Alumni news: ‘The Saturday Paper’, SBS, ‘SMH’ and ‘Jetstar Magazine’
The AWC alumni are kicking some serious goals lately. Our hearts swell with pride when we spot a familiar name in the byline of print and
COMP CLOSED: Win All SIX books in Lauren Child’s Ruby Redfort’s series!
A colourful treat for you this week, on the back of British author Lauren Child’s visit to Australia (Valerie interviewed her for episode 176 of
Sally Fawcett takes us up the garden path and “Through the Gate”
We’re chatting today with an AWC alumna in the form of Australian children’s book author and illustrator Sally Fawcett. Sally did our Writing Picture Books course in 2013, subsequently finding publishing success with her first book, What Could it Be, in 2016. And now she has a new book out – written and illustrated by hers truly.
Claire Corbett discusses her new wartime novel, “Watch Over Me”
Today we’re chatting to Australian author Claire Corbett about her new book, Watch Over Me. Described by Tom Keneally as “a tale of pilgrimages and
Word of the week: Farrago
Farrago (noun) [fuh-rah-goh] This comes from the Latin meaning “cattle feed” and, according to the Macquarie Dictionary means “a confused mixture; a hotchpotch”. So you
‘Have you always wanted to write a book?’ Debut author Sarah Bailey tells all
Melbourne author Sarah Bailey’s debut novel The Dark Lake has been described as “an addictive crime thriller, a mesmerising account of one woman’s descent into
Ask Valerie: How can I get into corporate writing?
There are many genres in writing. Crime and thriller writing. Memoir writing. Travel writing. Some of these can conjure images of exciting plots or exotic
Ep 175 Meet 2017 Vogel winner Marija Pericic, author of ‘The Lost Pages’
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: What kind of blogging routine do you need as a writer? And meet 2017 Vogel award
Poetry and Short Story Competitions Closing In June
The Hunter Writers Centre are running two writing competitions closing in June 2017. 2017 Grieve Writing Competition First up is the 2017 Grieve Writing Competition.
Talking Lifestyle: How to write a good murder mystery
I recently chatted with Ed Phillips on Talking Lifestyle about the rising popularity of the crime and thriller genre, and what makes a good murder
Q&A: Boom vs boon
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
‘Pride’ and prejudice with author Lazaros Zigomanis
Today we’re chatting to Australian author Lazaros Zigomanis. No, not about how much his name would score in Scrabble, but rather his new book Pride
Talking Lifestyle: Creative writing courses with the Australian Writers’ Centre
I had a great time chatting with Ed Phillips on Talking Lifestyle recently about creative writing and the courses we have on offer at the Australian Writers’
Ep 174 Meet Jenevieve Chang, author of ‘The Good Girl of Chinatown’
In Episode 174 of So you want to be a writer: Make sure you know the 3 different types of editing you need. Discover how to
COMP CLOSED: Win 10 double passes to fugitive story “Neruda”!
This week, thanks to our buddies over at Palace Films, we have 10 double passes to new film Neruda to give away. It opens in
Word of the week: Ersatz
Ersatz (adjective) [er-sahts] This is a word that comes from the German word for “replacement”. According to the Macquarie Dictionary, it means “serving as a
Ep 173 Meet Anne Trubek, author of ‘The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting’
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: How to improve your writing. And meet Anne Trubek, author of The History and Uncertain
Q&A: Abolition vs abolishment
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
Kendall Talbot on the 2017 Romance Writers of Australia Conference
Calling all romance writers! The 26th annual Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) conference kicks off in Brisbane on 11 August 2017. Attendees will be spoilt
Ep 172 Meet Anna Daniels, author of ‘Girl in Between’
In Episode 172 of So you want to be a writer: Are you a writer or an author? We review Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice! Some unexpected
COMP CLOSED: Win 4x Sarah Pinborough’s thriller “Behind Her Eyes”
Released earlier this year, this bestselling thriller is in a similar vein to 2015’s runaway smash The Girl on the Train. Penned by prolific UK
Word of the week: Ludic
Ludic (noun) [looh-dik] This cool word means “spontaneously playful” and it encapsulates the behaviour of my kitty Rocky. He’s always ready to play at a
Ep 171 Do young adult books needs to be set in the present day?
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: Do young adult books needs to be set in the present day in order to be
Q&A: Free reign or free rein?
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
Kirsty Manning strolls “The Midsummer Garden”
Today we’re chatting with Kirsty Manning about her debut novel, The Midsummer Garden – a kind of tasty time travelling tale. For those readers who
Alumni news: ‘The Saturday Paper’, SBS, ‘SMH’ and ‘Jetstar Magazine’
The AWC alumni are kicking some serious goals lately. Our hearts swell with pride when we spot a familiar name in the byline of print and online publications. Have a look at some of the stellar articles below, penned by our amazing freelance writing alumni. They’re all a great example of
COMP CLOSED: Win All SIX books in Lauren Child’s Ruby Redfort’s series!
A colourful treat for you this week, on the back of British author Lauren Child’s visit to Australia (Valerie interviewed her for episode 176 of the podcast – you can hear that here). As an author and illustrator, Lauren is the creator of many famous characters including Charlie and Lola, Clarice
Sally Fawcett takes us up the garden path and “Through the Gate”
We’re chatting today with an AWC alumna in the form of Australian children’s book author and illustrator Sally Fawcett. Sally did our Writing Picture Books course in 2013, subsequently finding publishing success with her first book, What Could it Be, in 2016. And now she has a new book out – written and illustrated by hers truly.
