Few writers enjoy the process of writing their author bio and many succumb to the siren song of imposter syndrome and downplay their author credentials. Find out how to own the fact you’re a writer from the very first line with Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo.
Matthew Ryan Davies is also the author of Things We Bury and (as Matt Davies) This Thing of Darkness, a contemporary young adult novel about guilt, grief, love and forgiveness set in modern-day Melbourne. As a manuscript, This Thing of Darkness was highly commended in the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. He’s
By Valerie Khoo. In the cold weather, is anything better than curling up with a nice cosy mystery? If you’re not sure what a cosy mystery is, it’s a subgenre of crime fiction where the main character is often an amateur sleuth. There is minimal graphic violence or explicit sex
The winners and shortlist of the 2022 Furphy Literary Award have been announced. Acclaimed writer and poet Cate Kennedy won the Award for her story ‘Art and Life’, with second prize awarded to Lisa Moule for ‘The Game’. And Natalie Vella has been awarded third place for her story ‘Winter
What are the dos and don’ts about approaching publishers at a festival? Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo lays out the tips you need to make a good impression and find the publisher that’s the right fit for your book.
Kelly Rimmer is the author of historical and contemporary fiction, including The German Wife, The Secret Daughter, The Things We Cannot Say, and The Warsaw Orphan, with more than 2 million copies of her novels sold to date. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and have appeared on bestseller
By Diane Connell. If you had visited my high school and asked my English teacher to point out the student least likely to end up writing for a living, he would have pointed to me, the irritant sitting at the back of the classroom scribbling what I thought were hilarious
Ever come home from a writers’ festival disappointed by the number of other writers you connected with? Sometimes it’s got more to do with the actions you should take before and after the event! Join Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo as she offers tips for preparing before the event
By Allison Tait. When you’re beavering away on a manuscript, dreaming of being a published author, getting that first publishing deal can feel a million miles away. But it happens! And, while sometimes publishing works in mysterious ways, the truth is that for most authors it’s about being in the
Rae Cairns is a former youth worker who has turned to a life of crime… writing. She is fascinated with how ordinary people manage when faced with extraordinary circumstances, and the lengths everyday characters will go when all they love is put at risk. She writes crime with heart; thriller
By Allison Tait. “Write as though no-one’s watching.” “Your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect.” “Your first draft is just you telling the story to yourself.” There’s a lot of information around about first drafts and how they can be messy embryos of a polished idea. What’s more difficult
The best stories engage the reader – making you FEEL something. That emotion might involve being nervous for the fate of a character, angry at a detective missing a vital clue, sad at a loss, or rolling in fits of laughter. While most of these emotions must be earned through
By Allison Tait. If you are searching for writing tips, it doesn’t take long to discover that one of the (if not THE) top tips offered over and over is this one: “Read!” It makes sense, if you consider writing to be a “words in = words out” equation. The
By Angela Slatter. To paraphrase Jane Austen (poorly), it is a truth universally acknowledged, that once you’ve got a publishing contract, you’ll have a book coming out every year! Right? Sorry, no. Wrong. You might be one of the fortunate few who do have this sort of regularity in their
By Allison Tait. One of the most difficult pages to write in any book is the dedication. Sounds silly, right? By definition, a book dedication is a personal note from the author to someone of importance. At its simplest, a book dedication is no more than two words. For [insert
By Allison Tait. Rejection is part of every writer’s life. Published or unpublished, beginner or established, every writer experiences the crushing emotion that accompanies a “sorry, not for us” or a “thanks, but no thanks”. The difference between writers who go on to have successful careers and those who don’t
We know what you’re thinking. Ask a writer for writing tips and chances are they’ll say “read more” and “write more”. There’s a good reason for that. Reading widely and getting the words written are two cornerstones of every successful author’s career. But every week on the So You Want To
By Angela Slatter So, you’ve got an idea that won’t leave you alone – not the one about how winning Lotto would make your life so much easier, no, the other one. That story with those characters and that immersive setting, with all the action and the witty dialogue. The
By Angela Slatter. Fantasy novels seem to be everywhere at the moment! As a fantasy author, I’m not complaining. We’re also seeing a knock-on effect in the number of screen adaptations: Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone, Good Omens, and of course The Lord of the Rings. I’m not here
“I knew it was worth taking the time to workshop it a bit and, serendipitously, an AWC Writing Picture Books course was starting the following week. I took the leap and signed up straight away,” Rebecca says.
That manuscript became Facing the Wave and it has now been published by Larrikin House.
“I was very excited to be published from my first pitch and I know that the things I learned through the AWC helped me be as prepared as possible.”
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