Leearna Shaw had written three manuscripts. She’d been writing, editing and querying in the gaps between work and raising a family, but despite getting tantalisingly close, the rejections kept coming. Determined to find the missing piece, she enrolled in the Australian Writers’ Centre’s Romance Writing course – and it changed everything. After completing the course, Leearna rewrote her debut manuscript, won the Romance Writers of Australia’s prestigious Emerald Award for Unpublished Manuscript, and was offered a two-book deal with Allen & Unwin. Her debut novel, A Farm in Golden Clouds, is out now!
“I’d previously studied novel writing at uni, so I had a good handle on the basics and wanted to expand on that to take my writing to the next level,” Leearna says. “I’d heard wonderful things from other writers who’d completed courses at Australian Writers' Centre, so I dabbled in a few Focus On sessions before enrolling in the Romance Writing course to see if I could discover that missing element that might help my manuscripts finally get over the line.”
Finding the missing element
Leearna had been a long-time listener of the Australian Writers' Centre podcast, So You Want to be a Writer, and hearing other writers’ success stories gave her the push she needed to take the plunge.
“Sometimes it’s easy to be intimidated when you’re just starting out, but AWC felt so inclusive and supportive of writers at all stages of their journey,” she says. “Once I started going to book events and meeting people in the industry, the word-of-mouth recommendations finally convinced me to give it a go. And I’m so glad I did!”
She started with some of the Australian Writers' Centre’ shorter Focus On courses before committing to the full Romance Writing course. “The Focus On sessions felt very manageable to start with, because they’re affordable, bite-sized courses bursting with practical information and accessible tools I could take away and immediately apply to my own writing,” she says.
The Romance Writing course, mentored by the brilliant Pamela Freeman, offered both flexibility and accountability. “The course taught me the key elements to writing a successful romance, how to structure my story, which plot beats kept the romance moving forward, and how to create the characters’ emotional journeys as they grow and evolve together.”
From the side of a mountain to the page
The spark for A Farm in Golden Clouds came not long after Leearna and her family moved to a small hobby farm on the side of a mountain. Two weeks after moving in, her husband had a terrifying close call with a ride-on mower.
“I found myself wondering what would’ve happened if I’d been left all alone with thirty-acres I had no idea what to do with, seven sheep I had no clue how to look after and my two boys, and this sparked the idea that eventually became my debut novel.”
The book is a heartwarming rural romance about widowed cattle farmer and self-help author Indi Carmichael, who is drowning in debt and struggling to keep her farm afloat. The last thing she needs is to fall into the orbit of washed-up actor Ben Whittam, who arrives in her small town of Kestrel Creek to film the role he believes will revive his flailing career.
“A Farm in Golden Clouds explores grief and the different ways we cope with loss, balanced with light-hearted humour, a tender love story and the stunning rural landscapes I love writing about,” Leearna says. “Ultimately, it’s a story of hope, starting over and fighting for the future you want.”
One last chance
Over the years following that first draft, the manuscript had more rejections than Leearna could count. She might have given up on it along the way, but something about that story kept drawing her back.
“After completing the Romance Writing course, I rewrote my first manuscript and applied everything I’d learned. Before this I’d been ready to shelve it for good, but I decided to give it one last go and submitted it to a few competitions.”
One of those competitions was the Romance Writers of Australia’s Emerald Award for Unpublished Manuscript – a competition Leearna speaks highly of for aspiring writers.
“Not only is it a safe space to dabble in sharing your writing if you’ve never done it before, but it also gives wonderful feedback and offers the chance to have your manuscript read and judged by an industry professional,” she says. “Discovering I was longlisted and then shortlisted was such a thrill, because I’d never been shortlisted for my writing before and that boost of confidence carried me through a time in my writing journey when I felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall and getting nowhere.”
Then came the gala night at the Romance Writers of Australia Conference in Glenelg, South Australia.
“To hear my manuscript announced as the winner was mind-blowing! I’m pretty sure I didn’t sleep that night. Definitely a feeling I’ll never forget!”
Everything started to happen very quickly
After the Emerald Award win, things moved fast. “I was approached by publishers – in person, via my website, and even had one slide into my DMs on Instagram! – requesting to read my manuscript, and three weeks later I was offered a two-book deal with Allen & Unwin.”
The phone call was one she’ll never forget. “I can’t remember anything I said after the offer was made. There was shock, utter joy, relief that I’d finally done it, and an overwhelming sense of achievement. I sat down and had a little cry – happy tears, of course – then called my husband and family to give them the amazing news.”
Leearna has dreamed of being a published author since before she can remember. “I’ve worked towards making that dream a reality for years, so I’ve spent a long time imagining what that might look like. But never in a million years did I imagine my writing would win awards! I’m grateful every day that it did, because winning that award changed my life.”
A publishing dream come true
The publishing journey itself has been a revelation. “I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone and achieved things I never dreamed of. There’s been a lot of hard work, terrifying deadlines and second-guessing myself, but I’ve also met wonderful people, created a beautiful story I’m proud of and ticked off a life-long dream.”
And there’s more to come. Leearna’s second book – also with Allen & Unwin – is a heartwarming rural romance set in a picturesque town years after bushfires ravaged the community. “Think beautiful but perilous mountains, guilty secrets, a grumpy but good-looking neighbour, horses with main character energy, a tight-knit community and, of course, two people falling in love when they least expect it. I adore this story, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
In the meantime, Leearna still works part-time, shuttles her kids to and from school and sport seven days a week, and puts in the hours working outside on their property – but she protects her writing time a little more ferociously now. “I don’t book appointments or catchups with friends on my writing days, and I still carry my laptop wherever I go in case I can steal a spare moment to get some words down.
“I don’t think I’d be where I am today without the Australian Writers’ Centre and their wonderful courses,” Leearna says. “It was such a worthwhile and nurturing experience that culminated in me having the confidence and tools I needed to rewrite my manuscript before going on to win the Emerald Award and signing a two-book deal with my dream publisher. The success I found – and the success of so many other graduates – speaks for itself. If you’ve been thinking about signing up for one of their courses, take this as your sign to go for it!”
You can follow Leearna’s writing journey on Instagram and on Facebook. She currently lives in Kinglake West, Victoria.
Courses completed at AWC:
