Travel Writing and Photography Course
Kiwis have always been big travellers, and have a habit of turning up in the farthest-flung corners of the world. Learn to write about these exotic destinations in a sure and masterful way. Travelling to far-off places can be much more rewarding if you are able to capture the atmosphere and culture of your destination, and then successfully pitch these experiences to a publication. In a global world there is a tremendous appetite to understand other peoples and places. Learn to evoke the sights and smells of the Pacific, America, Latin America, Africa, Asia or Europe. Or learn to more fully experience and write about the many hidden delights of Australasia.
Tutor Yvonne van Dongen is one of New Zealand's most respected travel writers and editors. For a number of years she was Travel Editor of the New Zealand Herald and, subsequently, Travel Editor of onHoliday Magazine. She writes regularly for NZ Life & Leisure, The Australian, AA Directions, Conde Nast Traveller, and North and South Magazine among others. She has won a number of awards for her travel writing, including Best Tourism and Travel Column in the Qantas Media Awards, Lifestyle Journalist of the Year, two Commonwealth Media Awards, and Cathay Pacific Media Writer of the Year.
In addition, the course features two travel photography workshops run by photographer Greta Anderson. These days many editors appreciate travel writers who can submit their stories along with high-quality photographs. Having this additional capacity can be a huge professional advantage. For this reason Yvonne and Greta will be co-ordinating their course material and activities to ensure students can bring these different skills together, highlighting good writing with good pictures. Greta will take the group out into Auckland on two Saturdays for a hands-on, fun demonstration of the techniques essential for travel photography. A multi-award-winning photographer, Greta has worked for the NZ Herald, onHoliday Magazine, Air New Zealand Magazine and Pavement, and has lectured in photography at Elam, Unitec and the Sydney College of the Arts. You can visit her website at www.gretaanderson.com
The course is designed to introduce you to the different skills required by expert travel writers, to help you to craft your experiences into stories that can published, and to have fun sharing stories, experiences and approaches to successful travel writing.
Download Travel Writing & Photography Course Outline & FAQs.doc (87.50 KB) Download Travel Writing & Photography Course Enrollment Form.doc (70.00 KB)
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Click here to read feedback from students of Yvonne van Dongen's previous classes
| Course | Location | Time | Start Date | Sessions | Price |
| Travel Writing and Photography | The Creative Hub waterfront rooms | Tues 6pm to 8pm | 7 Feb 2012 |
Eight sessions: six x 2hr sessions plus two x 2hr photography workshops |
$462.50 incl GST (For this course full payment should be received no later than 2 days prior to course start date) |
This course is intended for those who want to write a novel, or a collection of short stories. The main intention of the course is to provide a fun and stimulating environment in which the student can discover his or her own authentic literary voice. Students should have completed a first degree (in any subject), or have already done an introductory fiction writing course, or had some work published. The course is limited to no more than twelve students, in order to maximise the personal rewards for students.
This two semester course over thirty weeks is facilitated by John Cranna and is his successor to the popular Masters of Creative Writing course he founded at AUT University, and which was voted Best-Taught Post Graduate Course by students in 2008. The main feature of the course are weekly 2-3 hour group meetings, in which student work is discussed and critiqued in an informal but supportive environment. Craft and technical issues arise organically from discussion of this work, and there are no formal lectures as such. Students keep a reading and writing journal, which helps chart their development during the year.
A number of leading NZ fiction writers and publishers will conduct specialist craft workshops during the course; writers holding workshops on the Advanced Fiction and Fiction courses at the Creative Hub include, Roger Hall, Tessa Duder, Geoff Walker (former Penguin fiction publisher), Tina Shaw, Paula Morris, Sarah Laing, Maggie Tarver, and Judith White.The main craft issues of dialogue, character, plot and structure, point of view, description, voice and theme will all be addressed during group sessions.
In addition, each student will be matched to an established NZ fiction writer, for one on one mentoring. In 2011 the mentors on the Fiction Course included Fiona Kidman, Tina Shaw, Lee Wood, Selina Tusitala Marsh, Sue McCauley, John Cranna and Sarah Laing. At the end of the course, the student will be provided with an extensive analysis, in the form of a Publishers Readers Report, on the strengths and weaknesses of her / his manuscript. Successful completion of the course will result in the award of the Higher Certificate in Fiction Writing from the Creative Hub.
