Learn the secrets to telling other people’s stories
This course is ideal for: Feature writers who want to hone their skills in writing compelling profiles
You will learn:
How to write a compelling profile article
The best pace and voice for your story
How to capture an individual’s personality and characteristics
The ideal way to start a profile
Practical techniques from a multi-award-winning journalist.
We offer this course in two different formats. There is a live version with David and there is also an online self-paced version where there is no interaction with David.
| Key information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key information: | |||||
START ANYTIME
Duration 1
This is an online self-paced course
Duration:
Your 12 months' access begins straight away
Course Creator: David Leser $175 | |||||
David Leser talks about Profile Writing
Attention magazine freelance writers. This is an opportunity for you to learn from one of the best profile writers in Australia. David Leser has been writing profiles for more than two decades for Australian and overseas publications. He has penned portraits on everyone from the Dalai Lama to Alan Jones; Meryl Streep to Gina Rinehart; Helen Garner to Carla Bruni, Ingrid Betancourt to Julian Assange.
You can read just some of his compelling profiles here.
Impressive, right? But hey, they’re just people – and the same set of rules apply whether they are a high-profile celebrity, CEO or a humble farmhand with a great story to tell.
In this insightful course, David will help hone your skills in the art of feature profile writing and what it takes to bring a person’s life to the page (and leap off it!).
“David Leser from the AWC Profile Writing course has compiled a tool kit to help structure and work with all the uncertainty. He generously shares his extensive knowledge and experience in a comfortable and friendly manner and offers industry tips and suggestions all the way through the course. I highly recommend the course.”
Joanne Malherbe, Profile Writing graduate
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- How to write a compelling profile
- Finding the right voice for a particular story (they will differ)
- How to best pace a story (meter and internal rhythm)
- Finding the way in to a story (how to write a good lead to grab your readers’ interest)
- How to best use quotes, metaphors and similes
- How to be tough when necessary, but also fair and scrupulous
- The importance of good research: what to keep in a story and what to discard
- Checking (and protecting) sources
- Examining the motivation of your subject and of those who talk to you about them.
Please note: This course assumes you already have some basic knowledge (e.g. how to pitch to editors, etc) – skills you learn in our freelance writing course. We strongly recommend that you have completed this course before doing Profile Writing. David will not be covering these foundational skills; he will be focusing specifically on profile writing techniques.
“David is an expert and experienced professional who I could listen to and absorb info from for hours. I enjoyed learning about the process he used for different articles and his stories and examples. I have done about 5 courses/workshops at AWC and would highly recommend them for their practicality, presenters and content. They have launched so many successful writing careers”
Nicola Saltman
What’s included in your online self-paced course?
- Over 2 hours of content – access anytime at your own pace
- 6 video lessons plus 9 supporting handouts
How our “self-paced courses” work
This is one of AWC’s 35+ “self-paced” online courses. But what does that mean? Allow us to explain:
“The Profile Writing course run by the incredibly talented David Leser is hands-down one of the most entertaining and informative courses I have ever done. We were all sitting on the edge of our seats listening to David's tales and learning from his experiences. Not only was this course informative with tips and advice but it was completely inspiring, showing how stories and gold can be found in the lives of those we profile. I walked out of this course ready to turn around and walk back in for a repeat performance and I know I wasn't the only one who felt that way. I simply can't recommend David Leser's course more highly.”
Lisa Schofield
About David Leser
David Leser is a multi-award-winning Australian journalist and author of seven books. His memoir, To Begin To Know, was shortlisted for the 2015 National Biography Award, and in 2019 he published his highly acclaimed book Women, Men and the Whole Damn Thing, about patriarchy, misogyny and toxic masculinity in the age of #MeToo.
In his 42-year career, David has worked in Australia, the United States, the Middle East, Europe and Asia. He was a staff feature writer for The Australian, The Bulletin, HQ, The Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Women’s Weekly and Good Weekend where he became known for his in-depth profiles of some of the leading figures of our time.
David is also a writing mentor, public interviewer and Doctor of Creative Arts, as well as executive producer of the award-winning documentary on singer-songwriter Paul Kelly: Stories of Me.
| Key information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key information: | |||||
START ANYTIME
Duration 1
This is an online self-paced course
Duration:
Your 12 months' access begins straight away
Course Creator: David Leser $175 | |||||
Connect with us
© Australian Writers' Centre | FAQs | Terms, conditions & privacy policy