Alumni/Student success stories | Australian Writers' Centre

Alumni/Student success stories

Joanne Speirs goes from student to successful romance author

Joanne Speirs turned to writing to help her through some mentally and emotionally tough times. A friend urged her to “just write it all down” and so Joanne dove into poetry and recollections, using words to help her process her emotions. Next, she turned to blogging and started taking courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre, including Romance Writing, and worked on her first novel.

3 September 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Writing Podcast Episode 556: Zewlan Moor on her first two picture books: ‘Nothing Alike’ and ‘The Bill Dup’.

Zewlan Moor on her first two picture books: Nothing Alike and The Bill Dup. 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 Buy So You Want to be a Writer

1 September 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Writing Podcast Episode 555: Veronica Lando on ‘The Drowning Girls’ and what to expect from your first year as an author.

Veronica Lando on The Drowning Girls and what to expect from your first year as an author. The benefits of using a whiteboard and win Writing for Busy Readers by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast

29 August 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

How Alli Parker’s tweet resulted in her book deal

Alli was worried that she hadn’t written prose for over a decade, having been focused on screenplays. She decided to follow the novel writing path at the Australian Writers’ Centre, starting with Creative Writing Stage 1, then moving on to Novel Writing Essentials and capping it off with Write Your Novel.

“I wanted guidance, I wanted to learn and grow and be better so I could hone my craft and write a beautiful book to do justice to the story of my grandparents. The AWC had a range of courses, it was accessible and didn’t cost a fortune. I figured it was a good place to start.”

28 August 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Jo Dabrowski gets three book deals as a children’s author

“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.

15 August 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Chenée Marrapodi goes from hobby writer to published children’s author

“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.

6 August 2023

Author and Australian Writers' Centre graduate Veronica Lando

Alumni/Student success stories

Veronica Lando is an ‘unmissable new voice on the Australian crime fiction scene’

Veronica Lando grew up above a bookshop – so it was natural that she would dream of becoming a writer herself one day. She loved crime fiction, but was hesitant about how to start writing her own. After throwing herself into the world of writing, she can now say she is a published author, with the release of her crime thriller The Whispering.

2 August 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Anna Spargo-Ryan on writing beautiful sentences

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.

2 August 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Heidi Walkinshaw’s new career as a picture book author and copywriter

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.

30 July 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Writing Podcast Episode 550: Fiona Lloyd, author of ‘Being Jimmy Baxter’.

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.

25 July 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Carolyn Swindell’s brilliant novel ‘We Only Want What’s Best’

Carolyn Swindell was working in a “high heels and business suit job” in corporate responsibility when she decided to enrol in her first AWC course.

“The biggest thing about the courses is the permission you give yourself to be a writer by investing in yourself,” Carolyn told us. “I had been shy about admitting this ambition, but going along and sitting with other aspiring writers and learning the craft and the business was such a boost to my motivation and my skill level.”

Carolyn put that motivation and skill to good use, with her debut novel, We Only Want What’s Best, out now with Affirm Press.

19 July 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Writing Podcast Episode 548: Megan White, author of ‘The Anatomy of Songs’

Meet Megan White, author of The Anatomy of Songs. Finding inspiration and the importance of writing great openings. Also win The Little French Village of Book Lovers by Nina George. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite

11 July 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

From physiotherapist to published novelist

Megan White loved to write during high school and university, but always in a wishful way. It was only after taking the course Creative Writing Stage 1 that she realised she could take her love of fiction further.

“Creative Writing Stage 1 taught me how to write a scene which instantly changed the way I looked at writing,” Megan told us. “Having a little knowledge in craft meant I could begin to take writing a little more seriously. It meant that becoming a writer felt more attainable as something you could learn and practice and less about being a natural prodigy.”

5 July 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Claire Thompson fulfils her dream to be a published picture book author

Deciding to write picture books was literally a lightbulb moment for media and communications manager Claire Thompson. Each time she put her newborn baby in the carseat, the interior lights flashed on, so Claire and her four-year-old invented a story about a magic baby. She immediately realised she wanted to write a children’s book and enrolled in the course Writing Picture Books a few days later.

