faculty. Yvonne has taught children’s drama and written plays for children that have been performed at the Jetty Theatre in Coffs Harbour. She enjoys writing short stories, especially humourous stories with quirky ends, as well as travel stories. Yvonne has nearly completed her first serious novel and is currently putting together a travelogue of her travels encompassing countries as Africa, Europe, Great Britain, South East Asia, China and Scandinavia. Yvonne has been a member of the Coffs Harbour Writers’ Group for several years and has contributed to their Anthology and website with some of her stories as well as presenting workshops. Yvonne now contributes to Nambucca Writers’ Group and enjoys all writing challenges as Mad Monologues, Furious Fiction and the occasional nonfiction serious writing.

Making your Characters Come to Life

Facilitator: Yvonne Kachel

Develop your character in words and then act out the character. It will allow you to see your character through the eyes of the reader and the group. It could be a murderer, a child, an aged person, a beautiful heroine, but as the writer you need to develop a character that is believable. You will be able to use humour, suspense,darkness and intrigue. Bring along a short paragraph about your character to work with.

Yvonne is a skilled actress and writer so be prepared for fun! 

Fiona McDonald

Fiona McDonald

Fiona McDonald is an Australian illustrator, author, publisher and doll maker. Based in Armidale,NSW, she has had eleven books published internationally, including an illustrated graphic novel for children, Ghost Doll and Jasper, and a bestselling history of street art, The Popular History of Graffiti: From the Ancient World to the Present. Fiona is also the co-founder of the independent children’s publisher, Christmas Press, and its two imprints, Second Look and Eagle Books. Her most recent titles include illustrations for the acclaimed picture books Two Fearsome Fairy Tales from France (retold by award-winning British author Adele Geras) and Two Selkie Stories from Scotland (retold by popular Australian author Kate Forsyth), both books published by Christmas Press. She is currently undertaking a Master of Arts in Creative Practice at the University of New England where she is working on a novella featuring Jenny Wren, the dolls’ dressmaker, from Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend.

http://fionamcdonald.blogspot.com/

http://www.fionamcdonaldart.com/ 

Writing for Young Adults

Facilitator: Fiona McDonald

Join noted children’s and young adult fiction author (and dragon lover), Fiona McDonald in a fantastical and fabulous exploration of what works for each age group.

·       a brief introduction to the world of YA fiction

·       some warm-up exercises in getting the right voice for the audience

·       plotting a novel opening to hook the reader 

·      general discussion at the end of the session

Desley Polmear

Desley Polmear

Desley was born in Brisbane, QLD. Growing up she always had an interest in writing and her teachers reported that she had a great imagination. She contributed to a local magazine on the Sunshine Coast, QLD and produced an inspirational verse book in the 1990s. She ran seminars in ‘mind, body and spirit’ on the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

Desley became involved in a writing group when she moved to South West Rocks, NSW in 2008 and began writing seriously. She published in anthologies in the mid-north coast area and then wrote her first trilogy. In 2014, her second book of the trilogy, ‘Just before Midnight’ had a review in the New York Times. She followed that up by writing about her life, titled, ‘My Early Years.’ She ran a successful workshop at Grassroots Port Macquarie, 2017.

Desley writes daily and is working on her next novel. She is a high-energy person whose interests cover the arts, musicals, writing and travel. She has fond memories of being in the production of many musicals, but the highlight was to be in the production of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘Les Miserables.’ For over eight years, she has been singing with ‘Sing Australia.’ She believes singing is good for the soul.

Keeping the Mystery in your Writing

Facilitator: Desley Polmear

Here’s a chance to create characters, a murder, a setting, and a motive. This will be a fun session with mystery writer, Desley Polmear, and everyone will leave with a short story.

Imagination begins with the writer, and finishes with the reader. 

In every story there is conflict, climax and a resolution. You will explore these in your stories and show that we each have our writing style: our word choice, tone, syntax and voice.

Rosalie Skinner

Rosalie Skinner Rosalie spent the first forty years of her life as an obsessive reader before taking up a quill and penning The Chronicles of Caleath. Fantasy and science fiction allowed her to weave life experience with imagination to create a world where her main character would fulfil his quest.

Writing became an obsession while watching her teenage daughter cope with chronic disease. There is a theme running through the series that reflects the courage and despair experienced as her daughter’s potential for a successful future evaporated. Watching her daughter’s courage in the face of adversity inspired Caleath’s story.

Eight ebooks and print books are the beginning of her writing journey.

Rosalie can be contacted through Rosalie Skinner or her blog Ramblings from Lady Rosalie http://rosalieskinner.blogspot.com.au

Igniting your Reader’s Curiosity

Facilitators: Wendy Laharnar and Rosalie Skinner

An action packed, practical session considering seven ways to ignite your reader’s curiosity so that he/she is drawn into your story and trapped! The group will work on examples that excite our unique creative spirit and have fun with lateral thinking.

Participants should bring along:

• A 5 star rave review, written by you, of the novel you yearn to write.

Or

• A list of first lines that sparked your curiosity.

A Plan of Writing Action for the Future

Facilitators: Rosalie Skinner and Wendy Laharnar

Keeping up our level of enthusiasm for writing is the objective after we leave a weekend such as Grassroots. What works for you? Critique groups, beta readers, writing sites and writing meet ups (online and face-to-face). We will be looking for what participants feel they need and if possible, create solutions from the Grassroots group.