An insider’s guide to story structure
By Allison Tait Do you know an inciting incident from an exciting accident? Do you know what needs to happen at the mid-point of your
VIDEO: Kate Forsyth on her novel, ‘The Crimson Thread’
Dr Kate Forsyth is an award -winning author, poet, and storyteller. Her most recent novel is The Crimson Thread, a reimagining of ‘The Minotaur in
Q&A: Why are sick people called “patients”?
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
So you want to be a natural history writer
Love koalas, nature and writing? You might be interested in the life of a natural history writer. But what is a natural history writer and
Writing Podcast Episode 505: Reece Carter on how his debut novel ‘A Girl Called Corpse’ started an international bidding war
Reece Carter on how his debut novel A Girl Called Corpse started an international bidding war. The essential element of a good opening to a
COMP CLOSED ‘A Kind of Magic’ by Anna Spargo-Ryan
This week’s giveaway book is A Kind of Magic from Anna Spargo-Ryan – an acclaimed nonfiction writer and author of two novels, The Gulf and
10 great reasons to write short stories
Whether you’re beginning your writing journey or looking for a distraction from your latest novel manuscript, short stories are a great way for writers to
Copywriting Podcast Episode 044: How to find more clients than you can handle (after only six months of starting out) with guest Helen Knight
After six months of being a business, Helen Knight had more clients than she could poke a stick at. She emailed me to ask me
Writing Podcast Episode 504: Minnie Darke on her latest novel ‘With Love From Wish & Co’ and why she also writes under the names Danielle Wood and Angelica Banks.
Minnie Darke on her latest novel With Love From Wish & Co and why she also write under the names Danielle Wood and Angelica Banks.
Q&A: “Gallivant” vs “galavant”?
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
VIDEO: Polly Phillips on her novel ‘The Reunion’
Polly Phillips currently lives in Australia, although she is originally from the UK. She’s the author of The Reunion and My Best Friend’s Murder, which
Writing Podcast Episode 503: Petronella McGovern reveals her writing process behind her psychological suspense novel ‘The Liars’.
Petronella McGovern on building a successful career writing psychological suspense. Her third novel, The Liars, is out now. We also talk about tips for self-editing
COMP CLOSED ‘The Book of Phobias and Manias’ by Kate Summerscale
The History of the World in 99 Obsessions… This week’s giveaway book is The Book of Phobias and Manias by Kate Summerscale – a thrilling
8 songs about writing to use in your Instagram reels
By Allison Tait In case you haven’t heard, everyone’s jumping on board the Reels train to expand Instagram engagement. If you’ve been living under a
My Big Break: Author Carla Fitzgerald on how she got her book deals
Carla Fitzgerald is author of the picture book Keeping Up with the Dachshunds and the middle grade novel How to be Prime Minister and Survive
Writing Podcast Episode 502: Comedian and TV presenter James O’Loghlin on his first novel for adults, Criminals.
Comedian and TV presenter James O’Loghlin on his first novel for adults, Criminals. Author Carla Fitzgerald talks about how she got her big break. And
Q&A: “Camouflage”?
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
VIDEO: Emily Henry on her novel, ‘Book Lovers’
Emily Henry is the author of Book Lovers and other butterfly-inducing romantic comedies. Her novels Beach Read and You & Me on Vacation were both New York Times bestsellers, and Jodi
Writing Podcast Episode 501: A.G Slatter (Angela Slatter) on how she developed her author career and her latest novel ‘The Path of Thorns’.
