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Freelance Writing, Media Justice + Indie Publishing Workshop

 

Course Outline

With a focus on sustainable travel, information literacy and ethical journalism, this program is designed to equip aspiring freelancers with the confidence, skills and experience to pitch and publish their writing.

Over the course of four weeks, you will attend daily writing workshops taught by a team of editors, journalists, academics, poets and activists. Classes are seminar-style and will feature a combination of instruction, reading, discussion and activities.

Workshops with local language and cultural educators are also a component of this course: those in Bali learn Bahasa Indonesia and those in Japan study Japanese.

 

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course you should be able to:

  • analyse features of different genres, from editorial to creative non-fiction
  • research effectively (e.g. source analysis, data interpretation) 
  • generate story ideas worthy of investigation
  • interview effectively
  • develop story concepts and pitches in the appropriate format for identified markets, platforms and socio-cultural, socio-political or environmental causes
  • write copy that meets all the parameters of a brief, e.g. target audience, tone etc.
  • write articles in various genres, coming up with original and unique angles for story ideas appropriate for specific target demographics
  • detect media bias
  • produce an eBook
  • edit audio and produce a radio story or podcast
  • critically edit and review your own and other writers’ work, and provide constructive feedback
  • locate pitching guidelines and publications to submit to
  • communicate effectively with editors and have confidence pitching your work
  • build an online platform to showcase your own work
  • get set up as a freelancer
  • start a publication 
  • speak basic Indonesian or Japanese

Program Learning Outcomes

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:

  • gain an understanding of narrative storytelling; effective communication techniques; audience engagement; and emerging trends in digital and social media
  • acquire and apply the skills necessary to produce content suitable for digital platforms, both written and audio; edit and subedit your own and others’ work professionally; pitch effectively; create digital platforms; and manage a personal brand
  • identify and sculpt relevant content for target audiences
  • develop media and information literacy skills
  • embrace media justice, cultural relativism, sustainable travel practices and the principles of ethical journalism

Overview of Learning Activities

The learning activities included in this course are:

  • daily writing workshops taught by editors, writers, radio presenters, academics, poets, activists, founders and publishers
  • one-on-one and peer-editing workshops
  • in-class exercises and projects
  • when in Japan or Indonesia, daily language classes from a local language school / when in Australia, workshops taught by local Aboriginal cultural educators
An image from one of our Bali writing workshops that shows two students dressed in raincoats and farm hats laughing at each other as they clutch a basket of vegetables they have picked.

Assessment/Projects

Group assignment:

In a small team, you will be required to research, write and self-publish an eBook guide to the area of your choice in the country you are residing in. This will be put together on a design program like Canva or InDesign, with the profits directed however you choose. Each student is required to contribute at least eight reviews, and roles will be self-determined (e.g. editor, subeditor, designer, photographer, social media manager etc.)

Individual assignment:

Article suitable for the publication/s of your choice (to be extensively workshopped in peer and one-on-one editing workshops before it is formally pitched)

Course Schedule

Introduction to Course
Copywriting and Sustainable Travel Writing
Introduction to Guidebooks
Introduction to Writing Tasks
Writing About Japan: J-Culture – What’s with the hype?
Creative Non-Fiction Writing: The Travel Narrative
Writing for Change
Finding a Story, Researching and Investigating
Feature Writing
Editorial and Commentary Writing
Interviewing
Anti-patriarchal Writing
Editing and Subediting
Working Against Colonial and Imperial Legacies
Choosing and Refining Angles
Pitching to an Editor
Working as a Freelancer
Starting a Publication
Group Editing Workshop
One-on-One Mentoring Session

Freelance Writing, Media Justice + Indie Publishing Workshop

Course Outline

With a focus on sustainable travel, information literacy and ethical journalism, this program is designed to equip aspiring freelancers with the confidence, skills and experience to pitch and publish their writing.

Over the course of four weeks, you will attend daily writing workshops taught by a team of editors, journalists, academics, poets and activists. Classes are seminar-style and will feature a combination of instruction, reading, discussion and activities.

Workshops with local language and cultural educators are also a component of this course: those in Bali learn Bahasa Indonesia and those in Japan study Japanese.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course you should be able to:

  • analyse features of different genres, from editorial to creative non-fiction
  • research effectively (e.g. source analysis, data interpretation) 
  • generate story ideas worthy of investigation
  • interview effectively
  • develop story concepts and pitches in the appropriate format for identified markets, platforms and socio-cultural, socio-political or environmental causes
  • write copy that meets all the parameters of a brief, e.g. target audience, tone etc.
  • write articles in various genres, coming up with original and unique angles for story ideas appropriate for specific target demographics
  • detect media bias
  • produce an eBook
  • edit audio and produce a radio story or podcast
  • critically edit and review your own and other writers’ work, and provide constructive feedback
  • locate pitching guidelines and publications to submit to
  • communicate effectively with editors and have confidence pitching your work
  • build an online platform to showcase your own work
  • get set up as a freelancer
  • start a publication 
  • speak basic Indonesian or Japanese

Program Learning Outcomes

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:

  • gain an understanding of narrative storytelling; effective communication techniques; audience engagement; and emerging trends in digital and social media
  • acquire and apply the skills necessary to produce content suitable for digital platforms, both written and audio; edit and subedit your own and others’ work professionally; pitch effectively; create digital platforms; and manage a personal brand
  • identify and sculpt relevant content for target audiences
  • develop media and information literacy skills
  • embrace media justice, cultural relativism, sustainable travel practices and the principles of ethical journalism

Overview of Learning Activities

The learning activities included in this course are:

  • daily writing workshops taught by editors, writers, radio presenters, academics, poets, activists, founders and publishers
  • one-on-one and peer-editing workshops
  • in-class exercises and projects
  • when in Japan or Indonesia, daily language classes from a local language school / when in Australia, workshops taught by local Aboriginal cultural educators
An image from one of our Bali writing workshops that shows two students dressed in raincoats and farm hats laughing at each other as they clutch a basket of vegetables they have picked.

Assessment/Projects

Group assignment:

In a small team, you will be required to research, write and self-publish an eBook guide to the area of your choice in the country you are residing in. This will be put together on a design program like Canva or InDesign, with the profits directed however you choose. Each student is required to contribute at least eight reviews, and roles will be self-determined (e.g. editor, subeditor, designer, photographer, social media manager etc.)

Individual assignment:

Article suitable for the publication/s of your choice (to be extensively workshopped in peer and one-on-one editing workshops before it is formally pitched)

Course Schedule

Introduction to Course
Copywriting and Sustainable Travel Writing
Introduction to Guidebooks
Introduction to Writing Tasks
Writing About Japan: J-Culture – What’s with the hype?
Creative Non-Fiction Writing: The Travel Narrative
Writing for Change
Finding a Story, Researching and Investigating
Feature Writing
Editorial and Commentary Writing
Interviewing
Anti-patriarchal Writing
Editing and Subediting
Working Against Colonial and Imperial Legacies
Choosing and Refining Angles
Pitching to an Editor
Working as a Freelancer
Starting a Publication
Group Editing Workshop
One-on-One Mentoring Session

Astray is a storytelling project centred on travel, place, culture and identity.

We’re run by a team of writers who mostly live, work and play in nipaluna / Hobart. With reverence, we acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal people as the traditional and ongoing custodians of trouwunna / lutruwita / Tasmania: land that was stolen and never ceded. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.