Readers of romance novels have certain expectations and success in the genre means meeting those expectations – one of which is the Happy Ever After, or HEA as it’s known. But there’s a lot of ground to cover in a relationship from the first meeting to the HEA, and romance
“I’m great at imagining things! I should also say that I’ve imagined winning an Oscar, but I’m yet to imagine what category it would be in,” Jo told us. “The part I struggle with is believing I’m a published author. I still feel like someone has made a mistake somewhere and I’m about to be found out.”
But it is definitely not a mistake! Since completing Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers’ Centre, Jo has published two picture books, which she also illustrated, and her middle grade novel Get Your Act Together, Doris Kozlowski, is out now with Affirm Press.
Lesley Gibbes, author of Dinosaur Dads to the Rescue. How to write like you’re at Hogwarts. And much more. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite podcast app. Links mentioned in this episode Plotting and Planning
Dreaming of summer holidays? This week’s giveaway will take you away on an island – but beware, not everyone is who you think they are. We have three copies of Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum to give away. Here’s the blurb: The families on the island have been vacationing
Crime writing in Australia is having a big moment, and the best crime novels are the ones that keep readers guessing right to the very end. My new novel The First Summer of Callie McGee is a middle-grade mystery novel set in a seaside village on the south coast of
David Meagher on his memoir Secrets and Lies. How the Pomodoro technique can help your writing. Why do American pronounce aluminium the way they do? And win After She Wrote Him by Sulari Gentill. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS
The Ned Kelly Awards shortlist has been announced and we are so thrilled to see AWC graduate Kerryn Mayne on the list! Here are the details from the Australian Crime Writers Association website: We are proud to report that Aussie crime writing continues to grow in strength and identity, as
Creating realistic characters is one of the fundamentals of writing. But what if the characters actually came alive? Sulari Gentill’s novel After She Wrote Him will make you question truth and fiction and we have three copies to give away. Here’s the blurb: Madeleine d’Leon doesn’t know where Edward came
“Writing news stories is very different to writing a children’s book!” Chenée told us. “I knew if I tried to find all of the information myself, I’d end up falling down the ‘Google rabbit hole’ and I’d waste even more time – yet another excuse to stop me from actually writing the book!”
Instead, she dove into the course Writing Children’s Novels and, as she says, hasn’t looked back. Chenée’s debut book, One Wrong Turn, is out now with Fremantle Press.
As an author who speaks regularly in schools, I get to talk to keen writers of all ages. Over the years, I’ve found myself answering the same questions over and over, and giving out the same advice, whether to those students I visit or, as my boys became teens, to
Anna Spargo-Ryan is known for her beautiful way with words. Her novels The Paper House and The Gulf received critical acclaim, while her memoir A Kind Of Magic, released in October 2022, was shortlisted for the Nonfiction Book Award in the 2023 Queensland Literary Awards.
Allison Tait (A.L. Tait) talks about her latest novel The First Summer of Callie McGee. Also, techniques to look at your writing in a completely new way. Win My Mother, The Spy by Cindy Dobbin and Freda Marnie Nicholls. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on
This week’s giveaway takes us back in time. This true story of Mercia Masson – a spy during the Cold War – will stay with you. We’re giving away three copies of My Mother, The Spy by Cindy Dobbin (Mercia’s daughter) and Freda Marnie Nicholls. Here’s the blurb: The true
Have you always wanted to be paid to travel? Would you like to stay in luxurious resorts for free? If you’d like to indulge your passion for food, wine, wellness or any other passion and get paid to do so, this is the episode for you. You may not realise
After the birth of her first child, Heidi Walkinshaw knew she wanted to try a new career, so she enrolled in a psychology degree. However, it didn’t quite scratch her creative itch, so she turned to the Australian Writers’ Centre.
“After procrastinating for a little while, I took the plunge and enrolled in the Writing Picture Books course with Cathie Tasker and suddenly all those notebooks of ideas that I had been scribbling in for years made sense,” Heidi told us.
Welcome to July’s Furious Fiction story showcase – a monthly chance to shout out our community’s creativity and the opportunity to have YOUR OWN story featured or acknowledged. And this month it was all about connecting with your inner child – here were the criteria: Each story had to include
It’s one of the number one questions that emerging authors ask: “How do I build an author platform before my book is published?” Followed closely by: “And why do I need to?” Before I dive into this, I need to say this upfront: Always focus on writing the book first.
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we have toy stories.. Q:
The 23rd Davitt Awards shortlist has been announced and we are so excited to see AWC graduates Dinuka McKenzie, Fleur Ferris and Louise Bassett on the list! Here are the details from the Sisters in Crime website: Crime alert: Sisters in Crime has announced its shortlist for its 23rd Davitt Awards for the best crime and
Meet Fiona Lloyd, author of Being Jimmy Baxter. We also discuss what to consider when naming characters. And win The Escapades of Tribulation Johnson by Karen Brooks. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite podcast app.
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