Write Your Novel with Sofie Laguna
Work alongside Miles Franklin award winning novelist Sofie Laguna to breathe life into your novel, taking it out of the ‘too hard basket’ and shaping it into the story it deserves to be. This Varuna course will take you through all the elements of novel writing, as well as providing an opportunity to receive feedback from your peers.
Dates: 6:00-8:00pm (AEST), Wednesdays 4 June - 6 August 2026. This is a 10-week program. See Program Outline below for the dates of all sessions in this program.
Delivery: Online.
Fees: $1550 or $1450 for Varuna Alumni. Payment terms are negotiable if you cannot pay the whole fee upfront.
Applications close: 5pm AEST, Thursday 7 May 2026.
Places: 8 participants will be selected (small group).
2026 MASTERCLASS EQUITY SCHOLARSHIPS
Varuna’s Masterclass Equity Scholarships are for writers for whom the cost of a course or masterclass would be prohibitive. This may include those who are unemployed or under-employed, or those who are on the Disability Support Pension, Aged Pension, or have a Healthcare card. Find more information about the eligibility and application process here.
Applications close 10 February 2026.
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Is it time to approach your novel with a fresh perspective? Time to write with renewed enthusiasm and commitment? Want to make discoveries? Test your limits?
Miles Franklin award winning novelist, Sofie Laguna, will guide you through the process of writing your novel, providing you with tools that will stay with you long after the course has been completed. Each week, Sofie will cover a different element of novel-writing, from character and plot, to dialogue, setting and theme, using examples from classic texts as a springboard.
Participants will engage in discussion, undertake writing exercises and contribute to group workshopping in a safe and expressive environment. At the same time Sofie will remind you that writing can feel playful, pleasurable and meaningful.
Finally, participants can expect to meet a community of supportive writers with whom they can share the journey.
This is a small group program for 8 participants.
While the course will benefit writers at all experience levels, from those working on their first novel to established, published authors, you are expected to commence the course with work underway on a novel-in-progress.
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4 June, Session One
Introduction
Beginnings
Generating Raw Material
11 June, Session Two
Process and Practice
Developing Character
18 June, Session Three
Plot, and Building a Structure
25 June, Week Four
The Function of Scenes
2 July, Week Five
Dialogue
9 July, Week Six
Setting
Workshopping
16 July, Week Seven
Themes, Motifs, Symbols and Imagery
Workshopping
23 July, Week Eight
Revisiting Structure, the 8-Point Plan
Working with Time – Flashbacks, Time Jumps
Workshopping
30 July, Session Nine
Genre – What Kind of Novel?
The Full Cast of Characters
Workshopping
6 August, Session Ten
Endings and What Comes Next
Discipline, Drive and Faith
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Sofie Laguna has written five novels for adults which have won numerous literary awards including the Miles Franklin Award, the Colin Roderick Award and the Indie Award. Titles include The Eye of the Sheep, The Choke and Infinite Splendours. She has also been shortlisted for the Stella Prize, the ALS Gold Medal, the Voss Literary Prize, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, and longlisted twice for the Dublin IMPAC International Literary Award. Sofie’s latest novel is The Underworld.
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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 $1550 or $1450 for Varuna alumni. Payment terms are negotiable if you cannot pay the whole fee upfront.
Applications close at 5pm (AEST) on Thursday 7 May 2026. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their submission by 27 May.
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.
UPCOMING COURSES, FELLOWSHIPS AND EVENTS
