Max capacity of 30 in person and 15 online.

We don’t offer refunds, however if unwell and unable to attend please get in touch with our friendly admin staff who will advise further either on 03 9958 5799 or Contact Us.

In Person – 9am to 3pm.

Online – 3 hours.

Morning tea, packed lunch and a water bottle.

Please bring your own writing materials, whether that’s a notebook and pens or a digital device for writing. However, we kindly ask that phones not be used as writing tools during the session.

You will receive an email the day before the session. If you don’t see it in your inbox, please check your junk or spam folder.

Holiday programs offer an exciting, immersive experience that sparks creativity and inspiration in young writers. Each day kicks off with engaging world-building and character development activities, where kids bring their ideas to life—whether by sculpting characters from clay, designing intricate maps, or crafting unique story elements. Our dedicated story mentors provide guidance and encourage a collaborative atmosphere filled with discussion and idea-sharing.

Midday brings a break with a carefully selected G or PG-rated film that ties into the day’s theme, offering a fresh dose of inspiration. After lunch, we dive deeper into the art of storytelling, exploring plot development and refining writing skills. To keep energy levels high, we may incorporate interactive games based on the needs and dynamics of the group.

As the day draws to a close, young writers have the opportunity to showcase an excerpt or an intriguing highlight from their story, sharing their creativity with their peers just as parents arrive for pick-up. 

It’s a fun-filled journey of imagination, collaboration, and storytelling, designed to leave every young writer feeling inspired.

Our Carlton studio can accommodate a maximum of 30 young writers at a time. For safety reasons, we cannot exceed this limit under any circumstances. Additionally, to ensure fairness for all, we are unable to make exceptions for individual participants. However, if the session is fully booked, we encourage you to reach out and request to be added to our waitlist. Should a spot become available due to a cancellation, we will notify you promptly.

If they prefer not to watch the movie, that’s absolutely okay! They are welcome to immerse themselves in a book, engage in some quiet writing or drawing, or play quietly with a fellow young writer. The goal is to relax and recharge in a way that best suits their creativity and comfort.

Our creative writing sessions are built around fostering a love of storytelling and teaching young writers the fundamental skills required to tell great stories. Each session lasts one hour and generally focuses on a specific aspect of creative writing, such as character development, world-building, or narrative structure. The session typically includes a fun and interactive discussion on the topic, examples, and a related writing exercise to spark creativity. Following this, there is dedicated writing time where the Story Mentor offers personalised feedback. Young writers are also encouraged to share their ideas and writing with the group. This format will vary somewhat depending on the group’s age, needs and interests. 

Additionally, our sessions frequently relate to broader Term-based themes or projects, which help our mentors to frame their lessons and provide exciting and engaging opportunities for our young writers, such as becoming published authors in our annual anthology!

We offer both in-person and online workshops. You can choose the format that best suits your schedule and preferences.

No, this would interfere with capacity in groups and we couldn’t guarantee there would be space in the studio. This would also increase admin costs greatly. Enrolment must be either fully online or fully in the studio. We do offer up to 4 make ups per semester however (2 per term) in case there are some you can’t attend. Advance notice must be provided for you to receive a make-up.

No, parents cannot attend the sessions either in person or online. This policy ensures compliance with Story Studios Australia’s child safety policies, which emphasise the need for secure, supportive environments free from additional adult presence. Limiting attendance to participants and mentors helps maintain group dynamics, allowing children to feel more comfortable and open. Our trained mentors can then better facilitate a focused, creative, and supportive atmosphere for all young writers. If you anticipate any issues with settling your young writer into a new group or environment, please let us know in advance so we can support them to feel comfortable.

Our in-person and online sessions typically begin after school hours, around 4:15 PM or 5:30 PM. For our holiday programs, the sessions generally run from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Saturday sessions, available both online and in-studio at various times throughout the day, each lasting 1 hour.

Story Studios Term Dates 2025

Semester 1

Term 1: Monday 3 February to Saturday 5 April (9 Weeks)

Term 2: Tuesday 22 April to Saturday 5 July (11 Weeks)

Semester 2

Term 3: Monday 21 July to Saturday 20 September (9 Weeks)

Term 4: Monday 6 October to Saturday 6 December​ (9 Weeks)

Note: All classes run in line with the Victorian government school terms. Classes do not run on Victorian public holidays. Fees have been calculated accordingly for affected classes.

