ELEMENTS OF THE WRITING LIFE
Masterclass series with Emily Perkins & Charlotte Wood
Following the sellout series Elements of Fiction, covering aspects of writing on the page, Elements of the Writing Life now turns to look at off-the-page process, exploring how to create a nourishing, fruitful environment in which you can begin, maintain and complete creative projects.
These 1-hour masterclass webinars offer practical advice, support and imaginative guidance born of our own experiences as writers over several decades of publishing. If you follow them 1-5 you’ll find a structure to support a project from beginning to end, but each class is also applicable to creative work - in any genre - at any stage of development.
Classes take place via Zoom, participants can ask questions during class, and all enrollees have six months' access to a video recording of the session together with further readings, links and resources on each topic. You can join us live or simply watch whenever it's convenient.
Enrol in all five classes for $A250 or single classes at $A60 each. Scroll down to enrol or read on for more details.
Class topics & dates
Attention
Restoring creative fascination. Writing begins and ends with close attention – a brain capacity that must be protected, practised and nurtured. We’ll kick off our new series looking at how to catch sparks and hone your ability to not only pay attention but sustain it for deep focus. We’ll look at practical ways to deal with drags on the work like distraction, fragmentation and procrastination.
Wed March 4, 2026
Permission
Are you allowed to do that? This session looks at giving yourself permission to write freely, as well as addressing the ethical questions around writing from life, story sovereignty, appropriation and attribution. We’ll show you how to fight corrosive self-censorship, exploring good and bad kinds of responsibility, irresponsibility, rebellion and disobedience, and how to attune to the value in what you’re creating.
Wed April 1, 2026
Traction
Keeping the project going. This session offers practical, pragmatic advice on how to keep at it through the long haul, creating and maintaining momentum. We will look at making the best use of the time you have, creating boundaries to help you get in the zone, and how to protect the work as it proceeds. We’ll also look at how to reap the benefits of time away from the work without losing your connection to it.
Wed May 6, 2026
Faith
Keeping the faith. What to do when ‘why not write’ turns into ‘why’? This session offers guidance on how to face the blank page when you’re wondering what the point of it is. We’ll talk about how to use both internal and external motivation, helpful/unhelpful emotions – how to set them aside, how to use them to keep going – and about creative self-doubt versus second guessing.
Wed June 3, 2026
Completion
When is the work finished? What happens next? This session looks at revision and redrafting, deadlines, perfectionism, feedback and editing. We’ll also provide strategies for when the work meets the world: good reviews, bad reviews, no reviews, prepping for promotion - and friends’ and family responses. And we’ll look at how to listen in for the beginnings of your next idea...
Wed July 1, 2026
Questions? Email [email protected]
Reserve your place - enrol now
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ATTENTION
CourseClass 1 of Elements of the Writing Life, a five-class masterclass webinar series presented by award-winning authors Emily Perkins and Charlotte Wood.
$60
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PERMISSION
CourseClass 2 of Elements of the Writing Life, a five-class masterclass webinar series presented by award-winning authors Emily Perkins and Charlotte Wood.
$60
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TRACTION
CourseClass 3 of Elements of the Writing Life, a five-class masterclass webinar series presented by award-winning authors Emily Perkins and Charlotte Wood.
$60
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FAITH
CourseClass 4 of Elements of the Writing Life, a five-class masterclass webinar series presented by award-winning authors Emily Perkins and Charlotte Wood.
$60
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COMPLETION
CourseClass 5 of Elements of the Writing Life, a five-class masterclass webinar series presented by award-winning authors Emily Perkins and Charlotte Wood.
$60
About Emily Perkins
Emily is an award-winning writer from Aotearoa New Zealand. Her novels have twice won Best Book of Fiction at the New Zealand Book Awards (including Lioness in 2024) as well as Best First Book of Fiction for her debut collection of stories. Other recognition includes the Believer Book of the Year (US), the Geoffrey Faber Prize (UK), and long-listing for the Women’s Prize UK. Her books include The Forrests, Novel About My Wife, The New Girl, Leave Before You Go and Not Her Real Name. She is an Arts Foundation Laureate and Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
About Charlotte Wood
Charlotte is the author of seven novels and three books of non-fiction. Her latest book Stone Yard Devotional was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and other awards, drawing praise from authors Anne Enright, Tim Winton, Karen Joy Fowler and others. Previous books include The Luminous Solution on the creative process; the international bestseller, The Weekend; and the Stella Prize-winning The Natural Way of Things. In 2023 Sydney’s Belvoir Theatre Company staged an adaptation of her novel The Weekend, and The Natural Way of Things featured in ABC Television’s 2021 series ‘The Books That Made Us’.
