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ARVON GIFT VOUCHER

Unlock their creativity with an unforgettable writing experience.

Looking for the ideal gift for the writer or literature enthusiast in your life? Whether they are an aspiring poet, novelist, or simply love the written word, an Arvon Gift Voucher is the key to accessing their creative potential.

Why choose Arvon:

At Arvon, we are not just offering a gift, we are presenting an opportunity to ignite creativity and passion in the literary journey of your loved ones. From enriching residential retreats to dynamic online courses , an Arvon gift voucher provides the gift of time and space to nurture and refine their craft.

Vouchers can be made to up any amount you like, ensuring a thoughtful and flexible gift. See below to get more of an idea of what a voucher could give your recipient.

Enough to join Arvon at Home’s two-hour Masterclass led by an acclaimed writer who will provide expert advice, techniques and creative prompts.

Covers Arvon at Home’s Writing Day . Expect tutored workshops, breakout group discussions and writing exercises to propel their writing forward.

Gets your loved one a 5-Week Evening Course with one-to-one tutorials, offering the chance to create a substantial quantity of work and witness profound changes within it.

Can cover the cost of a writing retreat at one of Arvon’s Writing Houses . For an even more memorable gift-giving experience, your loved will have time away from distractions to imagine, concentrate and write.

How to order:

To order an Arvon Gift Voucher please click on the green button at the bottom of this page and use the online order form/use the form below.

If you have any difficulty, please email [email protected], or call us on 0204 529 4970.

The small print:

• You can use as many vouchers as you like towards the cost of your chosen course, event or retreat
• In the event of a course booking cancellation, payment made by gift voucher can only be refunded by gift voucher. Our standard course cancellation policy applies
• Arvon Gift Vouchers (not redeemed) can be refunded within 14 days of purchase. Refunds will be made to the purchaser and to the original payment card only, at the purchaser’s request
• Gift Vouchers are valid for three years from the month of issue. After this time, it may be renewed once by returning it to Arvon for reissue

Arvon Gift Voucher order form

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Gift Vouchers

Help your loved one unleash their imagination and achieve their writing goals.

Looking for the perfect gift for the writer in your life? Purchase one of our course gift vouchers, and support their writing journey.

Our vouchers can be used as a partial or full payment towards any of our four-, five-, six-week or ten-week online creative writing courses .

The £125 voucher covers the full fee of a four-week online course, the £185 voucher covers the fee of our five-week online courses and the £220 vouchers cover the full fee for a place on a six-week online courses.

To purchase, just select your desired voucher amount below. Please input your own details (NOT those of the recipient).

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Gift voucher, how will i receive my voucher, how do i redeem my voucher, what courses can i use my voucher on.

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Gift Voucher

Suggested value: € 375.00

Minimum value: € 5.00

Description

Please select any value from €5 or higher for your gift voucher. An IWC gift voucher can be used to purchase any of our course offerings:

€15 allows entry to an IWC Master Class in which a visiting writer talks tips, tricks and techniques with a focus on a single novel or collection. Previous Master Classes have featured writers such as Jenny Offill, A.M. Homes, and Kristen Roupenian.

Our manuscript review is a great option if you would like some written feedback on a particular piece. The rate for our students starts at €35 per 2000 words.

For a more interactive approach, you can opt for private coaching . A single session includes an initial phone consultation, a review of  work (up to 5000 words), as well as a one hour face-to-face or online session. The rate for a single session is €195.

Special courses are shorter offerings (from one day to six weeks) that focus on a particular genre or skill set such as memoir writing , YA fiction or lyric essay . The tuition for these courses ranges from €145 to €295.

The best gift of all, of course, is a voucher that can be used to purchase an 8-week creative writing core workshop. The default value of an IWC gift voucher of €375 is the starting cost of an 8-week online workshop. In-person courses start at €415.

A PDF copy of the voucher will be emailed to you after payment so that you can print it or forward it to the recipient yourself.

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Creative Writing Workshops

Hunter Valley author Dr Karen Hughes takes kids on an amazing adventure in her popular Talented Kids creative writing program. During Karen’s action-packed 3-hour workshops, kids will learn all about the writing process, developing the skills and confidence to write their own exciting stories.

Hunter Valley author Dr Karen Hughes takes kids on an amazing adventure in her Talented Kids creative writing program.

During Karen’s action-packed workshops, kids will learn all about the writing process, developing the skills and confidence to write their own exciting stories, plays and poems.

• Fun and dynamic writing workshops
• Emphasis on character development, setting and plot structure

Every child becomes a published author!

Hunter Valley author, Karen Hughes, takes kids on an amazing adventure in her new creative writing program.

During Karen’s action-packed weekly workshops, kids will learn all about the writing process, developing the skills and confidence to write their own exciting stories.

Create something great. Claim your $100 Creative Kids voucher today.

As a registered provider for the Creative Kids program, you can redeem your voucher with us and let your child develop new skills. Enrol them in a new activity so they can create something great. For more information regarding the Creative Kids program, or to learn more about the more than 40 government savings and rebates to help with your cost of living, visit service.nsw.gov.au .

Join our Creative Writing Workshops

11 February: Short Story Blitz

Magical Creatures

25 February: Write and Perform a Play

Lights, Camera, Action!

10 March: Poetry in the Secret Garden

The Man from Snowy River

15 October: Short Story Blitz

Ready Player One!

05 November: Write and Perform a Play

Ahoy me Hearties!

26 November: Poetry in the Secret Garden

Animal Dreaming

First steps

During our workshops, we'll be writing all kinds of things to develop and sharpen our writing skills. Adventure stories, epic fantasy, science fiction, murder mysteries, heroic animal tales ... you name it, we'll try it! We'll experiment with voice, setting, atmosphere and style, and we'll have lots of time to develop our characters. Through funny plays to practise our dialogue, clever poems to tighten our language skills, and lots of imagination, we'll discover just how much fun writing can be!

Creating Crazy Characters

Everyone thinks and acts differently, and a good writer uses these differences to drive the story. We’ll brainstorm new characters, thinking about appearance, distinguishing features, favourite foods, favourite things to do, family background, etc. Is your character a feisty redhead with a cannibal king father? Is she a clever spider who can write, with a best friend called Wilbur? How did she feel when she met Mr Tumnus under the lamp post?

Building Magical Worlds

Every workshop is a journey of wonder and surprise, where anything is possible. We’ll look at magical places like Narnia, Hogwarts and the 78-Story Treehouse, discussing what makes these places special, and then we’ll take our characters to a desert island or a hidden jungle, using our five senses to explore our surroundings and finding much more than we expected.

A Map for the Journey

Stories have an outline – a beginning, a middle and an end. We’ll talk about how to start a story with a bang and hook the reader from the very first sentence. We’ll think about the complication and how it propels the character into the action, getting the story rolling. And we’ll discuss what our main character wants, what might stop him getting it, and how this will drive the story.

Time to Write!

Sharpen your pencils, it’s time to put it all together. First drafts are wild and crazy, and often make no sense at all. Punctuation doesn’t matter. Spelling doesn’t matter. We’ll worry about that later. In our workshops, we write and write and write!

The Second Draft

This is the easy part. We’ve written the story – now we have to knock it into shape. Does it make sense? Does it need anything else? Are the commas in the right place? Would it be better with a new paragraph here or another sentence there? Time to get out our red pencils and scribble.

Polishing your Masterpiece

How do you get a story published? What does an editor do? We'll put the final touches on our stories and hand them over to Karen for a professional edit, and then we’ll talk about the practical process of publishing a book.

Book launches are so much fun! We'll invite our families to celebrate with us and we'll have certificates, lollies and a great big cake. In past years, we've launched books at Maitland Writers Festival and at literary events organised by the Children's Book Council (Newcastle Branch) and Maitland Libraries. 

