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"It gave me a better understanding of how visuals are used to tell a story. I remember us talking a lot about subtext and the effect it had on the audience. I was only 15 years old back then, so I remember it also made my teachers cringe when I wrote richer, yet more controversial stories in my Afrikaans literature class. Some gave me a 1 out of 10, others seem to think I am going to be a Professor at an University. No one dreamed or thought I am going to be making films."
Award-winning writer-director Henk Pretorius (Bakgat 1 & 2, Fanie Fourie's Lobola)

"...everyone has a story. The origin of my story Sparkler takes me back to my very first scriptwriting mentor, The Writing Studio, who introduced me the creative and imaginative world of screenwriting. The door that The Writing Studio opened for me was my first introduction to my love and appreciation for film. Today I am a Director and a Scriptwriter. My call to adventure has just begun but in order to know where I'm going, I have never forgotten my roots... I have to say thank you to Daniel Dercksen for introducing me to the world of scriptwriting. For it has opened so many doors for me, my family and friends, since my first writing lesson."
Ross Van Leeve, shortlisted in Kevin Spacey Jameson's First Short Film Competition.

"The Write Journey workshop has given me a clearer understanding of how stories are told for the big screen or television. Structured lessons also gave me a better idea on how to make a financially viable blockbuster. Daniel Dercksen has a practical approach when teaching the art of writing for film and this makes it easy to learn and follow through when I write my own stories. For me it was 3yrs of film school jam packed into 2 days of insightful lessons. "
Warren Gray- Production designer and Art Director (Assistant Art Director on History of the world - BBC & Film Afrika)

The Write Voice - A creative writing workshop for storytellers

"Daniel Dercksen's workshop offers an insightful and inspiring introduction into the craft and art of storytelling. Great motivation to help one begin that rather daunting and solitary task of transferring ones story from the imagination to the page.
Writer/director Neil Coppen, creator of Tin Bucket Drum, Tree Boy, and Abnormal Loads and winner of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Theatre, 2011, as well as the Naledi Award for Best South African Play (Abnormal Loads), 2013

"Thank you for an illuminating workshop. For the insight that I now have in the birth of a script; especially the development of a front page, log line and tag line. I am still the producer at heart but with the couple of movies that I am nudging forward with development I know what I am looking for in the scripts."
Producer Alan Lawson, Birdfilm (South Africa)

" The thought of "screenwriting" always seems so complex and complicated, the workshop unpacked it and classified everything into separate manageable boxes. Daniel Dercksen knows what he is talking about, so he is able to zoom in certain things, break complex issues into smaller understandable chunks. The workshop was inspiring and it confirmed to me that I'm on the "write" track -- I'm on the path of what I want to do."
Refilwe Thobega, Assistant Editor: South Africa Yearbook (Government Communications)

This is the best thing to ever happen to my writing career. I'm enjoying writing now. It makes sense. I have solutions to my problems."
Christa Biyela ,Motivational Speaker, Executive Producer, Producer, Writer

"Thanks for being the catalyst and guide in my life story. It was an amazing journey. I've emerged seeing the world differently. Full of voices, ideas, characters, and stories. From feeling uninspired and lazy, I now find that I can't turn off my brain. I have many new tools to use to explore, practice and hone my writing. From practical suggestions on how to develop and organise ideas, to structuring a story so that it reads like music,  I have come away excited, inspired and raring to write."
Ruth Tearle, strategy and change management consultant, a trainer and a motivational speaker, who is the author of "Blackboards, Bubbles & Cappuccinos, ""Ride the Wild Tiger" and "Mastering Personal Change" www.ruthtearle.com

"If I had attended it some five or ten years ago, so many things would have changed in my career, as well as life in general."
Elelwani Ramaite-Mafadza, a lecturer at the University of Venda, as well as a researcher in the Indigenous Music and Oral History Project (IMOHP) and involved in the CUPP project which is a project involved in rural development
specializing in script- and screenwriting

Find your voice as a writer and explore your creative talent. Ideal for writers who would like to sharpen their story skills and find out what they are capable of writing.  The Write Voice creative writing workshop offers writers a unique opportunity to find their purpose in writing and to explore the endless possibilities they have to tell their story and express themselves. During the motivational and inspirational workshop writers will explore their strengths and weakness as a writer as well as the relationship between the writer and the writing process, how to write, as well as what it takes to be a writer and how to navigate creativity.   Read more

The Write Journey  - Explore the art of writing visual narrative - a workshop for screenwriters

Turn fantastic ideas into big screen spectacle!  Calling all storytellers who would like to write for a visual medium, this motivational and inspirational workshop explores the art of visual narrative and the fundamentals of successful storytelling. A beginner's course for writers who would like to write the novel, screenplay for television or film, and stageplay. It looks at the process of writing a first draft from inception to developing the concept, characters, structure and conquering the writing process.  Read more

Correspondence courses - Write in your own space and at your own pace

The Writing Studio's correspondence courses follow in the tradition of 18 years of workshops and master classes throughout South Africa and give writer a unique opportunity to write in their own space and at their own pace. An added bonus is the interactive one-on-one communication between trainer Daniel Dercksen and yourself, affording you to question and clarify the self tasks, tasks and comprehensive notes of the 12 units during the course.  There are 5 brand new tailor-made courses to select from  Read more

The Write Trainer - one-on-one sessions

In an age where everyone makes regular trips to their local gym to stay healthy, it is important for writers to keep writing effectively and remain in a perfect state of creative health; where ideas flow freely and projects are completed. When you're working on your script and bump up against writer's block, or some other irritating writing dilemma, you need a trusted expert to turn to in your time of need. Fortunately, you can call The Write Trainer to get skilled guidance right away.  Read more