I prefer to work closely with small groups of promising authors, meeting in private groups, adult education classes, libraries, writers centres, schools, branches of the Fellowship of Australian Writers and groups in regional centres.

Recent workshops have been presented at Brisbane Boys Grammar, Wentworth Falls Public School, St Dominics, NSW, Korowal School, Charles Sturt University, Nepean Community College, Southern Cross University, Varuna Writer’s Centre, NSW Writer’s Centre, ACT Writer’s Centre

I have presented classes, workshops, talks and seminars to writers of all ages and skill levels since 1990. My teaching style is an informal blend of practical exercises and topical discussions delivered in a supportive atmosphere.

Creative writing is an exhilarating, inspirational experience and I encourage my workshop participants to leave their doubts and misgivings at the door!

Fees vary according to numbers, duration and location. For a quote, please email me. I offer the following workshop formats.

• Story Design
• Proseworks
• One-on-one Editing

Story Design Workshop

The format of this workshop is best suited to a full weekend or series of classes. It can be adapted for all levels of skill and all fiction writing forms.

At a pace that suits the group, we go through the essential steps in planning a good story - characters, plot, setting, point of view, etc. Each step includes hands-on writing assignments and comparative discussions. It’s surprising how much you can learn from the experiences and comments of other writers in the group. Then, when the planning stage is complete, everyone writes a first draft of their story or script, something they can take away from the class and refine at a more considered pace.
Many writers complain that they have no trouble getting ideas and getting the story up and running, but around page three they suddenly hit a brick wall. The story has stalled because they didn’t plan it thoroughly before they started. Sitting down to write your story should be the fun, relaxed part. The hard work is in the designing and planning. This workshop shows you how to plan your story before you start.

Proseworks—A series of dynamic writing exercises in improvised prose.

The exercises are fun, non-threatening and can last anywhere from two minutes to two hours. Covering a broad range of skills, they are perfectly suited to the format of a general one-day writing workshop. It is surprising how often during these exercises, when participants get to play with words, characters and settings, an idea for a story or a play or an article will just pop up out of the written material like a forgotten dream. Email Greg for more details of these exercises.

One-on-one Editing
An intense editing session and discussion of strengths and weaknesses in your writing.
Most writers are blind to their own shortcomings and poor choices. A supportive editor is a fresh, experienced eye and can see your mistakes and blind spots. You may be a brilliant dialogue writer but a poor description writer. Your story might work better if told from an alternative point of view or in a different voice. Your settings may add nothing to the story. You may be overusing the passive voice. You may use punctuation well but your sentences are too long. Face to face or via correspondence or email, We look at a sample of your work in detail and look at ways to improve your writing.

For more information about manuscript help click here.