Enrolment Information

Visit our Talented Kids enrolment page for full details about class times, age groups, cost, online enrolment form, terms and conditions, and payment options.

FREE & FAST Shipping for ALL orders. Redeem your Creative Kids Vouchers today!

ORDER NOW... VOUCHERS EXPIRE 31 DECEMBER, 2023

STEP 1: Redeem your Creative Kids Vouchers here

STEP 2: Check out our online store.

STEP 3: Log on to our Zoom Lesson on the date and time booked.

Our Products

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“ Thankyou so much for the writing lesson. My son was so engaged and is still busy writing and illustrating.” Rebecca Carlise

"Fantastic customer service by a qualified educator. Thankyou for the lesson and prompt replies - you were great to deal with!” Kim Taylor

"My children really enjoyed the whole process. Such a great way to get them involved. The lesson changed to suit my younger child as well as my older child” Layla Abouya

Trained educators have purposefully designed and selected resources that will guide and support your child through the creative writing and visual arts process.

We provide templates for the planning, draft and published version of their very own creative stories and creative masterpieces.

We also provide tips and tricks for creative writing through our site and via our social media pages.

Contact us...

We would love to hear from you, contact us anytime via our email

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1300 914 329

[email protected]

• ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 star rating from 5000+ verified reviews

Australia's Highest Rated Creative Kids Provider

3000+ 5-star reviews from local parents.

My son was matched quickly with a fantastic tutor, the communication and process is very professional – highly recommend!

The team is always happy to help and the tutors are professional, passionate and eager to teach which translates into my kids being happy to learn so it’s a win-win!

We are so happy with Alchemy Tuition. Our talented and dedicated tutor that we have has had a very positive impact on our children’s learning and confidence.

Very pleased with the tutors we have had from Alchemy. They’ve all been very friendly, patient and knowledgeable with great communication skills. My child has definitely benefited from their help.

Get your child’s creativity flowing with our one-on-one creative writing workshop

The NSW Government recently announced a new rebate program to encourage creativity in children called the Creative Kids Program. It provides 2x $50 voucher per child to be redeemed for creative pursuits each calendar year. Alchemy is proud to be an accredited provider of the Creative Kids program, offering a one-on-one creative writing workshop that will help your child tell engaging and vivid stories.

The Alchemy Creative Writing workshop is a 45 minute face to face or online workshop that will teach your child the foundations of creative writing and story telling by getting them to come up with the components of a short story that they will be proud of! What makes our workshop unique is that is it one-on-one, so it is 100% customised to the age and ability of your child. Whether they are in early primary school or about to sit the HSC, your child has something to gain from this program.

Your workshop will include:

THE FOUNDATIONS OF A STORY

What makes a great story? Why do we dive deep into imagined worlds like that of Harry, Katniss and Frodo? We will explore the foundations of every good story.

CREATING CHARACTERS THAT CONNECT

The central characters of any story are the most important part. If we don’t love them, we probably won’t really love the story! We will explore what makes an engaging and loveable character.

USING WORDS TO TELL A STORY

The words we use can make a story so much more interesting! We will explore different language devices and how to use these effectively.

Your child will love working with our creative writing tutors

(these are all legitimate verified reviews from google and facebook.), using your creative kids voucher is simple, here’s how it works:.

Book online in under 3 minutes or chat with one of our education specialists. Have your Creative Kids voucher on hand to make it seamless!

WE CONFIRM.

Within 48 hours we will confirm the workshop with you and send you details by email and SMS. Your tutor will give you a call to confirm the details.

THE WORKSHOP HAPPENS.

The program will be tailored to the age and ability of your child. They will gain a love of creative writing and have a whole lot of fun in the process!

Don’t have a Creative Kids Voucher yet? Learn more and get yours here.

The Alchemy Creative Writing Workshop is valued at $50 AUD and is designed to be redeemed with the NSW Creative Kids Voucher.

Why use your Creative Kids voucher with Alchemy?

✓ Easy and convenient; we come to you and work in your home or connect you with one of our tutors online any time.

✓ Tutors in all suburbs of Sydney or online for rest of NSW

✓ Creative writing is both creative and academic; not only will they develop creatively but they will do better at school too

✓ All our tutors are hand-selected, double reference checked and hold working with children checks

✓ Our creative writing program has been designed over more than 15 years of working with K-12 students

✓ An opportunity to continue with regular tutoring lessons with your tutor if you’d like (we offer support in all subjects from K-12!)

NSW Creative Kids Provider Sydney

Pair your child up with one of our incredible tutors as we take them through an exploration of creative writing and story telling. A 45-minute workshop that is customised to the age and ability of your child delivered in your home or online.

USE YOUR NSW CREATIVE KIDS REBATE WITH ALCHEMY

The NSW Creative Kids Program is an awesome initiative by the NSW Government. It gives children an opportunity to pursue different outlets of creative expression, and for those with a natural interest in creative writing there is no better program than the Alchemy Creative Writing workshop.

Drawing on more than 15 years of experience and thousands of success stories, our program is designed to teach a love of creative writing in your child at any age.

We deliver the creative writing workshop when it is best for you. We have creative writing specialists in every area of Sydney and can pair you up with one of our accredited creative writing specialists face-to-face in Sydney or online NSW wide for regional students.

HOW THE ALCHEMY CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP WILL IMPACT YOUR CHILD

A short story from our founder, Nic

When I was in primary school I was really into creative writing. I remember being a part of this club that was called something like Starfish writing (I tried googling it but nothing came up, maybe other 80’s kids can help me out?). Each month I would get a magazine from them filled with creative writing pieces submitted by other students across Australia. I loved reading through these pieces and getting ideas for my own stories. Each edition also included writing prompts that you could write yourself and send to them to be included.

I still remember the day I received a copy in the mail and I opened it up to find one of my pieces published in there. It was tiny – maybe a quarter page, but it was my piece! Something I had created in my mind and put on paper and now kids all over the country were reading it!

I think it was that early love of creative writing that spurred my love for all things creative. Now as a parent, one of my greatest hopes for my children is that they too pursue creativity with just as much passion. If they can create things in their mind, they will never be bored. If they can create, they can solve problems. If they can create they won’t view failures as setbacks, but opportunities to think differently.

Creative Writing is one of the easiest ways for children to exercise the creative muscle. All they need is a pen and paper. A love for creative writing will make them better readers and more engaged at school.

Now Offering Online Tutoring for Creative Kids

The NSW government has made creativity in children high stakes using the Creative Kids Program. This approach is not just good for the curriculum but also for the kids’ creativity. Alchemy Tuition is proud to be an accredited provider of the Creative Kids Program, creating writing workshops designed to help children improve their creative juices and tell engaging and vivid stories.

Many tutors offer the creative writing workshop as a face-to-face option that teaches the child the foundations of creative writing and storytelling. While this method is effective, it doesn’t work for every family. Some parents prefer a more flexible and convenient approach, so we have online writing workshops.

Our 45-minute online creative writing workshop is just what your child needs to master the art of creating characters that connect and turn words into a captivating story. What makes our workshop unique is that it is individualised and 100% customised to the child’s age and ability, maximising the workshop’s results. We provide the workshop for children of varying ages, from early primary school to those about to sit the HSC.

Also Offering Home Creativity Workshops

Families that want a  more hands-on approach can consider our one-on-one, face-to-face creativity workshop. We still make it flexible and convenient for families by having the tutor come to your home or office instead of driving to the tutor. Furthermore, you choose when you want to take the lessons so your child doesn’t have to drop any activities they like. We will make it even easier for you by helping match you with the perfect tutor so you don’t have to spend hours scrolling through tutor profiles and instead settle into the serious work.

With our unique and customised approach and infectious personalities, your child will love working with our creative writing tutors.

