creative writing night classes melbourne

Creative Writing Courses Melbourne: The Best 7 Reviewed & Ranked

If you’re looking for a creative writing course to take in Melbourne, then you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re looking for a beginners course or a short course, we’ll find you the best one!

Melbourne is a city that inspires the artistic streak. Especially with so many hidden cafes down laneways, perfect for typing out plots on keyboards on rainy days.

Creative writing is also one of the most versatile forms of professional writing and journalism, used by freelance writers, journalists, and other people in the creative writing industry. That makes this skill a great source of career opportunities on top of being a great mode of expression. This is a field for aspiring and existing local writers who contribute to magazines, blogs, and many different platforms for written content. It’s also great for those who are looking to write novels or books in the creative nonfiction category as well.

Writing, as you must have already come to know, is also a branch of the creative arts. Combining both schools of thought (no pun intended), it is only logical that you enrol under the best possible course to craft yourself into a better creative writer.

If you’re also looking to start out and hone your writing skills or further improve your creative practice as a writer, here are some of the best options that could be a great fit for you.

Melbourne Young Writers’ Studio | RMIT University | Writers’ Studio | Melbourne Polytechnic | Faber Writing Academy  | CAE | Australian Writers Centre

1. Story Studios Australia

Story Studios Australia, previously Melbourne Young Writers’ Studio , is the go-to place for creative writing and storytelling courses for young and emerging writers. They offer term based creative story writing clubs, private mentorships, school programs (incursions, excursions and online), and holiday programs for writers 7 – 18. As well as a rotating roster of short courses and events for adult writers.

At Story Studios, they take a story-first approach to teaching creative writing as the attention is on character, story craft, and empowering writers to express themselves and bring their ideas to life. From there they help writers of all ages hone their professional skills.

Courses for writers aged 7 – 18 include:

• Creative Story Writing Groups (in-person and online)

• Private Mentorships (1:1 and 1:2, in-person and online)

• School programs (incursions, excursions and online)

• Holiday programs (in-person and online)

Courses and events for adult writers include (but are not limited to):

• Story and the Self: awaking the writer within

• Intro to Screenwriting

• Thursday Write Night

• Screenwriters Club

Story Studios Australia is based in Carlton and online and offers a beautiful dedicated writing space, industry professionals as coaches, and a holistic approach to teaching stories and inspiring creative minds.

Address: 170 Elgin Street, Carlton

Website: mywritersstudio.com.au

2. RMIT University Short Writing Courses

The RMIT University Short Courses are developed for people looking to do quick creative writing workshop offers and courses.

RMIT University has established a reputation for itself as being an expert in media and communication. That puts them in an excellent position to offer such courses to the general populace.

What they do, in essence, is to identify the basic models of all creative writing and teach them to their students. That way, every student can quickly adapt to any form of creative writing that they might face.

The short courses on display at RMIT include:

• Writing Creative Fiction
• Comedy Writing
• Screenwriting
• Non-fiction Writing

On top of that, they offer their creative writing students a shot at Feature writing with Sian Prior – a PhD holder in creative writing with over 25 years of experience in journalism.

If you’d like to move to professional writing courses after your short courses, they have provisions for that too.

3. Unlocking Creativity by Writers’ Studio

Perfecting its creative writing courses over 25 years, Writer’s Studio has made the Unlocking Creativity’ writing workshop is one of the best out there.

Designed to span four weeks, the course gives young writers the freedom of access from anywhere since it is based online. Likewise, interested students can get up to USD$50 off when they cop the course early enough.

Refining the course over the years, Writers’ Studio has landed upon a teaching formula that has turned out a good number of professional writers out of their creative writing graduates. This comes in the form of:

• Helping writers recognise and embrace their imagination
• Exploring limits in the way of maximum creative potentials
• Developing a practical understanding of character development and know-how of classical story structure
• Practical assignment to assess the student based on what has been taught so far

This form of teaching and feedback system has proven successful for students of this course. You could be the next!

4. Melbourne Polytechnic – Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing

For those who are looking for full-time, professional writing courses in Melbourne, you might have to look no further than the learning environment at the Melbourne Polytechnic.

The course takes things a notch further than many online courses, offering you a fully-integrated and structured learning experience. Interested students will be taught the concepts of editing. That not only makes them a better writers but gives them an additional skill too.

