Budding writers attend IPAA's annual writing seminar

18th April 2008

IPAA's annual writing seminars are inspired by Don Watson's infamous utterances about the quality of public sector writing.

This year professional writers, Mark O'Toole, comedy script writer for John Safran and Spicks & Specks and Joel Deane, speech writer for the Premier of Victoria were joined by senior public sector professionals, Monica Pfeffer and Greg Hywood to share their flair for writing for others.

Understanding the person you are writing for, subverting your ego and going beyond the facts were consistent messages given by all speakers.

It was Joel Deane, perhaps, who provided the seminar's most thought-provoking speech, concluding with 10 points for good speechwriting. Read, think, debate, he said, and the march towards meaningless, detached and decayed public language will be defeated.

A large number of Play on Words participants were young professionals from the sector, promising writers for whom today's seminar provided an invaluable insight into the tools and techniques used by professional writers.

For information on IPAA's Speech Writing course taught by Michael Gurr click here.