Nice to meet you today {name},

After a refreshing two-month break, SEW are thrilled to be back and ready to help you tackle 2025 with creativity, determination, and plenty of inspiration.

Is your New Year’s resolution to finally finish that book that’s been lingering on your to-do list? Whether it’s a novel, memoir, poetry collection, or screenplay, this is the year to get it done—and we’re here to help you make it happen!

We’ve crafted an exciting program to kickstart your writing journey and keep you motivated. From workshops and writing challenges to expert talks and peer support, we’ve got all the tools you need to stay on track and achieve your goals.

So, dust off those drafts, sharpen your pencils (or keyboards), and get ready to dive in. The story you’ve been dreaming of is waiting to be written, and we’ll be with you every step of the way.

Here’s to a year of big ideas, bold words, and finishing what we’ve started!

Are you staring at a blank page, waiting for inspiration that never seems to come? It's time to shatter the block and reignite your writing spark!

Join us for an engaging live workshop designed to help writers break free from the clutches of writer’s block. This isn't your average talk—it’s a hands-on experience packed with practical tools, creative strategies, and interactive exercises to get your words flowing again.

In this workshop, you will:
✅ Discover what’s really holding you back and how to silence your inner critic.
✅ Participate in fun, live writing exercises that will unlock ideas you didn’t know you had.
✅ Learn simple, effective techniques to kick-start your creativity anytime, anywhere.
✅ Connect with other writers in a supportive, inspiring environment.

Whether you’re writing your first novel, penning blog posts, or just journaling for yourself, this workshop will help you overcome obstacles and rediscover the joy of writing.

Walk in with frustration, leave with fresh ideas, renewed confidence, and a notebook full of possibilities. Don’t let writer’s block win—reserve your spot today and take the first step toward creative freedom!

10am Saturday 8th February 2025 at The Labrador Community Centre 57 Billington Street Labrador.

Please call Leah on 0424 832 951 to book

Workshop Facilitator - Jenny McLaughlin

Ten Years of Writing: A Journey Through Words

A decade ago, with no prior literary experience, Jenny embarked on a simple mission: to document a few family anecdotes for her grandchildren. That humble effort unexpectedly grew into a 370-page self-published book, A Journey Through Six Decades. While the writing process was rewarding, the technical challenges of self-publishing—like mastering margins, sizing, and page numbering—proved even more frustrating to her. 

Over the years, She has written numerous short stories, two of which have earned prizes in writing competitions. There’s also a novella, though it still resides in the proverbial “bottom drawer,” waiting for its moment.

With a background in science rather than writing, Jenny doesn't call herself a “natural” writer. But through trial, error, and persistence, she's picked up valuable tips and skills over the past ten years—ones she is always happy to share with fellow writers on their own creative journeys.

We're thrilled to offer, as part of your membership, this new service! You can now submit any piece of your writing (up to 2,500 words) for review.

You'll receive a personalized report that highlights the strengths of your writing and suggests areas where you can make improvements.

It's easy to get started—just email your work as a digital attachment (word doc or the like) to ian@ianharvey.com.au and request a review. We'll have your feedback ready and sent back to you within 7 days!

We can't wait to read your work and help you on your writing journey!

Upcoming Workshops

March 2025 - Keep the Momentum: Writer’s Block Workshop Follow-Up Session

Your creativity sparked, your pen started moving—but what’s next? It’s time to build on the breakthroughs you made in the Writer’s Block Workshop and take your writing to the next level.

Join us for the Follow-Up Session, where we’ll:
✨ Reflect on your progress since the first workshop—what’s working, what isn’t, and how to keep those creative juices flowing.
✨ Celebrate your success by sharing and reviewing the work you’ve done. Whether it’s a single paragraph, a story outline, or a full chapter, this is your moment to shine!
✨ Tackle lingering challenges with new tips and exercises tailored to your needs.
✨ Gain fresh insights from a supportive group of like-minded writers and expert guidance to keep your momentum alive.

This isn’t just a review—it’s an opportunity to refine your process, strengthen your writing, and stay inspired.

Didn’t make it to the first workshop? No worries! You’re welcome to join and dive straight into the creative energy.

Keep the words flowing and the ideas growing—reserve your spot now for this transformative follow-up session!

Workshops for the Rest of the Year

Mastering Point of View, Voice, and Dialogue

Build a solid understanding of how to use point of view, voice, and dialogue to elevate your writing. Engage in practical exercises and leave with tools to continue developing your craft.

Mastering “Show, Don’t Tell” in Writing

Learn how to create vivid, immersive experiences that engage readers emotionally and intellectually by mastering the "show, don't tell" technique.

Crafting Compelling Characters: A Deep Dive into Character Development

Explore techniques to create multi-dimensional, engaging characters. Dive into developing their personalities, backstories, motivations, and arcs to enrich your storytelling.

We Value Your Input!

If you have specific ideas for workshops you'd like to see, please let us know. We're always eager to tailor our programs to your interests and needs.

We can't wait to embark on this creative journey with you next year!

“One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed.” -Stephen King

Sometimes the first thing I write comes out stuffy and unrelatable. I try too hard and force what I’m trying to say rather than writing in a natural style.

When I catch myself puking professional-sounding text on the page, I stop and think about how I would talk about the concept in real life.

Ridiculous phrases like “my pernicious desire to sound erudite” are converted to “I wanted to sound smart.”

Many of the smartest people I know don’t go around saying big words. They instead use short words in powerful ways. We should do the same.

Exciting news!

This year, as we all make great strides in our writing, we plan to celebrate by creating our very own short story anthology featuring your work!

While we haven't yet determined how we'll select the stories to include, we're confident that by the end of the year's workshops, we'll have plenty of high-quality pieces to choose from.

We can't wait to see what amazing stories you'll create!

When and Where?

We meet at 10:00 every second Saturday of the month at The Labrador Community Centre 57 Billington Street Labrador.  Our meeting lasts for about two and a half hours.

We would love to see you there.

Please call Leah on 0424 832 951 to make a booking