From the course contents, students are set up to develop their skills in:

• Professional writing
• Advanced editing
• Design for print/web publishing (digital media skills)

If we haven’t mentioned this already, the course is taught by a variety of top performers: Edwin Preston (author of The Inheritance of Ivorie Hammer which garnered rave reviews), Alex Senior (sPh.D. student under the Creative Writing discipline) and so much more.

At the end of the course, students will be conferred with a Bachelor of Arts degree. If interested, make sure to check out the entry requirements below.

5. Faber Writing Academy’s Creative Writing Courses

The Faber Writing Academy offers a wide range of creative writing courses to students, all within the Melbourne area. The sessions are also spaced out, allowing each student to take on as many creative writing courses as they hope to handle.

We also love the way this academy provides a place for those looking to get professional writing courses in the Melbourne area.

Taking a quick look at the course information on their website, options to be enrolled for include:

• Creative writing for children and young adults
• Courses on developing substantial biographies and autobiographies
• Novel-writing courses, and so much more.

They also have different pricing plans to take care of each dedicated form of writing.

6. Beginning Creative Writing at CAE

CAE believes that ‘Every good story begins somewhere,’ and they plan to be the place where all of your great stories will start from.

Their Beginner Creative Writing course is designed to be a fun and exciting class for people who are unsure of where to start. That makes it ideally suited to beginners who might be sceptical about trying their hands at creative writing in the first place.

What this project does is take beginners through a series of steps that allows them to find themselves before doing any other thing. That sort of generic model helps writers focus on creative writing styles and models they will settle for in the end.

With multiple teaching and learning sessions to boot, the overall course aims at helping writers:

• Find the inspiration to write
• Build their characters and associated voices
• Develop better plots and structure
• Form winning dialogues
• Get better at rewriting and editing and
• Avoid clichés in writing

This course is also made better in the way the instructors prefer to show rather than tell.

7. Australian Writers’ Centre

The Australian Writers’ Centre (AWS) has been around for a while now. Their creative writing course has been able to develop writers with better creativity to tell compelling stories.

More than being a general professional writing course, the AWS offering has carved a niche for itself for being a great novel writing course in Melbourne. Other reasons why this course features on this list owes to its being:

• Highly flexible in allowing students to take classes online or on-site (in Melbourne)
• Uniform pricing across different locations and offerings.
• Tailored to writers at different stages of their writing development and so much more

The teaching methodology allows fellow writers to tap into personal creative prowess too. That is as opposed to being forced to conform to a particular template. Taking you by the hand through various models of creative writing, you are sure to get the best out of it.

So there you go, Melbourne’s best creative writing classes, featuring everything from short stories to copywriting. We’ll keep this list updated regularly and keep adding more information to it with time.

Is there a course that we’ve missed? Drop us a note in the comments below.

Chemical Engineer by day. Writer by night. Superhero at every other time.

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Hi there, I live in Melbourne and rather than online, I’m looking at writing my life story but need to attend a course that will help me create this project. Do you have anything that would help me accomplish this or do you know of where else I could go?

Thank you so much. Sue

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Melbourne Young Writers' Studio

Book a free trial in a weekly creative story writing group for term 2, those enrolled for semester two have the chance to be published in our beautiful annual anthology in-person and online sessions available., easter holiday programs open for booking, school incursions & excursions for students and teachers, immersive and inspiring creative story writing programs available as excursions or incursions for primary and secondary. teacher curriculum days also available, write-in thursdays, a twice monthly opportunity for adult writers to come and enjoy our space and get some writing done, screenwriters club, a monthly trip to the movies followed by discussion for lovers of story and screenwriting, kids programs.

Fun, immersive and inspiring programs for ages 6-18 years.

Tailored to the online setting, our Online Inkling Groups leverage the advantages of Zoom, providing unique and immersive experiences for young writers everywhere.

Creative Story Writing Groups and Mentorships

An inspiring and supportive space for young writers to delve into the craft of story under the guidance of practising writers and take their writing skills and imaginations to the next level.

School Holiday Programs and Festivals

Immersive, imaginative and lots of fun, MYWS popular school holiday programs are unique days with themes to suit all ages and interests, from teen specific days, to fantasy and sci-fi programs, to days of mystery and adventure. The perfect way to inspire a love of story and get writing.