A.G Slatter (Angela Slatter) talks to Valerie Khoo on how she developed her author career and her latest novel The Path of Thorns. Publishers who
Why I loved the Northern Beaches Readers Festival SO MUCH
By Valerie Khoo I loved the Northern Beaches Readers Festival for SO MANY reasons. And if this year’s event is anything to go by, I
COMP CLOSED ‘The Book Eaters’ by Sunyi Dean
“Truth is found between the stories we’re fed and the stories we hunger for…” This week’s giveaway book is The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
How Ellie Marney got the idea that sparked ‘The Killing Code’
By Ellie Marney About ten years ago, I watched a BBC Television production called The Bletchley Circle, an historical drama about four women who worked
Copywriting Podcast Episode 043: How to charge for your copywriting work
Christian Simovic is a man on a mission. At just 22 years old and with only 10 months under his belt as an email copywriter,
VIDEO: Veronica Lando on her novel, ‘The Whispering’
Veronica Lando is an Australian crime author who won the 2021 Banjo Prize for her then-unpublished manuscript The Whispering. As a child, she grew up above
Writing Podcast Episode 500: Ruth Ware, author of The IT Girl, on how she has hit the New York Times bestseller list 7 times!
In this week’s episode: Ruth Ware, author of The IT Girl, on how she has hit the New York Times bestseller list 7 times! And
An insider’s guide to story structure
By Allison Tait Do you know an inciting incident from an exciting accident? Do you know what needs to happen at the mid-point of your story? Have you heard of the three-act structure? Structure is one of those areas of writing fiction that can feel both simple and incredibly complicated.
VIDEO: Kate Forsyth on her novel, ‘The Crimson Thread’
Dr Kate Forsyth is an award -winning author, poet, and storyteller. Her most recent novel is The Crimson Thread, a reimagining of ‘The Minotaur in the Labyrinth’ myth set in Crete during the Nazi invasion and occupation of World War II. Her other historical novels include Beauty in Thorns, a
Q&A: Why are sick people called “patients”?
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, give me patients… Q: Hi
So you want to be a natural history writer
Love koalas, nature and writing? You might be interested in the life of a natural history writer. But what is a natural history writer and what do they actually write about? We talk to Danielle Clode, a biologist and natural history writer. She is the author of five books, including
Writing Podcast Episode 505: Reece Carter on how his debut novel ‘A Girl Called Corpse’ started an international bidding war
Reece Carter on how his debut novel A Girl Called Corpse started an international bidding war. The essential element of a good opening to a story. And what are ‘ghost words’? And win A Kind of Magic, a memoir from Anna Spargo-Ryan. You can listen to the episode below, on
COMP CLOSED ‘A Kind of Magic’ by Anna Spargo-Ryan
This week’s giveaway book is A Kind of Magic from Anna Spargo-Ryan – an acclaimed nonfiction writer and author of two novels, The Gulf and The Paper House. This latest memoir is all about anxiety, our minds and optimism in spite of it all. We have three copies to be
10 great reasons to write short stories
Whether you’re beginning your writing journey or looking for a distraction from your latest novel manuscript, short stories are a great way for writers to grow. In fact, we’ve collected 10 great reasons to consider making your next story a short one! 1. You get instant gratification It’s incredibly rewarding
Copywriting Podcast Episode 044: How to find more clients than you can handle (after only six months of starting out) with guest Helen Knight
After six months of being a business, Helen Knight had more clients than she could poke a stick at. She emailed me to ask me if I had any copywriters I could refer to her and she has never looked back. What a wonderful way to kickstart your copywriting career.
Writing Podcast Episode 504: Minnie Darke on her latest novel ‘With Love From Wish & Co’ and why she also writes under the names Danielle Wood and Angelica Banks.
Minnie Darke on her latest novel With Love From Wish & Co and why she also write under the names Danielle Wood and Angelica Banks. Plus: the rise and rise of rom com books. And our new segment: My Big Break. Here, children’s author Carla Fitzgerald talks about what she
Q&A: “Gallivant” vs “galavant”?
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, the gallivant in the room…
VIDEO: Polly Phillips on her novel ‘The Reunion’
Polly Phillips currently lives in Australia, although she is originally from the UK. She’s the author of The Reunion and My Best Friend’s Murder, which won the Montegrappa Writing Prize at the Emirates Literature Festival in 2019. Polly has also worked as a journalist in Australia, Dubai, Denmark and the
Writing Podcast Episode 503: Petronella McGovern reveals her writing process behind her psychological suspense novel ‘The Liars’.
