Ouyang Yu talks “Billy Sing”
Today we’re chatting with acclaimed author Ouyang Yu about his latest historical fiction, Billy Sing. William ‘Billy’ Sing was a real person – born in
Ep 169 Meet children’s picture book writer Zanni Louise, author of ‘Tiggy and the Magic Paintbrush’
In Episode 169 of So you want to be a writer: It’s the 50th anniversary of “The Outsiders”! You can rent Emily Dickinson’s room by the
COMP CLOSED: Win 10x double film passes to “Whiteley”
Thanks to Transmission Films, this week we’re giving away 10 double passes to new Australian film, Whiteley – about the life of Australia’s most iconic
Writing group Alice Campion discuss their new book, “The Shifting Light”
Well, this is awkward. We’ve invited author Alice Campion for a chat about the newly published novel The Shifting Light – but we absentmindedly only
Word of the week: Peregrination
Peregrination (noun) [perra-grin-AY-shin] This means “travelling from one place to another”. So you might say “She took photos of all the big tourist attractions on
$10,000 to be won: ACU Prize for Poetry 2017
$10,000 is up for grabs in the 2017 Australian Catholic University (ACU) Prize for Poetry. Now that we’ve got your attention, you’ll want to know
Ep 168 Meet the incredibly prolific and talented Pamela Hart, author of ‘A Letter to Italy’
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: We chat to the incredibly prolific and talented Pamela Hart, author of A Letter to
Winner of “The Australian” / Vogel’s Literary Award 2017 announced
The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award is one of the most prestigious awards in Australia for an unpublished manuscript. Congratulations to Marija Peričić, who was just announced tonight
SHORTLIST PART 1: Your 99-word stories featured
Recently in our weekly newsletter, we asked readers to write us a story of no more than 99 words (not including optional title). Each story
Ep 167 Meet Australian Idol judge turned barrister Mark Holden, author of memoir ‘My Idol Years’
In Episode 167 of So you want to be a writer: Do you love the smell of old books? What you need to know about your
Q&A: Skimp vs scrimp
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
Word of the week: Ekphrastic
Ekphrastic (adjective) [eck-frass-tick] I came across this word because Karen Andrews has a new book of poetry called On the Many Shapes Bodies Will Take
Historical Novel Society Conference and Short Story Competition
The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) 2017 conference will be held in Melbourne from 8-10 September 2017. Plus, they’re hosting a short story competition this
Q&A: Elder vs older
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
Ep 166 Meet Rachael Lucas, author of ‘The State of Grace’
In Episode 166 of So you want to be a writer: How to get over your wall of self-doubt and discover the art of writing murder
Word of the week: Bombilate
Bombilate (verb) [bom-bi-layt] This means “to buzz or hum”. So you might say “The alarm kept on bombilating.” Well, we can’t imagine anyone actually saying
“I got published!”: “Delicious”, “Wellbeing” and more!
The sky is the limit when you’re a freelance writer and our AWC grads are definitely soaring high! We are back with another set of
Ep 165 How do you layer more detail into your novel?
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: How do you layer more detail into your novel? And how to avoid bright shiny
Lisa Fleetwood on self-publishing and dachshunds
When writer, blogger and traveller Lisa Fleetwood’s family lost their dog, it led to her to self-publishing her first book – Destination Dachshund: Three Months,
Q&A: Bias vs biased
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
COMP CLOSED: Win 10x double film passes to “Colossal”
Thanks to Transmission Films, we have a bonus competition this week – 10 double passes to the new film out 13 April 2017 – Colossal
COMP CLOSED: Win 7 books in our Mother’s Day pack!
Hey – want to win SEVEN books for yourself or the special mum in your life? (Maybe YOU are the special mum…) Well, until 1
Ep 164 How to write an award-winning screenplay on your commute. And meet author of ‘Secrets of a Beauty Queen’ Stephanie Darling.
In Episode 164 of So you want to be a writer: How to write an award-winning screenplay on your commute; the 6 documents you need
Word of the week: Gongoozler
Gongoozler (noun) [Gon-goo-z-lerr] This means someone who is an idle spectator. Specifically, it used to refer to someone who enjoyed watching the boats go by
“I got published!”: SMH, “CEO Magazine”, “In Wild” and “Peppermint Magazine”
Our graduates are a hard-working and talented bunch. When we spot their familiar names in print, we want to share it with the world. Check
Ouyang Yu talks “Billy Sing”
Today we’re chatting with acclaimed author Ouyang Yu about his latest historical fiction, Billy Sing. William ‘Billy’ Sing was a real person – born in 1886 to an English mother and Chinese father, and grew up in rural Queensland. He was one of the first to enlist in 1914 and
Ep 169 Meet children’s picture book writer Zanni Louise, author of ‘Tiggy and the Magic Paintbrush’
In Episode 169 of So you want to be a writer: It’s the 50th anniversary of “The Outsiders”! You can rent Emily Dickinson’s room by the hour to pen your next masterpiece. Discover how to write a good synopsis and your chance to win a double pass to the film “Whiteley”.
COMP CLOSED: Win 10x double film passes to “Whiteley”
Thanks to Transmission Films, this week we’re giving away 10 double passes to new Australian film, Whiteley – about the life of Australia’s most iconic artist, Brett Whiteley. Whiteley is a visual journey into the private life and creative legacy of its namesake, told “in his own words” using personal
Writing group Alice Campion discuss their new book, “The Shifting Light”
Well, this is awkward. We’ve invited author Alice Campion for a chat about the newly published novel The Shifting Light – but we absentmindedly only put one chair out and now there are FOUR of them at the window. Oops. While we grab some extra chairs, allow us to explain.