Download Fiction Writing Course Outline and FAQ.doc (94.00 KB) Download Fiction Writing Course Calendar 2011-12.doc (71.50 KB) Download Fiction Writing Course Enrollment Form 2011-12.doc (615.00 KB)
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| Course | Location | Time | Start Date | Sessions | Price |
| Fiction Writing | Creative Hub waterfront rooms | Thursday 6pm to 9pm | 27 Sept 2012 |
Two x 15-week semesters | $4,725 incl GST (Interest-free monthly payment terms over two years available to students) |
Take your writing to another level with this course for writers who have completed a novel or short story manuscript. Full-length works of fiction usually take several years to complete, and this course is designed to assist writers who want to take the first draft of a manuscript or work-in-progress to a higher level.
We offer a creative, collegial environment in which to hone and develop your writing. In workshops and tutorials you will be encouraged to develop your distinctive writing voice, extend your characters and explore story structure. Weekly three-hour sessions are chaired by author and facilitator John Cranna. Each week you will circulate a significant quantity of your work-in-progress for indepth discussion. The Creative Hub encourages a supportive and inspiring group dynamic in which writers can share their work and gain insights into the craft of fiction. Analysis of student work will make reference to point of view, tone, characterisation, dialogue, theme, scene structure, macro structure, and specific problems which arise in each manuscript in development.
In addition, a number of leading writers will hold workshops during the course. Authors and publishers who ran workshops and presentations on the 2011 Advanced Fiction Course included Roger Hall, Tessa Duder, Paula Morris, Sarah Laing, Maggie Tarver, Graham Reid, Judith White, book publicist Lorraine Steele and Geoff Walker - for 25 years Penguin Books' fiction publisher.
You will be encouraged to write a literary journal, and combine this with an extensive reading programme of contemporary literature. Additional elements of the course include voice coaching for public reading; the opportunity to record work in a professional recording studio and read on radio; and publication on a fiction showcase website.
You might already have completed a fiction writing course, a mentoring programme, or have some publication record already – such as short stories in print or broadcast on radio. A maximum of twelve students will be accepted on the course.
Click here to listen to 2010 Advanced Fiction Class read from their work on JAM RADIO, Auckland's premier arts radio station
Click here to listen to Radio New Zealand 'Arts on Sunday' interview with the 2010 Advanced Fiction Class
Please note that this course only is located at the Michael King Writers Centre on Mount Victoria, in Devonport.
Download Advanced Fiction Course Calendar 2012.doc (71.00 KB)
Download Advanced Fiction Course Outline.doc
Download Advanced Fiction Course Outline.pdf (80.50 KB)
2012 Advanced Fiction Course Enrollment Form.doc (615.00 KB)
Click here to email your enrollment form
| Course | Location | Time | Start Date | Sessions | Price |
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Advanced Fiction
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The Michael King Writers' Centre, Devonport |
Wed 6pm to 9pm | 14 March 2012 | Two x 15-week semesters | $1,800 incl GST (Quarterly interest free payment terms are available. A 10% deposit is required to secure your place on this course) |
Introduction to Creative Writing Course
Have a go! This course is intended to introduce you to some of the basic skills and techniques that can make writing so enjoyable. You might already keep a journal, or have written some poetry or short stories, but would like to find out about some of the tools professional writers use to make their work publishable. If so, then this is the course for you. We create a supportive environment in which you can spread your wings, take risks, but in the knowledge that our expert professional writers will provide a guiding hand. There are no prerequisites for this course, other than your willingness to participate in a group learning environment.
We rely on a supportive group dynamic, in which everyone gets a chance to read their work, which is received and reviewed in a supportive way but with some constructive feedback as to how to improve your writing. As you develop your skills you will find great satisfaction in being able to lucidly express your inner literary voice. The best writers are big readers, and this course also provides you with a reading list to help develop your work cumulatively over time.
We look at how to create beginnings, middles and ends in a piece of writing; how to keep adjectives and adverbs under control; how to develop an 'ear' for language that sounds musical when read. You will learn about the five common traps that beginner writers often fall into. For poets who would like to take part in poetry slams for the first time, we show you how to express and project your reading in a public environment.