The Best Tutoring Company Near You

Alchemy Tuition is a great tutoring company that has established itself as the leading creative tutoring company. We have thousands of positive reviews from families we have worked with in the past, and they’re all gleaming and shining. Besides providing a great experience, we also have great results to back up our customised and unique tutoring approach that has been tested and proven. If you’re looking for the best creating writing tutor near me, you can’t go wrong with Alchemy Tuition.

Get in touch

Let's create gold together.

Our office is closed from the 17th of December and will re-open on Wednesday the 4th of January 2023.

During this time you can still book a tutor here and we will get in touch to confirm when we re-open!

Office hours: Monday–Friday | 9AM–9PM AEST

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Goucher College has one of the most established undergraduate programs in creative writing in the nation. Students specializing in creative writing must major in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Regardless of their concentration, all students majoring in English learn about British and American literature, critical analysis, and critical theory. Upon graduation, successful creative writing concentrators can expect to become well rounded thinkers and writers who have the tools to gain publication.

Goucher’s Kratz Center for Creative Writing complements the creative writing program. The Center brings nationally recognized authors like ROBERT STONE, ANN PATCHETT, and EDWARD P. JONES to Goucher College for lectures, readings, and semester-long residencies. These authors work closely with students within the creative writing program to provide a stimulating intellectual and creative environment in which the highest quality of writing is encouraged. The Kratz Center functions cooperatively with the undergraduate creative writing program, enhancing and expanding the curriculum with distinguished visiting guest writers and new course offerings.

• Goucher Workshop Sampler
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• Preface: The Student Literary Magazine
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Embark on a storytelling adventure!

Creative Writing Quest for Kids is ideal for children aged around 9-14 who are keen to develop their story writing skills and learn more about the craft.

Kids will: Learn how to find story ideas anywhere Create new characters, worlds and plots Discover writing tips, tools and techniques Uncover the essential ingredients of fiction Write a polished story up to 800 words Receive feedback from a bestselling author Have fun!

“For a couple of years we have tried to find avenues to develop my daughter’s interest in writing, so your program has filled a real need for us. Thank you so much for taking the time to give individualised feedback to her about her story, Allison. What a great idea to do it through the medium of the video! I wish I had recorded her face when she started to watch your video. She was absolutely chuffed!!!” – Priya, Creative Writing Quest for Kids graduate parent

See more reviews

Let the adventure begin.

• Does your child love writing?
• Are you keen to encourage this in a fun and informative way?
• Want to boost their learning by showing them how authors write their books?
• Or perhaps you’d simply like to improve your child’s writing skills for school?

Whether your child absolutely loves to write or just wants to learn to write better, the Creative Writing Quest is the perfect way to do it – all online!

Using a mix of video and written content , this online course will guide young writers through the fundamental techniques of writing. From that glorious “lightbulb moment” of finding an idea through to developing characters, setting and plot and finally to editing the story to be the best it can be.

Your child will also receive handy “printables” and bonus exercises  so they can unleash their creativity and carve out a regular writing routine.

HOW DOES YOUR QUEST WORK?

The Creative Writing Quest consists of 12 online modules which your child logs in and completes at their own pace (we recommend one a week, but it's up to you – you have a full year to complete them all). As well as a video from Allison , each module will include practical exercises and a story challenge, with a larger story challenge at the end. The course is hosted in an enclosed online learning space , with no interaction from strangers, so it's completely safe – and lots of fun!

What young writers will learn in this course

This Creative Writing Quest guides young writers through the basics of creative writing to end up with a polished story of around 800 words. Along the way, they’ll learn the processes that go into creating a story and complete a series of creative challenges that will build their knowledge of story craft.

The course is split into 12 modules – each a step towards expanding their knowledge of creative writing and also to writing one full story. When one module is completed, the next unlocks, with each designed to teach young writers about writing and inspire them to write.

Young writers will discover:

• how to find an idea for a story
• writing prompts that they can use all the time
• creative challenges to keep them inspired and motivated
• the essential ingredients for any story
• how to create a great character , including checklists
• how to build a world for their story
• the story formula (which can be applied to any type of story)
• the basics of story structure
• the best way to start and finish a story
• writing techniques such as sub-plots, outlining and dialogue
• the basics of editing a story

And much more!

“My 10-year-old daughter recently completed Allison Tait’s Creative Writing Quest and absolutely loved it. The course was incredibly well put-together with Allison’s engaging weekly videoed modules, packed with practical advice and writing tools. Maggie enjoyed the journey and learnt a great deal about the craft of writing, which she was able to apply to each weekly task. She then had the satisfaction of completing her story and receiving Allison’s personal feedback, which was detailed, constructive and encouraging. I thoroughly recommend this course, as it inspires kids to write in a relaxed and supportive environment, outside the school world. And with a fabulous author who really knows her stuff and is able to communicate it so well to kids.”

Susannah Hardy, Creative Writing Quest for Kids graduate parent

On completion of their quest, young writers will have a story of up to 800 words that they are able to submit to bestselling, internationally published children’s author (and presenter of this course), A.L. (Allison) Tait. She will provide personalised feedback on their story!

Allison is the best-selling author of The Fire Star , The Mapmaker Chronicles series and The Ateban Cipher series.

What young writers will get out of this course

This course has a very clear goal – to not only teach young writers about writing, but to inspire them to write. Participants will end up with a full gamut of writing tools and techniques at their fingertips – as well as one complete, polished story.

With this collection of ingredients, they will have the steps and the skills to be able to continue to create stories and write with more structure and impact in both their school work and personal endeavours. Simply completing the adventure is an amazing achievement – and the glowing treasure at the end of the quest is a lifelong love of writing!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

My child is 8 but loves to write. Can he/she do the course? Absolutely. We’ve given 9-14 as a fairly wide range, but if you think your child is at this level, then go for it.

Will there be homework? At the end of each module, Allison gives participants a story challenge – to help them flex their newfound skills. These are helpful exercises which will make learning faster and more fun. The course also offers a series of OPTIONAL EXERCISES for those children who require additional creative stimulation. Children do not receive feedback on the story challenges and exercises – but if they complete them, they'll be building their skills to help them with their final story that they submit at the end for Allison's feedback.

When will my child receive feedback on their writing? At the end of the course, your child can submit an 800-word story and Allison Tait will provide them with personalised feedback – via a special video message, just for them!

Why can't Allison provide feedback after every module? Due to the numbers participating and the self-paced nature of the course, this is not possible. However, the course has been designed so that Allison provides personalised feedback on the completed story at the end – and that's pretty cool!

How much time should I set aside for my child to complete each module? Most tasks can be completed in 30 minutes or less. Of course, your child may take more or less time depending on their level of enthusiasm – one thing we know about young writers is that once they start, it can be difficult to stop them.

I’m worried about my child interacting online. In each module, children watch a video and read materials from course creator Allison Tait. Only AWC team members and Allison Tait can access the course and all have undergone “Working with Children” checks. There is no interaction with anyone outside the course or other children.

Does my child receive their own login details? No. You need to login using the email address provided when enrolling. You're responsible for when your child has access to the course.

Does my child need to log in at a set time each week? Not at all. We all lead busy lives, so you can complete the course at your own pace. While we recommend completing a new module each week, you could instead choose to knock all 12 over on a rainy weekend! Alternatively, space them out longer – as you actually have a FULL 12 MONTHS access, so there's no pressure whatsoever.

Are there further courses my child can do? We also have a  Teenage Creative Writers’ Program designed for high school students who want to improve their short story skills. It's the perfect course to continue with after Creative Writing Quest for Kids.