School Incursions and Excursions

Primary and secondary school incursions and excursions designed to inspire a love of the craft of story and extend the skills and knowledge of advanced writers. Accessible and the perfect opportunity to awaken the magic of story in students of all ages and abilities. Book Week special now open!

Adult Programs

Creative writing courses and events for adults at any stage in their writing journey.

One-off Events

Story Studios Australia’s one off events focus on a variety of aspects of writing, community, sharing and storytelling and are often led by special guests and teachers

Short Courses

Led by professional writers with industry experience, our adult Short Courses offer an intimate and practical approach to creative writing. There’s no better environment to learn, be inspired, and connect with Melbourne’s creative writing community.

Regular Events

Develop your writing practice and connect with an amazing community of authors, screenwriters, poets, journalists and more by coming along to fun and creative regular events such as Words and Wine and Screenwriters Club!

Professional Development

Enrich and upskill your team with unique and engaging professional development sessions tailorable to your needs.

Check out the story magic being conjured at Story Studios this term and get a glimpse of what’s to come!

Head to @mywritersstudio on instagram to check out all the wonderful things happening, issue 4 of the quarterly quill out now.

Exploration, Education & Storytelling for your event!

Interested in having Story Studios Australia/Melbourne Young Writers’ Studio along to run a workshop at a festival, fete or event? Get in touch to find out more about tailoring a program to your needs!

03 4151 1115

• [email protected]

Our home study courses offer you the flexibility to complete your assignments when it is convenient for you. You can work at your own pace and spend as much or as little time on an assignment as you need.

Our Classroom-based courses cover the same material as home study, either every other Saturday or one evening a week. It’s up to you. Whatever option you choose you’ll receive the guidance and support of our expert tutors.

Ask a question

Complete your contact details, add your question and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Unleash your creativity and begin your journey as a writer. Start writing confidently and creatively! Payment plans available. No minimum qualification.

• 3 Months Duration

Study at your own pace with access to online course materials and full tutor support.

Live Online Classes

Attend virtual classes with access to online course materials and full tutor support.

Classroom-based

Attend in-person classes with access to online course materials and full tutor support.

Elevate your writing to new heights and embark on your creative journey with confidence and advanced skills. Payment plans available. No minimum qualification.

• 6 Months Duration

Achieve professional excellence in creative writing and launch your literary career with a strong, professional foundation. Payment plans available. No minimum qualification.

• 9 Months Duration

I would certainly recommend the Post Grad Dip to friends or other students looking to gain a professional qualification, so many new skills to learn, to support future opportunities in the visual arts field. Mark Powell Student - BAPH

The support I get from the student community and my tutor are essential. It isn't always easy and it's clearly demanding, but the whole experience is extraordinary and one of the best investments I've ever made. Daniel Oliver Student - BAPH

This course has taken me on an amazing journey - there has been a lot of learning with tutors who have given constructive feedback to help with progression. It moreover gave me the opportunity to study from home. Such a worthwhile and enjoyable course! Tiffany Hayes Student - BAPH

Between the forums online and our Facebook page I feel more connected with students and staff and I never feel silly asking my tutor even the most basic of questions! I'm particularly impressed with the feedback I get when I hand in my assignments - it is very detailed, constructive and helpful. Sonya O'Donoghue Student - PAI

The Australian Academy of Creative Writing is a leading provider of home study and classroom-based creative writing courses in Australia.

02 8073 9377

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Australian Writers’ Centre – Creative writing courses

Discover how a creative writing course at AWC can change your life.

Whether your goal is to write bestselling fiction, stories for children, a memoir or to simply explore your creativity – you'll find the ideal course here.

Learn online (from anywhere!), or in our Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth classrooms.

Our  core creative writing path  gives you the foundations for compelling adult fiction – taking you from the seed of a story idea to a completed manuscript.

Explore an area of interest with  Genre  and  Fiction Essentials . And gain extra knowledge and motivation with the  Publishing  and  Writers' Toolkit  courses.

Creative Writing Stage 1, Novel Writing Essentials and Write Your Novel

Picture books, chapter books, writing for children and ya, dialogue, characters. grammar, short stories and more, everything you need to know about the publishing industry, motivation, time management, scrivener and more, the core creative writing path.

Learn the foundations of compelling stories with these creative writing courses

Courses for kids and teens

Writing books for younger readers, fiction techniques.

