GONDOR
WRITERS' CENTRE
G'day folks,
Today, I present something different. I welcome a good friend of mine who has been one of my biggest supporters - Elaine Ouston. Elaine and colleague, Ron, have recently opened a centre for writers in the hinterland of a beautiful part of Australia. Elaine is not only highly qualified, she is also an author herself, and one of the nicest people in the publishing industry - an absolute gem.
Welcome, Elaine ...
What is the
Gondor Writers Centre?
It is a writers retreat located on a quiet
country property set in the foothills of the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Here,
writers can gather in an inspiring setting to learn how to hone their craft. An
exciting group of popular authors will teach them how to be a successful author.
The workshop building is set on 16 acres and
surrounded by trees and flowering shrubs. It is a wonderfully relaxing
environment, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The loudest sound we
hear most days is the call of the many birds that surround us. Some days we
look out the window and find a wallaby grazing on the rise behind the house.
They are always in our front paddock. Deer roam the area and often visit. The
property has a resident koala population. We rarely see them, but sometimes
they come to the trees close to the house. The peace and tranquillity of the
property enhances the learning experience.
Why did you
call the property Gondor?
I named our writing centre Gondor after the
world in The Lord of the Rings. To me
that book is the epitome of creativity and even the name inspires me. I hope it
will work the same for others.
Tell us how
the idea came about?
I
was running workshops in suburban Rockhampton, and they were very successful.
Many of my students went on to win competitions and become published authors, but
mowers next door, noisy traffic, and people shouting out on the street were
constant interruptions. I dreamed of having a quiet secluded place where
writers could sit in peace and not have their thoughts interrupted by these
distractions. When we decided to move closer to Brisbane, we looked for such a
place and were lucky enough to find it.
Why do
writers need to take courses in writing?
As
a publisher and editor, I am always reading manuscripts from aspiring writers.
Most of them have a great imagination and an interesting story to tell, but
there is much lacking in the writing. To be successful as an author, you have
to know how to hook the reader from the first page and keep them glued to the
story for the whole book. The ways to do this are skills that can be learned. I
saw the need for some reasonably priced workshops to help writers become the
best that they could be.
Your new in-house workshops
sound fantastic. Can you tell us more?
The
workshops cover everything that a writer needs to know. They start at how to
develop an idea into a story and continue on to how to get published. As well
as this valuable knowledge, many guest authors will share information on their
particular genre.
Can you name
drop some presenters you have lined up for 2015?
While Ron’s and my workshops cover all technical
aspects of writing, I wanted to offer my participants more. I am very lucky to
have amongst my friends many amazing writers. When I approached them to come to
our centre and share the information they have of their particular genre or
knowledge of the industry, they agreed.
The list includes Paul Collins (fantasy
creation and world building), Michael Gerard Bauer (writing humour), Marianne
de Pierres (How to find and agent), Meredith Costain (writing for early
readers/the education market), Aleesah Darlison (picture books), Charmaine
Clancy (writing scary stories for children), Annie Seaton (writing romance).
What are you
most proud of with this valuable service?
Being able to mentor writers, by helping
them learn the craft.
Any other
essential resources (besides Gondor Writers Centre) you would recommend for
writers/illustrators?
I
recommend taking workshops wherever they can to learn the important skills
needed, joining a writer’s group in their area and belonging to their state
writers’ centre. Also, attending as many writing festival and conventions that
they can, to mix with like-minded people and meet the heavyweights in the
business.
Do your presenters offer a quick assessment of a 'work in progress?
Some workshop participants have asked if the presenters would do a quick assessment of their 'work-in-progress'. Unfortunately, there is not time for all attendees to be given this privilege, but we have come up with a way around this.
Our future workshops will include an opportunity for 4 lucky winners to have their manuscript assessed by our exciting presenters and one to win a FREE workshop!
Go to the website to see more.
http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html
How can we learn more?
Please phone 07
54 981 332 if you have any queries.
Clancy's comment: Mm ... It must be of a very high calibre with presenters like Paul Collins, Michael Gerard Bauer and Aleesah Darlison. I would highly recommend this centre for any aspiring or emerging author, and would be there in a flash, given half the opportunity. Trust me, folks. Nothing better than spending time with colleagues who have already been through the mill. But, even better when it's done in a wonderful environment.
I'm ....
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