The Summer Writing Seminars are taught by our creative writing staff, award-winning writers Paula Morris and Selina Tusitala Marsh; our other experienced teachers include graduates of our Master of Creative Writing programme. We offer 12 stimulating sessions for writers at all levels.

BUY TICKETS HERE: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/summer-writing-seminars-at-the-university-of-auckland-tickets-525259213447

Cost: General Admission $200 + Eventbrite booking fee

Concessions: $150 + Eventbrite booking fee

*Choose one session from each time slot for your four-session package:

9:30–11:00

Session 1A: Polishing Your Writing: A Grammar & Punctuation Workshop

Tom Moody

Punctuation and grammar are critical to ensure your writing effectively conveys what you’re trying to express. In this hands-on session, you’ll get a chance to discover your own strengths and weaknesses, and learn ways to improve this aspect of your work.

Session 1B: Writing a Poetry Collection

Selina Tusitala Marsh

This masterclass explores Selina’s own process of writing poems, creating sequences, and assembling them into a poetry collection, and offers guidance and exercises.

Session 1C: Submissions and Applications

Paula Morris

A practical guide to submitting work for publication or contests—from stories and essays to full-length manuscripts—and writing grant/award applications.

11:30–1:00

Session 2A: Finishing Your Novel

Paula Morris

This trouble-shooting seminar explores the art-and-craft issues arising when progress on your novel stalls—including story shaping and character development.

Session 2B: Writing and Teaching Flash Fiction

Jack Remiel Cottrell

Short-short fiction is an exacting—but rewarding—form of storytelling. This session explores its creative range, and how to work with the demands of compression and precision.

Session 2C: Media Training

Sonya Wilson

A practical workshop for writers who are publishing books, with guidance on festival appearances, and radio/TV interviews: how to harness your nerves, get prepared and tell a compelling story.

1:45–3:15

Session 3A: Narrative Structure

Paula Morris

The narrative puzzle can be the central challenge for fiction and creative nonfiction writers. This session interrogates the use of scene and summary, shifts in time and points of view, and other key technical issues.

Session 3B: Social Media for Writers

Jack Remiel Cottrell

An accessible introduction for writers to using social media on various platforms—how it works, why you should use it, and where to start.

Session 3C: Writing and Promoting a YA Novel

Sonya Wilson

This masterclass explores the story behind the story, from the seeds of a YA novel to creating characters, building a world and writing a taut, pacy book—as well as promoting the novel to a range of audiences.

3:30–5:00

Session 4A: Independent Publishing 101

Pip McKay

Everything you need to know about successful, professional self-publishing, from editing and design to distribution, marketing and publicity—and what can be learned along the way.

Session 4B: Teaching Creative Writing

Paula Morris

This class suggests different ways into teaching writing fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry at secondary or tertiary level, and in community classes, with handouts and exercise samples.

Session 4C: The Basics of Point of View

Ruby Porter

A hands-on workshop covering everything you never knew about point of view. Learn how to dive deep inside your protagonist’s perspective, and get nuts-and-bolts advice about the use of first, second and third person.