Exploring Picture Books

This highly-interactive full-day course looks at the best picture books being published today and what makes them tick. There are ample opportunities to workshop your ideas and you will leave with an action plan to take your work to the next stage.

Your Investment

Full-day workshop

For a short time only, at the special ‘COVID-19-ate-my- income’ price of $125

Dates, venues and times

Given current COVID-19 restrictions are starting to disappear around the country, please contact me to be advised of new venues and dates.

What you should bringhttp://contact

Enthusiasm for your current draft
Pen and paper / laptop for note taking
Examples of picture books you love
Snacks and lunch.

What I provide

All training materials
Delivery of workshop
Inspiration to get you on the path to publication.

Enquire now

"Great course. Marie is fantastic and I loved her passion for all things grammar!"

— D.T . Workshop participant , VIC

"Marie has been a regular guest to our College, and for good reason. As an expert, she leads our students in writer’s workshops, sharing her experience and wisdom in how to write creatively for a specific audience. Marie tailors her workshop to our needs and brings a wealth of knowledge that is presented in a fun and engaging way. Within minutes she builds a great rapport with students and it’s always a great session. Thanks, Marie!”

— O.A. English teacher, VIC

"The Grammar & Punctuation course was a brilliant refresher. The facilitator managed the groups exceedingly well, and was approachable, pleasant and engaging."

— A.B. Workshop participant , VIC

"I loved the motivation that Marie gave. I found her instruction easy to follow and enjoyed the tasks she gave us."

— L.G. Workshop participant, VIC

"I liked the lunchtime writing and observing task and the class involvement."

— P.P. Workshop participant, VIC

"Brilliant pitch techniques."

— R.A. Workshop participant, VIC

"Marie was very knowledgeable and engaging."

— G.W. Workshop participant, VIC

"Marie was knowledgeable and provided good examples. The material was delivered clearly and systematically"

— T.B. Workshop participant, VIC

"Marie was friendly and flexible in (her) approach to teaching, welcoming questions and supplementing discussion."

— G.K. Workshop participant, VIC

"Marie was an excellent facilitator. Made difficult concepts interesting and easy to understand. Also handled difficult students well."

— P.P. Workshop participant, VIC

"Engaging presenter who knows her topic well! Bravo!"

— R.L. Workshop participant, VIC

"The instructor, Marie, did not dwell on the technical definitions and explained with examples. She continuously asked logical questions making it easier to remember what a verb, pronoun etc are."

— M.L. Workshop participant, VIC

"The content was well delivered and easy to follow."

— T.R. Workshop participant, VIC

"The content of the course was very useful and dealt with common issues."

— M.F. Workshop participant, VIC

"The pace was good and the tone of the room very non-judgemental."

— V.F. Workshop participant, VIC

Thank you so much for today, it was fantastic! The students have already said it was the highlight of the High Ability Master Class.

— Fabiano Nigro, High Ability Practice Leader, Macleod College, VIC

"I worked with Marie in 2020 to set up and run the Grammar and Punctuation online Short Course at RMIT University. She was very professional, easy to work with, and a great communicator. I had to dedicate a lot of time to train other teachers to use the collaborate ultra and canvas technology but Marie was already proficient with it and even taught me new tricks. I understand why the students loved the Grammar and Punctuation course so much; she is a very passionate expert in her field, patient and generous with her time."

— Frances Devlin, Course Coordinator, RMIT University, VIC

As a teacher Marie Alafaci excels. She taught with us for three years across a broad range of subjects, including fiction, nonfiction, industry overview and writing for children. She connects with her students on a personal level and cares deeply about what she does. Marie is always friendly, reliable, professional and trustworthy, and I would recommend her to anyone looking to develop or improve their writing skills.

— Tracey Rolfe, Course Coordinator, Professional Writing and Editing, Victoria University Polytechnic, VIC

Marie evaluated a draft of my novel. She gave detailed feedback on the plot, structure and language. Her analysis provided insights that I would never have gained on my own and she made many excellent suggestions to improve the manuscript. Her comments struck a perfect balance between affirming what was good in the work and opening up ways for me to improve. The benefits to me have been incalculable.

— D.K. Fantasy writer, VIC.

Thank you Marie for being a part of our High Ability Masterclass! It was such a pleasure hearing about your career and getting the hints about writing.

— Fabiano Nigro, High Ability Practice Leader, Macleod College, VIC

I thoroughly enjoyed (the workshop) and am keen to use what I've learnt in my writing. I'm also more confident to write after the session.

— N.G. Workshop participant, VIC

I was able to take away a number of useful ideas that I know will assist me in my writing.

— S.G. Workshop participant, VIC

Marie Alafaci's creative writing clinic provided exciting strategies to assist writers. She is a knowledgeable professional writer whose thorough preparation resulted in a brilliant clinic.
The venue, Ivanhoe Library, is excellent, and Marie Alafaci is well equipped, so the sessions were stimulating.

— M.L. Workshop participant, VIC

The creative writing clinic contained a great mix of tapping into sources of inspiration for writing content and practical advice for getting the words down then refining them.

— C.M. Workshop participant, VIC

(The workshop was) an excellent mix of background and addressing participants questions.

— C.M. Workshop participant, VIC

Marie Alafaci covered many relevant aspects of the writers' craft, relevant to both fiction and non-fiction. I hope to apply some of her crafting strategies to refine my children's novellas.

— M.L. Workshop participant, VIC

It was a privilege to be taught by Marie during my time at VU, studying Professional Writing and Editing. Her passion for writing and teaching sparked many lively conversations. Marie encouraged all of us to strive towards a higher level of writing as well as being adventurous in the choices we made. Marie’s style of teaching drew me in: for her attention to the techniques of writing and her motivational mode in conveying the art of writing. Her years of multi-faceted experience has been a source of inspiration to me, and I am grateful for the invaluable impact she has made on my writing habits and skills.

— Gina Edwards, Freelance editor, copywriter & literary consultant, VIC