Q&A: Award name origins
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 264 Meet Fiona McIntosh, author of ‘The Pearl Thief’ and ‘How to Write Your Blockbuster’
In Episode 264 of So you want to be a writer: Happy new year! You’ll meet Fiona McIntosh, author of The Pearl Thief and How to Write Your
The 2019 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing is now open
Do you write for young adults or kids? Here’s exciting news: the 2019 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing is now open! From
COMP CLOSED: Win David Astle’s ‘Rewording the Brain’
Our giveaway book this week is Rewording the Brain – by master wordsmith and crossword guru David Astle. In it, he shows how cryptic crosswords
Can you solve our holiday Cryptic Clues Quiz?
If you’re familiar with cryptic crosswords, you’re in for a treat. Even if you’re not familiar, see if you can guess the following 20 writing-related
COMP CLOSED: Pop Bing – win ‘Words That Go Ping’!
Happy 2019! We hope that you had a whizz-bang festive season and that you’re ready to smash, crash and KERBLAM your way into your best
10 online courses to make you a better writer
There’s nothing like the convenience of online learning to help you fit personal projects around your busy schedule. And if you’ve had the same writing
The top 18 Q&As of 2018
Each week for more than four years, our Q&A column has sought to answer (in a roundabout way) the tricky questions, anomalies and outright outrageous
Furious Fiction December 2018 winner and bumper holiday shortlist
Ho ho hope you’re having a wonderful time this Christmas season. And just in time for the holiday, here are our picks from December’s Furious
Short story competitions to enter in 2019
New year, new story! It’s time to dust off those short story ideas and enter some competitions in 2019. These opportunities are a great way
Q&A: Merry Christmas vs Happy Christmas
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 263 ‘Ask Us Anything’ Christmas special!
In Episode 263 of So you want to be a writer: Val and Al open up the podcast to your questions in an “Ask Us Anything” Christmas
The 2019 Woollahra Digital Literary Award is now open
Now in its third year, The Woollahra Digital Literary Award is a national literary award supporting innovation in Australian literature and publishing, encouraging writers producing
‘So you want to be a writer’ top 10 podcast episodes for 2018
It seems like yesterday that we kicked off 2018 with Episode 218 of the popular podcast series So you want to be a writer with
Writing Podcast Episode 262 We chat to Bernadette Schwerdt, author of ‘How to Build an Online Business’
In Episode 261 of So you want to be a writer: Discover a whole heap of literary gifts for Christmas. Meet Bernadette Schwerdt, SEO copywriter and author
Q&A: Tortuous vs torturous
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
What inspires children’s writer and AWC presenter Sue Whiting
AWC presenter of How to Write for Children and Young Adults, Sue Whiting has had two books published this year, Beware the Deep Dark Forest for
10 out of 10 – meet the Furious Fiction superfans!
Back in February 2018, the Australian Writers’ Centre introduced Furious Fiction – a brand new short story writing competition where your 500-word story could win
Q&A: Flaunt vs flout
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
Indie Book Awards for 2019
Australian Independent Booksellers are thrilled to announce their Longlist for the Indie Book Awards 2019! From the Indie Book Awards media release: “Established in 2008,
Writing Podcast Episode 261 We chat to Alice Pung, author of ‘Close to Home’
In Episode 261 of So you want to be a writer: Discover planning tips for the next year and meet Alice Pung, author of Close to Home.
COMP CLOSED: Win our 12-book summer reading pack!
It’s the 12th month of the year, so what better way to celebrate summer than with a 12-book pack giveaway! That’s right folks – one
Penelope Janu’s trifecta – published three times in one year
A huge congratulations to AWC’s creative writing graduate Penelope Janu on the publication of three books this year, including On the Same Page, which also
Writing Podcast Episode 260 Meet B.M. Carroll, author of ‘The Missing Pieces of Sophie McCarthy’
In Episode 260 of So you want to be a writer: Tips on how to find and afford good editors. Meet B.M. Carroll, author of The Missing
COMP CLOSED: Win a 2019 Australian Literary Diary
We’re excited to be giving away three copies of the inaugural Australian Literary Diary – the ideal organisation tool for readers, writers and book lovers.
Q&A: Award name origins
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 Oscar, Grammy and Emmy all
Writing Podcast Episode 264 Meet Fiona McIntosh, author of ‘The Pearl Thief’ and ‘How to Write Your Blockbuster’
In Episode 264 of So you want to be a writer: Happy new year! You’ll meet Fiona McIntosh, author of The Pearl Thief and How to Write Your Blockbuster. Val and Al answer more of your listener questions. Plus, we have 3 copies of Rewording the Brain by David Astle to give away.
The 2019 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing is now open
Do you write for young adults or kids? Here’s exciting news: the 2019 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing is now open! From the Text Publishing website: The Text Prize aims to discover incredible new books for young adults and children by Australian and New Zealand writers. Published
COMP CLOSED: Win David Astle’s ‘Rewording the Brain’
Our giveaway book this week is Rewording the Brain – by master wordsmith and crossword guru David Astle. In it, he shows how cryptic crosswords can boost your brain power and improve your memory and cognitive capacity. Recent studies have shown that puzzle-solving and wordplay are among the most effective
Can you solve our holiday Cryptic Clues Quiz?
If you’re familiar with cryptic crosswords, you’re in for a treat. Even if you’re not familiar, see if you can guess the following 20 writing-related clues. Each clue typically has a ‘straight’ clue and a ‘cryptic clue’ – with the latter using things like anagrams, hidden words and other tricks
COMP CLOSED: Pop Bing – win ‘Words That Go Ping’!