2 July 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

AWC graduate Fiona Lloyd’s debut novel ‘Being Jimmy Baxter’

Fiona Lloyd had assumed her creative writing aspirations were nothing but a childhood dream. But after deciding to reconnect to that former love, she threw herself into the writing community, attending writing events and completing the course Plotting and Planning at the Australian Writers’ Centre. Fiona’s debut middle grade novel Being Jimmy Baxter has now been published by Puffin (Penguin Random House Australia).

28 June 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Racquel Collard publishes her book Marketing Launchpad

Racquel Collard was at the peak of her career in marketing but felt that she needed a new challenge. The next natural step was a CEO role, but that didn’t feel like the right fit for her, so instead Racquel decided to write a book. She completed Write a Book That Showcases Your Expertise with the Australian Writers’ Centre and, with the publication of her debut, Marketing Launchpad, has now left the corporate rat race behind and embarked on a new career.

21 June 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Writing Podcast Episode 545: Meet Carolyn Swindell, author of We Only Want What’s Best

Meet Carolyn Swindell, author of We Only Want What’s Best. What are eggcorns and what have they got to do with words? Win Feast by Emily O’Grady. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite podcast app.

20 June 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Jennifer Mackenzie Dunbar: from writing student to published novelist

“It might sound cheesy but the AWC courses changed my life! I finished a (very rough) first draft of my novel while I was in Scotland and haven’t stopped writing since. The courses provided me with great foundation information, the basic building blocks for any novel writing. It is information I have retained and, through my writing groups, I’ve felt confident in sharing my learning with others.”

9 June 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Writing Podcast Episode 543: Richard Pritchard, co-author of Wylah The Koorie Warrior series

Meet Richard Pritchard, co-author of Wylah The Koorie Warrior series. How to the select the right quotes of praise for your pitch to a publisher. The unique meaning behind lagom. And win The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or

6 June 2023

Alumni/Student success stories

Writing Podcast Episode 541: Samera Kamaleddine, author of The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart

Meet AWC graduate Samera Kamaleddine who reveals the writing process behind her second novel The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart. What you need to do if you have two main point-of-view protagonists. And win Search History by Amy Taylor. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on

23 May 2023

Category: Alumni/Student success stories

Joanne Speirs goes from student to successful romance author

Writing Podcast Episode 556: Zewlan Moor on her first two picture books: ‘Nothing Alike’ and ‘The Bill Dup’.

Writing Podcast Episode 555: Veronica Lando on ‘The Drowning Girls’ and what to expect from your first year as an author.

How Alli Parker’s tweet resulted in her book deal

Jo Dabrowski gets three book deals as a children’s author

Chenée Marrapodi goes from hobby writer to published children’s author

Veronica Lando is an ‘unmissable new voice on the Australian crime fiction scene’

Anna Spargo-Ryan on writing beautiful sentences

Heidi Walkinshaw’s new career as a picture book author and copywriter

Writing Podcast Episode 550: Fiona Lloyd, author of ‘Being Jimmy Baxter’.

Carolyn Swindell’s brilliant novel ‘We Only Want What’s Best’

Writing Podcast Episode 548: Megan White, author of ‘The Anatomy of Songs’

From physiotherapist to published novelist

Claire Thompson fulfils her dream to be a published picture book author

AWC graduate Fiona Lloyd’s debut novel ‘Being Jimmy Baxter’

Racquel Collard publishes her book Marketing Launchpad

Writing Podcast Episode 545: Meet Carolyn Swindell, author of We Only Want What’s Best

Jennifer Mackenzie Dunbar: from writing student to published novelist

Writing Podcast Episode 543: Richard Pritchard, co-author of Wylah The Koorie Warrior series

Writing Podcast Episode 541: Samera Kamaleddine, author of The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart

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