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| Felicity Pulman |
I’ve lost count of the number of workshops
I’ve attended during my working life as an author, although I’ve always kept
the notes I made and the handouts I was given because I find them such a useful
aide-memoire whenever I’ve needed to
refer to something I learned during a particular session. Over the years I’ve honed my skills while
exploring various genres, partly to keep my writing fresh but also for the fun
of sometimes following a different muse. But writing is only the start; I’ve
also attended workshops on self-publishing and marketing which includes the (often
daunting) social media scene.
I can honestly say that my time and money
have never been wasted as there is always something to learn and some new
aspect to consider when it comes to the writing game – which is why I’m still
attending workshops, and learning from them. So you’ll certainly find me
hanging around the ‘super-sessions’ during the conference in Melbourne! Given
by experts, and at only $20 per workshop, there’s a whole smorgasbord to choose
from.
On the writing side, I’m greatly tempted
by the historical romance workshop for aspiring authors titled ‘Medieval,
Regency and So Much More’ given by master (or should that be mistress?)
practitioners in the field, Anne Gracie
and Isolde Martyn, who will share
their tips on the importance of research in creating historical characters in
believable settings – as well as giving some ‘how-not-to’ advice!
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| Anne Gracie |
‘The Mystery in History’, internationally
published and award-winning author Sulari Gentill’s crime fiction workshop for aspiring authors, also looks like a lot
of fun with her promise to take participants through the art of writing crime
fiction with an historical setting that is more than just an artistic backdrop.
As I’ve already discovered, writing for
children and teens is far more complicated than just writing stories for short
people! Historical research is hugely
important but must take second place to compelling characters and the action
that will carry the story and keep the short people interested. Author Sherryl Clark will show participants how
to choose a viewpoint character and structure the story, while addressing
issues of voice and language to appeal to target readers.
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| Lisa Chaplin |
Do you have a family story to tell? Eleanor Limprecht will show you how to transform your research into compelling
historical fiction – while maybe letting a few skeletons out of the closet at
the same time!
But how to research and create the
historical landscape of your dreams?
Think about joining Dr Gillian Polack for her ‘Research and Writing Master Classes 1 & 2’, and find
out how to make history come to life in fiction. In these classes Gillian will
examine different genres of historical fiction, including fantasy, along with
the needs of writers. She will also read 10,000 words of your mss (deadline 1st
September), using these samples to discuss techniques and theory. NB You need to check the website for
info plus submission details. Cost $150.
As a bit of fun, especially if you’re
writing about early and medieval time, why not join Matt Curran (aka Leif the
Viking) in ‘Armour and Armouring’ to find out how a blacksmith would go
about making a set of armour – and how it would feel to wear it. (NB: your hero should never take a 5-minute
toilet break from the battlefield to shuck off his armour and pop into a
latrine!)
Not into battles, more into the boudoir?
Will you dress your heroine in a Tudor or a Renaissance costume? Silk, satin –
or nylon? Rachel Nightingale has
books to show you, plus a range of outfits made by historical re-enactors based
on research and portraits.
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| Hazel Edwards |
Need help? You might like to join Kelly Gardiner’s introduction to
Scrivener, a low-cost software programme for writers which can help you manage
chapters and scenes, sketch out characters and settings, incorporate research
materials, plus a whole lot more.
Do you have a mss ready to go? Lisa Chaplin’s interactive workshop ‘From Elevator Pitch to Finish: how to
successfully pitch your book in 30 seconds’ will give you all the tips you need
to capture the interest of agents and/or publishers.
But perhaps you’d rather go the
self-publishing route? Successful indie author G.S. Johnston is on hand to answer your questions on everything from
production and publishing to marketing in their session: ‘Everything you wanted
to know about self-publishing but were afraid to ask.’
And that brings us to crunch time: your
book’s published but how do you get the word Out There? Your book will be up against millions of
others on sale so you’re going to have to get smart, get out there, and be
quick about it! Join Elisabeth Storrs and Elizabeth Lhuede on ‘How to build an
author platform: social media basics for historical novelists.’ They’ll show
you how to connect with potential readers and promote your books through
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, blogging etc, plus – a vital component – your
website.
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| Elizabeth Lhuede |
And let Hazel Edwards have the last word on ‘Authorpreneurship: the
business of creativity’. As well as writing the book, she says, you need to
learn marketing, publicity, technological, legal and entrepreneurial skills to
adapt to a fast-changing digital global industry, while staying in business and
surviving financially.
So much to learn and so much on offer – we’re
spoilt for choice, and I’m sure I’ll see you there somewhere!
Book your tickets for the workshops and be entered in the draw to win a $100 Dymocks
Gift Card. Cost of tuition is only $20
per session once a full weekend or day ticket has been purchased.
Felicity Pulman
HNSA 2017 Conference
The HNSA 2017 Melbourne Conference is being held on 8-10
September 2017 at Swinburne University. This celebration of the historical
fiction genre will showcase over 60 speakers discussing inspiration, writing
craft, research, publishing pathways and personal histories in our weekend programme.
Among the many acclaimed historical novelists participating are Kerry
Greenwood, Kate Forsyth, Deborah Challinor, Libby Hathorn, Lucy Treloar, Sophie
Masson, Sulari Gentill, Robert Gott and Arnold Zable. The HNSA’s speakers’ list is
available on the HNSA website.
In addition to the two stream weekend programme, there will be ten craft based super
sessions and two research masterclasses.You won’t want to miss our
interactive sessions on armour and historical costumes either! Purchase a
ticket and you will be entered in the draw to win a $100 Dymocks Gift Card.
Manuscript
assessments will be conducted by industry experts, Alison Arnold and Irina Dunn.
Our free extended academic
programme is open for general admission but bookings are essential.
Our
First Pages Pitch Contest offers an opportunity for submissions to be read
aloud to a panel of publishers. And we are delighted to announce the
introduction of our inaugural HNSA
Short Story Contest with a $500 prize!
Let’s make a noise about historical fiction!
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