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Kids Workshops

May 4, 2024

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Cost: $135 inc GST (max 8 students)

Selective Schools Tests Writing Workshop

May 8, 2024

7:45 am - 8:45 am

Cost: $165 inc GST (Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

Ed Wright and Jess Black

Newcastle East PS Writing Club

May 9, 2024

8:00 am - 9:00 am

Cost: $165 inc. GST (Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

Ed wright and guests

Tighes Hill PS Thursday Writing Club

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Ed Wright and guests

Thursday Writing Club (ZOOM)

April 17, 2024

10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Cost: $85 (bring a friend or do 2 classes, 2 for $150) inc GST

The Magic Door (8-14)

April 18, 2024

Cost: $85: bring a friend or do two workshops $150 (Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

David Gairdner

Write and film your own stand-up comedy skit (11-15)

April 22, 2024

President of the Galaxy (High School)

April 24, 2024

Cost: $85 (Bring a friend or do two workshops: $150) Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher

The Mermaid Memoirs (7-13)

April 26, 2024

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Cost: $135 inc GST (max 8 students) FULLY BOOKED

December 20, 2023

Cost: $85 (incl GST) Do two or bring a friend $150.

Crazy Christmas (6-11)

December 21, 2023

January 9, 2024

Immortal Beings (8-14)

January 10, 2024

Comedy Writing (11-15)

January 17, 2024

Cat Magic (7-14)

January 18, 2024

Advanced Writing Workshop for Teens (14-18)

January 24, 2024

Alien Adventures (7-12)

October 18, 2023

Cost: $165 (eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

October 19, 2023

September 26, 2023

October 4, 2023

Cost: $85 inc GST (bring a friend or do 2: $150)

If Only… (7-14)

October 5, 2023

A Whole New World

January 4, 2023

Cost: $80: bring a friend or do two workshops $140; earlybird by 20 December: $70; two workshops: $130. (Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

Murder Mysteries (9-14)

September 29, 2023

May 3, 2023

Tales of a Time Traveller (8-14) eligible for Creative Kids Voucher

July 6, 2023

Cost: $85 (incl GST) Do two or bring a friend $145.

Pirate Adventures (8-14)

July 10, 2023

Food Glorious Food (ZOOM: 8-14) BOOKED OUT

July 12, 2023

Surviving Dystopia (11-15) BOOKED OUT

July 13, 2023

Cat Magic (7-14) BOOKED OUT

January 4, 2024

Animal Tales (6-11)

September 28, 2023

April 13, 2023

Cost: $85: bring a friend or do two workshops $140 (Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

The Quest (9-14)

April 19, 2023

Crazy Explorers ZOOM (6-12)

January 12, 2022

10:00 am - 3:30 pm

Cost: $150 (eligible for Creative Kids Voucher; earlybird before 20 December; $130; bring a friend $250)

Ancient Wonders (8-14)

April 12, 2023

Cost: $85: bring a friend or do two workshops $140; earlybird by 20 December: $70; two workshops: $130. (Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

March 28, 2023

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Cost: $130 (max 8 students)

Selective Schools Tests Writing Workshop @ NEPS

July 10, 2020

I Believe in Magic (ZOOM)

January 1, 2023

Cost: $80: bring a friend or do 2 classes, $140; earlybird until 20 December, $70; 2 for $130. (Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

I Fell Into My Favourite Book (9-14 )

January 24, 2023

Cost: $120 (max 8 students)

Selective Schools Tests Writing Workshop ZOOM

January 5, 2023

Powers of Persuasion ZOOM (7-12)

January 9, 2023

Cost: $80 (Bring a friend or do two workshops: $140) Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher

Immortal Beings (8-14yo)

April 20, 2023

January 17, 2023

The Unforgettable Birthday

January 14, 2021

Wonderland (8-13yo)

July 6, 2022

Cost: $150 (eligible for Creative Kids Voucher; bring a friend $260)

The Dream (High School) eligible for Creative Kids Voucher

January 10, 2023

Flawed Protagonists (High School Writers)

July 7, 2022

Cost: $80 (bring a friend or do 2: $140)

Diary of an Alien ZOOM (8-14) eligible for Creative Kids Voucher

October 6, 2022

Extreme Sports (7-13)

July 8, 2022

Cost: $80: bring a friend or do 2 classes, $140.

Crazy Holidays ZOOM (7-12): eligible for Creative Kids Voucher

July 14, 2022

Cost: $80 (Bring a friend or do 2: $140)

Mystery, Maths and Mayhem! (7-13) eligible for Creative Kids Voucher

October 5, 2022

Dogs With Jobs (6-11)

May 11, 2022

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Cost: 125 (eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

High School Writers Club

September 28, 2022

Spy Stories ZOOM (8-14)

April 20, 2022

Animal Odd Couples (6-13)

April 21, 2022

Cloudland (6-12)

September 29, 2022

Selective Schools Tests Writing Workshop (year 5 2022)

January 28, 2022

Selective Schools Tests Writing Workshop (year 5&6 2022) BOOKED OUT – Extra class Sat 19 February

January 19, 2022

Cost: $150 (eligible for Creative Kids Voucher; earlybird before 20 December: $130; bring a friend $250)

Angry Happy Numb Excited Nervous Cruisy Glum Delighted (10-15)

September 20, 2021

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cost: $50 (Single login per household) Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher

ZOOM HOLIDAY WORKSHOP: Immortal Beings (8-14yo)

January 21, 2022

Bess Kenway

Underground Cities (8-14)

September 10, 2022

Cost: $140 (max 8 students)

Craft of Writing Module C HSC Workshop

September 23, 2021

Cost: $50 per household (single login) ZOOM

ZOOM HOLIDAY WORKSHOP: Alien Adventures (7-13)

September 28, 2021

ZOOM HOLIDAY WORKSHOP: Animal Adaptations (6-11 years)

September 29, 2021

ZOOM HOLIDAY WORKSHOP: The Places You’ll Go Poetry (5-9yo)

December 11, 2021

Selective Schools Tests Writing Workshop (year 5&6 2022)

September 30, 2021

ZOOM HOLIDAY WORKSHOP: Witches, Warlocks and Werewolves (8-14)

January 18, 2022

We Can Be Heroes (7-13)

January 6, 2022

Fairy Tale Feasts (6-12 yo)

February 9, 2022

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Cost: $160 (eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

Wednesday Writing Club (ZOOM)

July 1, 2021

Cost: $80 (earlybird by 16 June: $70; bring a friend or do two workshops: $130)

Call of the Wild (6-12)

June 29, 2021

Cost: $150 (eligible for Creative Kids Voucher; earlybird before 15 June; $130; bring a friend $250)

Magical Kingdoms (8-13)

February 24, 2021

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Young People’s Writing Club @The Base

January 15, 2021

Fortune Cookie (7-12yo)

February 20, 2021

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Cost: $120 (max 8 students) SOLD OUT

Selective Schools and ACER Tests Writing Workshop (year 5&6 2021)

Crazy holidays (7-12yo).

January 21, 2020

The Gang (High School Writers)

October 7, 2020

Zero to Hero (8-13)

October 8, 2020

Kitty is not a Cat (6-12)

High School Revolutions (12-17yo)

January 22, 2020

Cost: $130 Eligible for Creative Kids Voucher

Mark Giblin

An Introduction to Animation Writing (8-12 yo)

July 15, 2020

The Enchanted Forest (Wickham Studio)

July 6, 2021

Cost: $80 (earlybird by 21 March: $70; bring a friend or do two workshops: $130)

Strange Weather (7-13)

October 20, 2020

5:15 pm - 6:15 pm

Cost: $150 (eligible for Creative Kids Voucher)

High School Writing Club (12-17 years old)

January 3, 2020

Cost: $80: earlybird (by 23 December) $65: do 2 courses or bring a friend: $70 ($60 earlybird)

Playing with Poetry (9-14 yo)

July 16, 2020

10:00 am - 11:30 am

Cost: $40 (per household - single login

Postcard from the Future (ZOOM workshop)

April 14, 2020

9:30 am - 11:00 am

Cost: $40 per household (single login)

ZOOM HOLIDAY WORKSHOP: Animal Tales (6-10)

