Fiction writing – Page 5 – Australian Writers' Centre

AWC alumni

Teacher Krys Saclier publishes a picture book about Australia’s electoral system!

Courses taken at AWC:
History, Mystery and Magic
How to Write for Children and Young Adults
Pitch Your Novel: How to Attract Agents and Publishers
Laugh Out Loud

Explaining Australia’s federal voting system seems like strange inspiration for a picture book – but that’s exactly what Krys Saclier did for her second book Vote 4 Me, illustrated by Cathy Wilcox, and published through Wild Dog Books.
Krys is a graduate of several AWC courses, including History, Mystery and Magic, How to Write for Children and Young Adults, and Pitch Your Novel: How to Attract Agents and Publishers. Her debut picture book, Super Nova, was published in 2019 through Ford Street Publishing with illustrations by Rebecca Timmis.

23 November 2020

Build your profile and promote your book

6 mistakes fiction authors should avoid when writing guest blog posts

Writing a guest blog post is a great way to build your author profile and introduce your book to a wider audience. It’s a win-win where the blog gets extra content from a variety of voices, and the author reaches a new audience, increases their authority, and drives traffic to their website or social media.

20 November 2020

Fiction writing

How long does it take to write a first draft?

There’s no one right way to write – and there’s no one answer for how long it will take you to get that first draft done. Some writers take years, while others can pump first drafts out in months. If you’re wondering how long it will take you to write

18 November 2020

Fiction writing

Second draft syndrome: 10 tips for editing your own work

So you’ve followed all the advice you’ve heard from published authors and smashed out your first draft. You’ve struggled through various pits of despair and soared to lofty heights of ecstasy and finally reached the end of your manuscript. Now what? It’s time to sharpen your pencils and pull out

17 November 2020

Fiction writing

Plotter or Pantser? The results are in!

Well – what a week for democracy it has been. And we apologise for taking so long to report the final result, but we had a few plotters in Pennsylvania that had mailed their pants in and, well, everything had to be verified. But now that the polls have closed,

11 November 2020

Fiction writing

Want to improve your writing? Do this one thing

If we told you there was one simple thing you could do which would take your writing to the next level – and you already knew how to do it, it was enjoyable, and could often be done for free – would you believe us? It’s one of the top

30 October 2020

Fiction writing

Decision 2020: VOTE Plotters vs Pantsers

This is it – the biggest decision of the year is taking place this week and we want YOU to cast your vote and elect the best way to approach writing a novel. Is it by being a PLOTTER (planning your novel in advance) or is it by being a

28 October 2020

AWC alumni

The turning point that led to James Antoniou becoming a published picture book author

Courses taken at AWC:
Writing Picture Books

James Antoniou was in the middle of a haphazard gap year when he decided to enrol in Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers’ Centre. He had always wanted to be a published author, had studied English at Oxford, and was ready to launch his writing career. But it was the course at the AWC that gave James the practical tools he needed to finish his manuscript.

26 October 2020

Writing for kids and teens

5 ways writing can help reduce your teen’s anxiety

Anxiety is better recognised and understood than ever before, but for parents of teenagers struggling with anxiety it can still be hard to know how to help. One great way is to encourage them to express themselves via writing. Bestselling parenting book author Michael Grose shares with us some practical

24 October 2020

Fiction writing

5 ways to engage readers in your young adult book

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

12 October 2020

Fiction writing

5 things illustrators should know about writing picture books

Image above: By Judith Rossell Multi-award-winning author and illustrator Judith Rossell teaches Writing Picture Books and How to Write for Children and Young Adults at the Australian Writers’ Centre, and has been writing and illustrating children’s books for nearly 20 years. She was an illustrator first before adding writing to

11 October 2020

Crime and thriller

5 must-dos to turn your thriller into a bestseller

British-Australian crime and thriller writer L.A. Larkin – who teaches the Australian Writers’ Centre’s popular Crime and Thriller Writing course – is an expert in the art of building suspense and high stakes in a thriller novel. Read on for her top 5 ways to turn your thriller into a

