Abstruse (adjective) [uhb’stroohs] If you think this word is hard to understand then you would be right! It actually means “difficult to understand or esoteric”. So
Back on the shortest day of the year, we put out a simple challenge to you – write us a 25-word story. The only rule
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
Thanks to Entertainment One, this week we have 10 prize packs of A Monster Calls book + double film passes to give away. The Carnegie
In Episode 186 of So you want to be a writer: Do you need to experience what your character goes through? There are two types of writers
The St Albans Writers’ Festival promises to make a gorgeous weekend retreat. The St Albans Writers’ Festival is on 8-10 September 2017 in the ancient
Callipygian (adjective) [kal-uh-pij-ee-uh n] Believe it or not, this means “a well rounded bum”! So you would say “Kim Kardashian has made a business out of
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
Winter is here. And thanks to our generous friends over at the TV/movie streaming service Dendy Direct, we have a prize perfect for these blanket
Ignoble (adjective) [ig-noh-buhl] When the letters ig are in front of an n, that usually mean “not” so this simply means “not noble”. The Macquarie Dictionary goes on
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: Have you started your book in the right place? And meet picture book author and
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
In Episode 184 of So you want to be a writer: Congratulations to both Anne Tonner and Shankari Chandran! Should you keep a reading journal? How
This week, thanks to nos amis at Transmission Films, we have 10 double passes to new film Paris Can Wait to give away. It opens
The 2017 Lane Cove Literary Awards are now open. There’s a possible prize pool of over $7,000. Entries are open to Australian writers aged 16
Lubricious (adjective) [loo-brish-uh s] According to the book 500 Words Your Should Know: “Another word for lewd, lascivious or indeed libidinous, though this is more formal than any
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: meet Andrew Marmont, author of Their Finest Hour and find out about how he turned
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
We’re super proud of our AWC alumni lately – their inspirational and insightful stories have been featured across Domain, The Sydney Morning Herald and The
Today we’re speaking with Brisbane-based bestselling Australian author Charlotte Nash about her new book, The Paris Wedding – hitting bookstores July 2017. Charlotte has up
In Episode 182 of So you want to be a writer: Learn how to use a plotting chart in your redrafting process and why this teenager
Monday 26 June 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the first Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. So, we
Pulchritude (noun) [pul-chri-tude] It seems like such an ugly looking word but it means the opposite. The Macquarie Dictionary defines it as “beauty” or “comeliness”. So you might
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: How to prepare for author talks; and meet 2017 Finch Memoir Prize winner Anne Tonner,
Giuseppe Poli is a leading illustrator in his field. His latest children’s book Baby Band (words by Diane Jackson Hill) was released this year. Giuseppe
Abstruse (adjective) [uhb’stroohs] If you think this word is hard to understand then you would be right! It actually means “difficult to understand or esoteric”. So you might say that “He had an abstruse approach to solving the problem.” Listen to Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the
Back on the shortest day of the year, we put out a simple challenge to you – write us a 25-word story. The only rule was that it contain the words “violin” and “victory”. The rest was up to you. The one we judged our favourite would win free access
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 it’s all about fear and
Thanks to Entertainment One, this week we have 10 prize packs of A Monster Calls book + double film passes to give away. The Carnegie Medal-winning novel by British-American author Patrick Ness was released in 2015 and the film adaptation will be released this month on 27 July 2017. According
In Episode 186 of So you want to be a writer: Do you need to experience what your character goes through? There are two types of writers – which one are you? Wow your friends and dinner guests with your use of the word “callipygian”. Also, hear Natasha Lester talk about her
The St Albans Writers’ Festival promises to make a gorgeous weekend retreat. The St Albans Writers’ Festival is on 8-10 September 2017 in the ancient Hawkesbury River basin. We reckon this festival warrants a trip to St Albans to soak up the literary vibes and drink up the picturesque scenery.