Everything you need to know about getting your work published

Writers' Toolkit

Add extra knowledge, industry insights and motivation

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Writing a Novel

For emerging novelists ready to dive in and make the commitment to complete a full manuscript, this rigorous three-stage course will guide you through the process of planning and beginning your novel, developing essential skills in writing and composition, as well as establishing a dedicated writing practice.

Wednesday evenings 6.30pm – 8.30pm and Saturdays 10am – 4pm, 21 February – 26 September 2024

Kathleen Syme Library 251 Faraday St, Carlton VIC 3053

$6,700 / $5,695 alumni

Presented by Australia’s leading independent publishing house Allen & Unwin, in partnership with the prestigious UK Publishers Faber & Faber, Writing a Novel is a highly practical, craft-focused program designed to help you find the focus you need to stay the distance and finish your manuscript draft.

In the first three-month stage of this course (February – June) , you will be given a proven combination of targeted writing exercises, group discussions and carefully selected readings. These introductory lessons will give you an important foundation for writing your novel. You will be taken through essential concepts such as narrative structure, character development, narration, voice, plotting, scene setting and more.

In the second half of the program (July – September) you will continue to develop the craft and technical skills required to turn a rough draft into a work of art. You will finish the course with a deep understanding of the novelist’s craft and how it applies to your own novel. These are lessons you can carry with you throughout your writing life.

After these two stages are complete, Writing a Novel students will be asked to submit work to our highly sought-after Faber Writing Anthology , a professionally edited and printed showcase of student work, sent to leading literary agents and publishers across both Australia and the United Kingdom.

This third stage will take place after your course work is finished, giving you the time and space to work towards completing a submittable draft of your manuscript in time for the anthology to be sent out to agents and publishers. This final stage will include a meeting with Faber’s Editor in Residence, a copy-editing process, and a meeting with the Faber UK team.

During this course, you will be provided with:

• Regular classes covering everything from the first conception of an idea through to getting words on a page, narrative structure and style.
• A personalised individual consultation on your project from your Course Director.
• The ability to connect with fellow committed novelists, joining a selective class curated by your Course Director.
• The opportunity to make valuable industry connections with key insiders from the Australian publishing industry.
• The chance to be showcased in the much-anticipated Faber Writing Anthology, sent to publishers and literary agents across Australia and the United Kingdom.

Emily Bitto

Emily Bitto is an award-winning writer of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Her debut novel, The Strays, was the winner of the Stella Prize in 2015. Her second novel, Wild Abandon, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2021. She has a Masters in Literary Studies and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne and has…

Miles Allinson

Miles Allinson is a writer from Melbourne. His first novel, Fever of Animals won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript in 2014 among other prizes. His second novel In Moonland was published in 2021 and won the Age Book of the Year Prize for Fiction in 2022. He has a Bachelor of Creative Arts and a Post…

This course consists of twenty-two 2 hour evening classes, six full-day sessions and two additional evening sessions dedicated to the Faber Writing Anthology. All evening sessions will take place on Wednesdays, 6.30pm – 8.30pm. Full-day sessions will take place on Saturdays from 10.00am –4.00pm.

Session 1: Wednesday 21 February Introductory session: Goals, obstacles, desires. Why are you writing? What matters? What are your themes? Why this story?

Session 2: Wednesday 28 February  Reading as a writer: How to use techniques of close, targeted reading as an ongoing way of improving your craft. Setting yourself a ‘reading project’ for the year.

Session 3: Saturday 2 March Story, structure, plot: What are the different types of plot? Do you even need one?  How do you maintain intensity and momentum with varied pacing?  How do you find the right structure for your novel? While plot is related to structure the two operate independently, so consideration will also be given to the ways in which they should both support and develop the other.

Session 4: Wednesday 6 March  Scene and summary: What is the difference between scene and summary? What is the function of each in your novel, and how do they work on the page?

Session 5: Wednesday 13 March  Narrative point of view and tense: Who is telling the story? How and when? Will it be first, second or third person? Close or distant? Past or present tense?

Session 6: Wednesday 20 March Handling Time: Flash-back, flash-forward and everything in between. How to handle the passage of time in your narrative on both the plot- and scene-level. Different ways to incorporate back story and to handle transitions between time periods.

Session 7: Saturday 23 March Characters major and minor: Who is at the heart of your novel? Who are your secondary characters and what are their roles? Inventing and observing characters. Physical and psychological description.

