Next Meeting

Saturday 19 October

Fradgley Hall, Park Avenue, Burleigh Heads – 12.00 – 2.45 p.m.

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12.15 – 12.45pm: Writing Skills

Tips for Grabbing Your Audience’s Attention (Selling Your Book)

How important is it to be articulate and effectively share the themes of your work i.e. your book’s big ideas, the critical messages you hope to convey?

Identifying that a theme is not just a plot summary. It’s about pitching your story and then homing in on what makes your story different.

Join Marisa Parker and Kellie Cox as they provide an overview for this session and then ask for audience participation on their favourite author’s, why that story stands out and how we can do the same for their own book/ article/other (whether published or in process).

If time allows, we’ll ask some people to stand up and ‘pitch’.

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12.45 – 1.45 pm: Workshop Presentation

13 Writer Insights: Meet your new GCWA Committee

A fabulous opportunity to hear 13 writer insights from your newly appointed GCWA Committee – refer the GCWA About/Committee website page for more details. Each will have five minutes to share:

• Their name and who they are;
• What they do;
• How they got involved in writing;
• Their top 1-2 tips for writing; or, a challenge (in their writing) they overcame.

Marisa: Having completed a Master of Project Management in 2012, Marisa finally found the time to write and publish her award-winning books about her Italian family’s history.

Kellie: Kellie provides clinical and creative support in the artistic industries. She publishes her own work under Strong Female Protagonists, with the goal to challenge the role of gender in storytelling.

Bev: Previously a career public servant (human services – disabilities), Beverley writes about remarkable women and human relationships.

Jackie: With a passion for forensic handwriting analysis, Jackie enjoys writing short stories. She has published a trilogy of short stories, a children’s chapter book and a memoir.

Kerri: A previous career as a computer programmer, means that Kerri has technical writing expertise yet, she has also published a book for parents about raising kids (she has four of her own children).

Rebecca: With a BA in French and Spanish, Rebecca has worked as an Editorial Assistant in a publishing house in the United Kingdom and has a passion for clear and authentic communication.

Kerry: A recent self-published (fiction) author but her background and extensive career was in senior and executive management roles for Federal and State Government Departments and Not for Profit agencies.

Ocean: Previously the GCWA President, Ocean has a company that provides services to assist authors through their publishing and production journey; he has had a 20-year career in the creative arts and prior to that, six successful years in Film & Television.

David: Historical fiction writing is David’s passion and book genre since retiring from working in high-rise accommodation management and the Merchant Navy as an engineer; he has also travelled extensively.

Luke: “Ganbaru Mindset: Do Your Best: Successful Mind Management Through Brain Cancer” reveals Luke’s deeply personal story; Luke seeks to help others achieve their dreams and overcome personal challenges.

Dominique: To create three-dimensional (3D) craft projects, 2D visual arts, and 1D written words are the creative adventures that Dominique pursues; in the field of writing with passion, she created her own poetry, prose, puns, riddles, essays, and blogs.

Christine: Writer and business owner. A disturbing element from way back, intimately acquainted with failure, but not in a bad way. Loves rainy days and cats. Asks too many questions.

Jen: Jen Swenson is a community-hearted accountant specialising in Not for Profits. She has a passion for writing books & resources centring around personal development, her first being a fun children’s story entitled “Goldie the Unchicken”.

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1.45 – 2pm: Afternoon Tea and Networking

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2 – 2.45pm: Guest Presentation by Dr Elizabeth Celi, PhD

Can your book become a platform for building a community and influence social change?

Dr Elizabeth Celi will discuss how your books can become a positive leverage tool for social progress in your local community and beyond, if you so choose. Once the creative journey to publish your book is done, what avenues can you consider in developing the profile and positioning of your book for the readership you intended to serve? Considerations on engaging the media, media training and the power of words deliberately spoken and deliberately not spoken will be discussed.

Lastly, how can video and film entice your readers to get your book on their bookshelf? Elizabeth will share examples of activities she worked on to position her books and how screenwriting and short films have become the next step to enhance her social health messages.

A limited number of “Breaking the Silence” books will be available for $20 (cash only) at the GCWA meeting (RRP $29.95). For the first 20 “Breaking the Silence” books sold, a copy of “Regular Joe vs. Mr Invincible” will be given as a gift.

Bio

Dr. Elizabeth Celi, PhD is a retired psychologist, author and media commentator. After self-publishing her first non-fiction book, “Regular Joe vs. Mr Invincible – The Battle for the True Man”, Elizabeth was called as a witness for the Senate Select Inquiry into Men’s Health. This coincided with Australia’s first National Men’s Health Policy finally being instated. After two television appearances discussing key themes of this book, Elizabeth unwittingly opened the flood gates of a more hidden issue. Her second book, “Breaking the Silence – A practical guide for male victims of domestic abuse”, prompted a request to submit to the Senate Inquiry into domestic violence, support the establishment of the public 1in3 campaign and raise important conversations on this social health issue. Both books remain a resource and roadmap on www.drceli.com for men and concerned family and friends to navigate forward into positive mental and social health. Elizabeth now applies her clinical psychology experience to screenwriting, filmmaking and mentoring writers and actors.

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Fradgley Hall, Park Avenue, Burleigh Heads – 12.00 – 2.45 p.m.

Fradgley Hall is located upstairs next to the Burleigh Heads Library.

There are two entrances: Park Avenue (next to Library entrance) – up the stairs, or at the back of the building, a pathway from Ocean Street – this is a ground-level entrance.

Parking is available in the adjoining Council car park.

Regular Meeting Timetable

11.45 a.m. – Doors open & Registration
12.00 p.m. – Start!
12.15 p.m. – Writing Skills
12.45 p.m. – Workshop/Presentation
1.45 p.m. – Afternoon Tea
2.00 p.m. – Guest Presentation
2.30 p.m. – Wrap Up & Networking
2.45 p.m. – Close

$5.00 Members $10.00 Visitors

Includes entry, light refreshments and workshop