Don’t forget: there’s only one week left until bookings for A. R. Levett’s Mapping Your Story 12-week course close. Don’t miss out on your last chance to attend the course for under half-price at $400 WAWU members/$500 general public.

A. R. Levett’s Mapping Your Story course is recommended for writers who have a completed early draft of their story that needs a lot of finessing before it fully captures your vision or for writers who have an idea and need to work it through the various development stages until they have a completed first draft.

During the course, A. R. Levett guides writers through writing exercise-led workshops on better understanding your story’s premise, conflict, characters, theme, story world, symbols, plot, scenes, and dialogue.

Still unsure of its worth attending? Then check out the positive feedback from participants who attended a previous version of the course:

“The Mapping Your Story course really helped me order my thinking about what a story needs and where my story is going.” - Anne Forbes

“The course was engaging, easy to understand, and Mr Levett is a kind teacher. It was everything my English class wasn’t: genuinely fun!”- Amy Parker

“Mapping Your Story is a logical and straightforward development of a story from basic principles.” - Odile Pouliquen-Young

“The course was very informative and helpful. I learnt more than I expected.” - Garry Winterton

“The Mapping Your Story course cleared up a lot of story concepts.” - Katika Harris

"The course has helped me turn my rough character and idea into a more fully formed plot. In particular, developing a theme, conflict, and thinking about the climax.” - Alia Bath

With such praise and such a cheap price, you would be remiss to miss out of this last opportunity to further develop your story to its full potential.

Remember, bookings close 6pm 25 February 2018. Place are limited. Be sure to book a place today.

To book or enquire about the course, please email A. R. Levett.

See the flyer below for course times and dates.

Click here for the full course outline.

Hurry, there’s only 2 weeks left until bookings for A. R. Levett’s 12-week Mapping Your Story creative writing development course close. Bookings are filling up fast so make sure you reserve your spot today. To book, please email A. R. Levett.

Don’t miss out on your last opportunity to undertake this $1,000 course for the special price of $400 WAWU* members / $500 General Public. That’s a discount of $600 WAWU members / $500 General Public!

If you’re unsure about undertaking the full course, then why not book for the first session, Developing a Potent Story  Premise, for just $40 WAWU* members / $50 General Public. Then once you see how much the full course will benefit you, you can then enrol in the full course for $360 WAWU* members / $450 General Public.

Those who enrol in the full course receive a free ticket to go into the draw to win one of three vouchers for a 3,000 word Manuscript Assessment / Story Review valued at $60! One ticket will be drawn on 4 March 2018, 5 August 2018, and 2 December 2018.

If you are still not convinced to enrol in the course, then read the testimonials from previous course participants here.

Please be aware that due to the limited number of spaces and the need to prepare materials for each participant, walk-ins on the day will be turned away without a prior booking with A. R. Levett. Bookings essential!

Bookings close 6pm 25 February 2018.

Mapping Your Story is a 12-week writing exercise driven creative writing course that guides participants through developing different storytelling elements, such as conflict, character, theme, symbolism, and plot in order to flesh out and better understand your story. Each week delves deeper into the storytelling process so that by the end of the course you will know your story so well you will be able to push forward and finish writing it.

The first-session, Developing a Potent Story Premise, takes you back to the core of your idea and builds it up through ten writing exercises. During the workshop, you will discover the challenges inherent in your idea and determine how to best overcome them, locate your best character, develop their story arc, map the spine of the story, discern why it’s a story only you can tell, and more.

More details on each session can be found here.

The course is being run at the Mattie Furphy House, Fellowship of Writers Western Australia, Swanbourne from 1.00pm - 4.00pm and the first session is being held on 4 March 2018. Please see the flyer below for course dates, times, and location.

Places are filling up fast so book early to reserve your spot in this story transformational course. A. R. Levett looks forward to hearing from you. To book, please email A. R. Levett.

* WAWU members include current members of FAWWA, OOTA, PCWC, WAPI, and KSP.

There are only four days left until the Special Offer to trial the first session of A. R. Levett's Mapping Your Story course for $35 WAWU Members* / $45 General Public runs out. With places filling up fast, be sure to book your place today.

This Special Offer entitles a person to attend the first workshop, Developing a Potent Story Premise, for just $35 WAWU* members / $45 General Public. Once you have sampled the workshop and seen how beneficial it is for developing your story, you can choose to book in for the remaining 11 Mapping Your Story workshops and pay only $365 WAWU* members / $455 General Public. That’s great value! The workshop will be held at Mattie Furphy House on 4 March 2018 from 1pm - 4pm. Offer expires 3 February 2018. To book in for this special offer, please email A. R. Levett before 3 February 2018 and quote the code MYS3218.

The Developing a Potent Premise workshop helps participants realise the full potential of their story idea, taking them back to the core idea where they can find the challenges inherent in it and find solutions to them, locate the best character, his or her main action, and determine his or her character change, and find a way to tell the story in a way only you can.