COURSE BREAK

Session 8: Wednesday 1 May  Place, setting, world building: Writing place convincingly. Setting as inspiration and as character.

Session 9: Saturday 4 May  Voice and Psychic Distance: What is meant by the term ‘voice’ in relation to the novel? What is the voice and tone of your novel? What are the possibilities and impacts of the choices you could make in relation to the level of ‘closeness’ or ‘distance’ from the inner voice/s of your character/s? How can you consciously decide on and create the tone and voice of your novel?

Session 10: Wednesday 8 May Dialogue: Listening, recording, pace, precision. Imagined truth and overheard truth. The difference between dialogue as spoken and as it reads on the page.

Session 11: Wednesday 15 May Showing and Telling: Giving your writing power and subtlety through techniques of ‘showing’. Learning to trust your reader.

Session 12: Wednesday 22 May Genre and anti-genre:  An industry professional will talk to us about different genres of writing and the differences (or not!) between them.

Session 13: Wednesday 29 May  Fiction and the self: What are the fundamental differences between fiction and autobiography? How do we draw from our own lives to create, powerful and authentic fiction? When should we recall and record and when should we invent?

Session 14: Wednesday 5 June Guest industry professional: An industry professional will share their experience with you and answer your questions.

Session 15: Wednesday 12 June Types of prose: The relationship between prose style, tone and voice. What type of prose style is appropriate for your novel? Thinking about the impact of sentence-level choices on your novel as a whole.

Session 16: Wednesday 24 July Revisiting beginnings: What are some of the common ways of beginning a novel, and what effects and expectations do they create for the reader? What are you aiming to achieve in your own opening?

Session 17: Wednesday 31 July Character and narrative arcs: How does character drive your novel? How do your protagonists ‘change’ or ‘grow’ over the course of your novel? Do they even need to? A consideration of the relationship between character, plot and structure.

Session 18: Wednesday 7 August Theme, Imagery and Symbolism: What are the ‘big ideas’ at work in your novel? How are they translated onto the page via imagery and symbol?

Session 19: Saturday 10 August Editing part 1 – Structural Editing: All editing requires perspective, but editing for story, plot and structure is very different to a line edit. This session has a focus on the big picture.

Session 20: Wednesday 14 August Editing part 2 – Close Editing: This session focuses on the process of editing your work on the sentence level, with a focus on elements such as syntax, word choice, clarity and rhythm.

Session 21: Wednesday 21 August Pitching and synopsis boot camp: How do you describe your work to other people, particularly other professionals? This session talks about the differences between the blurb, the synopsis and the pitch, and how to tackle each.

Session 22: Wednesday 28 August Research, ethics, writing from life: Writing fiction has freedoms, but also some responsibilities. A consideration of some ethical issues raised by drawing on real events or real people’s lives in your work.

Session 23: Saturday 31 August Guest voice coach – articulating your project, presentation and pitching: In this special session students are coached by a skilled actor/voice coach in using performance skills for presentations and readings, and also for pitching. In the afternoon you will work on refining and practicing your own pitches.

Session 24: Wednesday 4 September Language and detail: This session focuses on the use of detail to enrich your writing, and on figurative elements such as simile and metaphor.

Session 25: Wednesday 11 September Endings: How do you know when you’re finished? How do you achieve satisfying resolutions? What is the deep heart of your book? In this session we will look at endings and explore ways of tapping your originality.

Session 26: Saturday 14 September Guest agent and publisher Q&A and pitching practice: In this session we will be joined by special guests, a professional agent and professional publisher. Students will have the opportunity to practice their pitch, and ask questions about how to get an agent or publisher’s attention and how to work with them in the long term.

Session 27: Wednesday 18 September Getting to the end and where to next – this session will address a range of topics such as submitting to literary journals, manuscript prizes, agents and publishers, as well as who to get to read your draft, the pros and cons of manuscript assessments, and options for further study in creative writing.  We’ll also revisit your initial planning documents from the first week of the course.

Session 28: Thursday 26 September (Please note this final session is on a Thursday not a Wednesday) Wrap up: how to maintain your writing practice. Followed by a celebratory dinner.

Faber Writing Anthology sessions:

•         Session 29: Meet the Editor in Residence
•         Session 30: Meet the Faber UK Team

All Saturday sessions are held in person at Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, 251 Faraday Street Carlton VIC 3053, and are fully catered. Evening sessions are hosted on Zoom, except for the first and final evening sessions, which will take place in person at the Kathleen Syme Library.