The course is taught by John Cranna, Director of the Creative Hub, and Siobhan Harvey. John is the winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book, and the NZ Book Award for Fiction. For his full CV visit the Tutors' page.
Siobhan Harvey is the author of the poetry collection, Lost Relatives (Steele Roberts, 2011), Words Chosen Carefully: New Zealand Writers in Discussion (Cape Catley, 2010) and Our Own Kind: 100 New Zealand Poems about Animals (Godwit, 2009). In 2009 she was Auckland Regional Council Writer in Residence. In 2010 her poetry was nominated for the Pushcart Prize (US). She is also Coordinator of National Poetry Day, an Editor for the Poetry Archive in the UK, Poetry Editor of Takahe Magazine and a New Zealand Society of Authors’ Mentor. 
Download & Email to us Intro to Creative Writing Enrollmnt Form (69.00 KB)
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Click here to read feedback from John Cranna's Intro To Creative Writing Course students
| Course | Location | Time | Start Date | Sessions | Price |
| Introduction to Creative Writing | The Creative Hub waterfront rooms | Monday 6pm to 8pm | 1 May 2012 (March course now full) | Eight weekly 2hr sessions | $475.00 incl GST (For this course full payment should be received no later than 2 days prior to course start date) |
Easter Fiction School - Take the Plunge!
Immerse yourself in this stimulating 3-day course of fiction writing, a repeat of our highly successful Summer Fiction School. You will learn how to transform your life stories into fiction, and hear about fiction techniques such as choosing the right point of view, when to use 'show not tell', writing great dialogue, and the magic of narrative voice. What is the Hero's Journey? How do you write engaging scenes? And what is the best way to end a story? We offer a fun and supportive group environment in which you can explore your writing ideas and create new stories. You may have written some stories or be writing a novel, or you might simply want to learn how to start. This is an inspiring introduction into the world of writing fiction, tutored by Creative Hub Director John Cranna.
John Cranna is the winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book, and the NZ Book Award for Fiction. For his full CV visit the Tutors' page.
Download Easter School Course Outline (78.50 KB)
Download Easter School Enrollment Form (69.50 KB)
Click here to email your enrollment form
| Course | Location | Time | Start Date | Sessions | Price |
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Easter Fiction School |
Creative Hub waterfront rooms | 10am to 4pm | Sat 7 April 2012 | Sat 7 April, Sun 8 April, Mon 9 April, 2012 |
$420.00 incl GST (For this course full payment should be received no later than 2 days prior to course start date) |
Children and Young Adult Fiction Course
Have you ever wanted to write a book for children or young adults? Writing for children can be a lot of fun, as you unleash your own inner child on the page.
Writing for children is all about writing in a simple, fresh, vivid style. Award winning tutor Janice Marriott will offer you techniques to feed your imagination and release your creative powers. This course will be tailored to your needs: each session will provide a particular craft focus and also offer opportunities for students to share work written during the course. A collegial, supportive environment will be paramount. The tutor will also help you find original ideas for stories. Participants will have input into which topics they would most like to cover in-depth during the course.
The course looks at how to get inside the head of a child; how to adjust your writing style specifically to children; an overview of the genres available; the role of picture books; how to make characters come alive; novel writing for children; how to structure and shape a story and also educational writing. The eight week course will offer insights, knowledge and opportunities to both those who are absolute beginners, and also to those who have already written for children but have not managed to achieve publication.
Tutor Janice Marriott has won the Aim Book of the Year Award, the NZ Post Award for Junior Fiction, and the Esther Glen Medal. She has written children’s books in many genres, including fiction (novels and short stories), picture books, educational publications, historical fiction, science fiction, and humour. She worked for New Zealand’s largest educational publisher, Learning Media for over 20 years. Janice has tutored creative writing and poetry in a number of locations throughout the country, and assesses manuscripts for the NZ Society of Authors.
Download Childrens and YA Fiction Course Outline and FAQs.doc (86.50 KB) Download Children and YA Fiction Enrollment Form.doc (614.50 KB)
Click here to email your enrollment form
| Course | Location | Time | Start Date | Sessions | Price |
|
Children and Young Adults Fiction Course |
Creative Hub waterfront rooms | 6pm to 8pm | Thurs 26 April 2012 | Eight weekly 2hr sessions | $470.00 incl GST (For this course full payment should be received no later than 2 days prior to course start date) |
Book Publishing – The Inside Story
How are book publishing decisions made inside a publishing house? And who makes them? What’s it like to work inside publishing? As an editor? As a publisher? What does a writer need to know to get a book published? What are the challenges of the new digital age? Does it mean that the book as we know it is doomed?
