5 top tips for writing commercial fiction
What does it take to write a book that sells to a wide audience? Is there a secret to creating popular, accessible stories? We’ve curated
COMP CLOSED: ‘Blurb Your Enthusiasm’ by Louise Willder
A dazzling dictionary of book blurbs, filled with writing tips, literary folklore and publishing secrets… This week’s giveaway is a joyful celebration of books –
Writing Podcast Episode 520: Nikki Crutchley on her novel ‘In Her Blood’ and how self-publishing led to her agent and book deal.
Nikki Crutchley on her novel In Her Blood and how self-publishing led to her agent and book deal, old dictionaries, how John Steinbeck write his
Copywriting Podcast Episode 048: How to become a copywriting influencer, with guest Danielle Lewis
For 95% of beginner copywriters, finding clients is the bane of their existence. Well, what if I told you there was a way you could
VIDEO: Reece Carter on his brilliant middle grade novel ‘A Girl Called Corpse’
Reece Carter is the author of A Girl Called Corpse, which was published after an international bidding war between publishers vying for the book. He
Authors you loved listening to this year
2022 has been another big year for the So You Want to be a Writer podcast. This year, there have been 55 episodes (and 55
Top 10 Q&As of 2022
Q: Is it that time of year again? A: It certainly is. Q: It was a very eventful year. A: A lot happened, yes. But
7 signs you’ll be a great travel writer
Keen to explore new places near and far – and get paid for it? It is possible: travel writing is a great way to set
AWC graduate Shannon Meyerkort’s brilliant book about …. Brilliant Minds
Shannon Meyerkort has been riding high since the release of her first book Brilliant Minds: 30 Dyslexic Heroes Who Changed Our World. While the idea initially started as a personal research project, it turned into a hugely popular book when Affirm Press offered her a book deal.
Writing Podcast Episode 519: Katie McMahon on her novel ‘The Accident’ and combining writing with her work as a medical doctor.
Katie McMahon on her novel The Accident and combining writing with her work as a medical doctor. Claiming your author page on Goodreads even before
Why now is a great time to start writing
We’re heading into my favourite time of the year and it has nothing to do with tinsel and ham or any other festive celebration. Nope,
Record number of books published in 2022 by AWC graduates
We checked our list, we counted it twice, and we still have no idea who is naughty or nice – BUT we are delighted to
2022/23 Holiday Cryptic Clues Quiz
Ahhhh… the holidays – a perfect time to relax and give yourself a well-earned rest, right? OR you could spend it testing your brain’s limits
VIDEO: Jo Riccioni on her young adult novel ‘The Branded’
Jo Riccioni is the author of the young adult novel, The Branded. She is also a short story writer and creative writing teacher. Her first
VIDEO: New York Times bestselling author Ellie Marney on her novel ‘The Killing Code’
Ellie Marney is a New York Times bestselling and multi-award-winning crime author who has gone behind the scenes at the Westminster Mortuary in London and
Q&A: Is it “Columbia” or “Colombia”?
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
9 online courses to do this summer
Ah the allure of summer. Where you can sit outside getting sunburnt, frantically waving flies from your face, while sweat falls from your skin in
Writing Podcast Episode 518: Jo Riccioni on her young adult novel, ‘The Branded’.
Jo Riccioni on her young adult novel, The Branded and why she loves mentoring teenagers. Useful apps for freelance writers. And much more. Also win
COMP CLOSED: ‘What Writers Read’ edited by Pandora Sykes
We’re closing in on the final days of 2022 – and this week’s giveaway book seems fitting. It’s a collection of What Writers Read –
VIDEO: Sean Williams, author of Honour Among Ghosts (and six Star Wars novels!)
Sean Williams is an award-winning, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of 50 novels and over 120 short stories for adults, young adults and children. His
VIDEO: Minnie Darke on her novel ‘With Love From Wish And Co’
Minnie Darke is the author of With Love From Wish And Co, The Lost Love Song, and the bestselling novel Star-crossed, which won the Margaret
7 last-minute gifts for writers
Google ‘gifts for writers’ and you’ll discover an endless array of coffee mugs and pretty notebooks. But the truth is that what most writers want
Q&A: “Luggage” vs “baggage”
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 517: Children’s author Belinda Murrell on her latest novel ‘The Silver Sea’ and a career spanning more than 35 books.