Happy 2019! We hope that you had a whizz-bang festive season and that you’re ready to smash, crash and KERBLAM your way into your best year yet. And if that hasn’t got your “onomatopoeia” instincts piqued, then maybe this week’s book giveaway will. It’s called Words That Go Ping by
10 online courses to make you a better writer
There’s nothing like the convenience of online learning to help you fit personal projects around your busy schedule. And if you’ve had the same writing resolutions popping up on your list again after again – why not make 2019 YOUR year to make them happen. Your future self will high
The top 18 Q&As of 2018
Each week for more than four years, our Q&A column has sought to answer (in a roundabout way) the tricky questions, anomalies and outright outrageous behaviour of the English language. The answers aren’t always clear cut, but the banter is definitely always top shelf. Please enjoy our favourites from the
Furious Fiction December 2018 winner and bumper holiday shortlist
Ho ho hope you’re having a wonderful time this Christmas season. And just in time for the holiday, here are our picks from December’s Furious Fiction! This month’s criteria were: Each story had to take place on Christmas Eve EITHER 50 years ago OR 50 years into the future. The
Short story competitions to enter in 2019
New year, new story! It’s time to dust off those short story ideas and enter some competitions in 2019. These opportunities are a great way to stretch your writing muscles and hone your craft. And who knows – you could win some cash for your words. If you’re looking to
Q&A: Merry Christmas vs Happy Christmas
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 are merrily singing happy
Writing Podcast Episode 263 ‘Ask Us Anything’ Christmas special!
In Episode 263 of So you want to be a writer: Val and Al open up the podcast to your questions in an “Ask Us Anything” Christmas special! And, have you entered the 12-book summer reading pack competition yet? Click play below to listen to the podcast. You can also listen on
The 2019 Woollahra Digital Literary Award is now open
Now in its third year, The Woollahra Digital Literary Award is a national literary award supporting innovation in Australian literature and publishing, encouraging writers producing work in a digital medium. From the Woollahra Municipal Council website: The award seeks submissions of a literary nature that are digitally born – published
‘So you want to be a writer’ top 10 podcast episodes for 2018
It seems like yesterday that we kicked off 2018 with Episode 218 of the popular podcast series So you want to be a writer with our CEO, Valerie Khoo and children’s’ author Allison Tait. And now, within the blink of the eye and 45 episodes later we find ourselves knocking
Writing Podcast Episode 262 We chat to Bernadette Schwerdt, author of ‘How to Build an Online Business’
In Episode 261 of So you want to be a writer: Discover a whole heap of literary gifts for Christmas. Meet Bernadette Schwerdt, SEO copywriter and author of How to Build an Online Business. Plus we have a 12-book giveaway up for grabs. Don’t miss out. Click play below to listen to
Q&A: Tortuous vs torturous
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 has been torturous leading up
What inspires children’s writer and AWC presenter Sue Whiting
AWC presenter of How to Write for Children and Young Adults, Sue Whiting has had two books published this year, Beware the Deep Dark Forest for 3-6-year-olds and Missing, a middle-grade contemporary mystery novel, both published by Walker Books Australia. Sue is author of more than 60 children’s non-fiction, picture books,
10 out of 10 – meet the Furious Fiction superfans!
Back in February 2018, the Australian Writers’ Centre introduced Furious Fiction – a brand new short story writing competition where your 500-word story could win $500AU cash every month – with no entry fee whatsoever! Needless to say, the competition (open to anyone 17 years and over, anywhere on the
Q&A: Flaunt vs flout
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 are proudly flaunting it!
Indie Book Awards for 2019
Australian Independent Booksellers are thrilled to announce their Longlist for the Indie Book Awards 2019! From the Indie Book Awards media release: “Established in 2008, what makes the Indie Book Awards unique is that it’s the Australian independent booksellers themselves who nominate their best titles for the year; select the
Writing Podcast Episode 261 We chat to Alice Pung, author of ‘Close to Home’
In Episode 261 of So you want to be a writer: Discover planning tips for the next year and meet Alice Pung, author of Close to Home. We have a HUGE stash of books to give away to one lucky winner. Plus, the Newcastle Short Story Award is now open and more.
COMP CLOSED: Win our 12-book summer reading pack!
It’s the 12th month of the year, so what better way to celebrate summer than with a 12-book pack giveaway! That’s right folks – one lucky winner will be starting 2019 with a big enough stack of bookish delights that they could easily turn it into a bedside table. But
Penelope Janu’s trifecta – published three times in one year
A huge congratulations to AWC’s creative writing graduate Penelope Janu on the publication of three books this year, including On the Same Page, which also won the prestigious 2017 XO Romance Prize. On the Same Page tells the story of Miles Franklin (named after the famous author), who is a
Writing Podcast Episode 260 Meet B.M. Carroll, author of ‘The Missing Pieces of Sophie McCarthy’
In Episode 260 of So you want to be a writer: Tips on how to find and afford good editors. Meet B.M. Carroll, author of The Missing Pieces of Sophie McCarthy. Discover your chance to win a copy of the inaugural Australian Literary Diary and more. Click play below to listen to
COMP CLOSED: Win a 2019 Australian Literary Diary
We’re excited to be giving away three copies of the inaugural Australian Literary Diary – the ideal organisation tool for readers, writers and book lovers. It is a week to a page planner packed with the good stuff – the major and regional Australian literary festivals, the cute book town
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