Mapping Your Story is a 12-week course that runs from 4 March - 2 December 2018. Each session guides participants through different aspects of story development, from developing a premise, conflict, believable characters, story world, and an organic plot, to injecting a theme and potent symbolism, and writing powerful scenes and dialogue. Each session builds on the last, building your story in layers so you end up with a fully-realised story.
For full course details, please see the Mapping Your Story page or see the flyer below for more course information. Full course bookings close 25 February 2018.

* WAWU members include existing members of FAWWA, KSP, PCWC, OOTA, and WAPI.

28 January 2018 saw participants return to the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre for the fourth session of Mapping Your Novel, Creating Believable Characters. After the extended break, the group was eager to get back into learning about how to write their novel.

This fourth session focused on deepening participants’ understanding of their characters, especially the protagonist and antagonist.

‘I really enjoyed the writing exercises,’ said Odile Pouliquen-Young. ‘Going back to refine the exercises from Weaving a Strong Character Web deepened my understanding of character arc.’

Anne Forbes agreed. ‘The workshop really helped me to develop my story and refine my hero’s desire. It helped me identify a hole in my plot and the driving of the hero’s actions, so it has really helped me redefine what pushes my hero.’

Although protagonists receive most of the attention in a story, it was developing their opponents that participants found most enjoyable.

‘Villains are cool,’ said Alia Bath, ‘elaborating on their characters is fun and important.’

Four weeks into Mapping Your Novel, the group is beginning to see how the concepts introduced in the previous three session are beginning to build up their story a layer at a time.

‘The concepts are beginning to coalesce into a whole and more easily put into practice,’ said Odile. ‘I can see the value of following the workshop exercises as my writing evolves.’

Overall, participants are satisfied with both the content of the course and their evolving stories.

‘The discussions are enlightening,’ said Amy Parker.

Katika Harris agreed. ‘I really enjoyed talking about what makes a character interesting.’

‘The workshop was very informative,’ summarised Garry Winterton. ‘I’m learning more than I expected.’

A. R. Levett is running a new stream of this course, called Mapping Your Story, at the Fellowship of Australian Writers Western Australia from 4 March 2018 for the heavily discounted rate of $400 WAWU members/ $500 General Public. Places are limited. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to snag a bargain for what current participants are calling ‘an enjoyable and comprehensive course.’ (Amy).  To book or enquire about the course, please email A. R. Levett.

Unsure whether you want to commit to the full 12 weeks of A. R. Levett's Mapping Your Story course? Then book for just the first workshop, Developing a Potent Story Premise, for just $35 WAWU members / $45 General Public*. Once you have sampled the workshop and seen how beneficial it is for developing your story, you can choose to book in for the remaining 11 workshops and pay only $365 WAWU** members / $455 General Public. That’s great value!

The workshop will be held at Mattie Furphy House on 4 March 2018 from 1pm - 4pm.

* Offer ends 3 February 2018.

To book in for this special offer, please email A. R. Levett before 3 February 2018 and quote the code MYS3218.

For full course details, please see the Mapping Your Story page or see the flyer below for more course information. Course bookings close 25 February 2018.

** WAWU members include existing members of FAWWA, KSP, PCWC, OOTA, and WAPI.

Did you miss out on A. R. Levett's Mapping Your Story course in 2017? Fear not. A. R. Levett is running a new stream of the course at Mattie Furphy House, FAWWA, Swanbourne from 4 March 2018 for the bargain price of $400 WAWU members / $500 General Public. That's $500 off the usual $1,000 course fee! Don't miss out on this great opportunity. What's more, book for the full course and go into the draw to win one of three 3,000 word Story Review vouchers valued at $60 each! 

Mapping Your Story participants bring their existing stories, novels, scripts, or ideas and are guided through finding the core idea to develop, fleshing out the conflict, developing a character web and believalbe characters, extracting an evocative theme, building the story world, injecting enriching symbols, plotting an organic story, and writing powerful scenes and dialogue. By the end of the course, participants will feel more confident with their story and have developed a strong outline and written scenes with dialogue that will carry them through to completing their story. For full course details, please see the Mapping Your Story Outline.

For dates and other details, please see the flyer below.

To book or enquire about the course, please email A. R. Levett. Bookings essential.

Unsure whether the Mapping Your Story course is for you? Then read through the praise from past participants to learn how satisfied other people were with the course.

* WAWU members include current members of FAWWA, KSP, PCWC, OOTA, and WAPI.

Participants came away from A. R. Levett’s Charting the Hero’s Journey workshop at the Fellowship of Australian Writers Western Australia (FAWWA) on Saturday 18 November 2017 feeling inspired, informed, and encouraged.

‘The workshop exceeded my expectations,’ said participant and local WA poet Scott Patrick Mitchell. ‘I feel empowered and confident.’

During the workshop, participants examined their existing stories through the lens of the Hero’s Journey, allowing them to reengage with it in an enjoyable way and begin the process of restructuring it.
 
