MARION presents HIDDEN NERVE 2025
Series 2 – Sharpening

Learn from some of Australia’s most exciting contemporary writers in this intensive exploration of the art of prose. Hidden Nerve is designed for writers actively engaged in a prose project and committed to developing their craft.

“Don’t all writers have a hidden nerve, call it a secret chamber, something irreducibly theirs, which stirs their prose and makes it tick and turn this way or that, and identifies them, like a signature, though it lurks far deeper than their style, or their voice or other tell-tale antics?”
— André Aciman

Building on the foundations of previous years — which followed the structure of Francine Prose’s Reading Like a Writer, Hidden Nerve returns in 2025 in a more compact and focused format. This year’s program is presented across three thematic seasons.

The winter season is themed Sharpening.

Held over three consecutive Saturday mornings, each session offers an immersive, 3-hour workshop.

Together, we’ll explore:
– How to shape compelling characters
– What makes a plot truly work
– How structural editing can sharpen your story’s impact
– What choices bring clarity, tension, and momentum to the page

SCHEDULE

Saturday 16 August	10am–1pm	Irfan Master	Character Development
Saturday 23 August	10am-1pm	Peter Papathanasiou	Plot Development
Saturday 30 August	10am-1pm	Irma Gold	Editing Essentials

DETAILS

Workshop Dates: 16 August, 23 August, 30 August, Saturdays

Time: 10am–1pm (3 hours)

Location: Zoom

The sessions will be recorded and made available for 1 week after the workshop.

COST OF PROGRAM

MEMBER SEASON PASS:
$150 for members of MARION, the First Nations Australian Writers Network (FNAWN), or Canberra Society of Editors (CSE)
GENERAL SEASON PASS: $210
for those who are not members of MARION, the First Nations Australian Writers Network (FNAWN), or Canberra Society of Editors (CSE)
MARION offers 2 semi-subsidised places in all programs which provides a 50% discount of program price. No personal details need to be disclosed, just email Alex Eagleton via creative@marion.ink. These are available on a first come first served basis.

Estimated Workshop Structure

10:00am–10:30am Quick intro and update

10:30am–11:15am Workshop

11:15am–11:20am Break

11:20am–12:10pm Workshop

12:10pm–12:20pm Break

12:20pm–1:00pm Q&A