Incunabulum (noun) [in-kyoo-nab-yuh-luh-m] “This word sounds like it’s supposed to be some kind of cloud. But it actually refers to a really old book, particularly one that was printed – not handwritten – before 1501 in Europe.” To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the
Paraph (noun) [paraf] “You might be fooled into thinking that this is short for ‘paragraph’ but it actually refers to a flourish made after or below a signature, which was originally used to prevent forgery. The practice is still used today, but the word itself hasn’t been widely used since
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week we envisage an envision quest… Q:
Ataraxia (noun) [at-uh-rak-see-uh] “While it sounds like a planet from a sci fi novel or even some kind of eating disorder, according to the Macquarie Dictionary it means: ‘a state of tranquillity, free from emotional disturbance and anxiety’. So you might say ‘people who meditate regularly hope to reach a
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week we ponder whether to reply or
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week we find ourselves cycling in a
Fascinate (verb) [fas-uh-neyt] “Did you know that the word ‘fascinate’ comes from the Latin word ‘fascinatio’ which actually means ‘casting a spell’? Fascinating!” To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the world of writing, blogging and publishing, check out the podcast.
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week we wish we’re touching on
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week we wish to broach the
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week we have an awful lot
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week all of this jelly has
Concinnity (noun) [kuhn-sinuhtee] “This rare word means ‘elegance or neatness of literary style’. The Merriam Webster dictionary gives an example as ‘a choral work admired for its seamless concinnity of music and dance’. It comes from the Latin ‘concinnus’ meaning skilfully put together – a definition that has translated to
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, it’s all about “patently” vs
Enervate (verb, adjective) [en-uh-vayt] “Although it actually sounds a bit like it might mean to energise, the opposite is true. It means to deprive of energy or vigour. So you might say: ‘The enervating atmosphere in the room made everyone lose enthusiasm.’” To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we’re exploring “adaptation vs adaption”… Q:
Metier (noun) [meteeay] “Even though many people know this word, it’s not really in common usage. I was inspired to include it when I was watching The Crown on Netflix recently. Winston Churchill was speaking to the artist painting his portrait. The artist admits that he came to painting quite
Neologism (Noun) [nee’oluhgizuhm] “The Macquarie Dictionary says this is ‘a new word, meaning, usage, or phrase.’ So recent examples of this might include ‘crowdsourcing’ or ‘metrosexual’ or ‘chillax’.” To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the world of writing, blogging and publishing, check out the
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we’re asking wwwhat’s the preferred
Syzygy (noun) [sizz-err-jee] “Yes, this is a real word – and it doesn’t contain a single vowel. Admittedly, you might not use it very often because it refers to a very specific thing. Wikipedia says that it is: ‘a straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies in a gravitational system’. And
Each week here at the Australian Writers’ Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we’re sending in the crowns…
Start Writing Fiction
Our most popular writing course. Learn characters, scenes, dialogue and storytelling fundamentals in just five weeks.
Find out more
Follow a Clear Path
From your first story idea to a polished manuscript, our five-course pathway shows you what to do next.
Explore the program
Build Specific Skills
Strengthen characterisation, dialogue, point of view, scenes, structure, grammar and punctuation with focused short courses.
Write for Young Readers
Picture books, chapter books, middle grade or YA – discover the course that matches the stories you want to write.
