Podcast: So You Want to be a Writer

In Episode 91 of So you want to be a writer: How to know you’re dating a writer, look out for this fake Penguin publicist fishing for book reviews, how to craft a page-turning plot, and things to know about writing life. Plus our step-by-step guide on how to achieve your 2016

In episode 90 of our top-rating podcast, So you want to be a writer, hosts Allison Tait and Valerie Khoo named their favourite three interviews for 2015 (well, Allison named four because she’s a rebel). You’ll find out what made these interviews so great and why you should listen (or re-listen

In Episode 90 of So you want to be a writer: Margaret Atwood is writing a graphic novel, writing rituals and why they work, tips on how to get to know your characters and the intricacies of naming them well, and the book Worst Words by Don Watson. PLUS: our 12 Days

In Episode 89 of So you want to be a writer: Do you mourn the loss of a character? How to write a killer elevator pitch for your book, 10 over-writing traps to avoid, tell us your 2016 writing goal, and how to enter our “12 Days of Christmas” giveaway. Also: tips

In Episode 88 of So you want to be a writer: Why publishers are giving million dollar advances to debut novelists. Should you write for love or money? Book hotels are now a THING. Also: why a female author wanted a male voice actor to narrate her books. WIN a copy of

In Episode 87 of So you want to be a writer: Congrats to our presenter Judith Rossell for making the shortlist for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Allison Tait’s The Mapmaker Chronicles 2: Prisoner of the Black Hawk is one of the best middle grade books for 2015! Also: would you want

In Episode 86 of So you want to be a writer: Allison’s The Mapmaker Chronicles optioned for a film, new words in the dictionary (YAAAS!), the author who assaulted a reviewer, book promotion minus the misery, China Rich Girlfriend giveaway, and the book Dictionary of English Down The Ages by Linda and

In Episode 85 of So you want to be a writer: Reprint of book one of Allison Tait’s The Mapmaker Chronicles, how freelance writers price their work, why you don’t need tragedy in your story, things you can do to save money on editing, #NaNoSix – inspirational six word writing tips, win

In Episode 84 of So you want to be a writer: The rise of freelance writers, is a co-working space better than working from home? How to trim your manuscript to a workable size, the book Story by Robert McKee, writing advice from AWC presenters, Writer in Residence children’s author Tristan Bancks,

In Episode 83 of So you want to be a writer: Australian self-publishing success Beau Taplin, a vending machine that dispenses short stories, how to write your author bio, super prolific author caught in a plagiarism scandal, and the book “Content Inc.” by Joe Pulizzi. Also: how Candice Fox writes two books

In Episode 82 of So you want to be a writer: Why reading a Kindle is different from reading a physical book, the strange phenomenon of bestselling colouring books for adults, mistakes new screenwriters make, how to pick one idea for NaNoWriMo when you have too many, and the perils of writing

In Episode 81 of So you want to be a writer: Australian women authors are making tech work for them, win a $4000 writing scholarship, changing careers to become a writer, Girlfriend and Total Girl magazines are merging, apply your feature writing skills to fiction. Writer in Residence picture book author Danny

In Episode 80 of So you want to be a writer: One Direction releases a children’s book (say what?), how to use author events to grow your fan base and sell more books, why dads reading to kids is important, things to think about when co-authoring a book, it’s time to start

In Episode 79 of So you want to be a writer: What writers should’t do on social media, a typewriter that pours beer (instant writing reward!), protecting your freelance identity, how to capture someone else’s voice and be a kick-butt ghostwriter, fashion bloggers are now powerful, the new book Big Magic by

In Episode 78 of So you want to be a writer: Valerie reads 270 short stories, book 3 of Allison Tait’s “The Mapmaker Chronicles”, Bauer Media shutting down Zoo Weekly magazine, what skills a Vogue editor needs, do you agree with brand journalism? Faulty freelance writer assumptions, how to fit freelance writing around

In Episode 77 of So you want to be a writer: What literary agents want to see before signing you, cool tech tools for writers, Stop Capitalising Everything, beware of vanity publishers, and some of the best advice from writing veteran Stephen King. Meet food critic and Writer in Residence Larissa Dubecki,

In Episode 76 of So you want to be a writer: Australia’s podcasting boom, 51 words you might be mispronouncing, freelancing mistakes newbies make, the book Woe is I by Patricia O’Conner, a magazine for cats by cats (yes, you read that correctly), Writer in Residence Stephanie Clifford, author of Everybody Rise,

In Episode 75 of So you want to be a writer: Tourists pay to run a Scottish bookshop for a week, who exactly is an “emerging” writer, manspreading, fur baby, and other terms that have made it into the Oxford Dictionary, the ballpoint pen’s role in the demise of cursive handwriting, revisiting

In Episode 74 of So you want to be a writer: The 2015 winners of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards, 10 things we think we need to do before we start writing, Mark Latham being weird at the Melbourne Writers Festival, author of Chocolat, Joanne Harris, forthright about authors’ rights

In Episode 73 of So you want to be a writer: Grab your blind date with a book, quirky micro book reviews, one traveller’s odd reading habit, an embarrassing mix up at the Kennedy Awards, the book “Write Better, Faster” by Monica Leonelle, what uber-blogger Heather from Dooce said at this year’s