This workshop is suitable for ages 13 and older, young adults and aspiring writers. Writing workshops can support writers to engage critically in a diverse range of texts and develop their creative and academic writing skills. There are many misconceptions about creative writing as a discipline, which often include the idea that creative writing and creative expression are natural abilities that cannot be taught and cannot be learned. In this workshop, participants will explore some of the myths about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ creative writing practice and learn practical and constructive forms of research, development and training that can be used to improve the quality of one’s creative writing. About the presenter: Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad Michael Mohammed is an author and founding director of the Sweatshop Literacy Movement. He is also an NSW nominee for Young Australian of the Year 2022. Coming from a disadvantaged background and experiencing difficulties in high school, Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad was inspired to change young people’s attitudes through the written word. He established the Sweatshop Literacy Movement in Western Sydney to empower culturally and linguistically diverse communities through reading, writing and critical thinking. Mohammed has a PhD in creative writing and has written several novels about life in culturally diverse Western Sydney. Mohammed has become an important role model for disenchanted young people in Western Sydney thanks to his leadership skills and powerful written voice. He helps them harness their energy and engage constructively with the broader community, using the written word as a tool.