This stimulating 8-week course is for writers, would-be editors and anybody interested in books and publishing. It will combine fascinating inside information with practical hands-on exercises – and some great discussion. Download Book Publishing Course Outline & FAQs.doc (86.50 KB) Download Book Publishing Course Enrollment Form.doc (614.50 KB)
Click here to email your enrollment form
| Course | Location | Time | Start Date | Sessions | Price |
|
Book Publishing Course |
Creative Hub waterfront rooms | 6pm to 8pm | To be announced | Eight weekly 2hr sessions | $495.00 incl GST (For this course full payment should be received 2 days prior to course start date) |
The Art and Craft of Memoir
If you have ever been tempted by the idea of writing your memoir but not known where to begin, this course will provide the confidence and skills to help access your creativity and writing talent. Through writing exercises, group discussion and critical analysis of the best of autobiographical literature you will learn how to craft and structure your story into a compelling narrative.
Over eight weeks and during two-and-a-half-hour sessions we’ll cover the following topics: defining memoir and memoir form, constructing timelines, establishing a place to write and a writing practice, storytelling style and developing your unique voice, how to sustain momentum and maintain reader interest, structure and thematic development, self-editing, tips on preparing a story for online publication and the ethics of writing about significant others. Through writing exercises, participants will explore and reflect upon remembering childhood, riding the teenage years, becoming a grownup, working life, the meaning of home and community, surviving a crisis, a special person and a self-portrait.
Deborah’s courses are nourishing and rewarding and participants derive pleasure from sharing their stories with fellow writers within a supportive and friendly environment. Come along in a spirit of curiosity, ready to enjoy the experience of delving into your memories and making meaning of the twists and turns of your life journey.
Deborah Shepard is an experienced teacher of memoir who has taught a popular series of Life Writing courses since 2006. Her published work includes Reframing Women: A History of New Zealand Film (2000), Her Life's Work: Conversations with Five New Zealand Women (2009) and she is currently working on a guide to life writing. Recently Deborah established a ‘Your Story’ forum on her website deborahshepardbooks.com, for writers to share their life stories online. 
Download story by Deborah in NZ Book Council May 2011 newsletter.pdf (577.30 KB) Download Art and Craft of Memoir Outline and FAQs.doc (107.50 KB) Art and Craft of Memoir Course Enrollment Form.doc (614.50 KB)
Click here to email your enrollment form
| Course | Location | Time | Start Date | Sessions | Price |
|
Art and Craft of Memoir Course |
Creative Hub waterfront rooms | 6pm to 8.30pm | 27 March 2012 | Eight weekly 2.5hr sessions | $490.00 incl GST (For this course full payment should be received 2 days prior to course start date) |
We will provide you with a detailed report which will help you develop and polish your work. We currently assess fiction manuscripts and travel writing manuscripts. Our intention is to help you take your manuscript up to the next level, and we will focus in our report on the technical and craft issues that make good writing work.
In fiction manuscripts we look at overall structure of the work, and a number of key craft issues such as strength of characterisation, consistency of point of view, scene structure, narrative tone (‘voice’), plot and quality of dialogue writing.
In travel writing manuscripts we look at effectiveness of opening, evocation of place, quality of observation, originality of viewpoint and approach, marketability to specific niches, quality of story-telling.
Our intention is to motivate you to improve your work, so we will report on what we feel are the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the draft. Almost all published works go through a number of drafts before completion, and our assessors are all familiar with this process. We aim to provide you with your report within 3 to 6 weeks of the date of receiving your manuscript.
Please note that we require full advance payment for our manuscript assessments.
Please contact us for more details at enquiries@thecreativehub.net.nz
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Novels |
Price |
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Up to 50,000 words: |
$ 505 incl. GST |
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each additional 10,000 words or part thereof $69 incl. GST to 100,000 words: |
$ 850 incl. GST |
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Short Fiction and Travel Stories |
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| To 6,000 words: | $ 345 incl. GST |