The exact course content could be adjusted according to the experience and concerns of the group and availability of guest writers. The detail of the course is at the discretion of the Course Director and Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin.

‘”Exceptional teaching from exceptional writers.”

“My writing has improved – which was my main goal – but I have also benefitted from the course in a myriad of other ways. It has introduced me to so many kind and talented people. It had challenged me to cast my net a lot wider when choosing what to read and helped me appreciate so many different approaches to the craft. It has also given me a confidence boost regarding my own writing – something I certainly needed.”

“I learned so much about finalising my novel in this course, but perhaps my favourite thing was becoming part of a community of dedicated writers who share their feedback, insights, and support. Invaluable!”

How to Apply

Writing a Novel in Melbourne is now booked out.

Use the FREE booking button to join the waitlist and we will let you know if a place becomes available or if the course is scheduled to run again.

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15 Melbourne Workshops Where You Can Learn A New Skill

By Gracyn McEwan

30th Sep 2019

Even if school is nothing but a hazy memory, it’s never too late to learn a new skill. Good thing Melbourne has an amazing selection of workshops, classes and courses to keep your idle hands busy (and most importantly, make you appear smooth and winning on Tinder dates). From making your own ceramics and brewing homemade Kombucha to mastering the art of record collecting (yes, it’s an art), these are some of Melbourne's best workshops. 

Settle down, you guys at the back. School's in session. Here are 15 of Melbourne's coolest classes, courses and workshops. 

Fitzroy hub  Work Shop  has courses in everything from making  handmade ceramics  (good for the 'Gram) and  hand-bound leather journals  to watercolour painting  and  learning how to stop procrastinating (guilty). You'll find this one in an uber-cool warehouse in one of the most creative parts of town, naturally. Get there early and soak up Fitzroy’s backstreets before knuckling down to get some knowledge. 

Coding has become cool but with so many coding classes to choose from, you want to ensure you hit up the best course—and globally-recognised coding course  Le Wagon  certainly tops our list. Located in a co-working space in the heart of the city, Le Wagon teaches you the skills and entrepreneurial mindset you need to thrive now and in the future through immersive, fun and hand-on bootcamps, both in-person and online .

Laneway Learning

Laneway Learning  was a revelation when it came along a few years ago. The sessions are short, nearly all of them take place in the evening, and they give you a speedy taster of skills ranging from  brewing your own kombucha ,  vegan cooking ,  record collecting (yes it’s a skill) and pasta making . Get on the mailing list and book early—Laneway Learning classes in Melbourne often sell out on the day they’re announced, even all these years later. 

Cannings Free Range Butchers

Hawthorn & kew.

Learn how to master the art of meat from one of Melbourne’s best butchers at  Cannings Free Range Butchers’ courses , taught by Sam 'The Man' Canning himself. Although these courses run on the pricey side, you’ll leave with the know-how of butchering a half-lamb, half-pig or making your own sausages. They even help you design your own meaty recipes and teach you how to re-use off-cuts. Delish. 

Yarn & Co

If you’ve ever walked passed Fitzroy knitting shop  Yarn & Co , you’ll appreciate they're badass grandma knits. Well, it turns out they also run some pretty intensive knitting workshops. This season’s courses in Melbourne include how to knit your own scarf and how to crochet a beanie, with beginner’s sessions available as well. Go and make Nanna proud. 

Pink Ember Studio

Pink Ember Studio is a queer-run co-operative of artists, creating spaces for artists to make and sell work and be part of a community. They are a not-for-profit, encompassing a retail shop selling affordable art, workshops and classes, a multimedia gallery space and light-filled, open plan studio spaces. You can explore stuff like body-positive life drawing classes, earring making, embroidery and much more. Get to it.

Ladies Of Leisure

Creative collective, Ladies of Leisure are an example of how beautiful things can bloom when we collaborate creatively. As one of Melbourne’s earliest feminist communities, they’ve grown to be one of the most successful, too. Over the past six years, they’ve pumped out three publications, four workshop series and some seriously cool merch. Their focus is on covering the essential life lessons that we’re not exactly taught in classroom environments. We’re talking a range of industry leader-led workshops , on a diverse selection of topics. 

Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School

Ever peep through the window of your local patisserie and think, ‘I wish I could do that’? At  Savour , they’ll teach you how. With classes in  macarons ,  chocolate decorating ,  miniature cakes  and heaps more, all taught by top chocolate experts, this is the best workshop hub in Melbourne for those with a sweet tooth.

The Good Copy

Collingwood.

If ‘Stop. Grammar time.’ isn’t the best name for a writing workshop, then we don’t know what is.  The Good Copy  writing classes in Collingwood specialise in copywriting courses that run weekly for four weeks—good for writers who want to finally nail a semicolon or anyone who gets a kick out of correcting '12 items or less' at the supermarket. 

Make a tote bag! A cushion cover! A cape! Melbourne sewing school  Thread Den  will teach you how to make all three at their Collingwood school, where classes start from single sessions and can run up to six weeks. They also teach a great basic sewing course if you're looking to work up your own designs. You’ll be stitching up a storm in no time.

Northcote Pottery Supplies

Brunswick east.

If you want a fool-proof solution to breaking all your dishware, you may as well just make your own—imagine how much more careful you’d be.  Northcote Pottery Supplies , (which is, confusingly, in Brunswick East, not Northcote), offers everything from one or two-day workshops to specialist masterclasses in pottery and ceramics. They say pottery is the new gardening (whoever they are), so it might be time to jump on the trend. 

School of Life

The School of Life is the home for the best self-development and skill-building courses. From four-week courses dedicated to looking for love (sign us up), jam-packed seven-hour workshops on  being calm , to finding a fulfilling job , you’re bound to come out the other side with more life skills than when you entered. Don't forget to pick up some books and a latte at the cafe-cum-giftshop either. 

Sew This Pattern

Elsternwick.

If you’re tired of spending all your hard-earned dollars trying to keep up with trends, then it’s probably about time you learned to sew your own clothes. Good thing the people behind Sew This Pattern have the best masterclasses for sewing culottes . They're even whole weekend workshops dedicated to sewing jeans and dresses .

The folks at Ceramiques have created an intensive six-week course to get you throwing, sanding and glazing clay like a pro. If you and your friends just want to dip your toe into the world of ceramics or host an incredible hen’s party, then there's also single 90-minute or 120-minute classes available for groups of six to eight. They only have one rule: no re-enacting Ghost . 

WeTeachMe  teaches EVERYTHING. Essentially an Etsy for workshops, the website allows locals to list their own courses, meaning there’s everything from  soap-making , to sourdough baking ,  macrame wall-hanging courses  and  ink painting lessons. Time to get your diary out and get started on some new skills.

Thirsty for more skills? Here's a bunch of places to learn something new in Melbourne . 

Image credit: JJ Mendez

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Professional and Creative Writing

Being a confident and in demand writer is not a work of fiction. Learn how to harness the power of words to tell compelling stories to inform and inspire the world.

Learn how to harness the power of words to tell compelling stories to inform and inspire the world. Understand the traditional and latest practice-led methods to hone your writing practise.

Explore how the online world has given power and voice to stories of diversity. Unpack complex social issues to create persuasive information that compels action. Learn the art of crafting stories and scripts that evoke and inspire new ways of thinking about the world. Browse our courses to find detailed course information, application dates, entry requirements, fees, subjects,  ATAR calculator  and more. 

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Join us at the midyear study expo | tuesday 4 june 2024.

If you're looking to start in Semester 2, our Study Expo is your one-stop-shop for course info, career advice, and application assistance, covering all study areas and study levels.

What will you read on the beach this summer? We asked 6 avid readers

One of the best things about summer for the book-lovers among us is a beach towel by a strip of water … and time to lose yourself in another world. That might be a traditional beach read – typically a genre paperback with a propulsive plot – or an opportunity to catch up on the classics you never got around to during the year. Or, really, anything you like!

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Creative Writing

Creative Writing is a medium used to communicate, resist, provoke and seek or find understanding. Our research investigates the artistic, historical, cultural and societal impacts of the written word.

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Academic staff in the Creative Writing program are widely published writers, industry professionals, and leading researchers in areas including:

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Our graduate students and researchers position Creative Writing as political, cultural, and critical discourse. We value working and writing together: generating connection, collaboration, and collegiality.

Our academic staff publish on dynamic and diverse topics including living poetry, video games, storytelling and genre-shifting work. Recent examples of this published work include a project investigating the history of contemporary Australian comics, an examination of the function of the theatre in Western culture and a project exploring artistic innovation and the work of disability artists in Australia.

