If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the craft and economics of writing, Benjamin Law, veteran journalist and author of books and stage plays, is here to help. Get answers to all your questions (or most, at least) in this no-holds barred, minimal-clothing workshop at Blue Mountains Sauna! (Don’t worry. we’re not going all-out Scandinavian and naked, so bring your favourite swimsuit!)

Explore how objects, artefacts and talismans reveal character, using examples from fiction and non-fiction. In this full-day workshop, learn to add rich, meaningful texture without overloading detail. Experienced teacher Eleanor Limprecht guides writing exercises putting theory into practice, with opportunities to share work in a supportive environment.

Uncover the story hidden in your family history with author, journalist and lawyer Cynthia Banham. Learn where to start, how to write honestly about difficult material, and how to navigate the unexpected turns a well-researched memoir can take, along with common pitfalls to avoid.

Crawl inside the strange machinery through which poems compress, transform and accumulate meaning. Join celebrated poet Luke Patterson for playful exercises, formal experiments and close readings of Australian poems. Generate new work and gather new techniques and prompts to carry into your own ongoing practice.

Sharpen your attention, awaken your curiosity and bring wonder into your creativity with celebrated author Kathryn Heyman. Writing is an act of attention – learn to steady your gaze, direct focus on and off the page, and create rich, luscious writing full of life.

Unpack the art of revision in this practical workshop with author, mentor and editor Dr Jane Messer. Learn strategies for light and deep revision, and when to use each approach. For emerging and advanced narrative writers – bring your laptop and a work in progress.

Learn practical tools and techniques to craft gripping scenes and a compelling story arc with bestselling author Ashley Kalagian Blunt. Whether fiction or memoir, discover how to grab readers from page one and finish with clear strategies for revising your manuscript into something irresistible.

Fact can be stranger than fiction, so why not use genre tropes to describe a world that's strange, dynamic and disturbing? Award-winning author Kris Kneen shows how genre tropes can turn your novel into an original page-turner, bringing surprise to work that might otherwise feel too dark.

Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, this practical workshop with two-time Miles Franklin longlisted author Toni Jordan will have your characters twisting in all the best ways. Discover how plot interconnects with theme, pace, character and voice in this condensed version of Toni’s full-day workshop.

Life is strange and often inexplicable, so why do we lean towards cliché? Suitable for both fiction and non-fiction writers, join award-winning author Johanna Bell for this fast-paced workshop that embraces the odd, and provides practical ways to inject novelty, play and surprise into your work.

Join author and science writer Katherine Johnson as she explains how to weave nature into your writing, drawing on biology, rewilding, climate change and conservation. Explore key techniques through practical writing exercises that will help you to build nature and landscape into your own stories.

Whether you're a novelist, memoirist, playwright or screenwriter, finding your character's unique arc is vital to understanding your story's heart. Join BAFTA-award-winning writer Anthony Mullins for a full-day workshop on character arcs, developing techniques through discussion and practical exercises to craft an authentic arc for your story.

Learn how to give your story colour and momentum, use dialogue to reveal character and mood, and deepen feeling while trimming unnecessary exposition. Stella Prize shortlisted author Katia Ariel helps writers of all levels find the pulse of their piece, holding readers from first line to last.

Learn how to find the best sources, weave research into narrative, and judge when to favour authenticity over strict accuracy. Award-winning writer Mirandi Riwoe offers hands-on exercises to help you turn research and curiosity into scenes and characters that propel your historical fiction.

Engage in critical reading and writing exercises focused on craft, form, linguistic diversity and voice. Founding director of Sweatshop, award-winning novelist Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad, shares the techniques that have taken Western Sydney writers from emerging hopefuls to celebrated, award-winning authors.

Discover what it means to write kinship with the non-human world in this workshop with award-winning writer Dr Debra Dank. Take the time to sketch, listen, discuss and observe, and see how curiosity helps us listen differently to the more-than-human world.