TAF2024 | MASTERCLASSES
& PUBLISHING SALON DETAILS
Sunday 3 to Friday 8 November 2024
Franklin, Tasmania
LOCATION
All writers’ sessions will be held at St John’s Church in Franklin.
Please note, contrary to Google maps, the church driveway is accessed via the Frank’s Ciderhouse and Cafe car park, not on Church St.
Please turn into Frank’s when headed to the church and drive up to the church slowly. Please ensure you talk to us early about any physical accessibility needs - while a ramp for the church is planned, it currently has front stairs only.
A map of historic Franklin showing 1) St. John’s Church, homebase for this year’s program, 2) Frank’s Ciderhouse and Cafe and 3) a range of cafes and restaurants along the length of the Franklin village, 200 m from Frank’s. Drive or walk through Frank’s carpark to head up the driveway to the Church.
2 Hour Masterclass - $75 per class, including GST.
Alan Baxter Day Masterclass - $185, including GST.
Publishing Salon - $55 per salon, including GST.
Masterclass Package - All 6 x 2 hour masterclasses and Alan Baxter full day masterclass, $525, including GST, discounted from $635.
Masterclass and Publishing Salon Bundle - Bundle masterclasses and publishing salons for a further discount, all masterclasses and all publishing salon for $655, including GST, discounted from $800.
Masterclass and Publishing Salon Bundled with a Writers’ Retreat - Bundled with a 6 day retreat ($690), receive a 25% discount on all classes and salons. This complete package of pre-retreat support, 6 days of daily support, goal setting and check-ins, and optional critique groups, plus all masterclasses and publishing salons, is $1,300 including GST.
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Our 2024 masterclasses are supported by the Tasmanian Government.
TAF2019 MASTERCLASS with ANGELA SAVAGE
ST. JOHN’S CHURCH in FRANKLIN, above FRANK’s CIDERHOUSE AND CAFE, the home of TAF2024 MASSTERCLASSES
TAF2022 MASTERCLASS with ANGELA MEYER
CLASS & SALON DETAILS
Sunday 3 November 2024
Masterclass 1: Basic Instincts – How to Get Started on Your Novel, with Poppy Gee, 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm
You have the perfect idea for a story. You can see it in your mind’s eye. But how do you start writing your novel?
Join Poppy Gee, Tasmanian-born author of Bay of Fires, journalist, editor, and former university creative fiction lecturer to learn how to create an inspiring and compelling scaffold on which to build your story.
An intense masterclass with exercises. You do not need to submit work ahead of time but you will need to come prepared with a story idea to work on in class.
Publishing Salon 1: Lessons from Vanda Symon’s Journey to Publication, 4 pm to 5 pm
Join Vanda Symon, TARWF’s 2024 International Writer in Residence, author of the internationally best-selling Sam Shepherd series and President of the New Zealand Society of Authors, to share her decades-long publication journey, along with lessons that may help you.
There will be an opportunity to submit your most pressing questions ahead of time.
Monday 4 November 2024 (TAS Recreation Day)
Masterclass 2: Getting Published: Your Best Line, with Poppy Gee, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm
Hook a publisher with a one sentence description of your story.
This is THE sentence - the 'elevator pitch' - used by you, agents, publishers, booksellers and others to sell your book to readers.
Join Poppy Gee, author of Bay of Fires, and internationally successful Tasmanian-born author to workshop your pitch line.
This is an intense masterclass with exercises. You need to submit a draft line ahead of time and work on and share your line in class.
Masterclass 3: Characters – How to Write Your Protagonist, with Vanda Symon, 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm
The weight of your story rests on the shoulders of your main character. They have to engage the reader from the first paragraph, convey the storyworld and its people and have a rich inner life all while appearing to be a real person.
How do you convey their motivation, inner conflict and place in life without exposition?
Join Vanda Symon, TARWF’s 2024 International Writer in Residence, author of the internationally best-selling Sam Shepherd series and President of the New Zealand Society of Authors, for this intense masterclass with exercises.
You do not need to submit work ahead of time but you will need to come prepared with a character to work on in the class.
