Masterclass in Creative Writing: Developing Story & Language
Course Overview
"All elements of good writing depend on the writer's skill in choosing one word instead of another. And what grabs and keeps our interest has everything to do with those choices." Francine Prose
Whether you're writing for the stage, the page, the big screen, or your phone screen, most creative writing (except poetry) tells a story.
This Masterclass is designed to help you develop two essential skills:
- Literary talent (a strong use of language)
- Storytelling talent (the ability to shape a compelling narrative)
You’ll work on your own project using a 1-page synopsis and a 3–5 page draft chapter or section, taking part in exercises and tasks to sharpen your skills.
Course Breakdown
- Learn how to critically read your own work (and others') in a useful and constructive way
- Understand how to make sense of your first draft and map the emotional and thematic lines of your story
- Practice asking the right questions of your synopsis to clarify both content and structure
- Learn how to revise your prose — from sentences to punctuation — to find what is both Interesting and True
- Deepen your understanding of Conflict and Drama — and why good storytelling always begins with language
- Improve your ability to give and receive feedback, and participate in a supportive writing community
- Optional: Receive tailored homework assignments to keep progressing outside of class
What to Bring
- A 1-page synopsis of your current writing project
- A 3–5 page sample of a draft chapter or section (plus a second copy for the tutor, if possible)
- Writing materials (pen, notebook, or laptop)
- Something to eat and drink (tea and coffee provided)
Prerequisites
This Masterclass is for writers who have:
- Attended the TWT 2-day Workshop, another foundation course by Janet, or a suitable equivalent
- A current writing project ready to develop in class
If you haven’t worked with Janet before but believe you’ve had equivalent training, please contact her via NSCC to confirm your eligibility.
"Of the total creative effort represented in a finished work, 75% or more of a writer's labour goes into designing story." Robert McKee
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About the tutor
Janet Fennell
Janet is published as a short-story writer (general fiction, SF&F, 'romance'), novelist, reviewer, essayist and poet and ran her first creative writing course for the NSCC in 1998. After the sudden and early death of her husband, the eerily prescient nature of her first novel Only Myself (about a young widow) caused her to destroy work and she stepped away from all creative writing for some 15 years. But she continued to coach others to words and, eventually, her teaching persuaded her back to the page so that now she feels more dedicated than ever to the regenerative power of creative endeavour, and to completing her writing projects, and to helping others find their voice and reach their writing goals. She is currently at work on a novel and a 'memoir-meditation-manual' on writing and life.
Janet studied English (BA), Librarianship (DipLib) and Writing (MA) at university, as well as performance writing at AFTRS & NIDA, and spent many years working in librarianship and corporate communications prior to and alongside her creative work. In 2023 she spent six weeks as Writer-in-Residence as St Mark's College in Adelaide (a residential university college) and most recently (Mar-May '24) she undertook residencies in Italy and France and was a participant at the Sirenland Writers Conference in Positano.
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