Callipygian (adjective) [kal-uh-pij-ee-uh n] Believe it or not, this means “a well rounded bum”! So you would say “Kim Kardashian has made a business out of trading off her callipygian figure.” Listen to Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the world of writing, blogging and publishing.
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 catching up on game
Winter is here. And thanks to our generous friends over at the TV/movie streaming service Dendy Direct, we have a prize perfect for these blanket snuggling days. Ten prizes in fact – of $20 vouchers to access quality movies and TV via the Dendy Direct platform! Dendy is all about
Ignoble (adjective) [ig-noh-buhl] When the letters ig are in front of an n, that usually mean “not” so this simply means “not noble”. The Macquarie Dictionary goes on to say that it’s of “low character” or “low grade”. So you might say “He had ignoble motives.” To hear Valerie and Allison chat more
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: Have you started your book in the right place? And meet picture book author and AWC alumni Shelly Unwin. Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast [at] writerscentre [dot] com [dot] au Click play below to listen
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 kicking it to the kerb…
In Episode 184 of So you want to be a writer: Congratulations to both Anne Tonner and Shankari Chandran! Should you keep a reading journal? How to launch your blog with your book in mind. How to write a kick-ass Amazon bio. 10x double passes to Paris Can Wait up for
This week, thanks to nos amis at Transmission Films, we have 10 double passes to new film Paris Can Wait to give away. It opens nationwide on 20 July 2017. It’s the feature film debut of Eleanor Coppola – the 81-year-old wife of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. Of course, Eleanor
The 2017 Lane Cove Literary Awards are now open. There’s a possible prize pool of over $7,000. Entries are open to Australian writers aged 16 and up. There are several prize categories and opportunities for a range of aspiring writers. So, don’t be shy! From the media release: Short Story
Lubricious (adjective) [loo-brish-uh s] According to the book 500 Words Your Should Know: “Another word for lewd, lascivious or indeed libidinous, though this is more formal than any of them. It’s from the same Latin root as lubricate and lubricant, with their implications of slipperiness and reducing friction. Enough said, don’t you think?”
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: meet Andrew Marmont, author of Their Finest Hour and find out about how he turned his sporting passion into a book. Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast [at] writerscentre [dot] com [dot] au Click play below
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 breaking the mouldy mold… Q:
We’re super proud of our AWC alumni lately – their inspirational and insightful stories have been featured across Domain, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Check out some of their great reads below. Above: Linda Moon‘s article in Domain.com.au “Is moving house good for you? The pros and cons
Today we’re speaking with Brisbane-based bestselling Australian author Charlotte Nash about her new book, The Paris Wedding – hitting bookstores July 2017. Charlotte has up until now written “rural lit” – tales of life and love in remote Australia. So, naturally the idea of Paris seems about as far from
In Episode 182 of So you want to be a writer: Learn how to use a plotting chart in your redrafting process and why this teenager won’t read Young Adult novels. Discover how the ‘Creative Gap’ frustrates writers. Your chance to enter a short story competition and Harry Potter books up
Monday 26 June 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the first Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. So, we feel it’s only right to share the Potter love this week. You’ve probably read (and re-read) the original seven books published between 1997 and 2007,
Pulchritude (noun) [pul-chri-tude] It seems like such an ugly looking word but it means the opposite. The Macquarie Dictionary defines it as “beauty” or “comeliness”. So you might say: “The actress Robin Wright is a woman of great pulchritude.” Listen to Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the world of
In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: How to prepare for author talks; and meet 2017 Finch Memoir Prize winner Anne Tonner, author of Cold Vein. Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast [at] writerscentre [dot] com [dot] au Click play below to listen
Giuseppe Poli is a leading illustrator in his field. His latest children’s book Baby Band (words by Diane Jackson Hill) was released this year. Giuseppe lives in Queensland and we had a chat with him about his insights into the world of illustrating… Hi Giuseppe. Hey, before we start –
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