Word of the week: Peregrination
Peregrination (noun) [perra-grin-AY-shin] This means “travelling from one place to another”. So you might say “She took photos of all the big tourist attractions on her peregrination from Cairns to Coffs Harbour.” To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the world of writing, blogging and
$10,000 to be won: ACU Prize for Poetry 2017
$10,000 is up for grabs in the 2017 Australian Catholic University (ACU) Prize for Poetry. Now that we’ve got your attention, you’ll want to know more. It’s open to unpublished works (including not published on a website or blog) and must not exceed 80 lines. First prize is $10,000, second
Ep 168 Meet the incredibly prolific and talented Pamela Hart, author of ‘A Letter to Italy’
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: We chat to the incredibly prolific and talented Pamela Hart, author of A Letter to Italy. Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast [at] writerscentre [dot] com [dot] au Click play below to listen to the podcast.
Winner of “The Australian” / Vogel’s Literary Award 2017 announced
The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award is one of the most prestigious awards in Australia for an unpublished manuscript. Congratulations to Marija Peričić, who was just announced tonight as the 2017 winner – and must be feeling on top of the world! From the press release: Marija Peričić has won the 2017 Australian/Vogel’s
SHORTLIST PART 1: Your 99-word stories featured
Recently in our weekly newsletter, we asked readers to write us a story of no more than 99 words (not including optional title). Each story had to begin with the words “It hasn’t always been blue” and contain three other words: “clock”, “crisp” and “cuff”. Beyond this brief, it was
Ep 167 Meet Australian Idol judge turned barrister Mark Holden, author of memoir ‘My Idol Years’
In Episode 167 of So you want to be a writer: Do you love the smell of old books? What you need to know about your narrator and how to work with beta readers. Win our Mother’s Day book pack! We chat to Australian Idol judge turned barrister Mark Holden on
Q&A: Skimp vs scrimp
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 going to skimp on the
Word of the week: Ekphrastic
Ekphrastic (adjective) [eck-frass-tick] I came across this word because Karen Andrews has a new book of poetry called On the Many Shapes Bodies Will Take and she describes her poetry as “ekphrastic“. This is the adjective that comes from the word “ekphrasis” which, according to the Macquarie Dictionary, means “the
Historical Novel Society Conference and Short Story Competition
The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) 2017 conference will be held in Melbourne from 8-10 September 2017. Plus, they’re hosting a short story competition this year (more details below). We’re super excited about this conference. Three Australian Writers’ Centre presenters – Kate Forsyth, Pamela Hart and Natasha Lester are speaking
Q&A: Elder vs older
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 respecting our elders… Q: Hi
Ep 166 Meet Rachael Lucas, author of ‘The State of Grace’
In Episode 166 of So you want to be a writer: How to get over your wall of self-doubt and discover the art of writing murder mystery characters. Take virtual literary tours of New York! Do you want the chance to win a Mother’s Day book pack with 7 books? Plus:
Word of the week: Bombilate
Bombilate (verb) [bom-bi-layt] This means “to buzz or hum”. So you might say “The alarm kept on bombilating.” Well, we can’t imagine anyone actually saying that, but if they did now you’d know what it means! To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the world
“I got published!”: “Delicious”, “Wellbeing” and more!
The sky is the limit when you’re a freelance writer and our AWC grads are definitely soaring high! We are back with another set of their fabulous pieces spread throughout various publications. Check out the results of their hard work and dedication: Above: Laura McGeoch featured in HRMonthly with her
Ep 165 How do you layer more detail into your novel?
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: How do you layer more detail into your novel? And how to avoid bright shiny object syndrome when you’re writing. Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast [at] writerscentre [dot] com [dot] au Click play below to
Lisa Fleetwood on self-publishing and dachshunds
When writer, blogger and traveller Lisa Fleetwood’s family lost their dog, it led to her to self-publishing her first book – Destination Dachshund: Three Months, Three Generations & Sixty Dachshunds – a travel memoir that reached ‘bestseller’ status on Amazon. So today we’ve sat Lisa in an ornate wooden chair
Q&A: Bias vs biased
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 biased towards cakes… Q: Hi
COMP CLOSED: Win 10x double film passes to “Colossal”
Thanks to Transmission Films, we have a bonus competition this week – 10 double passes to the new film out 13 April 2017 – Colossal starring Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis. Hathaway plays a woman who discovers that severe catastrophic events are somehow connected to the mental breakdown from which
COMP CLOSED: Win 7 books in our Mother’s Day pack!
Hey – want to win SEVEN books for yourself or the special mum in your life? (Maybe YOU are the special mum…) Well, until 1 May, you have the chance to do precisely that, with our Mother’s Day pack giveaway! Now of course, mums come in all shapes, sizes and
Ep 164 How to write an award-winning screenplay on your commute. And meet author of ‘Secrets of a Beauty Queen’ Stephanie Darling.
In Episode 164 of So you want to be a writer: How to write an award-winning screenplay on your commute; the 6 documents you need open when you write; how to edit your story. And meet beauty writer and author of Secrets of a Beauty Queen Stephanie Darling Click play
Word of the week: Gongoozler
Gongoozler (noun) [Gon-goo-z-lerr] This means someone who is an idle spectator. Specifically, it used to refer to someone who enjoyed watching the boats go by on canals but now has a more generic meaning. To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the world of writing,
“I got published!”: SMH, “CEO Magazine”, “In Wild” and “Peppermint Magazine”
Our graduates are a hard-working and talented bunch. When we spot their familiar names in print, we want to share it with the world. Check out the most recent fruits of their labour! Above: Kristie Hayden shared her well-earned break in Switzerland with “A Swiss Summer” in CEO Magazine. Wish
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