Publishing Salon 2: Poppy Gee, internationally successful author of Bay of Fires, 4 pm to 5 pm
Join Poppy Gee, Tasmanian-born author of Bay of Fires, journalist, editor, and former university creative fiction lecturer to learn directly from her journey to international success.
The iconic SLEEPING BEAUTY range marks the entrance to the Huon Valley
Halfway down the Huon Valley, in Franklin, you’ll find FRANK’s CIDERHOUSE AND CAFE, offering coffee, cakes, lunch and refreshing ciders
FRANKLIN, home to TAF2024, is on the banks of the HUON RIVER
Tuesday 5 November 2024 (Melbourne Cup Day)
Masterclass 4: How to Write Fight and Action Scenes, Alan Baxter, 10 am to 4 pm
What makes a fight or other physical action scene read as realistic, pacey and engaging?
Join martial arts master and internationally-renowned author Alan Baxter for this full day workshop to find out. Learn how to write physicality, bodies moving through space and your own unforgettable fight scenes.
By looking at the various factors that go into a real fight and real action, paying attention to the things that we train for when we learn to fight, we can write scenes that stay exciting without breaking the rules of realism that shatter believability.
You do not need to submit work ahead of time but be prepared for things to turn practical if New Zealand fencing champion Vanda Symon clashes with martial arts master Alan over the origins of pavolva.
Wednesday 6 November 2024
Masterclass 5: Setting – How to Draw Your Reader In, with Vanda Symon, 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm
A well-realised storyworld is essential in any novel, but how do you convey the landscape and the human geography of your setting without exposition?
Join Vanda Symon, TARWF’s 2024 International Writer in Residence, author of the internationally best-selling Sam Shepherd series and President of the New Zealand Society of Authors, for this intense masterclass with exercises.
You do not need to submit work ahead of time but you will need to come prepared with a storyworld to work on in the class.
Publishing Salon 3: Angela Meyer, 4 pm to 5 pm
Join Angela Meyer, international award-winning author of A Superior Spectre, former publisher at Echo Publishing and current RMIT lecturer in postgraduate creative fiction, to discuss lessons from every stage of her journey to publication success.
Thursday 7 November 2024
Masterclass 6: Getting Published: Your Blurb, with Angela Meyer, 3 pm to 5 pm
You've hooked a publisher with your elevator pitch (Masterclass 6, Your Best Line).
They read on to your 200 word summary of the book intended for the back cover.
Will your blurb sing?
With a defined structure and composition, a blurb will either convince an agent, publisher, bookseller and others to read the first page of your book, or it won't.
Join Angela Meyer, internationally successful author of A Superior Spectre, former publisher at Echo Publishing and RMIT lecturer in postgraduate creative fiction, and learn how to optimise your chances in this intense masterclass.
Bring a solid idea for a story - you will work on your own blurb in the class.
Friday 8 November 2024
Masterclass 7: Getting Published: Your First Page, with Angela Meyer, 3 pm to 5 pm
You've hooked a publisher with your elevator pitch (Masterclass 6, Your Best Line). Your back cover blurb has convinced them to turn to the first page (Masterclass 7, Your Blurb).
Will they turn to page two?
From the opening sentence, your first page has a lot of work to do - establishing the book's genre and your main character's goal, central conflict and more. This masterclass builds on the first two in the 'Getting published' trilogy to set you up for success.
Join Angela Meyer, internationally successful author of A Superior Spectre, former publisher at Echo Publishing and RMIT lecturer in postgraduate creative fiction, and learn how to optimise your chances in this intense masterclass.
You will submit a draft of your page ahead of time and work on your page in class.
Links to:
the week’s program leaders;
the Tasmanian Chapter of Sisters in Crime Australia Mysterious Women of Crime Trivia Night;
the full timetable; and
Stay up to date on what’s happening at the festival.
Sign-up for #TARWF Updates
Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our festival is held, the Melukerdee People of the South East Nation, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.
TARWF’s 2024 professional development program is made possible by partner Frank’s Bar and Ciderhouse and TARWF’s 2024 masterclass series is supported by the Tasmanian Government.
