Workshops and Talks

Author Talk or Keynote Speaker – 1hr talk

Zena has won over a dozen national writing competitions, has had short fiction published in over 40 magazines and anthologies across the world, and has had multiple books published. Having written since she was a tween, she now judges writing competitions, and has spent the last 10 years teaching and tutoring kids of all ages in English and creative writing. In her author talks, Zena happily shares her author adventures with libraries, schools, festivals, and any events interested in inspiring young writers to get creating. She talks about her writing process, the importance of creativity and how to incorporate it into all stages of life, the value of the teenage brain/experience, and more. 

High School

‘Mod C’ Craft of Writing – 1.5hr workshop
Stage 6 Writers (Years 11 & 12 Only)

This workshop addresses the very particular and nuanced writing skills needed to succeed in the English HSC (Standard or Advanced) ‘Module C’ component. It challenges students’ perspectives of creative writing, inviting them to understand what the HSC exam will require of them, and how best to showcase their skills in the limited time available for crafting an imaginative, discursive or persuasive text, as well as a possible reflection. It reveals common pitfalls to avoid, enables students to test their knowledge of language devices for practical application, and offers a different approach that supports in-class development, voiced by an experienced personal tutor.

Exquisite Storytelling: Advanced Techniques – 3-4hr workshop
For Stage 5 & 6 Writers (Years 9 to 12)

An advanced technique-focused workshop to enrich young writers already confident with storytelling skills and writing techniques. Develop story precision, write culturally diverse characters, innovate with text structure and language forms, explore the human experience, universal themes and social contexts, and experiment with setting. Students deepen their understanding of technique and how to better craft imagery. Aimed at young writers who already know the basics, who want to advance their skills, or who want to write creatively beyond their high school experience.

Make Talk Matter: Dialogue Masterclass – 2hr workshop
For Stage 5 & 6 Writers (Years 9 to 12)

Speech breathes life into the written page, breaking up long passages of action and description, humanising stories, and giving characters a voice. In this Dialogue Masterclass, students learn how to create dynamic dialogue with conflict, make their dialogue work for its place on the page, avoid common dialogue pitfalls, and deepen their understanding of how spoken words can carry a plot – a transferable skill for those with scriptwriting aspirations for screen or television. With both group and individual writing exercises, students will gain confidence in how they write and use dialogue, ensuring they make talk matter!

Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy – 6hr workshop
For All High School Writers (Years 7 to 12)

Travel to planets light-years away or dive into a far-distant yet magical past with this exciting writing workshop. Conjure magic, play with science, invent futuristic societies, imagine mystical creatures, explore secret skills and hidden treasures – students open any door they like and set their imaginations free! They’ll discover how to transform their speculative ideas into actual stories and craft tales of wonder that will amaze readers. They’ll develop effective worldbuilding tools; set the stage with worlds that are convincing, authentic and original; and create memorable characters relevant to their world, whose compelling stories stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading. This transformative workshop is designed for writers of all ages and levels, and includes an overview of speculative fiction as a genre, plotting pitfalls to avoid, and how to write for your audience.

Writing Technique Development Day – 6hr workshop
For All High School Writers (Years 7 to 12)

This workshop enables all young writers to reach their true potential by advancing their story structure technique, scene-setting skills and writing voice so their words connect easily and expertly with readers and examiners alike. Why does theme matter in literature? What do you want to say to readers through your characters? What makes writing resonate across generations? Why do we need emphasis? Using carefully designed exercises, young writers explore the full range of creative writing techniques to challenge and develop theme, character, setting, and imagery. In learning how to apply such skills to their own projects, they also gain insight into how published authors apply theirs, and the effects created.

