The writer’s toolbox

Building blocks for emerging fiction writers

I invite you to join me on this four-week online course for writers who are starting out.

Each week, in a live class, we’ll discuss a specific building block of fiction and how you can use it in your work. I’m a writer and I teach creative writing, and one of the most effective frameworks I’ve developed over the years is the idea of the toolbox – it’s a core set of tools, techniques, knowledge and elements that every writer needs to master.

We may use the tools differently in different forms of writing, but they all have to do with language. So once they feel comfortable in your hands, you can build almost anything.

Let’s build your writer’s toolbox, week by week.

The elements we’ll focus on in this course are:

Get started: Ideas & openings

Build your world: Research & imagination

Create your characters: People, arcs & motion

Shape your story: Plot, scenes & structure

Give voice: Dialogue, narrative voice & POV

Your next steps: Editing, revision & finding feedback.

Th Writer’s Toolbox is a practical course, informed by years of teaching and industry experience.

I’m Kelly Gardiner, and I’ll be your teacher for these classes – if you’d like to know more about me and my writing, you can read more here. The Toolbox framework is an idea that I’ve refined over many years of teaching creative writing in a university, and now I’m opening it up.

Who is it for?

It is designed for people who feel new to writing fiction, who have ideas but struggle to get them written, or have written plenty but want to sharpen their skills.

You will build on what you already know about story, to:

• Enhance your storytelling skills
• Learn new techniques and approaches to writing fiction
• Apply your knowledge in hands-on writing activities
• Find out how great writers use these tools
• Focus on each element in your toolbox, and then draw them together
• Understand the processes of drafting, editing and revision.

This course is designed for small group learning, so you will be working as part of an intimate community of writers.

Details and bookings

Dates and times:

The next course will begin on 27 August and run to 17 September 2025.

Cost:

• $170 for the four weeks
• $150 concession

What you need to know

The classes are at 7.30pm on Wednesday evenings (Melbourne time) from 27 August to 17 September 2025.

They are held live each week on Google Meet. You will receive the link after you enroll.

Each class includes a presentation from me and exercises (1 hour), plus Q&A/discussion (up to 15 minutes). Total class time is 5 hours across the four weeks.

To apply what you’ve learned each week, try to set aside an extra hour for exercises and focused thinking time, and some free writing time.

Attendance at the live sessions is expected, and anyway you’ll get a whole lot more out of the class if you participate with your cohort of writers – you’ll build your own writing network.

We can record sessions for anyone who can’t make a particular week and have capacity for live captioning if required.

Extra class materials (eg slides, handouts, suggested reading) will be distributed each week.

You’ll also receive an invitation to our private online writing community to keep in touch with each other, access a range of resources, and stay up-to-date on writing and publishing opportunities.

Bookings for August 2025 are now open. If you have any questions, please get in touch.