Perhaps you have been writing at home alone for years or would like to write your life story or family history in an engaging way?

If you enjoy words, books and chatting with other storytellers, then an event at Bandon Grove later this month is for you.

Karen Crofts, from the  Hunter Writers Centre will lead a creative writing workshop at the Bandon Grove School of Arts on Sunday July 15.

The event at the hall on Chichester Dam Road runs from 11am until 4pm and is $30 a person – with $10 of that fee going back to the hall committee for the restoration of the building.

Bring your own lunch.

The event is sponsored by Arts Upper Hunter.

The Creative Writing course will cover the purpose of the first draft; how to start and how to keep going and how to enjoy writing about a range of subjects.

The course covers memoir, flash writing and the short story.

Published work by renowned authors will be read and discussed on the day and participants will carry out some writing exercises.

“This course is for beginners or experienced writers as you work at your own skill level,” said Anne Fisher.

Karen Crofts is director of Hunter Writers Centre.

She has judged many short story writing competitions including The Newcastle Herald short story competition (four times) and the FAW short story competition.

She has Catchfire Press entries for ‘Home is the Hunter’ anthology, ‘She: True Stories’ writing competition, and she co-selects and awards the Hunter Writers Centre prize in the annual Grieve writing competition which she established in 2012. Karen regularly teaches creative writing for Newcastle and Lake Macquarie libraries, Scone Writers festival, in Hunter high schools and the creative writing series program at HWC. Karen holds a masters degree in Creative Writing from the University of Newcastle where she wrote a collection of short stories around food. She subsequently won awards for her short stories and it is her favourite form of writing.

Bookings are essential - ring Anne Fisher on  0427959326