Claire Corbett discusses her new wartime novel, “Watch Over Me”
Today we’re chatting to Australian author Claire Corbett about her new book, Watch Over Me. Described by Tom Keneally as “a tale of pilgrimages and adventures, all beautifully textured and lovingly narrated”, this is a story that Claire feels very strongly about telling. Hi Claire, can you describe your new
Word of the week: Farrago
Farrago (noun) [fuh-rah-goh] This comes from the Latin meaning “cattle feed” and, according to the Macquarie Dictionary means “a confused mixture; a hotchpotch”. So you might say “The police were fed with a farrago of lies from the mafia family members.” To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about this
‘Have you always wanted to write a book?’ Debut author Sarah Bailey tells all
Melbourne author Sarah Bailey’s debut novel The Dark Lake has been described as “an addictive crime thriller, a mesmerising account of one woman’s descent into deceit and madness, and a stunning debut that is already causing a stir around the world.” We’re thrilled for Sarah as she’s a graduate of
Ask Valerie: How can I get into corporate writing?
There are many genres in writing. Crime and thriller writing. Memoir writing. Travel writing. Some of these can conjure images of exciting plots or exotic locales. But not all genres evoke this same kind of romance or glamour. Like corporate writing. But wait. Before you screw your nose up at
Ep 175 Meet 2017 Vogel winner Marija Pericic, author of ‘The Lost Pages’
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: What kind of blogging routine do you need as a writer? And meet 2017 Vogel award winner Marija Pericic, author of The Lost Pages. Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast [at] writerscentre [dot] com [dot] au Click
Poetry and Short Story Competitions Closing In June
The Hunter Writers Centre are running two writing competitions closing in June 2017. 2017 Grieve Writing Competition First up is the 2017 Grieve Writing Competition. The Grieve Writing Competition is in honour of Grief Awareness Month (August) with a prize pool of $7,000. Applicants are encouraged to submit a story
Talking Lifestyle: How to write a good murder mystery
I recently chatted with Ed Phillips on Talking Lifestyle about the rising popularity of the crime and thriller genre, and what makes a good murder mystery. You can listen to the interview here. Hope you enjoy it!
Q&A: Boom vs boon
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 boom boom, shake, shaking
‘Pride’ and prejudice with author Lazaros Zigomanis
Today we’re chatting to Australian author Lazaros Zigomanis. No, not about how much his name would score in Scrabble, but rather his new book Pride – his first foray into Young Adult fiction. So Lazaros, can you give us a quick rundown of this book – what’s it all about?
Talking Lifestyle: Creative writing courses with the Australian Writers’ Centre
I had a great time chatting with Ed Phillips on Talking Lifestyle recently about creative writing and the courses we have on offer at the Australian Writers’ Centre. You can listen to the interview here. Enjoy!
Ep 174 Meet Jenevieve Chang, author of ‘The Good Girl of Chinatown’
In Episode 174 of So you want to be a writer: Make sure you know the 3 different types of editing you need. Discover how to create “scene goals” in your writing. We’re a bit gobsmacked by a plagiarised paper about plagiarism! Meet Jenevieve Chang, author of the memoir The Good
COMP CLOSED: Win 10 double passes to fugitive story “Neruda”!
This week, thanks to our buddies over at Palace Films, we have 10 double passes to new film Neruda to give away. It opens in selected cinemas 25 May 2017. The film is directed by Pablo Larrain and follows real life 20th century Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who is outlawed
Word of the week: Ersatz
Ersatz (adjective) [er-sahts] This is a word that comes from the German word for “replacement”. According to the Macquarie Dictionary, it means “serving as a substitute”. So you might say: “Vegetarians often like ersatz meat dishes.” To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the world
Ep 173 Meet Anne Trubek, author of ‘The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting’
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: How to improve your writing. And meet Anne Trubek, author of The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting. And where does the term “John Hancock” come from? Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast [at] writerscentre [dot]
Q&A: Abolition vs abolishment
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 writing our “ish” list… Q:
Kendall Talbot on the 2017 Romance Writers of Australia Conference
Calling all romance writers! The 26th annual Romance Writers of Australia (RWA) conference kicks off in Brisbane on 11 August 2017. Attendees will be spoilt for choice with over 40 interactive seminars and workshops on offer as well as the conference’s highlight – the Romantic Book of the Year (RUBY)
Ep 172 Meet Anna Daniels, author of ‘Girl in Between’
In Episode 172 of So you want to be a writer: Are you a writer or an author? We review Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice! Some unexpected writing tools (which do you use?). You could win a copy of Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough! Plus: meet Anna Daniels, author of Girl
COMP CLOSED: Win 4x Sarah Pinborough’s thriller “Behind Her Eyes”
Released earlier this year, this bestselling thriller is in a similar vein to 2015’s runaway smash The Girl on the Train. Penned by prolific UK author Sarah Pinborough, Behind Her Eyes has been shocking people around the world since its release because of THAT twist ending. No more spoilers! The
Word of the week: Ludic
Ludic (noun) [looh-dik] This cool word means “spontaneously playful” and it encapsulates the behaviour of my kitty Rocky. He’s always ready to play at a moment’s notice. Meanwhile my other cat Rex seems to only want to play under specific circumstances and particular times of day! To hear Valerie and
Ep 171 Do young adult books needs to be set in the present day?
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: Do young adult books needs to be set in the present day in order to be marketable? What’s the most efficient way of receiving international payments? Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast [at] writerscentre [dot] com [dot]
Q&A: Free reign or free rein?
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 feeling as right as reign…
Kirsty Manning strolls “The Midsummer Garden”
Today we’re chatting with Kirsty Manning about her debut novel, The Midsummer Garden – a kind of tasty time travelling tale. For those readers who haven’t read The Midsummer Garden yet, can you tell us what it’s about? “The Midsummer Garden brings to life the stories of two women across
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