In 2010, the NSW Writers’ Centre will be the venue for a year-long, 30-session intensive course and play workshop that takes you from start to finish, conducted by one of Australia’s most experienced teachers of writing, multi-award winning playwright Timothy Daly.

The Saturday Playwrights’ Course is suitable both for beginners and more experienced writers wishing to use the weekly deadlines as a structure by which to finish a full-length play.

How the Course Works:

This course has been designed to be the most comprehensive and content-rich in the country. It combines an in-depth analytical approach to writing with a hands-on, intuitive, practical method of working. During the year long course, you will write a full-length play, guided every step of the way.

Each week you will receive extensive notes, along with creative writing exercises which Timothy Daly has devised over his many years of teaching. The first half of each session is devoted to the learning of new writing concepts, and the second half will involve reading, workshopping and analysis of your developing plays and creative exercises. The emphasis is on learning the techniques of theatre writing by seeing the results of your work acted out in front of you every week.

This course will run in three 10-week phases spread over 2010. You can join for a phase or two only, or commit to the entire course.

PHASE ONE: SKILLS ACQUISTION (10DALY2)
10 x Saturday afternoons: 6, 13, 20 & 27 February; 6, 20 & 27 March; 3, 10 & 17 April, 1.30pm – 4.30 pm

Full Price Member (30% disc) Conc Member (40% disc)
$850 $600 $500

This first ten week phase covers the fundamentals of writing for theatre and performance. Saturday afternoons, 1.30 - 4.30pm.

• Saturday 6 February – Quick Start: Building Your Writing Skills: An overview of the skills you’ll need to write plays.
• Saturday 13 February – Classical Story Shape: The components of linear narrative, and the many possible variants.
• Saturday 20 February – Understanding the Audience: A guide to understanding – and manipulating – the theatre audience.
• Saturday 27 February – Theatre Space (1): The difference between writing for theatre and for other media.
• Saturday 6 March – Dramatic Language (1): The Concepts: The nature of dramatic and thaeatrical language.
• Saturday 20 March – Dramatic Language (2): The Tools: Specific language techniques useful for theatre writing.
• Saturday 27 March – Techniques of the Play Start: Finding the spatial and narrative form, and how to start your play.
• Saturday 3 April – Dramatic Structure (1): Structure and the Unleashing of Energy: How plays operate in time and space, using energy to propel the narrative and growth of meaning.
• Saturday 10 April – Dramatic Structure (2): Scene Making: The techniques of scenes: how they work, what makes them run, and how (and when) to end them.
• Saturday 17 April – Character (1): Character as Symbol: How dramatic characters function as symbols, and how to use them for powerful playwriting.