We are the Coonara Writers, a diverse group of budding writers who meet to explore fiction, nonfiction, poetry and whatever else inspires us. We welcome aspiring writers and we invite you to take a look at our work. The second year writers have created an article on the power of self-expression, and the first year writers have created a group poem about why we write. We hope that you find our work riveting, thoughtful and entertaining. Stay in touch for more inspired writing.
Authors in order of appearance: Leanne, Krissy, Faye, Debbie, Eddie, Cathryn, Philippa and Elizabeth.
Self-expression helps me to order my thoughts, as well as engage in opportunities. I’m Leanne Margaret, and in 2024 I was invited to return to a dance teaching role at Coonara Community House. Although I’ve enjoyed teaching dance for a long time, I’d been thinking about teaching creative writing. When I expressed my interest in writing, a new world opened up because there just happened to be a vacancy for a creative writing tutor. In 2025, I’m delighted to be working with two creative writing classes. I asked the second year writers to think about their writing journey and put a few words on the page to convey how they value self-expression.
Krissy wrote, ‘I discovered this course through a friend who recommended that I would benefit from joining. I have always expressed myself through art, and now writing has extended my craft. I have learnt different techniques that have expanded my knowledge and ability to write. I find writing helps me to heal and process things. My goal is to write a memoir and I feel I will achieve this through the skills I have learnt.’
Faye wrote, ‘Before this course I did not identify myself as a writer. I had often talked about writing a book, but could never focus. I had attended a writing group in the past, but nothing came of it. From the beginning, this course felt like the right fit for me; creativity, discipline and information rolled into one.’
Debbie wrote, ‘I found this course after a Google search for creative writing courses in the area. I hadn’t done any creative writing before, other than keeping journals on and off throughout the years. This is proving to be an invaluable experience for me, as is the knowledge that something I write could possibly make someone smile and raise their spirits.’
Eddie wrote, ‘From the first class in creative writing, my ability for self-expression increased immensely. I was so impressed by the change in my ability for creative thinking, that I have continued for a second year. The course, and the handouts provided, are extremely well structured and lead you along the path to becoming a published writer. I am finding this experience to be self-enlightening.’
Cathryn wrote, ‘Finding myself staring at several closed doors and desperate to find that window, I Googled, Creative Writing at Community Houses, and found Coonara House. The course offers great flexibility and is a safe space for writers to find themselves. This diverse group of writers is helping me to unlock my own creativity and improve my craft. I see Leanne, our teacher, as a gardener; fertilising her veggie patch so we can all fruit magnificently and become the writers we are meant to be.
Philippa wrote, ‘I believe self-expression to be essential for a peaceful soul. Writing leaves me mentally exhausted, but always calm and content. I had never thought of myself as a writer until I started the writing course at Coonara House. I’m particularly interested in learning about pathways to self-publishing. My goal is to publish the story of my life, with considerable embellishment, exaggeration, and a forthcoming end of the world thrown in!’
Elizabeth wrote, ‘Like a lot of avid readers, I would love to contribute to the world of literature. I met Leanne several times at different local writers’ events and thought she would be an inspiring teacher. After only a few classes, I can see I was right. She balances the professional skills with the creative. We write at every class, which helps to clear writer’s block. I can feel the words coming back to me.’
We have built a lively and warm new pair of writing groups at Coonara House. Some participants joined the groups to improve their writing, some joined for a sense of community, and some writers would like to see their writing published. If you’d like to join in, visit Coonarahouse.org.au, and click on the Art & Craft page.
Authors in order of appearance: Leanne, June, Vicki, Bronwyn, Jaymee, Marko.
I write to right wrongs and wrong rights
And to understand.
People are made of words –
Revealing as much as they hide.
I write to expose secrets.
To describe when skins touch.
Of pounding heart beats,
And erotic breaths.
I write to release my thoughts and emotions,
To encourage and comfort,
Soothing myself and others,
Exercising a poetic muscle.
