Do you need to write every day to be a real author?
Do you need to write every day? I was scrolling through Facebook this week when a post stopped me in my tracks. It was by
COMP CLOSED: ‘The Bowerbird’ by Julia Donaldson
The author of this week’s giveaway is no stranger to the world of picture books. Her book The Gruffalo conquered the hearts of children and
Copywriting Podcast Episode 053: How to make ChatGPT work for you, with AI expert Greg Baker
Has ChatGPT made copywriters redundant? Far from it, according to Greg Baker, a lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Computational Linguistics at Macquarie University. Greg, more
Enter the 2023 Walker Books Manuscript Prize
It’s time to polish your manuscript to enter the 2023 Walker Books Manuscript Prize! Here are the details from the Walker Books website: To coincide
Q&A: “Give way” or “yield”?
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
Making sure your manuscript stands out in the slush pile
How often do you wish you could corner a publisher and ask them exactly what they want? What are they looking for? How do they
Writing Podcast Episode 533: Karina May, author of Duck À L’Orange for Breakfast
Karina May, author of Duck À L’Orange for Breakfast. Can you swear in your novel? And win Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham.
COMP CLOSED: ‘Girl in a Pink Dress’ by Kylie Needham
Two ambitious artists. One act that changes everything. This week’s giveaway is the newly-released Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham – set in
From a career in finance to children’s book author
Katie Jones was possessed by scenes of a story after visiting a haunted house at Disneyland. She felt that she needed help collecting the scenes into a coherent narrative, so she enrolled in Fiction Essentials: Structure at the Australian Writers’ Centre. That manuscript went on to be published as Storybook House, along with the sequel Storybook House 2: A Spirit’s Revenge, both out now with New Holland Publishers.
Q&A: “Checkered” or “chequered”? “Checked” or “check”?
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
Writing Podcast Episode 532: Children’s author Lian Tanner on her latest novel ‘Spellhound’.
Beloved children’s author Lian Tanner on her latest novel Spellhound. How to gamify your writing to get more done. And win Mim and the Disastrous
Three ways to tap into your creativity
I’ve been working as a writer since I was 19 years old, which is … well, a lot of years. One thing I’ve never had
Sandie Docker: Successful women’s fiction author
Although Sandie Docker always imagined she would be published one day, she knew it required a lot of self-belief and determination. But after studying at the Australian Writers’ Centre, Sandie finally found the confidence and passion to keep going until she reached her dream of becoming a women’s fiction author. She has now published three books with Penguin, including The Kookaburra Creek Cafe, The Cottage At Rosella Cove, and The Banksia Bay Beach Shack.
COMP CLOSED: ‘Mim and the Disastrous Dog Show’ (The Travelling Bookshop, #4) by Katrina Nannestad
This week’s giveaway book is filled with fun adventures – a travelling bookshop, a dog show including a disobedient bulldog, a horse called Flossy and
QA: “Grill” vs “grille”
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
Writing Podcast Episode 531: Sandie Docker reveals her inspiration and writing process behind ‘The Redgum River Retreat’
AWC alumna Sandie Docker reveals her inspiration and writing process behind The Redgum River Retreat. Plus: how to write your novel faster. And win The
COMP CLOSED: ‘The Briefest English Grammar and Punctuation Guide Ever!’ by Ruth Colman
If you’ve ever questioned where your commas should go or whether you can really split that infinitive, then this week’s giveaway might help! We’re giving
Copywriting Podcast Episode 052: How to automate your copywriting business to do less and make more, with guest Shanice Miller
They say that a big business is just a small business with systems. So how do you create the systems? How do you know what
Furious Fiction: March 2023 Story Showcase
Welcome to our new-look Furious Fiction monthly story showcase! As always, this will be a place to be inspired by our community’s creativity – and
QA: “Gradation” vs “gradiation” vs “graduation”
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
AI Content vs Human Written Content for SEO
By Kayla Chauvel For decades, one powerful concept has captured the imaginations of millions: artificial intelligence (AI). An evergreen topic in popular culture, it’s been
Writing Podcast Episode 530: Chris Wright, journalist and co-author of ‘The Millionaires’ Factory’.
Chris Wright, journalist and co-author of The Millionaires’ Factory: The inside story of how Macquarie Bank became a global giant. Should you write about real
COMP CLOSED: ‘The Vein of Gold’ by Julia Cameron
This week’s giveaway book is a sensational guide to creative expression by Julia Cameron – the international bestselling author of The Artist’s Way. The Vein
Need to edit your own writing? Here’s where to start
Learning to edit your own writing is an essential part of every author’s life. Even if you plot every sentence out in advance, you will
QA: “Speed” vs “velocity”
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
Do you need to write every day to be a real author?
Do you need to write every day? I was scrolling through Facebook this week when a post stopped me in my tracks. It was by Pamela Freeman, bestselling author and Director of Creative Writing at the Australian Writers’ Centre. Pamela wrote: “I was thinking today about the ‘you must write
COMP CLOSED: ‘The Bowerbird’ by Julia Donaldson
The author of this week’s giveaway is no stranger to the world of picture books. Her book The Gruffalo conquered the hearts of children and adults alike. Now Julia Donaldson is back with her latest picture book The Bowerbird, illustrated by Catherine Rayner, and we have three copies to give
Copywriting Podcast Episode 053: How to make ChatGPT work for you, with AI expert Greg Baker
Has ChatGPT made copywriters redundant? Far from it, according to Greg Baker, a lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and Computational Linguistics at Macquarie University. Greg, more than most, has his finger on the pulse on not just where ChatGPT is heading but how it actually works! He has spent his
Enter the 2023 Walker Books Manuscript Prize
It’s time to polish your manuscript to enter the 2023 Walker Books Manuscript Prize! Here are the details from the Walker Books website: To coincide with Walker’s 30th anniversary in Australia this year, Walker Books Australia is proud to announce the establishment of the Walker Books Manuscript Prize. Walker Books’
Q&A: “Give way” or “yield”?