30 September 2020

Five tips for writing mystery stories for kids

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

26 September 2020

Writer with pencil and notepad having fun

Fiction writing

Make writing fun again

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

24 September 2020

Fiction writing

Watch Creative Conversations with bestselling middle-grade author Allison Tait

Bestselling author of epic middle-grade fiction Allison Tait met with AWC CEO Valerie Khoo in a Creative Conversations episode to chat about her new book The Fire Star and answer the community’s burning questions about all things writing. Allison Tait, also known as A.L. Tait, is the internationally published bestselling

16 September 2020

AWC alumni

Sonya Bates: Speech pathologist finds license to thrill with debut novel

AWC courses completed:
Anatomy of a Crime: How to Write About Murder
Build Your Author Platform

Sonya Bates was a speech pathologist who dabbled in writing on the side. But when she had the idea for her thriller Inheritance of Secrets, she knew it was time to take her writing seriously. She signed up for the Anatomy of a Crime: How to Write About Murder course at the Australian Writers’ Centre to get the skills and confidence she needed.

Sonya is now proud to call herself an author with her debut adult novel, Inheritance of Secrets, out now through HarperCollins.

7 September 2020

AWC alumni

AWC alumna Brooke Graham’s debut picture book helps kids with anxiety

AWC courses completed:
Writing Picture Books
Writing Picture Books Masterclass
How to Write for Children and Young Adults
Build Your Author Platform

As a mum and a primary school teacher, Brooke Graham knew the value of good children’s books. Reading to kids was one of the most enjoyable parts of her job. Then after completing the Writing Picture Books course at the Australian Writers’ Centre, Brooke became hooked on writing and was determined to write her own. Her debut picture book Go Away, Worry Monster! has now been published by EK Books.

4 September 2020

Fiction writing

5 key mistakes to avoid when self-editing your manuscript

For writers, self-editing is a crucial skill, especially if you’re planning to send your finished manuscript off to a publisher or enter it in a competition. Whether or not you have friends who can help you as beta readers, you need to be able to edit yourself well. The Australian

4 September 2020

AWC alumni

How Felicity McVay reignited her creative passion to become a published picture book author

AWC courses completed:
Writing Picture Books
Creative Writing Stage 1

Sitting in darkness feeding her newborn daughter each night, Felicity McVay began to dream up the character of a boy who loves to burp. After taking two courses at the Australian Writers’ Centre – Writing Picture Books and Creative Writing Stage 1 – Felicity is now a published author, with her picture book The Boy Who Burped released by New Holland Publishers. “I feel a great thrill when I tell people that I’m a writer,” Felicity says. “The courses at AWC gave me a sense of legitimacy.”

31 August 2020

Petronella McGovern shortlisted for the 2020 Ned Kelly Crime Awards with her debut thriller ‘Six Minutes’

We’re thrilled to share that AWC alumna Petronella McGovern has made the shortlist for the 2020 Ned Kelly Crime Awards for her thrilling debut novel Six Minutes. It’s an incredible achievement as the awards attracted a large number of entries this year. Australian Crime Writers Association chair Robert Goodman said

28 August 2020

Category: Fiction writing

Teacher Krys Saclier publishes a picture book about Australia’s electoral system!

6 mistakes fiction authors should avoid when writing guest blog posts

How long does it take to write a first draft?

Second draft syndrome: 10 tips for editing your own work

Plotter or Pantser? The results are in!

Want to improve your writing? Do this one thing

Decision 2020: VOTE Plotters vs Pantsers

The turning point that led to James Antoniou becoming a published picture book author

5 ways writing can help reduce your teen’s anxiety

5 ways to engage readers in your young adult book

5 things illustrators should know about writing picture books

5 must-dos to turn your thriller into a bestseller

Five tips for writing mystery stories for kids

Make writing fun again

Watch Creative Conversations with bestselling middle-grade author Allison Tait

Sonya Bates: Speech pathologist finds license to thrill with debut novel

AWC alumna Brooke Graham’s debut picture book helps kids with anxiety

5 key mistakes to avoid when self-editing your manuscript

How Felicity McVay reignited her creative passion to become a published picture book author

Petronella McGovern shortlisted for the 2020 Ned Kelly Crime Awards with her debut thriller ‘Six Minutes’

Browse posts by category

Courses starting soon