I write to release my thoughts
And turn them into visuals.
My thoughts become real.
I see them on a page.
I write to create:
New scents of soft cheese and fruit,
Ladies with green eyes, cherry lips,
Skies of yellow stars and crescent moons.
I write to explore, learn and discover my authentic self,
Motivating others to express and heal.
To send a message of hope, positivity and possibility;
To awaken our life energy, empower others and shape a better life destiny.
People are made of words.
We write to describe when skins touch.
Exercising a poetic muscle.
We turn them into visuals.
Skies of yellow stars and crescent moons.
We write to explore, learn and discover our authentic selves.
By Cathryn E Day
Every Thursday morning during term, eight or more inspired writers gather, pen in hand, to write the first prompt of the day. Leanne Margaret, the tutor for the Creative Writing Course, usually has an idea in mind of where she would like to
steer us for the day and will ask us to put down our thoughts on topics like I wish I could tell the world, ’ ‘Life is the Best Teacher,’ or just simply something like ‘Brains on Page.’ Other times, a special little box will come out containing prompts to take in any direction we wish, such as ‘A Hole Appeared’ or ‘The soil began to Quiver’. These first fifteen minutes of furious writing often yield some incredible gold for us to add to our portfolios to be refined at a later date into wonderful storytelling, a poem, or fodder for our memoirs.
Around the table as writers, we will share our first and often very rough drafts, practising the skills of confidence in reading out to others, or how to precis what has just been written. Leanne models this beautifully, often reading out her own draft, to illustrate that it is simply about having a go; this is not our manuscript but a first attempt, and no one expects perfection, including ourselves.
After our warm-up, the topic for the day will be delivered. Last term, our focus was on content writing, so we looked at book reviews, essay writing, and opinion pieces, to name a few. With well-prepared handouts, Leanne taught us new skills or refreshed knowledge that we already possessed, to craft pieces of content writing suitable for submitting for online content, newspapers and magazine articles.
A short part of the session was also directed towards grammar tips, eliciting groans from us all when we realised that just about all of us don’t understand the difference between an em dash, an en dash, a hyphen or a semicolon. The point of the grammar lesson was extremely practical: saving us money from expensive editors and avoiding losing our souls to AI.
There is often as much dialogue as there is writing, where we get to know how each other ticks and begin to not only improve our own writing skills but help to draw out the best in others. It is a wonderful, diverse and accessible space that has brought writers back term after term.
The end of the term is usually wrapped up with a performance or presentation on a piece of writing that we have written and polished to a standard that we are ready for others to hear. There is a purpose in this, not just to listen to each other’s stories, but for the writer to learn how to draft, redraft, edit and then
have the confidence to present their stories to others. While this can be daunting for the introverted writer, it is so necessary because for writers to gain a readership for their writing, they also need to have the confidence to present their work in the way it is intended to be read, bringing it to life, rather than just words on a page.
Leanne has a very well laid out plan, which is to steer this group of writers into having a piece of work published if that is their desire. She makes no bones about the difficulty of the self-publishing road and the even harder journey of having something accepted by a traditional publisher; however, she encourages us to keep writing and keep moving ahead, no matter how long it takes. With determination, we should all reach our goals. The takeaway comment from Leanne is ‘No one else can say it like you,’ which is true, though it may have been said before; we all have a story or stories to tell.
The table that we write at has grown fairly full because most of us who join the group don’t leave; however, we can all squeeze up a little more and would love to share with you our writing journeys as you embark on your own. You will find the next term’s creative writing group under Courses at Coonara Community House. We all hope to see you there.
Courses require minimum numbers to proceed. If we cancel a class you will receive a full refund.
If you withdraw from a class more that 5 business days before the start date, you will be eligible for a refund less a $10 administration fee.
No refunds will be issued for withdrawals made within 5 business days of the class start date.