‘As a result of this Hero’s Journey workshop, I will be making significant changes to my current story,’ said Eva Cronstedt. ‘I think it will be so much more exciting in the process.’

‘I found it easy to use the headings provided to relate to my own storyline as they are generic to any journey,’ said Valentina Jewlachow.

Once again, the writing exercises proved a hit with attendees.

‘The exercises were very conducive to the development of my story,’ said Scott.

‘They were really helpful and helped give me ideas regarding plot and characterisation,’ added a participant who wished to remain anonymous.

Eva agreed. ‘The exercises were very conducive to the development of my story.’

Some even found the workshop useful not only for viewing their story differently, but also empowering our lives.

‘For me, the real life original purpose for this type of story is important for us all to better our own lives,’ said another anonymous participant.

By the end, participants felt inspired and encouraged to apply their new knowledge due to A. R. Levett’s considerate treatment of them and their questions, and were enthusiastic to recommend it to others.

‘A. R. Levett tackled the content in a concise and considerate manner and is very encouraging towards participants’ questions and insights,’ said Scott Mitchell Patrick. ‘Highly recommended.’

‘It was very informative and done in fun ways,’ added a third anonymous participant. ‘A. R. Levett respected our questions and was very encouraging. He gave me inspiration and motivation to keep writing. Highly recommended!’

For more information on, to book a place in, or testimonials for A. R. Levett's Charting the Hero's Journey workshop, please view the workshop page: http://arlevett.weebly.com/charting-the-heros-journey.html

It wasn’t until the third day of my two-week fellowship at the KSP Writers’ Centre that I began to fully appreciate what a wonderful opportunity this was. Magpies chortled in the background as the sun rose behind us, revealing the soaked cityscape in the distance. I sat in the comfy armchair of the Clarke cabin eating a bowl of steaming porridge and reading Julia Cameron’s The Vein of Gold. The external world, also known as “real life”™, had finally slipped away. As I read, a passage triggered a childhood memory. A moment later, I scrambled for my writing journal, inspired to write what became ‘Lunch on the Farm’, the first of two memoir vignettes I spontaneously wrote during my fellowship.

While my entire stay was wonderful, it’s these inspired moments that stand out. Katharine’s benevolent spirit, it seems, still lingers at the centre, inspiring residents to write what is important to them. 

I had applied for my fellowship with the intention of rewriting Part II of my novel-in-progress, ‘The Rebels’, an epic fantasy-fiction story, which also forms part of my PhD in creative writing. During my stay, I revised a considerable chunk of these nine chapters. Part of me wishes I had completed the lot, but I didn’t. And this is a very good outcome. Let me explain why.

In Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare, the arrogant Hare rushes off without much thought and quickly becomes distracted by so many things that he forgets about the race until it’s too late. Meanwhile, the Tortoise takes a slow and measured approach and wins. Despite living thousands of years before us, Aesop understood modern life: we are always hurrying to get somewhere without stopping to enjoy the journey.

Caught in self- and university-imposed deadlines for the past three years, I have been the Hare, flitting from one end of my novel to the other without spending enough time in any chapter to fully inhabit each scene. I have been so preoccupied with finishing the project and writing to specific word counts, that I didn’t even acknowledge that several scenes were no longer what I had intended to write.

The infamous moral of Aesop’s tale is that “slow and steady wins the race.”

What writing ‘The Rebels’ needed was the Tortoise’s approach: to slow down, take in every sensory detail, then evoke them so that the reader could inhabit each scene as if they existed within it. And that, is the purpose of good storytelling. To paraphrase author and teacher Barbara Turner-Vesselago, if we hurry to get to the point of the novel, “that point won’t seem worth getting to if we haven’t really participated in the journey along the way” (Writing Without a Parachute: The Art of Freefall, 2014, pp. 42-43).

The time and space of my fellowship allowed me to take this approach, returning to what I had intended to write and, with flashes of inspiration, produce much more vivid material.

Any writer who is genuine about their craft knows how beneficial long periods of uninterrupted time are for producing evocative work. Whether it’s the idea for a new project or a fresh perspective on an existing one, you need that dedicated time and space to allow the story to evolve organically.

So, if, like me, you have become trapped in the Hare routine that is modern life, I recommend applying for a KSP fellowship. You might just find yourself curled up in the armchair with a steaming bowl of porridge and a good book on a cold morning. And, as the external world slips away, you might have that magic moment of inspiration that changes your story for the better.

A. R. Levett
23 July 2017

Please be advised that bookings for A. R. Levett's Mapping Your Novel course are now closed since all the places have been filled. If you wanted to attend but haven't booked yet, you can still reserve a place on the waiting list in case someone pulls out of the course at the last minute. To do so, please email A. R. Levett. Please be advised that the course is now being run monthly from September instead of weekly. Full details via email.

Thank you to those who booked early and made suggestions to change it to a more manageable monthly venture. A. R. Levett looks forward to meeting you and helping you work towards completing your novel.