Children’s author Belinda Murrell on her latest novel The Silver Sea and a career spanning more than 35 books. Where did collective nouns originate and
How Gabriella Margo became a published romance writer
“I have always been a big reader, and I thought it might be interesting to learn some new skills. I didn’t really intend to do anything with them, but that’s not how things panned out!” Gabriella told us.
Her latest romance novel All’s Fair in Love and Tequila is set to be released by Harlequin/HarperCollins in December, while her previous manuscript Tulips from Mal was a finalist in the Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Award and is available now independently.
5 top tips for writing commercial fiction
What does it take to write a book that sells to a wide audience? Is there a secret to creating popular, accessible stories? We’ve curated this selection of writing tips direct from authors who have been featured on the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast – click the
COMP CLOSED: ‘Blurb Your Enthusiasm’ by Louise Willder
A dazzling dictionary of book blurbs, filled with writing tips, literary folklore and publishing secrets… This week’s giveaway is a joyful celebration of books – the perfect gift for bibliophiles, word lovers and anyone who’s ever wondered, ‘should you judge a book by its cover?’ The book is Blurb Your
Writing Podcast Episode 520: Nikki Crutchley on her novel ‘In Her Blood’ and how self-publishing led to her agent and book deal.
Nikki Crutchley on her novel In Her Blood and how self-publishing led to her agent and book deal, old dictionaries, how John Steinbeck write his books and much more. And win copies of Blurb Your Enthusiasm by Louise Wilder. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on
Copywriting Podcast Episode 048: How to become a copywriting influencer, with guest Danielle Lewis
For 95% of beginner copywriters, finding clients is the bane of their existence. Well, what if I told you there was a way you could avoid all that? This approach has clients clicking on YOUR profile, and directly messaging YOU — not you painfully messaging them. No more Upwork, Fiverr,
VIDEO: Reece Carter on his brilliant middle grade novel ‘A Girl Called Corpse’
Reece Carter is the author of A Girl Called Corpse, which was published after an international bidding war between publishers vying for the book. He grew up on his family farm in Tammin, Western Australia. There was an unfortunate lack of witches and ghosts though, so Reece had to find
Authors you loved listening to this year
2022 has been another big year for the So You Want to be a Writer podcast. This year, there have been 55 episodes (and 55 words of the week!) and Valerie has interviewed 58 writers. Not only did we celebrate our 500th episode, we’re at over 2.3 million downloads. Wow!
Top 10 Q&As of 2022
Q: Is it that time of year again? A: It certainly is. Q: It was a very eventful year. A: A lot happened, yes. But every week, we somehow kept turning up with something new to explore. Q: I know, right? The English language is the gift that keeps on
7 signs you’ll be a great travel writer
Keen to explore new places near and far – and get paid for it? It is possible: travel writing is a great way to set up an extra income stream without having to quit your day job, and it can help scratch that creative itch too. Read on for 7
AWC graduate Shannon Meyerkort’s brilliant book about …. Brilliant Minds
Shannon Meyerkort has been riding high since the release of her first book Brilliant Minds: 30 Dyslexic Heroes Who Changed Our World. While the idea initially started as a personal research project, it turned into a hugely popular book when Affirm Press offered her a book deal.
Writing Podcast Episode 519: Katie McMahon on her novel ‘The Accident’ and combining writing with her work as a medical doctor.
