When you’re writing a story, one of the key elements that keeps your reader turning that page is to “increase the stakes”. So what does this mean and how can you achieve it? What are the stakes of a story? Pretty much what it says on the tin. What’s at
James O’Loghlin is the author of Criminals, a novel exploring why and how ordinary people turn to crime. He’s also a comedian, television and radio host, and has previously written ten books, including six novels for children (which have been nominated for, and won, four awards), and four non-fiction books
Petronella McGovern is a psychological suspense author and editor. Her works include The Liars, a heart-stopping cocktail of family secrets, sinister unsolved disappearances and a community at war with itself, The Good Teacher, which was longlisted for the Sisters-in-Crime Davitt Awards, and her first novel, Six Minutes, which debuted on
Grace Chan is author of the speculative fiction novel Every Version of You. In this short video, Grace explains how she got her book deal. Grace chats to Valerie Khoo, host of the podcast ‘So you want to be a writer’ and CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre, one of
Jo Riccioni’s novel The Branded is generating the kind of buzz that most authors envy. With raving fans on social media, this young adult fantasy is a story about twin sisters, Nara and Osha. The novel is a departure from Jo’s background as a literary novelist, writing for adults. But
Sulari Gentill is the author of The Woman in the Library and other novels, including the award-winning and best-selling Rowland Sinclair Mysteries, the Greek mythology based The Hero Trilogy, and winner of the Best Crime award at the 2018 Ned Kelly Awards.She originally set out to study astrophysics, graduated in
Dani Vee is the host of the popular literary podcast, Words and Nerds, and the author of the picture book My EXTRAordinary Mum. Dani also works in publicity and acquisitions at Larrikin House. You can find her facilitating panels or presenting at literary festivals such as Somerset Storyfest, BAD Sydney
Middle-grade readers are at a magical age when they really begin to fall in love with reading, stories – and authors! They are also on the cusp of the biggest adventure that any of us ever undertakes – growing up – so it’s little wonder they’re the perfect audience for
By Allison Tait It seems like a strange thing to say, but writing is just one part of a successful writer’s life. Beyond the writing, there are many factors that allow an author to thrive. Some you will have heard a million times before. Things like ‘find a community’, ‘keep
Angela Slatter is the author of five novels, including (as A.G. Slatter) The Path of Thorns and All the Murmuring Bones, and eleven short story collections, including The Bitterwood Bible and The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales. She’s won a World Fantasy Award, a British Fantasy Award, a Ditmar awards, two
Australian Writers’ Centre graduate Louise Bassett has released her debut young adult novel, The Hidden Girl, published by Walker Books. The novel is a gripping page-turner, set in Melbourne and Indonesia, in which teenage Melati races against the clock to save a girl she’s never met.
Ruth Ware is the author of The It Girl and an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway, The Turn of the Key and One by One have appeared on bestseller lists around the
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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