April 15, 2020

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

ZOOM HOLIDAY WORKSHOP: Cloudy, With a Chance of Meatballs (5-12)

April 21, 2020

ZOOM HOLIDAY WORKSHOP: The Day My Room Became the Universe (7-13)

April 24, 2020

ZOOM HOLIDAY WORKSHOP: Loud Macaws and Muddy Paws (6-10)

February 14, 2020

St Aloysius Chisholm

January 10, 2020

Cost: $100 (max 10 students)

HSC Creative Writing (year 11 &12)

January 20, 2020

The Strangest Zoo in the World (7-13yo)

October 3, 2019

Cost: $80 (bring a friend or do 2 classes, 2 for $140; Earlybird until 16 September, $65; 2 for $120)

Bastian Fox Phelan

Zine Workshop (10-16 years)

October 10, 2019

Alien Adventures (7-12 years)

July 16, 2019

Cost: $80 (bring a friend or do 2 classes, 2 for $140; Earlybird until 24 June, $65; 2 for $120)

Do You Dare

July 19, 2019

My Perfect Pet

Our workshops, holiday workshops $80; term time $130 (8 weeks) and eligible for creative kids voucher.

We encourage kids to grow their imaginations at the same time as they expand their vocabularies and story-telling skills. Our workshops are fun and educational and tailored to suit the different age groups. We offer in school classes, after school classes, holiday workshops and individual mentoring. Check here for regular classes and holiday workshops at our Newcastle premises. Use our enquiry form or call us to find out how to bring workshops to your school .

HSC workshops

Creative Writing is compulsory for the HSC but many students don’t know where to start. Our HSC level creative writing workshops are designed for years 10-12, and will focus on the current Area of Study (Discovery) as well as Extension 1 elective themes. Our workshops help students gain the skills and techniques to think on their feet and approach their creative writing with confidence and flexibility.

Tutoring and Mentoring

(hsc and other).

Need expert feedback on your Extension 2 Major Work?  Or just worried about the Creative Writing components of the HSC English papers?  We offer one-to-one mentoring for students who feel they need a bit of extra help getting ready for this part of the HSC. Professional guidance is available for all print medium major works – including poetry, criticism, short story and script writing. We can also help with preparing for the English exam and with essay writing in general.  Contact us to discuss .

Testimonials

Hi Ed & Jess, I just wanted to say a big Thank You for todays workshop. A. didn’t stop smiling all afternoon, she absolutely loved it. She was just so proud of her story and loved the process of coming up with the characters. Thank you for making her feel at ease (she was a little nervous) and creating such a wonderful day. She’s looking forward to sharing her story for News at school next week.

Sam has loved your classes. Thanks for helping him love writing. (Sam’s Mum)

Mia loved the workshop in term 1 and she wants to do it again. Thank you for your amazing work!

Thanks for the Selective High Test session yesterday. B enjoyed it + was very appreciative that you didn’t tell him his writing was bad but rather that it was good but could be better if….  He came out buzzed + willing to write which is great.

Dear Ed, Ruby loved today’s class so much we have enrolled in another class for next week as well.

My son thoroughly enjoyed and learned some great tips at the Preparation for Selective High School Test course, thank you Ed!

Jacqueline Boyd

Students from Saint Brigid’s Catholic College, Lake Munmorah had the opportunity of participating in a workshop with Ed Wright and the Creative Wordshop, aimed at developing student understanding of speculative fiction and the craft of writing. Despite the workshop including over 70 students, Ed kept the group engaged and motivated through his humour, warmth, insights and passion for storytelling. We would love to have Ed Wright back next year! Luke Evans and Josh Killen

My son attended a brilliant workshop over the Easter holidays and he loved it! He is really looking forward to going to one on Thursday. He found Ed to be great fun and really enthusiastic. He also enjoyed meeting the other children at the workshop. Thank you Kate D.

These have been such a great thing to do through the holidays so thanks so much for putting them on. I know she’s really enjoyed them and it’s been great for her to have something to look forward to. Annabelle’s Mum

Thank you Ed. Thanks for another great year of Creative writing – he really enjoys it, so thank you. (Jack’s Mum)

My kids attended the online writing workshops during Easter holidays. It was a nice small class and t he format worked really well. Ed has a very engaging approach. I would recommend it. My kids don’t like to write normally, and they had fun and were quite proud of their finished product. Jane Fryer

I liked the child contribution based learning, how engaged the kids were in the whole class and the easy introduction of learning to the class. Who’s Your (Super) Hero

Sarah (Layla's Mum)

Kate loved the workshop on Tuesday. I will keep an eye out for other workshops next school hols. (Expeditions and Explorers)

Improvements, I’ll say – Teah got full marks for her exam short story, That course has been fantastic for her. Thanks so much (HSC Essay Writing Workshop).

Barbara (Teah's Mum)

“ that was the funnest thing I’ve done all holidays! ” Through the Magic Door with Jess Black

I had fun at the writing workshop and it helped me get a better mark on my persuasive writing test.

Customer Support 1300 365 735

Redeem your NSW Creative Kids Voucher

Let's get creative. let's get it in print, join a live online drawing and writing lesson and have your work come to life as a printed project. in each lesson you can choose either 10 cards, 4 books, or 2 calendars to be professionally printed..

Fun for ages 5 to 14+

1. Get Your Creative Kids Voucher  from Service NSW.

2. Choose from one of three creative lessons.

3. Redeem your voucher and receive your chosen printed projects.

Already used your voucher? Go here for our special printing credit offer.

Choose a lesson, 1. create original greeting cards.

Birthday, Christmas, Father’s Day, special occasion and thank you cards.

2. Create Your Own Calendar

The perfect personalised gift for grandparents and family.

3. Create A Book: My Story

Create your own 12-page book – a forever record and masterpiece!

About the program

Make the most of the upcoming school holidays. Use your child’s NSW Creative Kids Voucher to enroll them in one of our exciting and interactive classes. Our engaging workshops will keep them occupied and help unleash their imagination as they create beautiful cards, calendars, and books.

All you need is access to Zoom and pens and paper. Of course, if your child would like to use paint, photos, or other craft materials they are most welcome.

BONUS – as an extra special treat, your child will receive printed versions of their creations.  Imagine the joy on their faces when they see their own cards, calendars, and books in tangible form, ready to be shared and cherished.

Use the Creative Kids Voucher and watch your child embark on a journey of self-expression and imagination with Littlescribe!

Join a live online drawing and writing lesson and have your work come to life as a printed project.  In each lesson you can choose either 10 cards, 4 books, or 2 calendars to be professionally printed.

Choose one of these lessons

Get Your Creative Kids Voucher  from Service NSW.

• Create Original Greeting Cards
• Create Your Own Calendar
• My Book - My Story
• Child's Name *
• Online class time 26th of September 10:30 am to 11:30 am
• Online class time 26th of September 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
• Online class time 26th of September 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
• Voucher Number * There must be 16 digits. It should look like this e.g 9999-1234-1234-1234. Enter without hyphens (-).
• Child's Date of Birth * DD slash MM slash YYYY
• Name * Full Name

1. Create Original Greeting Cards.

Birthday, christmas, father's day, special occasion and thank you cards... the choices are endless.

Unleash your child’s creativity with this online lesson. They will have a blast designing and crafting unique cards using materials found at home. From stunning covers to heartfelt messages, their creations will be one-of-a-kind!

• 1 x live interactive Zoom lesson. Max 20 participants per class.
• Recommended for children aged 5 – 14+.
• In this lesson, you can choose to print 10 cards.

Required Materials (not supplied by Littlescribe):

• A4 blank paper, textas, crayons, pencils.
• Optional: painting and craft materials.

Learning Outcomes:

• Enhance fine motor skills and develop a creative mindset.
• Explore textures and media for crafting beautiful cards.
• Develop literacy skills through expressive writing.