Write Your Own Book – 6hr workshop
For All High School Writers (Years 7 to 12)

This full-day workshop gives young writers a true-to-life writing experience by enabling them to plan, structure, write, edit, polish, and produce their very own book. It develops their writing skills, inspires, enriches and engages them by guiding them through the book creation process from start to finish. Story-creation is an intangible art. By turning that creativity into a physical product, young writers can learn to appreciate the importance of every step of production and publication – from careful planning and learning how to turn specific ideas into a book plot with chapters, to story structure revision and application, to challenging personal writing style with creative flourishes, to meticulous proofreading and layout. Can include an experience of peer review and critique on request. Please bring a laptop with Word and a USB port.

Poetry & Lyrics – 1hr workshop
For Stage 4 & 5 Writers (Years 7 to 10)

Poems can be brave, cathartic, conceptual, experimental, reflective; and in this meaningful yet relaxed and friendly workshop students will each write a poem of their own! They’ll discover the power of words and their expression, then how to use them to represent their own experiences of the world. That world might be an ‘outside’ world – people, places, nature. It might also be an ‘inside’ world – emotion, behaviour, identity. We’ll explore the different forms of poetry, techniques poets commonly use, how poets observe the world, how they use tone, subject matter and style to communicate meaning, and how to both start and polish poetic work. This workshop could generate some fantastic poems for sharing in the school newsletter!

Stories Are About Change – 1hr workshop
For Stage 4 & 5 Writers (Years 7 to 10)

Stories are about change. We read to understand how others encounter change, so we can better handle changes in our own lives. This unique approach to story structure can help ensure students’ writing reflects this and resonates with readers. In this workshop they’ll discover how theme, conflict and character can all benefit from a structural review, they’ll examine their purpose in writing stories, develop an understanding of why writers write, and create a story reflective of a specific idea and intention. Please watch ‘Happy Feet’, ‘Star Wars IV: A New Hope’ or ‘Frozen’ in advance of this class.

Imaginative Creations: Story Development – 3hr workshop
For Stage 4 Writers (Years 7 to 8)

A vibrant imaginative workshop to deepen understanding of writing techniques and storytelling from the practical hands-on perspective of a publisher author. Explore literary writing conventions, learn how to create captivating and representative characters beyond a writer’s immediate experience, discover how such characters can then support your climax, develop fresh enthralling story ideas, pivotal narratives, conflicts and tension. Young writers expand their understanding of setting responses, discover monologue and dialogue techniques (a transferable skill to scriptwriting for screen or television), and innovate with individual writing voice and style.

Upper Primary

Build A Detailed World – 2-3hr workshop
For Stage 3 Writers (Yrs 5 to 6)

This workshop helps young writers develop their pre-high school creative writing skills. This is the ideal time to explore and develop young writers’ perceptions of story. While plots do involve a series of events, that’s not all there is to plot – readers need to connect with your main character too. While stories can entertain, they’re not just about entertainment – they should mean something to both writer and reader. Your characters move around your story world, yet that’s not the only place they should exist. Find out more in this creative technique-based workshop on story detail.

Objects: the Magical & Meaningful! – 2hr workshop
For Stage 3 Writers (Yrs 5 to 6)

Objects can be precious, powerful, magical, meaningful, good for us and bad! In this fun, vibrant workshop, young writers stimulate their creative thinking, delve deep into character creation, explore the value of things beyond the familiar, create a story, learn how best to express it, and enjoy the might of imagination! All this and more while we experience how and why characters feel the way they do about the objects within their grasp, and through that better appreciate what it means to be human!

Lower Primary  

Problems In Wonderland: Stories That Matter – 1.5hr workshop
For Stage 1 & 2 Writers (Yrs 1 to 4)

Anyone can write a story. But how do you write a story that readers will want to read? While most young writers are probably familiar with the who/what/where/when/why of narrative structure, a series of arbitrary events doesn’t make for good storytelling. Young writers may also be familiar with the idea of integrating problems, or conflict, into narrative structure. How, though, do you get readers engaged with that conflict? The best stories are written with ‘tension’. The best stories involve ‘high stakes’, and events that really mean something to the characters involved. In this workshop, young writers get to understand and explore these concepts by writing a story of their own. Using action plans and worksheets, they get to think not just about story structure, but the essence of story itself.