This could be you | Australian Writers' Centre

Paula Stevenson smiling with Buster follows his nose cover

Paula Stevenson publishes her debut picture book ‘Buster Follows His Nose’

After moving from Sydney to a rural beef cattle property, Paula Stevenson found she had more time to devote to writing. Inspired by the stunning bushland in her new home and the with the arrival of her grandchildren, she became was inspired to write her own picture books and enrolled in Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers' Centre.

Bettina Deda publishes her memoir ‘Dare to Dance’

Bettina Deda originally started writing to find out more about her family history and to share their stories with her sons. With the help of Patti Miller’s Life Writing course, Bettina began to explore her own memories and experiences, culminating in the publication of her memoir Dare to Dance, published by Vpi Publishing.

Writing Podcast Episode 490: Karen Foxlee and Freda Chiu on their book ‘Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters’

Meet author Karen Foxlee and illustrator Freda Chiu, the creative duo behind Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters. How to edit your writing. And win Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham. 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 […]

Alex Sarkis stepped out of her comfort zone to find publishing success

Alex Sarkis had enjoyed writing on the side as a hobby from her day job working in accounts. But after ten years of dabbling on her own, she decided it was time to look for guidance by enrolling in a writing course with the Australian Writers' Centre.

How Rashida Tayabali became a freelance writer and author

Rashida Tayabali had always wanted to write, but had been discouraged from studying journalism at university. While working as a marketing coordinator, she decided her maternity leave would be the perfect opportunity to rediscover her old passion. Inspired by a colleague who had done courses at the Australian Writers' Centre, Rashida enrolled in Freelance Writing Stage 1 – and immediately her life changed.

Writing Podcast Episode 485: Meet Rae Cairns, author of the crime thriller ‘The Good Mother'

Meet Rae Cairns, author of The Good Mother, on her journey from indie author to publishing sensation; the most important thing you can do when interviewing someone; where Agatha Christie got all her ideas; and win Anna by Amy Odell, about iconic editor Anna Wintour. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, […]

Cathrine Mahoney quit her day job and wrote her memoir on divorce and dating

Cathrine Mahoney had a successful career as a publicist for the likes of Sony Music, Channel Nine and Nova radio. So why did she make the decision to quit her day job?

How AWC graduate Julie Fison learnt to build suspense in her novel ‘One Punch’

Julie Fison had been writing professionally her whole adult life, having worked as a journalist and published books for kids and young adults. But when she decided to write a novel for adults, she knew there was more she could learn. She turned to the Australian Writers' Centre to hone her skills around plotting and characterisation.

Writing Podcast Episode 483: Bestselling middle-grade author Nat Amoore, author of ‘We Run Tomorrow'

Bestselling middle-grade author Nat Amoore, author of We Run Tomorrow. Cool writing resources and much more. And you could win Family of Liars by E Lockhart in our giveaway. 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 in this […]

Picture book author Millie Lewis with baby

Millie Lewis finds success with her picture book ‘Mr Price's Pet Emporium’

Millie Lewis had an unexpected birthday treat when she received an ‘I'm interested' email from publisher James Layton at Larrikin Books. While on maternity leave from her job as a paediatric psychologist, Millie had turned to writing to reclaim her pre-mummy identity, enrolling in courses at the Australian Writers' Centre. And just a short time later, she had a positive response to her manuscript for Mr Price's Pet Emporium.