Book now and let your child experience the joy of handmade happiness creating personalised cards.

Let your child’s creativity shine as they embark on a journey to create an original calendar for 2024. Hang it in their bedroom, the kitchen or your office and see them beam with pride. Give it as a heartfelt gift –  the perfect surprise for grandparents, friends and family.

Each month will feature a personal image, drawing, or message created by your child, adding a special touch to every page.

• In this lesson, you can choose to print 2 calendars.

Book now and let your child experience the joy of handmade happiness creating personalised calendars.

3. My Book - My Story

Create your own 12-page book - a forever record and masterpiece.

Ignite your child’s imagination with our engaging online lesson, “My Book – My Story.” In this exciting class, they will embark on a creative journey to craft their very own 12-page book. This personalized masterpiece will allow them to share their unique story, ideas, and adventures in a fun and imaginative way.

• In this lesson, you can choose to print 4 books.
• Develop creativity by exploring themes and designs.
• Nurture self-expression and storytelling through personalised images and messages.
• Cultivate a sense of pride and accomplishment as the book comes together.

Book now and unleash your child’s inner storyteller !

Join a community of published . . .

- authors - illustrators - poets - artists - reporters -.

Includes book creation, sharing and printing tools!

An example of a book by children aged 7 to 10.

1300 365 735

[email protected]

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where we work and live. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the land’s first storytellers and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. © Copyright Littlescribe 2024. ABN 12 614 008 990

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Co-author Program

Pay by credit card or fill in the form below and we will send you an invoice for your Co-author Program. The invoice is payable within 28 days.

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Creative Writing Major

Please note: If this page does not display properly, or for more information, see the academic catalogue . Current students can find advising worksheets and monitor their progress towards degree completion with DegreeWorks . For more information, visit the Success Advising page.

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Active and Creative Kids voucher

Support for eligible families with school-aged children to participate in sport, recreational, creative or cultural activities.

Parents, guardians and carers

Families receiving Family Tax Benefit can apply for an Active and Creative Kids voucher for each eligible child.

Applications for voucher 1 are open now. 

Another voucher will be available from July 2024.

Apply for a voucher

Apply for an Active and Creative Kids voucher.

Find a provider

Find where to use your vouchers.

The voucher is valued at $50 and:

• is available twice a year
• can be used for  eligible active or creative activities  with registered providers
• must be redeemed before the expiry date on the voucher.

Sharing vouchers

If you would like another person to use the voucher when your child participates in an activity, you can share an Active and Creative Kids voucher .

Vouchers can be accepted from 1 February 2024.

Apply to be a provider

Apply to be an Active and Creative Kids voucher provider.

Redeeming vouchers from customers

Find out how to redeem vouchers from customers.

Related information

• First Lap learn to swim voucher
• Share an Active and Creative Kids voucher
• Savings Finder
• Concessions, rebates and assistance
• School term and holiday dates
• Early childhood education, long day care and other care

The challenge of being a creative person once you’ve created a person

A very tired parent’s tips for writing a book while also doing all the other things.

Eight or nine years ago, an old friend called seeking advice. She was trying to write a novel, but she was also a new mom with a full-time job, and she was exhausted. I, who had breezily published a couple of books by then, offered my best wisdom. You have to push through, I told her sternly. You have to take your own writing seriously, or nobody else will. Set aside two hours every night. Put on the coffee and push through the exhaustion. You can and will do it.

Years passed. Then I, too, had a baby. Then I, too, set out to write a book while also being a mother with a full-time job. And somewhere in the middle of this endeavor, I called my friend and asked whether my advice had been as bad as I was beginning to sense it had been. No, she told me cheerfully, it had actually been much worse. The callousness of it had shocked her, she said, until she decided that I simply hadn’t known any better and that, when I did, I would apologize.

God, I’m so sorry.

My first post-baby book came out today, and I have been thinking, almost nonstop, about the relationship between creativity and motherhood. I used to love reading articles with titles such as “The daily routines of 10 famous artists,” until I realized that Leo Tolstoy may have finished his masterpieces by locking his study doors to ensure uninterrupted productivity, but, like, what were his 13 children doing while he was in there? Did anyone check in on Mrs. Tolstoy? For the women I know, there is no setting aside a few hours at the end of the workday. The end of the workday is the beginning of the parent day. The end of the parent day is never, because 2-year-olds wake cheerfully at 5 a.m., and strep throat comes for us all.

Where, in this schedule, was the life of the mind? TikTok would not stop showing me videos of mothers showing off their “realistic beauty routines,” but what I really wanted were realistic creativity routines: the mothers who didn’t give a crap about heatless curlers, but had somehow composed a cello sonata while working five days a week as a dental hygienist.

In my bleariest days of early parenthood, I met a woman at the playground who had just finished doing something extraordinary (Triathlon? Solo art exhibit?), and when the rest of us asked her how she’d found the time, she shrugged and said, modestly, “Oh, you know.” But the point was that we didn’t know, and we were desperate for her to tell us. (Live-in grandparents? Adderall?)

The bigger point is that we weren’t really trying to figure out how to compete in triathlons. We were trying to figure out how to be people.

When you have a baby or a toddler, reminding yourself that you are a full person with your own dreams and needs can feel both completely vital and completely impossible. But being a full person is a sacred legacy to give to a child. My own mother is a folk artist. When I was growing up, she made Ukrainian eggs in the frigid concrete sunroom, a space heater at her feet, and her works were shown and sold at galleries around the Midwest. I knew then, and I know now, that my mother would die and kill for me. But I also knew that she loved other things, too. She had loved those things before she ever knew me. She had secrets and wisdom to pass on.

Her work had nothing to do with me, yet it was a gift. It paid for my brother and me to go to summer camp. It went on display at the Art Institute of Chicago, and we visited it, as well as the Seurats and the Hoppers, and ate granola bars. When my mother dies, I will carefully unwrap the tissue paper surrounding the astonishing works of art she gave to me over the years, and I will sob.

I want that for my own daughter. I want her to know that motherhood doesn’t have to atrophy personhood; it can expand it.

And in wanting that, desperately, I came up with a routine that allowed me to maintain a grip on the parts of me that were me before I was a mother. A realistic creativity routine, if you will.

I write between the hours of 10 p.m. and midnight, unless it turns out that I write between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4. I write 300 to 400 words every time I am on the Metro; I write 30 to 40 words each time I pick my daughter up from day care, in the three-minute gap between when I ring the outer bell and when a teacher’s aide comes to let me inside. I write badly. I write very, very badly, vaguely remembering a quote I’d once heard attributed to author Jodi Picoult, about how you can always edit a bad page, but you can never edit a blank page.

Does it look like the routines of Tolstoy, or Virginia Woolf, or anyone else I may have once read about in an article about the routines of famous artists? It does not. But the bad pages get edited, and then they get good.

Pursuing creativity as a working mom means, in other words, letting go of any romantic notions of what creativity means or looks like.

It means not waiting for inspiration to strike, but instead striking inspiration, bludgeoning it upside the head and wrestling it to the ground. Inspiration is a luxury, and once you realize that, you can also understand that the ability to create something through sheer force of will — without inspiration, without routine, without time — is a far more creative act than relying on a muse.

If my old friend called me now, I think that is what I would say to her. That, and:

You will not be Mark Twain, summoned by a horn when it’s time to eat the dinner someone else has prepared. You will not be going on Tchaikovsky’s vigorous two-hour walks through the countryside or spending the morning shopping for inspiring objects like Andy Warhol.

But you will create something. Not by pushing through the exhaustion so much as living alongside it, and then peering beyond it, and then stopping, and then starting, and then having superhuman discipline, and then eating a whole package of Oreos, and then finishing something beautiful at 2 a.m. and sneaking into your child’s room to see another beautiful thing, and then thinking about how the things that make us the most tired are the things that give us reason to create at all.

