David Rogerson recently published his debut novel Big Things – a novel he began writing at the CAE.
David enrolled in our Novel Writing short course to give his writing skills a “reboot and a refresher.”
With an accomplished background in screenwriting, David entered the course with a story he originally envisioned as a movie. After realising that the story would be more suited to a novel, he knew he needed expert guidance to make it happen.
“It was the transition from visual and auditory storytelling to a written, internal narrative that led to me enrolling at the CAE… How would I adapt the visual gags to written form? What point of view would best bring my initial vision alive in print form?”
[Caption: Photo Supplied: David with a copy of Big Things at a quintessential ‘big thing’: Uluru.]
The result is Big Things – a novel he describes as a quirky Australian road trip comedy.
“The book tells the poignant story of a change-averse uncle who inherits his niece and nephew following his sister’s death. During a road trip to visit Australia’s ‘big things’ and other roadside attractions, they meet larger than life new friends and become embroiled in a media storm as they all struggle to adapt to their new normal.”
“Big Things is a story of loss, family, acceptance and second chances told against the stunning backdrop of the Australian countryside.”
While you wait to devour your copy of Big Things, get to know a little more about David’s experience at the CAE, his writing process, and what’s next in his writing journey.
Learning at the CAE
David gives a lot of credit to CAE teacher Amanda Apthorpe, for helping him start writing Big Things.
“She asked what brought us to the course so she could assist us with our goals as well as our individual motivations. That made me feel seen. She was organised and knowledgeable. That made me feel confident.”
“Most importantly, she made us write. From the very first class we had to create something, anything.”
In Novel Writing , Amanda gave students a different writing exercise every week, each with a different point of view.
“The very best thing about the weekly writing exercises was that they forced us to look at things from different perspectives. We started by focusing on the smaller things before moving onto the bigger things.”
“The exercises in the class allowed us to use our own story ideas. So, when we were asked to write a description of a room, we were able to write a description of a room from our intended novels. In that way, almost all my written [exercises] ended up being used in my novel.”
In Novel Writing, students review each other’s work to provide feedback and ideas to sharpen their stories. While David admits this was intimidating at first, he said it made fellow students feel like his teammates.
“It let us all feel we were in this together. Supporting one another to succeed.”
Just keep writing
The inspiration from Amanda and his classmates stayed with him long after he completed the course. The biggest lesson he learned from the class was to “just keep writing”.
“That sounds like an oversimplification, but it’s surprising how much we can get fixated on the big picture when it is the small steps that lead us to our goals. In fact, I have now learned to enjoy the journey. For me, writing a book is a lot like reading one. I immerse myself in the world and enjoy exploring it.”
David’s advice for you
David sees his studies at the CAE as the circuit breaker that took him from aspiring writer to published author.
“I had sat with an idea for a book for five years before I enrolled in this course. In the three years since, I have completed writing five novels in three different genres.”
While David says enrolling in a CAE writing course should be a “no-brainer” for anyone, he encourages future students to think about what they want to get out of the course.
“The course is always going to deliver the big things, but it’s the smaller things that can act as roadblocks to our success. Bring those goals with you and discuss them with your teacher. You’ll be surprised how easily these roadblocks can be resolved.”
Bigger Things to come
David’s publisher is busy editing a sequel to Big Things: Bigger Things.
He’s been bitten by the writing bug and is enjoying experimenting with different audiences and genres as his career continues to grow.
“I challenged myself to write a children’s book because my love for reading began in primary school. I have now completed two middle-grade children’s books filled with adventure, humour, and heart. They are part of a trilogy, so I’ll be sure to get started on the third book soon.”
“In the meantime, I became somewhat sidetracked with the idea of writing a cosy mystery, and I have just completed the first draft of one – I think I may have found my niche.”
“After a moment basking in the delight of seeing my name in print with Big Things – I shall begin the task of pitching my other books for publication.”
David’s journey is evidence of how far a CAE short course can take you. If his story has inspired you to start writing, capitalise on your motivation by joining one of our writing short courses.
Get your copy of Big Things here.