One day each term, students from the College voluntarily attend creative writing workshops at the Fremantle Literature Centre.
This term the Senior School students had the privilege of meeting and writing under the instruction of renowned Australian author, James Maloney. Gracie Butler applied Maloney’s lessons on description, word choice and atmosphere: Show, don’t tell.
Here is what she wrote in 15 minutes:
I sit, perched on the edge of my metal bed, the cold biting into my thighs as I stare out the hazy window, eyeing the smooth canal that flickers with glints of the moonlight. I take my woollen blanket and wrap it around my shoulders, letting the material itch my neck. I rub my bleary eyes, but I sit and wait. The dull light emanating from my bedside clock cuts through the darkness, giving me the strength to bear the possibility of monsters lurking and scheming. It’s almost time; I hold myself closer.
The lamps flicker on, standing high on their dark columns of cool metal, plastered with stickers from tourists over the many years. The light shoots over the water, the buildings, tainting the air… I grab my beloved plum-coloured coat. I call it ‘The Adventurer’. I take it when I go on my late night bursts of recklessness. It’s definitely my shield in this cold city.
Carefully, I pry open the window, leaving marks in the condensation. There’s no breeze, but it almost feels like one; the difference in temperatures. My cheeks tint pink and the air trembles into mist when I breathe. It burns the back of my throat like some sort of alcohol.
Mr Andrew Matthews
Head of English
