Karen Lane is a creative writing tutor at WEA Illawarra, which provides community-focussed education and training.
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Twenty years ago, I left the sandy shores of Western Australia to see what life was like in the big smoke of Sydney. After 12 months of battling the rush of city life, the beauty and serenity of the Blue Mountains beckoned. For five years in the upper mountains, I was thrilled by everything around me however winters were too cold and sometimes I wouldn’t see the sun for seven or eight days.
With the embarrassing realisation I had found the city too busy and the mountains too cold, I started to feel a little like Goldilocks...on the valiant but perhaps fruitless search for the ‘just right’ location. Luckily, I discovered the right amount of sunshine, beauty and serenity on the NSW South Coast.
What do you do?
I teach creative writing in many forms, including poetry, short story, non-fiction, memoir, novel and script. Occasionally, I conduct writing retreats on Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and other idyllic locations like Batemans Bay. Before Covid, I travelled up and down on the South Coast train line teaching creative writing at various community colleges from Bondi to Bomaderry. Now with Zoom, from my lounge room I easily reach students in rural areas and other states without needing my Opal card.
Favourite part of your job?
When helping writers to write, I help them express themselves. They express their thoughts and ideas on the page, releasing energy, releasing tension, releasing joy that sometimes could be released in no other way. With this expression, they gain a sense of satisfaction and a sense of completion. This is why a room full of writers can sometimes feel like a sacred space.
I help build the writer’s imagination and encourage them to be as honest as possible. When imagination and honesty are combined, there’s a great power released...a special kind of magic. This is why readers like to read, they can be transported anywhere at anytime and to anyplace.
For me, there’s a sense of satisfaction in doing what I love. I feel I was put on this earth to guide writers to write. I left WA to find myself and I found her...she’s the writing teacher helping others to find their voice.
How long have you been a writing tutor and what changes have you seen in this time?
I conducted my first ‘Procrastinating Writers – Procrastinate No More’ class at WEA Illawarra in 2012. In the same year I ran the first series of ‘sit and write’ Writing Havens at the Community Centres in Thirroul and Helensburgh.
Over the years, the main change I’ve noticed is the increase in self-publishing options. This is important as it gives everyone the freedom to publish their own writing in their own way. Traditional publishers can offer greater audiences but some publishers and editors can interfere with the writer’s creative voice. Writing is difficult and not everyone finds the courage or the space to say what they need to say.
Unfortunately, some editors and publishers are ‘frustrated writers’ and inadvertently cull or contaminate another writer’s writing. Self-publishing is therefore not always a second best option, it can often be the best option for creative expression.
The other change I’ve noticed is the increase in poetry competitions. When I first started it was difficult to find a poetry competition, now they’re everywhere.
What is the biggest challenge for writers today and how do you help them overcome this?
In my view, procrastination is the biggest challenge for writers. Sometimes perfectionism is the cause and sometimes it’s due to lack of belief. I help writers overcome procrastination by building self-belief and setting regular deadlines. Writing competitions are excellent for writers as they provide a non-negotiable deadline.
Any student success stories that you’d like to share?
Yes, Julie Davis is a short story and poetry writer who has won her way into many different anthologies. Melissa Myles has had success with her standup comedy routines and John Wegener has self-published over 10 sci-fi books.
What is your own creative project at the moment?
In November this year, I’m self-publishing my own poetry collection under the title of Combustible Comfort Zones. The poems cover difficult subjects like truth. In my memoir writing classes, I begin by asking students to define the word ‘truth’. It’s a tricky word to define as we see truth from our perspective. We are often blind to our bias, which is why the phrase unconscious bias is important to understand. We also rely on memory but memory is far from reliable, even before dementia sets in.
How can readers find out more?
I created a small business called the Writers Boot Camp to help writers, I can be contacted via WritersBootCampOtford@gmail.
Karen will be running a course on “Memoir Writing” next term commencing Saturday, 26 August. This course will help students to capture their story and present in a way which will interest others. An informative course which will start you on your way to writing “your” story. Enrolments can be made online at 406 Memoir Writing | Leisure Skills | WEA Illawarra