Whatever the genre, be it fiction or non-fiction, memoir or murder-mystery, research is one of the most powerful tools any writer can have at their disposal. 

This immersive, three-hour research workshop will show you how to harness, direct and exploit research to its best advantage using everything from the basic tools of investigative journalism to the subtle nuances of best using critical, evocative detail. 

It will guide you through a series of easy-to-follow techniques that will enable you to mount a meaningful search on any subject. Using real-life examples to demonstrate the dos and the don’ts, this course will clarify how, why and when to dive into research and - crucially - when to stop. It will also cover ethics.

This is an interactive course with special emphasis on take-home strategies. It will show you how best to use both public and private information resources. Covering everything from online archives and libraries to the potential of interviews and observation, it will hone your research techniques. It will also give you the confidence to fully exploit the information and tactics you have gathered in a way that will power and enrich your written work.

Helen O'Neill has worked as a journalist for over 25 years winning awards in science and health journalism, a Walkley nomination and becoming the Australian Society of Travel Writers’ Travel Writer of the Year.  

Helen is best known as author of Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret and Extraordinary Lives, which details the life and art of the famous wallpaper and fabric designer Florence Broadhurst, whose death remains a mystery.