Unlock M4 iPad Pro power with these apps for creative professionals

It’s been a big week for the iPad. The M4 iPad Pro and iPad Air 6 will make their way into users’ hands in a matter of days. That makes now the perfect time to start making a list of all the best iPadOS apps to enjoy while using the latest and greatest iPad hardware.

The question of getting things done on the iPad is evergreen. So we’ve assembled a collection of some of the best iPad apps specifically for creative professionals, spanning a variety of fields.

Want to create great things using Apple’s tablet? Here are some of the top tools to get started. Many of them will push the power of the new M4 iPad Pro, but even those that don’t will still run smoother than ever on the new hardware.

• FiLMiC Pro is a video capture app that gives you full manual control of your footage. It supports shooting in ProRes and was even touted by Apple for that feature when the iPhone 13 Pro debuted. As an alternative, be sure to check out Apple’s new Final Cut Camera app when it debuts later this spring.
• LumaFusion is the gold standard third-party app for video editing on the iPad. Our own Fernando Silva even uses LumaFusion for his video work at 9to5Mac.
• Final Cut Pro is Apple’s own solution for iPad video editing. Years in the making, the app finally debuted last spring and is getting a big upgrade to version 2 soon.

• Spotify for Podcasters is the new name for what was once known as Anchor until Spotify acquired it. Anchor built a strong reputation for making podcasting easy and accessible to the masses, with a streamlined set of tools that take the complexity out of recording and publishing a podcast.
• Ferrite Recording Studio is the app I used to edit the now-retired Adapt podcast on my iPad Pro. It’s a versatile audio editing tool that works equally well when just using touch, or with an Apple Pencil, or a connected Magic Keyboard.

Photography

• Affinity Photo was the Photoshop-equivalent on the iPad long before Photoshop debuted on iPadOS. A powerful, touch-native design, Afffinity proves that iPad apps don’t have to be second-class citizens to their Mac counterparts.
• Photomator provides user-friendly but dynamic tools to users of all skill levels and has been especially on the front lines with utilizing AI and ML.
• Adobe Photoshop may not be the exact replica of its Mac sibling, but Adobe has done significant work to bring some of the most important editing tools to the iPad.
• Darkroom is a far more approachable app than tools like Photoshop, providing valuable tools for those who don’t need a full-fledged editing suite. Darkroom’s secret weapon is that it’s built for editing not just photos, but video too.

• Ulysses is my app of choice for writing on the iPad Pro. It features an elegant, exceedingly native feeling design, while also providing powerful tools that scale from smaller works like writing 9to5Mac articles to drafting entire books.
• Scrivener is a fan favorite among novelists especially, with an array of tools built specifically for managing and keeping track of various author notes, character details, and other world-building information.

Illustration

• Procreate has a long history on the iPad and continues to receive noteworthy updates all the time. It’s the most popular app for sketching, painting, and illustrating and has truly earned its success.
• Linea Sketch is a lighter weight illustration tool for anyone intimidated by Procreate. The app does a great job of curating a core set of tools and providing a distraction-free interface for creating.

• BandLab provides a one-stop shop for music creation on the iPad, with tools that span the whole process from recording to editing and even sharing your music online.
• Logic Pro is Apple’s iPad version of the well-known Mac tool that musicians and producers have relied on for decades. Logic’s upcoming stem splitting feature seems set to take full advantage of the iPad Pro’s M4 chip.

The above apps are just scratching the surface of the powerful tools available to creative professionals on iPad. While it’s undeniable that iPadOS comes with a variety of restrictions and limitations that don’t plague the Mac, the platform can still be a fantastic place for creative work if you find the right tools for the job.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any go-to apps for getting creative work done on the iPad? Let us know in the comments.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

Lead the curve on tomorrow’s iOS and Mac app h…

The new iPad Pro is powered by the A12Z processo…

Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.

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Webster University Celebrates Student Writing Excellence

May 16, 2024

• undergraduate
• academic resource center

On April 25, Webster University honored freshman student writers at its Julian Schuster Writing Awards Ceremony. The event recognized outstanding academic and creative writing pieces nominated by faculty across Webster’s campuses around the world.  

The Julian Schuster Writing Awards, formerly the Freshman Writing Awards, is an annual event open to students from all Webster University campuses which began in 2006. The awards underwent a name change in 2024, as Webster University President Julian Z. Schuster increased his sponsorship to fund the initiative. All courses, disciplines, assignments, genres and styles are eligible for submission. 

In total, 61 nominated pieces were submitted this year from students across Webster's global campuses. Winners of the Julian Schuster Writing Award received an educational grant of $200 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place in both academic and creative categories. 

This year's winners displayed both skill and creativity in their nominated works. Jayne Herter took home the first-place award in the academic category for her insightful analysis titled "Juul Kraijer's Woman and I: A Mirror." Her piece was written as part of a global cornerstone seminar with instructor Mary Baken.  

“Kraijer’s woman isn’t helpless, nor stagnant, but a metamorphosis,” Herter shared when asked about the piece. “In her I can see that, and in myself.” 

Nelly Hashemi earned second place in the academic category for her probing essay "Unravelling Austria's Environmental Façade," written in an environmental ethics course with Ryan Crawford. Hashemi's work provided a critical look at Austria's sustainability practices and contradictions. 

“In my investigation of the environmental, ecological and Anthropocene debates in Austria, I attempted to uncover the complexities of the country's professed environmental consciousness,” shared Hashemi. “While Austria may portray an image of environmental stewardship, my study goes into the finer details, revealing the disparity between reality and what is perceived. By examining the naturalized mindset surrounding excessive consumption and the rise of consumer society, I hope to shed light on the critical need to reveal Austria's genuine environmental landscape. My writing seeks to be an impetus for a more multifaceted understanding, transcending conventional tales and contributing to a more robust conversation around sustainability.” 

The third-place academic winner was Olly Persoon for the piece "Untitled (Analysis on Portrait of Ross in L.A.),” which was also written as part of Baken's global cornerstone seminar. Persoon’s work was cited as being insightful and wise by the writing award judges. 

On the creative writing side, Andy Castello took first place for the evocative poem "Eye to Eye," which drew inspiration from perspectives explored in Kim Kleinman's global cornerstone seminar. Castello’s sonnet calls attention to the beauty and interconnectedness of the world – encouraging the reader to make eye contact with a potato, observing life inside one of its many eyes.  

Second place for creative writing went to Kaitlyn El-Sheikh for her piece "Decaying,” which was written as part of Mary Baken's introduction to creative writing course.  

“This piece is about the experience of losing my grandpa to pancreatic cancer,” explained El-Sheikh. “I’m honored to be able to share his story with everyone! He was a very talented and hardworking man with all the knowledge in the world. I know he would be proud that I took this moment in our lives and turned it into something good.” 

Rounding out the creative writing winners was Megan Meade with her personal narrative, "My Dynamic Journey to a Relationship with Nature." Meade wrote the piece as part of Corin Pursell's Introduction to Sustainability course and took third place in the creative writing category.  

Semi-finalists who were also recognized at the ceremony included Octave Brun, Shelby Ilko, Muslima Murodjonova and group, Parker Murrow, Styx Nappier and Veronika Tomchani. 