Katie McMahon on her novel The Accident and combining writing with her work as a medical doctor. Claiming your author page on Goodreads even before your book is published, silient letters, how language evolved and much more. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or
Why now is a great time to start writing
We’re heading into my favourite time of the year and it has nothing to do with tinsel and ham or any other festive celebration. Nope, the best period of any year, for me, is that weird period between Christmas and New Year. Long days with nothing much to do except
Record number of books published in 2022 by AWC graduates
We checked our list, we counted it twice, and we still have no idea who is naughty or nice – BUT we are delighted to announce that our graduates published more than 50 books throughout 2022. What an absolute bonanza! This amazing publishing success has come in the shape of
2022/23 Holiday Cryptic Clues Quiz
Ahhhh… the holidays – a perfect time to relax and give yourself a well-earned rest, right? OR you could spend it testing your brain’s limits – with our now-infamous 5th annual holiday cryptic clues quiz! New to solving cryptic clues? They’re not as scary as they seem! Check out this
VIDEO: Jo Riccioni on her young adult novel ‘The Branded’
Jo Riccioni is the author of the young adult novel, The Branded. She is also a short story writer and creative writing teacher. Her first novel The Italians at Cleat’s Corner Store won the fiction category of the International Rubery Award and was long-listed for the New Angle Prize in
VIDEO: New York Times bestselling author Ellie Marney on her novel ‘The Killing Code’
Ellie Marney is a New York Times bestselling and multi-award-winning crime author who has gone behind the scenes at the Westminster Mortuary in London and interviewed forensic and technical specialists around the world in pursuit of just the right details for her brand of pulse-pounding thrillers. Her titles include The
Q&A: Is it “Columbia” or “Colombia”?
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 bags of fun…
9 online courses to do this summer
Ah the allure of summer. Where you can sit outside getting sunburnt, frantically waving flies from your face, while sweat falls from your skin in salty cascades… On second thought, why not stay inside in the aircon and learn a new skill instead? For those of you who would much
Writing Podcast Episode 518: Jo Riccioni on her young adult novel, ‘The Branded’.
Jo Riccioni on her young adult novel, The Branded and why she loves mentoring teenagers. Useful apps for freelance writers. And much more. Also win copies of What Writers Read by Pandora Sykes. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually
COMP CLOSED: ‘What Writers Read’ edited by Pandora Sykes
We’re closing in on the final days of 2022 – and this week’s giveaway book seems fitting. It’s a collection of What Writers Read – with 35 writers sharing their favourite book (and some words about why it’s their favourite!), edited by Pandora Sykes. We have three copies to be
VIDEO: Sean Williams, author of Honour Among Ghosts (and six Star Wars novels!)
Sean Williams is an award-winning, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of 50 novels and over 120 short stories for adults, young adults and children. His original fiction includes the novels Honour Among Ghosts, Her Perilious Mansion, Twinmaker, Impossible Music, and more. He has contributed to shared universes such as Star
VIDEO: Minnie Darke on her novel ‘With Love From Wish And Co’
Minnie Darke is the author of With Love From Wish And Co, The Lost Love Song, and the bestselling novel Star-crossed, which won the Margaret Scott People’s Choice Award and is now published in over 30 countries. Minnie also writes under the names Danielle Wood and Angelica Banks. She lives
7 last-minute gifts for writers
Google ‘gifts for writers’ and you’ll discover an endless array of coffee mugs and pretty notebooks. But the truth is that what most writers want for Christmas is time – time to write, time to think, time to dream. So perhaps your first port-of-call for your last-minute gift for the
Q&A: “Luggage” vs “baggage”
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 bags of fun…
Writing Podcast Episode 517: Children’s author Belinda Murrell on her latest novel ‘The Silver Sea’ and a career spanning more than 35 books.
Children’s author Belinda Murrell on her latest novel The Silver Sea and a career spanning more than 35 books. Where did collective nouns originate and techniques on how to make your character drive the story forward when writing fiction. Also, win copies of Wish You Were Here by Karly Lane. You
How Gabriella Margo became a published romance writer
“I have always been a big reader, and I thought it might be interesting to learn some new skills. I didn’t really intend to do anything with them, but that’s not how things panned out!” Gabriella told us.
Her latest romance novel All’s Fair in Love and Tequila is set to be released by Harlequin/HarperCollins in December, while her previous manuscript Tulips from Mal was a finalist in the Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Award and is available now independently.
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