You can join later in a semester, but you can’t enrol for one term only. Reasons being – groups need a minimum number to run for a full semester, you’re taking up a place that could go to someone who wants to be there for the full semester, not receiving full benefit of the program, and if we make an exception to one have to do so for all out of fairness.

We’re thrilled to offer young writers a free trial in our weekly story writing groups! After the trial, we’ll be in touch to chat about enrolling for the semester. If you join partway through, your enrolment will reflect the number of sessions remaining in the term, with adjustments made for any public holidays or missed sessions.

Keep in mind that re-enrolling for the next semester comes with great perks like discounted rates and earlybird specials. It’s always more cost-effective to sign up early and join us for the full semester.

If eligible, you have the option to use PayPal‘s “Pay in 4” instalment payment plan. This allows you to spread your payments over four instalments. Please note that this payment option is facilitated entirely through PayPal and not through Story Studios directly. For more details on eligibility and terms, please visit PayPal’s official website.

If you prefer an alternative payment method, you can easily use Square on the enrolment form. Simply follow the prompts to securely enter your credit card details.

There’s also the convenient option to pay in person with Afterpay. To take advantage of this, simply ensure your Afterpay card is saved in your Apple Wallet (for iPhone users) or Google Pay/Google Wallet (for Android users). 

If enrolling through the provided link is not possible, please contact our friendly staff. You will still need to review and agree to the terms and conditions on our enrolment form.

Previously we were able to set up payment instalments but due to the high-level of administrative labour that went into this, we have discontinued this process.

You can sign up for a workshop through our website. Simply select the program you’re interested in, and follow the instructions to register your interest. If you need any assistance, feel free to contact us.

Our refund policy is outlined in our terms and conditions on our website. Generally, we do NOT provide refunds. Please review our policy for full details. Our terms and conditions will be included in the enrolment process, where you’ll need to review and agree to them before completing your enrolment.

In accordance with our terms and conditions, we require a minimum of 5 hours’ notice for any absences. This policy is essential for effective lesson planning and numbers however we also do understand that sometimes life gets in the way, so we offer up to 4 make-up sessions per semester (2 per term) to ensure you don’t miss out. If you need to arrange a make-up session, our friendly admin team is here to assist you. Please get in touch!

If your schedule changes and you find yourself unable to attend on a particular day, simply reach out to our friendly admin team. They’ll be more than happy to help you reschedule to a day that better fits your availability.

Our mentor-led sessions cater to all different skill levels, from the earliest beginners through to advanced writers.

Our youngest writers usually begin their creative journey with us at age 7 and above, as they need to have the ability to read and write independently. For our online sessions, we generally recommend participation for children aged 8 and older, given the level of digital literacy required to fully engage and benefit from the experience.

Our story mentors are experienced writers and educators with a range of backgrounds and expertise. Many have published works and have extensive teaching experience in creative writing. We prioritise hiring diverse and interesting writers with different interests and skill areas – if your young writer has a particular thing they are excited about writing, let us know! We always do our best to match you to the most appropriate mentor.

Yes, we offer a limited amount of private mentoring sessions. If you’re interested, please reach out to us to discuss your needs and we will advise of availability.

We’re thrilled to provide a variety of publishing opportunities, including our annual anthology series, online blogs, and our very own Quarterly Quill newspaper. These platforms allow your work to shine alongside other talented young writers. However, please note that while we’re passionate about supporting young writers, we are not a publishing company and are unable to publish individual books at this time.

At Story Studios, we understand that creativity is unique to each writer and cannot be quantified with a traditional grading system. Writing is a deeply personal process, and each story, poem, or piece of work reflects the writer’s individual perspective, imagination, and voice.

We believe writing is a creative journey and our feedback process highlights strengths, areas for improvement, and actionable steps for each writer’s development. This approach allows writers to focus on honing their craft without the pressure of grades, encouraging a supportive and creative environment.

To stay updated on upcoming programs and events, you can subscribe to our mailing list and follow us on social media. We regularly post updates and announcements to keep you informed.

Our socials are linked here: Facebook / Instagram.

You can reach us on 03 9958 5799 or Contact Us.