By Angela Slatter So, you’ve got an idea that won’t leave you alone – not the one about how winning Lotto would make your life so much easier, no, the other one. That story with those characters and that immersive setting, with all the action and the witty dialogue. The
By Angela Slatter. Fantasy novels seem to be everywhere at the moment! As a fantasy author, I’m not complaining. We’re also seeing a knock-on effect in the number of screen adaptations: Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone, Good Omens, and of course The Lord of the Rings. I’m not here
It took me a while to find my people, but when I did things really started happening…fast!
I went from my world of “one” where no one other than my non-writing family and friends knew about my creative writing projects – to sharing my work with a community of like-minded writers. Here’s how you can fast track your way to finding your people…
By Anna Morgan. The latest book by YA writer and bookseller Anna Morgan is Before the Beginning. Here she reveals her top five ways to engage readers in your young adult book. Do strengthen your plot. One of the most common pieces of feedback I’ve heard from readers is: ‘Once
By R.A. Spratt. The latest book from R.A. Spratt is The Peski Kids 5: The Final Mission, a mystery story for kids. We get her to spill five tips on how to write a great mystery story for children. 1. Plot backwards I usually come up with the big reveal
By award-winning author, Allison Rushby. We’ve all been there. It’s Sunday. Your chores are done. Everyone else in the house has gone out. The dog/cat/ferret has been walked/played with/whatever you do with a ferret. You’ve got a few hours up your sleeve. Uninterrupted time! You were all set to write
By Adrian Beck, author of the Derek Dool: Supercool series.
Making time to write is tough.
Making time to write when you have kids is an even bigger challenge.
But making time to write when you have kids (doing remote learning) whilst in the middle of a pandemic is MISSION IMPOSSIBLE! Well, nearly. But like Tom Cruise, I’ve found a way. And I also do all my own stunts.
Deciding whether a story is YA, Junior Fiction or Middle Grade comes down to the fundamentals of all writing. That is: story, idea, setting, language, character, voice, structure, length… All these factors help shape what sort of story you’re writing. But in making this decision, possibly the most important thing to decide is… Who is your reader?
As writers, creativity is the lifeblood of our work. From searching for the truth of an idea, to understanding the motivations of a character, or simply moving words on a page to make the perfect phrase. Without it, we’d be lost but its value isn’t limited to just writing. Creativity
Today, searching for a good book is easy to do since the internet is everywhere. Before we had the internet, people had to look for other options. Bookstores and libraries were easy places to get to for those who lived in town, but people who did not live in the
This is a guest post by Leah Swann You open a novel, you open a door. I learned this from my first chapter book – Blyton’s The Naughtiest Girl in the School. Although shocked by the ‘spoiled’ Elizabeth Allen, deliberately behaving badly enough to be expelled from the school she’s
A guest post by Vanessa McCausland I have a theory that a big part of what makes someone a writer is what writing does for us. It’s an outlet. It’s a balm. For me, writing has always been a place where I can let all my emotions out. I’ve had
A guest post by children’s book author Andrew Daddo This was meant to be a blog post along the lines of ‘5 reasons funny books are great for kids’. I think we all know the main reason, and that’s to make kids laugh. There’s a healthy by-product, another compelling reason
This is a guest post by Cassie Hamer Until two weeks ago, I’d never ever contemplated the idea of homeschooling my three daughters. Not once. Not ever. Never ever ever. Can I make that any clearer? Never. As an author and mum of three, school has been a life-saver. For
Above: Currarong Beach Cottage – South Coast Escapes This blog post was written by author and AWC presenter, Allison Tait Summer might be over, and the bushfires and floods behind us, but for some communities, the rebuilding is just beginning – and is going to take some time. How can we,
This is a guest post by Alyss Thomas The Journal Writer’s Companion Journal writing has been proven to help develop greater purpose, clarity, focus and creative self-expression. In her book, The Journal Writer’s Companion, psychotherapist and lifelong journal writer, Alyss Thomas, explores the many types of journal writing and the
Every writer dreams of being able to dash away to the Tuscan countryside for a few weeks of uninterrupted writing bliss, gazing upon distant lush hills, finding inspiration in every cup of coffee, and interacting with kind locals … or something of the sort. The reality is that we all
By Nat Newman How high do your stakes have to be when writing a story? Is death, destruction and violence necessary to push your story forward? Short answer: No way. I started thinking about this after a discussion on the So you want to be a writer Facebook community. A
By Nat Newman You’ve bought your ticket, booked your accommodation and sorted out a babysitter. You’re totally ready to attend the amazing writers’ festival that’s coming up! There’s just one problem… you’re a tiny bit terrified. Who will you speak to? What if you don’t know anyone? Is it okay
Guest post by Pamela Freeman If you’re planning out your structure, it can be overwhelming. All the graphs of three-act structures, all the pacing advice, all the ‘do I have a midpoint reversal’ panics… But there is a simpler way to consider if your structure is solid. And that is:
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