This could be you

Fleur Ferris: From farm girl to award-winning published author of young adult thrillers

Living on a farm and juggling her responsibilities as a busy mother, Fleur Ferris always wanted to write books. And since completing the five-week online course in Writing Children’s Novels at the Australian Writers’ Centre, Fleur has landed a book deal, scored an agent and become an award-winning published author, with her novel Seven Days winning the […]

Joanne Speirs goes from student to successful romance author

Joanne Speirs turned to writing to help her through some mentally and emotionally tough times. A friend urged her to “just write it all down” and so Joanne dove into poetry and recollections, using words to help her process her emotions. Next, she turned to blogging and started taking courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre, including Romance Writing, and worked on her first novel.

Writing Podcast Episode 556: Zewlan Moor on her first two picture books: ‘Nothing Alike’ and ‘The Bill Dup’.

Zewlan Moor on her first two picture books: Nothing Alike and The Bill Dup. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite podcast app.   Links mentioned in this episode Buy So You Want to be a Writer – the book! Facebook group […]

Writing Podcast Episode 555: Veronica Lando on ‘The Drowning Girls’ and what to expect from your first year as an author.

Veronica Lando on The Drowning Girls and what to expect from your first year as an author. The benefits of using a whiteboard and win Writing for Busy Readers by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite […]

Chenée Marrapodi goes from hobby writer to published children’s author

“Writing news stories is very different to writing a children’s book!” Chenée told us. “I knew if I tried to find all of the information myself, I’d end up falling down the ‘Google rabbit hole’ and I’d waste even more time – yet another excuse to stop me from actually writing the book!”

Instead, she dove into the course Writing Middle Grade Fiction and, as she says, hasn’t looked back. Chenée’s debut book, One Wrong Turn, is out now with Fremantle Press.

Veronica Lando is an ‘unmissable new voice on the Australian crime fiction scene’

Veronica Lando grew up above a bookshop – so it was natural that she would dream of becoming a writer herself one day. She loved crime fiction, but was hesitant about how to start writing her own. After throwing herself into the world of writing, she can now say she is a published author, with the release of her crime thriller The Whispering.

Anna Spargo-Ryan on writing beautiful sentences

Anna Spargo-Ryan is known for her beautiful way with words. Her novels The Paper House and The Gulf received critical acclaim, while her memoir A Kind Of Magic, released in October 2022, was shortlisted for the Nonfiction Book Award in the 2023 Queensland Literary Awards.

Heidi Walkinshaw’s new career as a picture book author and copywriter

After the birth of her first child, Heidi Walkinshaw knew she wanted to try a new career, so she enrolled in a psychology degree. However, it didn’t quite scratch her creative itch, so she turned to the Australian Writers’ Centre.

“After procrastinating for a little while, I took the plunge and enrolled in the Writing Picture Books course with Cathie Tasker and suddenly all those notebooks of ideas that I had been scribbling in for years made sense,” Heidi told us.

Writing Podcast Episode 550: Fiona Lloyd, author of ‘Being Jimmy Baxter’.

Meet Fiona Lloyd, author of Being Jimmy Baxter. We also discuss what to consider when naming characters. And win The Escapades of Tribulation Johnson by Karen Brooks. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite podcast app.   Links mentioned in this episode […]

Carolyn Swindell’s brilliant novel ‘We Only Want What’s Best’

Carolyn Swindell was working in a “high heels and business suit job” in corporate responsibility when she decided to enrol in her first AWC course.

“The biggest thing about the courses is the permission you give yourself to be a writer by investing in yourself,” Carolyn told us. “I had been shy about admitting this ambition, but going along and sitting with other aspiring writers and learning the craft and the business was such a boost to my motivation and my skill level.”

Carolyn put that motivation and skill to good use, with her debut novel, We Only Want What’s Best, out now with Affirm Press.