‘Thanks so much for your wonderful report. I relished the early praise! The criticisms you’ve made – very precise! really needed that – I’ve been making notes on how to deal with.’ Louise K, Manuscript Masterclass 2023-24
‘Jane’s workshop gave me the final confidence and push to enrol in a Master’s in Creative Writing, which I’ve just completed, and now I’ve circled back for Jane’s mentorship to finalise my novel. What stood out for me on her course was the sense of community and concentration she created, despite the fact that we were gathering on a screen from different locations and time zones. In the zone of the workshop, Jane encouraged us to engage deeply and take each other’s work, and our own, seriously. And she has developed a warm community of writers that extends beyond the course itself.’ Monique Choy, fiction writer and travel writer, 2024
‘Just writing to say how much I appreciated all the feedback you gave me yesterday [in the group’s zoom workshop] and how valuable it was. I woke up feeling really invigorated and excited about starting work on it again. Wonderful. Thank you!’ Katie Lavers, Manuscript Masterclass 2023-24
‘Jane was an important, positive influence to the growth and development of my memoir, The Steering Wheel which has just been accepted for publication by Ginninderra Press. We first met through sharing conversations about our work-in-progress in one of Varuna’s Covid-lockdown zoom writing groups, and this led me to enrol in one of her Writing Workshops. It wasn’t until I finished the first course that I realised just how much I’d learnt about my own work. This led me to do another one, and the revising and development of the memoir continued. Working with Jane and the other writers in the workshop helped move around many of the obstacles with which I’d struggled. I always felt supported, and Jane’s professionalism and experience was always evident.’ Anne Caroline Butt, writer, publishing with Ginninderra Press, 2022
“It was a joy and a relief to talk to like-minded people in the workshops, who share a common goal, to write and to be better writers. I enjoyed the workshopping, the encouragement and throwing ideas around. When I re-read the work I have submitted, I can see an improvement from workshop one to six.” Denise Pride, historical fiction writer.
“Having completed three of Jane’s workshops, I can highly recommend this to anyone considering it. It encouraged me to adopt a regular writing schedule, enabled me to be part of a like-minded community, helped me achieve my writing goals and greatly improve my writing.” Susannah McAlwey, rom-com novelist, completed If Not Right, Go Left.
“I do love that you keep the groups small – it gives us much more flexibility in the zoom sessions to get deeper into discussions and also follow them organically, plus it means I can get to know the other participants and their work better. That camaraderie is something that really made this particular course stand out for me.” Science editor and writer, YA writers, Jacqui Brown
“I think what this workshop did for me, was push me into a place where I wrote frequently. It got me to a point where I could dip in and out of the project whenever I had a moment and keep chipping away. I haven’t been in a place like that with fiction for a decade. The deadlines and feedback meant I always had a direction to go in, I wasn’t just shouting in to the void, starting things and getting bored with them.” Liv Hambrett, teacher, writer
“Jane did an amazing job of setting a positive tone for the workshops, and building a real community of writing folk, I’ve learned that although I don’t think I have a lot of spare time in day-to-day life, even a few minutes can amount to something and give me something on the page, beyond a floating idea, that I then want to invest more energy in.” Emma S, Business writer, essayist
“It was a really stimulating experience to meet so many thoughtful and engaged writers! I think the thing I enjoyed the most was having the opportunity to hear everyone wrestle with so many important aspects of technique – focalisation, tense across a range of texts etc and the group effort to problem solve for each other. I loved the reading recommendations as well.” M.Mullane, author and tv producer
“I can’t recommend Jane’s workshops highly enough. After a long period where the demands of family life and a hectic work schedule hijacked my writing, the course allowed me to focus on my passion again and what a pleasure it was! Workshopping with a small, like-minded group allowed for in-depth exploration and feedback on everybody’s work in a supportive environment. I learnt so much from the other participants and Jane’s wonderful insights, experience and encouragement. Although life on the domestic front and at work only intensified, carving out some time just for me, to hone my craft, allowed me to take my writing seriously again. The kids, pets and partner learnt that they could survive without me for an hour or two and they got a slightly more sane, re-energised, writer-mother in return. I’m still a rubbish cook but a much more creative and productive writer. Just do it!” Anne Douglas, writer & digital content producer.