If you’re a lover of words, at some point you might decide to explore writing fiction. Perhaps you’ve been scribbling out short stories for years, or you may have suddenly developed an itch to tell tales. In any case, taking a course is a great way to start you off
It was the day before Christmas and throughout the world, writers sat waiting and curiosity swirled. Whose holiday was about to get merrier? Let’s find out – here were the criteria… Each story had to include SOMETHING EITHER BEING SENT OR RECEIVED IN THE MAIL. Each story had to include
It was a hot weekend in November when we held our Writing Picture Books course in Perth, the last for 2019. Five students from across the city got together to spend two days learning about the craft of picture books with award-winning author Judith Rossell. In fact, one particularly eager
Every year there are hundreds of literary events across Australia (and the world!). The great news is that these are not just confined to the major cities, with events also being held in regional areas. We’ve whipped up a calendar of Australian writers’ festivals for 2020 so get out your
If you can’t quite believe that 2019 is almost over, don’t worry, you’re not alone! We hope you’ve had a great year with many wonderful achievements. And guess what? 2020 is right around the corner! Which means you can already start planning all the incredible things you’re going to do
Our Brisbane classroom was buzzing earlier this month, with children’s author Zanni Louise leading the weekend Writing Picture Books course. “The course went really well,” Zanni told us. “There was a very warm, positive energy, and heaps of great story ideas.” A typical Writing Picture Books classroom course will have
Writing is a surprisingly physical experience. When you’re caught in the middle of a story, hours can pass while you tap at your keyboard or scratch away at your notebook. When inspiration catches you, time becomes irrelevant. And when you finally step away from your desk, you may find that
Do you write middle grade or young adult fiction? We are excited to share with you this new competition. The Matilda Literature Prize is a brand new inaugural prize from the folks at HarperCollins. The winner of this prize will receive a publishing deal and a $10,000 advance against royalties.
The Penguin Literary Prize 2019 is now open for submissions. Do you have an unpublished manuscript burning a hole in your proverbial drawer? The Penguin Literary Prize value is a whopping $20,000 with the winner also receiving a book every month for a year. Plus, winners have the potential to
Attending a literary event can be very valuable, but it can also be daunting. We’ve talked before about how you can prepare so you get the most out of attending a writers’ festival. But chances are, whether you’re going as a panellist or to listen to talks, you will feel
This is a guest post by Alyss Thomas The Journal Writer’s Companion Journal writing has been proven to help develop greater purpose, clarity, focus and creative self-expression. In her book, The Journal Writer’s Companion, psychotherapist and lifelong journal writer, Alyss Thomas, explores the many types of journal writing and the
Remember that feeling of staying up late past your bedtime curled under the covers with your favourite book? Have you been dreaming since then of writing your own novel? Would you love to one day see your name on a book cover at your local bookstore? Many people long to
What could be more sumptuous than spending a week in Tasmania’s Huon Valley as part of a literary festival? The Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival is a new biennial literary festival. This year’s event will be from 31 October to 5 November 2019 and held in the picturesque Huon
Some writers swear by their creative rituals. And, we get it. Once you get into a creative routine, it can be hard to break – especially if it provides you with inspiration and motivation. We asked Australia’s top authors, poets and illustrators – nominees for the 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary
Every writer dreams of being able to dash away to the Tuscan countryside for a few weeks of uninterrupted writing bliss, gazing upon distant lush hills, finding inspiration in every cup of coffee, and interacting with kind locals … or something of the sort. The reality is that we all
We’re thrilled that five Australian Writers’ Centre alumnae have been announced on the Richell Prize Longlist for 2019. Congratulations to Jennifer Carlisle, Lauren Draper, Kylie Orr, January Gilchrist, and Sarah Fiddelaers. All super talented writers! Over 700 entries were received and 21 writers have been announced on this year’s longlist.
Above: Lesley Gibbes with her book Searching for Cicadas AWC presenter Lesley Gibbes is no stranger to cicadas. “They are the soundtrack of my childhood,” she says. “My own summertime garden is full of cicadas.” So Lesley didn’t have to reach far for inspiration for her latest picture book Searching
Last week, we asked you to come up with a story that was exactly 29 words in length. No more, no fewer. But that wasn’t all. We also wanted the first and last word to be the same. And finally, we wanted this story to take us somewhere, somehow, by
There are lots of reasons why you might enter short story competitions. They’re a great incentive to help you finish and hone your story. They’re also an excellent opportunity to get your story in front of famous judges – who could be agents, publishers or writers. And of course there’s
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From your first story idea to a polished manuscript, our five-course pathway shows you what to do next.
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