Special thanks to this year’s judges:   Carolyn I. Brown - Assistant Director, Reeg ARC, Webster Groves   Shokhsanam Djalilova - ESL and GCP Program Lead, Tashkent  Kim Kleinman – Special Assistant to the Director, Gleich Honors College, Webster Groves   Ralph Olliges - Chair, Graduate Department of Education, Webster Groves   Carolyn Trachtova - ESL Program Director, Webster Groves   Kwan Willhoft - Head Writing Coach, Reeg ARC, Webster Groves 

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Celebrating Health Profession Students' Poetry, Prose, and Visual Arts

Program for Humanities in Medicine 2024 Health Professions Creative Writing and Art Contest Awards Ceremony

Lenique Huggins - First place in Art category

Created by MD student Hang Nguyen. Second place in Art category

WInston Trope - Honorable Mention in Art category

Zeynep Inanoglu - Honorable Mention in Art category

2024 PHM Health Professions Creative Writing and Art Contest Award Ceremony - Student Winners

Winning artwork

Black Motherhood in Medicine

Created by MD student Lenique Huggins. First place in Art category

These Small Things

These are the titles of the poetry, prose, and visual artworks that received first-place in the annual Yale School of Medicine (YSM) Program for Humanities in Medicine (PHM) Health Professions Students' Creative Writing & Art Contest. On May 2, the student winners were celebrated at a gathering where they shared and often provided context for their creations. A supportive and appreciative audience applauded enthusiastically after each presentation.

Professor and PHM Director Anna Reisman, MD, welcomed everyone to the celebration, sharing that the contest began more than two decades ago. It originally was a poetry and prose contest just for medical students; the family of Marguerite Rush Lerner, MD, established and endowed the contest to honor her. Lerner was a dermatologist at YSM, as well as a children’s book author. (Lerner’s husband, Aaron Lerner, MD, PhD, was the first chair of Yale’s Department of Dermatology, and two of their four sons, Ethan Lerner, MD, PhD ‘82 and Michael Lerner, MD ’81, attended YSM.) Reisman explained that several years ago the contest expanded to include visual arts, and also students from across the health profession schools and programs—MD, MD-PhD, Physician Associate, Physician Assistant Online, Nursing, and Public Health.

This year, almost 100 students participated in the contest. MD student winners receive the Marguerite Rush-Lerner prize; the other Yale health professions students receive the Program for Humanities in Medicine prize. See the list of winners under "Related Links."

While second-year MD student Lenique Huggins had been thinking about creating Black Motherhood in Medicine for a few months, it only took two evenings to do so, once she began.

She explains that the inspiration for the piece started in her first week of medical school, when she learned that the maternal mortality rate for Black mothers is 2.6 more than non-Hispanic white mothers. “As a young Black woman, this statistic especially pained me and my close friends.” Additionally, she says that in classes throughout the year, she was part of formal and informal discussions about being a mother in medicine. “I heard from classmates across racial backgrounds about their real fears of balancing pregnancy with their medical training and pregnancy complications among medical professionals.” That led her to begin to think about “my intersection as a future Black mother in medicine and the challenges I may face because of these identities. Now, as a second-year student, I created a piece that captures something I have thought much about these past two years.”

Huggins grew up in a Caribbean household close to art and culture from all over the world. “I’ve always been surrounded by music, dance, storytelling, and visual art, and my family hosted international students throughout my childhood. I started playing the piano at age three, and have been singing, dancing, and doodling for as long as I can remember.” However, it was not until she was an undergraduate at Duke University and participated in community service that she “began to understand the therapeutic value of art.”

Through her involvement in different programs at that time, including Families Moving Forward, a shelter for families without homes, and Reflections, a weekly art program for adults with dementia at Duke Nasher Museum, Huggins says, “I saw how encouraging self-expression could bring peace during uncertain times, reduce stress, and empower communities. When I went through a rough time in my sophomore year, I found myself using painting for a lot of healing.”

Huggins continues, “I will continue practicing art. It’s a self-care practice that helps me combat burnout and show up better for patients who need me.”

Class of 2025 MD student Hang Nguyen started painting at age 11, when her family immigrated to America from Vietnam. She explains, “I did not speak English at the time, so art was a vessel through which I could communicate my tumultuous adolescent mind.”

Currently, she paints often and says her favorite subject is “surreal, tranquil, and, occasionally, liminal landscapes, such as a classroom at midnight, an overgrown, abandoned church, and a long corridor that leads nowhere. For me, these landscapes represent a longing for a space that exists tranquilly, where one can be one's true self.”

Nguyen painted Submerged specifically for this contest; “In other words, this contest inspired me to look inward and reflect on — instead of simply overcome and move forward from — the challenges that I have encountered in medical school.” Through the work she wanted “to convey the various feelings that I experienced while studying for board exams using motifs that are near and dear to me like water and fish in a surreal, tranquil, and liminal ambience.” She painted it during time dedicated to Step 1, over the course of a week, working on it for an hour to two at night.

Hunger , On Chinese Medicine , and On the First Day of Anatomy Lab

First-year Physician Associate (PA) student Kelly Dunn was honored with three prizes: A tie for first place in prose for Hunger , a tie for second place in poetry for On Chinese Medicine , and honorable mention in prose for On the First Day of Anatomy Lab , each of which she shared with the audience. While Dunn, who “always considered the humanities to be a part of my life,” has been an avid reader and artist for as long as she can remember, she did not start writing until the COVID-19 pandemic. She says she mostly wrote nonfiction, and only semi-frequently, “whenever something momentous transpired, or I suddenly felt called to it,” explaining, “so much of my love and appreciation for writing comes from the fact that it’s a medium to better articulate an experience through. Having something so fresh and felt so acutely is a wonderful impetus to begin writing.”

The contest was one of Dunn’s first times writing poetry, “I’ve always been intimidated by it. Learning the different poetic forms and metric lines, as well as how to be economical with my words, seems like something I’ll never be able to achieve.” She continued, “I’m grateful for this contest for giving me an opportunity to try”

For Dunn, writing in PA school has been “incredibly helpful processing all that has happened. Every day I vacillate between feelings of immense wonder, humility, and gratitude— and these words in themselves don’t even do the moments I’ve witnessed justice.”

Acknowledgements

Reisman thanked PHM Manager Karen Kolb for her work coordinating the contest, and the 16 YSM faculty and staff members who served as judges:

Aba Black, MD, MHS, Anne Merritt, MD, MS, Terry Dagradi, Sarah Cross, MD, Lorence Gutterman, MD, Melissa Grafe, PhD, Randi Hutter-Epstein, MD, MPH, Kenneth Morford, MD, Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, MD, Vincent Quagliarello, MD, Lisa Sanders, MD, Nora Segar, MD, Elizabeth Marhoffer, MD, Rita Rienzo MMSC, PA-C, Sharon Chekijian, MD, PhH, and Cynthia McNamara, MD.

Featured in this article

• Aba Black, MD, MHS
• Sharon Anoush Chekijian, MD, MPH
• Sarah Cross, MD
• Terry Dagradi
• Randi Epstein
• Melissa Grafe, PhD
• Lorence Gutterman, MD
• Lenique Huggins
• Karen P Kolb
• Elizabeth Marhoffer, MD
• Cynthia Frary McNamara, MD, FACP
• Anne Merritt, MD, MS
• Kenneth Morford, MD, FASAM
• Hang Nguyen
• Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, MD, IBCLC
• Vincent Quagliarello, MD
• Anna Reisman, MD
• Rita Rienzo, MMSc, PA-C
• Lisa Sanders, MD, FACP
• Nora Segar, MD

Related Links

• Contest winners
• 4 YSN Students Earn Prizes at Health Professions Creative Writing and Art Contest
• On Chinese Medicine
• On the First Day of Anatomy Lab

• Precepting at YSN
• Event Calendar

2024 Program for Humanities in Medicine Health Professions Creative Medical Writing and Art Contest: “These Small Things” by Courtney Hart

Yale university’s 2024 program for humanities in medicine (phm) health professions creative medical writing and art contest awarded first prize in the prose category to courtney hart ’25 msn, a nurse midwifery/women’s health student. to read more about yale school of nursing (ysn)’s other prize winners in this contest, please visit ysn news ., these small things, by courtney hart, to read more about yale school of nursing (ysn)’s other prize winners in this contest,  please visit ysn news ..