Manuscript Development Masterclass
Expert feedback is a crucial step in the development of any book, but it can be hard to find. Designed for writers with a manuscript substantially underway, or with a draft completed, this 5-month masterclass with Jane Messer provides a unique opportunity to receive in-depth feedback on your manuscript and the guidance and support to take it to the next level.
Dates: 6:30-8:30pm (AEST), 18 June - 29 October 2026*, on particular Thursday evenings. See Program Outline below for the dates of all sessions in this program.
Delivery: Online
Fees: $3250 or $3150 for Varuna Alumni. Payment terms are negotiable if you cannot pay the whole fee upfront.
Applications close: 5pm (AEST), Thursday 9 April 2026
Places: 8 participants will be selected (small group).
*Note that if you are selected for the program you will need to submit a synopsis and the first 20,000 words of your manuscript by 6 May.
“This is the first workshop or class I’ve taken that has pushed me to actually write so much and take so much time with it - there’s nothing like the knowledge that you’re going to be read to make you push through the little voice that tells you to quit. Jane’s feedback helped my manuscript immensely, and moved me from tiny edits (making the work different, not better) to actual structural changes and progress.”
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Expert feedback is a crucial step in the development of any book, but it can be hard to find. This supportive, constructive masterclass is designed for writers with a narrative fiction or creative nonfiction manuscript substantially underway, or a draft completed. It provides a unique opportunity to receive feedback from Dr Jane Messer, an experienced mentor, writer and teacher, on 20,000 words of your manuscript with written report and a one-on-one meeting, in addition to course content, and feedback from fellow participants.
Following the initial individual feedback from Jane Messer each participant will then develop their submission during the program. You will workshop your revised, and further developed, 20,000 word submission with the other writers, receiving feedback from them and Jane Messer.
Through the 4 weekly and then 8 fortnightly workshops, the masterclass will be energising and keep you focused and stimulated to write. You’ll be regularly ‘reporting’ in on your progress and along the way there’ll be much spontaneous discussion of everyone’s work in progress.
To help writers focus their feedback and to develop technique and craft skills, the workshops will engage with specific techniques and elements of craft, which the class will focus on in relation to the work being workshopped. All and any aspects of the manuscript will be discussed, but one narrative technique will be given particular focus.
This is a small and supportive program for 8 participants over 5 months. Each writer will have a 45-minute one-on-one feedback session with Jane in May or June, prior to the classes commencing.
All participants are required to carefully read and respond with written and verbal feedback to other writers in the group, follow the workshop feedback guidelines and to be on time with their feedback responses. In addition to the Zoom classes we recommend committing at least one day per fortnight to the program. Of this, half a day would be reading and preparing feedback, and at least half a day to work on your own writing.
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18 June - 9 July, Weekly sessions: Groundwork
Guide to workshopping best practices
Feedback sessions: all participants respond to 1200-word extracts submitted by writers in the group, via zoom and online sharing platform WetInk
Discuss elements of technique and craft relating to this workshop’s extract submissions.
23 July – 29 October, Fortnightly sessions: Individual Workshop
Individual workshop of each writer’s 20k revised and developed submission. Feedback is via zoom and online sharing platform WetInk
Discussions of writing craft and technique
In-class writing exercise/practice and a short extract discussion
Written feedback from the participants is due on the Friday of the week of the Zoom workshop.
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Dr Jane Messer is a fiction and nonfiction writer, creative writing mentor, teacher and developmental editor. For over 15 years she was the Course Director of the Master of Creative Writing at Macquarie University and has received university and national teaching awards for her work with writing students. She is a former Director of the Australian Society of Authors, and judge of the Australian Vogel Literary Award, and has been a peer assessor for Creative Australia and Create NSW. In 2025 she launched, StorySALOON: Short Stories, Centre Stage with the aim of growing the audience for Australian short stories.
Her publications range across novel, memoir, radio drama, short stories, scholarly essays, and opinion pieces. Her novels include Night by Night (McPhee Gribble); Provenance (Vintage); and Hopscotch (Picador).
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“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“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“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 -
Entry to this course is by application. Writers will be selected based on the creative potential of their work, commitment to craft, openness to collaborating with your peers, and the balance in the group.
Course fees are $3250 or $3150 for Varuna alumni. Payment terms are negotiable if you cannot pay the whole fee upfront.
Applications close at 5pm (AEST) on Thursday 9 April, 2026. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their submission by 23 April, 2026.
You will be asked to provide a 10 page sample of your manuscript; a 300 word synopsis; a 200 word statement about your writing experience; and a 300 word statement about the manuscript’s current stage of development and any areas for development you hope to focus on.
Please refer to Varuna’s general submission guidelines for any questions on formatting your work.
Feel free to call 02 4782 5674 or email amy@varuna.com.au to discuss your application.
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