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’re yielding results… Q: Hi
Making sure your manuscript stands out in the slush pile
How often do you wish you could corner a publisher and ask them exactly what they want? What are they looking for? How do they know when they’ve found it? Well, never fear, for I’ve done it for you. I asked Laura Sieveking, Publisher, Children’s Books at Scholastic Australia, for
Writing Podcast Episode 533: Karina May, author of Duck À L’Orange for Breakfast
Karina May, author of Duck À L’Orange for Breakfast. Can you swear in your novel? And win Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham. 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
COMP CLOSED: ‘Girl in a Pink Dress’ by Kylie Needham
Two ambitious artists. One act that changes everything. This week’s giveaway is the newly-released Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham – set in rural Australia as well as the buzzing Sydney art world. Here’s the blurb: Can one relationship survive two ambitious artists? Frances is an artist in
From a career in finance to children’s book author
Katie Jones was possessed by scenes of a story after visiting a haunted house at Disneyland. She felt that she needed help collecting the scenes into a coherent narrative, so she enrolled in Fiction Essentials: Structure at the Australian Writers’ Centre. That manuscript went on to be published as Storybook House, along with the sequel Storybook House 2: A Spirit’s Revenge, both out now with New Holland Publishers.
Q&A: “Checkered” or “chequered”? “Checked” or “check”?
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, check please… Q: Hi AWC,
Writing Podcast Episode 532: Children’s author Lian Tanner on her latest novel ‘Spellhound’.
Beloved children’s author Lian Tanner on her latest novel Spellhound. How to gamify your writing to get more done. And win Mim and the Disastrous Dog Show from The Travelling Bookshop series by Katrina Nannestad, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on
Three ways to tap into your creativity
I’ve been working as a writer since I was 19 years old, which is … well, a lot of years. One thing I’ve never had any trouble with is ideas. As a magazine journalist, then a freelance writer, my whole job was predicated on new ideas. And I learnt very
Sandie Docker: Successful women’s fiction author
Although Sandie Docker always imagined she would be published one day, she knew it required a lot of self-belief and determination. But after studying at the Australian Writers’ Centre, Sandie finally found the confidence and passion to keep going until she reached her dream of becoming a women’s fiction author. She has now published three books with Penguin, including The Kookaburra Creek Cafe, The Cottage At Rosella Cove, and The Banksia Bay Beach Shack.
COMP CLOSED: ‘Mim and the Disastrous Dog Show’ (The Travelling Bookshop, #4) by Katrina Nannestad
This week’s giveaway book is filled with fun adventures – a travelling bookshop, a dog show including a disobedient bulldog, a horse called Flossy and more. We’re giving away three copies of Mim and the Disastrous Dog Show, the fourth book in the The Travelling Bookshop series by Katrina Nannestad,
QA: “Grill” vs “grille”
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, you go grill… Q: Hi
Writing Podcast Episode 531: Sandie Docker reveals her inspiration and writing process behind ‘The Redgum River Retreat’
AWC alumna Sandie Docker reveals her inspiration and writing process behind The Redgum River Retreat. Plus: how to write your novel faster. And win The Briefest English Grammar and Punctuation Guide Ever! by Ruth Colman. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast
COMP CLOSED: ‘The Briefest English Grammar and Punctuation Guide Ever!’ by Ruth Colman
If you’ve ever questioned where your commas should go or whether you can really split that infinitive, then this week’s giveaway might help! We’re giving away three copies of The Briefest English Grammar and Punctuation Guide Ever! by Ruth Colman. Here’s the blurb: Now in one handy volume: the bestselling
Copywriting Podcast Episode 052: How to automate your copywriting business to do less and make more, with guest Shanice Miller
They say that a big business is just a small business with systems. So how do you create the systems? How do you know what systems to create? What even is a system? If you’re a copywriter looking to fast track the success of a business and want some inside
Furious Fiction: March 2023 Story Showcase
Welcome to our new-look Furious Fiction monthly story showcase! As always, this will be a place to be inspired by our community’s creativity – and perhaps even see YOUR OWN story featured. It’s always so interesting to see how different writers use the monthly challenge criteria, so let’s remind ourselves
QA: “Gradation” vs “gradiation” vs “graduation”
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’re going to grad school…
AI Content vs Human Written Content for SEO
By Kayla Chauvel For decades, one powerful concept has captured the imaginations of millions: artificial intelligence (AI). An evergreen topic in popular culture, it’s been the subject of dozens of bestselling novels and blockbuster films, like Bicentennial Man, Her, Minority Report, and Ex Machina. While we’re still lightyears away from
Writing Podcast Episode 530: Chris Wright, journalist and co-author of ‘The Millionaires’ Factory’.
Chris Wright, journalist and co-author of The Millionaires’ Factory: The inside story of how Macquarie Bank became a global giant. Should you write about real places? And win The Vein of Gold by Julia Cameron. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast
COMP CLOSED: ‘The Vein of Gold’ by Julia Cameron
This week’s giveaway book is a sensational guide to creative expression by Julia Cameron – the international bestselling author of The Artist’s Way. The Vein of Gold takes you on a deep internal journey through seven kingdoms to unlock your creativity – the perfect cure for writer’s block. Here’s the
Need to edit your own writing? Here’s where to start
Learning to edit your own writing is an essential part of every author’s life. Even if you plot every sentence out in advance, you will still need to edit your first complete draft to ensure it’s as good as it can be. If you’re more at the ‘pantser’ end of
QA: “Speed” vs “velocity”
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, there are speed bumps… Q:
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