Petronella McGovern on building a successful career writing psychological suspense. Her third novel, The Liars, is out now. We also talk about tips for self-editing and more! And win copies of The Book of Phobias and Manias by Kate Summerscale. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts,
COMP CLOSED ‘The Book of Phobias and Manias’ by Kate Summerscale
The History of the World in 99 Obsessions… This week’s giveaway book is The Book of Phobias and Manias by Kate Summerscale – a thrilling compendium of our deepest fears and obsessions by the bestselling author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. We have three copies to be won. Here’s
8 songs about writing to use in your Instagram reels
By Allison Tait In case you haven’t heard, everyone’s jumping on board the Reels train to expand Instagram engagement. If you’ve been living under a rock and are not familiar with Instagram Reels, these are short, 15-90 second video clips. Wait, whaaat? You thought Instagram was all about photos, not
My Big Break: Author Carla Fitzgerald on how she got her book deals
Carla Fitzgerald is author of the picture book Keeping Up with the Dachshunds and the middle grade novel How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five. Carla has done many courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre and, in this video, she talks about how she got her big break.
Writing Podcast Episode 502: Comedian and TV presenter James O’Loghlin on his first novel for adults, Criminals.
Comedian and TV presenter James O’Loghlin on his first novel for adults, Criminals. Author Carla Fitzgerald talks about how she got her big break. And 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
Q&A: “Camouflage”?
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 having lessons in disguise…
VIDEO: Emily Henry on her novel, ‘Book Lovers’
Emily Henry is the author of Book Lovers and other butterfly-inducing romantic comedies. Her novels Beach Read and You & Me on Vacation were both New York Times bestsellers, and Jodi Picoult calls her ‘my newest automatic-buy author.’ Emily studied creative writing at Hope College and now lives and writes in the American Midwest. This interview
Writing Podcast Episode 501: A.G Slatter (Angela Slatter) on how she developed her author career and her latest novel ‘The Path of Thorns’.
A.G Slatter (Angela Slatter) talks to Valerie Khoo on how she developed her author career and her latest novel The Path of Thorns. Publishers who accept unsolicited submissions – and how to make sure your manuscript is ready! Plus we have 3 copies of The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Why I loved the Northern Beaches Readers Festival SO MUCH
By Valerie Khoo I loved the Northern Beaches Readers Festival for SO MANY reasons. And if this year’s event is anything to go by, I suggest putting next year’s dates in your diary now. The name of the festival may sound parochial (and, I agree, it does), but I believe
COMP CLOSED ‘The Book Eaters’ by Sunyi Dean
“Truth is found between the stories we’re fed and the stories we hunger for…” This week’s giveaway book is The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean – described as “a darkly sweet pastry of a book about family, betrayal, and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. A
How Ellie Marney got the idea that sparked ‘The Killing Code’
By Ellie Marney About ten years ago, I watched a BBC Television production called The Bletchley Circle, an historical drama about four women who worked as codebreakers at Bletchley Park during WWII, and how they regroup a decade after the war to solve a mystery. I was completely fascinated by
Copywriting Podcast Episode 043: How to charge for your copywriting work
Christian Simovic is a man on a mission. At just 22 years old and with only 10 months under his belt as an email copywriter, he has taken the risky path of offering his clients a no-results-no pay model. Gutsy? Yes, but it works and in this session he shows
VIDEO: Veronica Lando on her novel, ‘The Whispering’
Veronica Lando is an Australian crime author who won the 2021 Banjo Prize for her then-unpublished manuscript The Whispering. As a child, she grew up above her parents’ Melbourne bookstore, surrounded by other people’s stories. Now, as an adult, she lives in Queensland and enjoys using the uniquely wild and sometimes
Writing Podcast Episode 500: Ruth Ware, author of The IT Girl, on how she has hit the New York Times bestseller list 7 times!
In this week’s episode: Ruth Ware, author of The IT Girl, on how she has hit the New York Times bestseller list 7 times! And join our celebration with a mystery guest you all know and love! Plus we have copies of Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson to give
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