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Featured writing

Academic staff within the Creative Writing program are also published authors in genres such as creative non-fiction, graphic memoir, poetry and fiction.

Death at the Dog Park

Death at the Dog Park (Glom Press, 2021) – Dr Radha O’Meara, Senior Lecturer and Eloise Grills

Once Upon a Pixel

Once Upon a Pixel (CRC Press, 2019) – Dr Eddie Paterson, Head of Program

Axiomatic (Brow Books, 2018) – Dr Maria Tumarkin, Senior Lecturer

Intention and Unintention

Intention and Unintention or the Hyperconscious in Contemporary Lyric Impulse (Aracadia Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2018) – Dr Grant Caldwell, Senior Lecturer

Walk Back Over

Walk Back Over (Cordite Books, 2018) – Dr Jeanine Leanne, Senior Lecturer

Drawing Sybylla

Drawing Sybylla: The Real and Imagined Lives of Australian (UWA Press, 2017) – Dr Odette Kelada

Rendition for Harp and Kalashnikov (Puncher & Wattmann, 2017) – Dr Amanda Johnson

The Xenotext

The Xenotext: Book 1 (Coach House Books, 2015) – Professor Christian Bök

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Featured research

Our research engages with a wide audience through industry and community partnerships, and is supported by a range of funding sources, including the Australian Research Council (ARC).

Disability and the Performing Arts in Australia: The Last Avant Garde

The Last Avant Garde is an ARC Linkage project exploring artistic innovation and the work of disability artists in Australia.

Contemporary Australian Comics 1980-2020: A New History

An ARC Linkage project mapping the contemporary history and cultural impact of comics as a narrative art form in Australia.

Indigenous Storytelling and the Living Archive of Aboriginal Knowledge

An ARC Discovery Indigenous Fellowship project that aims to develop a non-linear, interactive archiving system in collaboration with Aboriginal people.

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Develop your expertise in Creative Writing through our undergraduate, higher degree and other programs.

Learn more about applying for high degree programs, including Graduate research and Graduate coursework, in which students participate in writing, publication, thesis and seminar programs designed to foster creative and critical debate.

Undergraduate

• Bachelor of Arts Creative Writing Major
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Graduate coursework

• Graduate Certificate in Arts
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Graduate research

• Master of Arts (Thesis Only)
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Meet our Creative Writing staff

Academic staff in the Creative Writing program are leading teachers, researchers and industry professionals, with expertise across fiction, creative non-fiction, screenwriting, graphic novels, critical scholarly work and beyond. Our award-winning staff have also been recently recognised across the industry – Maria Tumurkin has received the  Windham Campbell Prize for nonfiction in Australia and Amanda Johnson received the 2020 Peter Porter Poetry Prize.

Dr Grant Caldwell

Dr Odette Kelada

A/Prof Jeanine Leane

Dr Elizabeth MacFarlane

Dr Cath Moore

Dr Nadia Niaz

Dr Radha O'Meara

A/Prof Eddie Paterson

Dr Hayley Singer

A/Prof Maria Tumarkin

Creative Writing honorary staff

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Autumn sets the scene for self-discovery. Let the changing leaves inspire a change in you! Join us at the CAE for transformative learning experiences.

Festivals, footy and food delights bring a rich tapestry of colour to Melbourne this season. It’s a great time to explore new subjects or bring to life new talents. From arts and language classes to culinary skills or professional development, there’s a diverse calendar of CAE short courses to enrich your life this autumn.

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Digital slr photography, ukulele for beginners, leadership skills for new and emerging leaders, download our short course guide.

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Graduate Coursework

Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing

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Course overview

Unearth and connect the shared skills between writer, editor and publisher. With the Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing, you can gain a globally recognised, vocationally viable qualification designed with the changing nature of the publishing industry in mind.

This program has a practical focus aimed at building your knowledge and skill set across a broad spectrum of writing, publishing and editing, including digital writing and publishing, fiction and non‐fiction writing, print production, advanced editing for books and magazines and writing for young adults.

Who is it for?

The Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing is for those who currently work in the creative writing, editing and publishing industry, or have recently completed an undergraduate degree. This qualification is for you if you want to build your project management, research and critical thinking in writing, editing and publishing projects, or develop sound knowledge of the commercial impetus of the global publishing industry.

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