Coming Events

• Free Events
• Workshops -Specific Dates
• Workshops - Start Any Time

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FREE Events for Community Members

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​Quiet writing time with kindred spirits. 

Keep your bum on the chair and work on your latest project without feeling alone.  

Every Wednesday at 10 am Adelaide, South Australia (ACDT).

Register here for any (or all) of the events and receive an emailed confirmation with the meeting link. 

​Check the time in your region using World Clock Meeting Planner.

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​Fiction Q&A session
Share your writing progress, wins and struggles. You'll pick up all kinds of helpful tips and information to solve common writing problems.

Bring a cuppa and any questions you have about fiction writing or the fiction industry. 

These sessions are currently only being offered to Sandy's clients.

If you'd like to learn more about how you can work with Sandy to plan and finish a cohesive novel traditional publishers can't resist, book a no-obligation chat.
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Book a time in my diary here.

Workshops that start on a specific date

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The Art of Active Storytelling

Harness Showing to Write Compelling Fiction

Effortlessly create narrative momentum that propels your plot

What you'll learn: 

• Discover the power of Sandy’s revolutionary Active Storytelling Method.
• Apply active storytelling to planning and writing Women's Fiction stories.
• Create organic plot momentum so readers can’t put your book down.
• Transform characters into active participants who reveal their true natures through authentic actions.
• Choose active language that creates an immersive and sensory experience for readers.

90-min masterclass
29th January 11:30 am (ACST) Australia
28th January 8:00 pm (EST) America

Hosted by Romance Writers of America
Booking link coming soon!

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Fantastic First Pages

Reel readers and publishers in with a dazzling first chapter

What you'll learn: 

• Figure out the best place to start your story.
• Use emotions to engage readers with your characters.
• Plant hooks that make readers want to keep turning pages.
• Understand what makes a gripping opening.
• The pros and cons of prologues.
• How to introduce characters in an interesting way.
• Avoid backstory information dumping.

4 week online course
February 2025
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Hosted by Romance Writers of Australia
Booking link coming soon!

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The Art of Active Storytelling

Effortlessly create narrative momentum that propels your plot

What you'll learn: 

• Discover the power of Sandy’s revolutionary Active Storytelling Method.
• Apply active storytelling to planning and writing Women's Fiction stories.
• Create organic plot momentum so readers can’t put your book down.
• Transform characters into active participants who reveal their true natures through authentic actions.
• Choose active language that creates an immersive and sensory experience for readers.
• Avoid contrived situations and choose ones that effortlessly drive the plot forwards.

​90-minute masterclass 
May 2025

Hosted by Romance Writers of Australia
Booking link coming soon!

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Create Page-Turning Tension

Hook and retain readers by exploiting uncertainty

What you'll learn: 

• How to build tension to enhance conflicts, pace and character development.
• When to release information for the maximum effect.
• Develop hooks, from killer openings to cliff-hanger endings.
• Appreciate the role of emotions in creating tension.
• Identify opportunities to increase uncertainty.
• Why suspense is relevant to all genres.
• A host of tension-generating techniques.

4 week online course
July 2025

Hosted by Romance Writers of Australia
Booking link coming soon!

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Plot With a Reliable Story Compass

Find your novel's through-line and write a cohesive book 

What you'll learn: 

• Move from big idea to detailed concept.
• Create compelling characters that drive the plot.
• Understand how genre affects reader expectations. 
• Map character arcs to take readers on a satisfying journey.
• Map plot arcs to ensure you are hitting the right plot points.
• Use subplots and secondary characters effectively.

90-minute masterclass
September 2025

Hosted on the Romance Writers of Australia's site.
Booking link coming soon!

Workshops you can start any time

Become a Master Storyteller 
By application only

A six-month program for novelists who: 

• Are ready to write a novel they are proud to publish. 
• Aren't quite sure how to pull all of their ideas together. 
• Are tired of collecting rejections with no clue how to fix the issues or even what to fix. 
• Aren't sure if their stories are good enough to share.
• Are confused and overwhelmed by all the rules and techniques they're supposed to master. 

By application only.
​Book your complimentary Storytelling Clarity Session to find out if this program is a good fit for you. 

View all the details here.​

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Novel Navigation
The ultimate novel outlinging process for plotters and discovery writers

A three-month program for novelists who: 

• Are tired of wasting time trying to navigate the twists and turns of writing a book. 
• Aren't sure how to go from brilliant idea to workable plot. 
• Are over trying to figure out what should happen next or where to start. 
• Struggle to bring a manuscript to completion. 
• Have a first draft but it's just not working.

Start immediately.

Not sure if this will work for you?  Book a complimentary Storytelling Clarity Session. 

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Write Backstory with Confidence 
How to weave in the past without information dump telling  

Self-guided course with a BONUS 5,000-word edit!

• Banish information dumps.
• Select and use appropriate delivery methods. 
• Know when to release backstory for maximum effect.
• Identify where backstory isn’t working.
• Know where your character came from and is headed, so the backstory is consistent and relevant.
• Use backstory as a baseline to show character growth.

Start any time here.