Q&A: It’s all gone pear-shaped
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
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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
Sue Whiting is a successful Australian author writing for children and young adults. She also now teaches at the Australian Writers’ Centre, so we cornered
Writing competitions can be a great motivational tool. Do you have a story idea that you would love to explore further? A neglected draft patiently
Bucolic (adjective) “As AWC team member Dean pointed out, this words sounds unpleasant – and almost sounds like bubonic (as in the plague) – but
Bestselling author and AWC presenter Natasha Lester discovered Scrivener after becoming fed up with Word, and hasn’t looked back! Check out this interview excerpt from our Facebook
When Melanie Dower (pictured) relocated from Auckland, New Zealand to Helsinki, Finland to join her husband in his dream job, it turned her whole world
Do you spend eight hours a day in front of your computer at work? Maybe you’re sending emails. Perhaps you’re writing proposals or recommendations. The
In Episode 111 of So you want to be a writer: Find out which authors took more than five years to write their books, why Judy Blume
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
Avuncular (adjective) “When I first heard this word, my friend was describing an older gentleman that she worked with. It’s an adjective that means ‘like
In Episode 110 of So you want to be a writer: The worst ways to begin your novel and things authors should know. Discover how to
Australian and New Zealand short story writers, this competition is for you. The Overland Victoria University Short Story Prize for new and emerging writers is
Stultify (verb) “One meaning is to make a person appear stupid or foolish. But mainly it means to lose all enthusiasm due to a boring
Our AWC graduates continue to amaze us with their publishing success. So many are turning their freelance writing dreams into reality with their articles regularly
Today we’re chatting with author Leigh Hopkinson about her new memoir Two Decades Naked. Now, we’re pretty sure even the staunchest of naturalists would struggle
In Episode 109 of So you want to be a writer: breaking up with your novel, what to look for in a writers’ group, bogus writing
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) have just announced their shortlist for the 2016 Book of the Year and we were so excited to see
Peripatetic (adjective) “This is a fancy word to mean ‘wandering’. It comes from the Greek word for ‘pacing to and fro’, but relates to someone
This month, we’ve gone memoir-mad, with not one, not two, not three, not four, not 10, but FIVE hand-picked memoirs to give away to one
In Episode 108 of So you want to be a writer: The benefits of writing longhand and famous writers and their first word processor (can you remember
“Captivating, romantic and tragic, A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald follows a young woman ahead of her time amid the fragile hearts and glamour of jazz
Emily McAuliffe can’t remember what first prompted her to do a writing course – possibly just for “something to do”. However, many words later, she
It’s almost that time of year again when over 100,000 literature lovers flock to Walsh Bay for the Sydney Writers’ Festival. This year the program is jam-packed
Ask an author for their top tip for aspiring writers and it would be to READ. Read widely and read often. So once a month,
In Episode 107 of So you want to be a writer: Beware where you send your manuscript. Do skinny, pretty writers get more book deals? Discover writing
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 pare back the pair vs
Sue Whiting is a successful Australian author writing for children and young adults. She also now teaches at the Australian Writers’ Centre, so we cornered her at the water cooler and threw some questions her way. Hi Sue. Your background is in primary school teaching. Was there a spark or
Writing competitions can be a great motivational tool. Do you have a story idea that you would love to explore further? A neglected draft patiently waiting for you on your computer? Why not enter these short story competitions and use the submission deadline to your advantage. You may even find
Bucolic (adjective) “As AWC team member Dean pointed out, this words sounds unpleasant – and almost sounds like bubonic (as in the plague) – but is actually an adjective describing a lovely scene, usually in a rustic or rural settings. So you might say ‘The country house had a bucolic
Bestselling author and AWC presenter Natasha Lester discovered Scrivener after becoming fed up with Word, and hasn’t looked back! Check out this interview excerpt from our Facebook Live stream with Natasha at our recent Sydney meet-up, where she discusses how Scrivener was a game-changer for her novel writing process. From being able to
When Melanie Dower (pictured) relocated from Auckland, New Zealand to Helsinki, Finland to join her husband in his dream job, it turned her whole world upside down. Here, on the other side of the globe, she struggled to find a job on par with her previous field as she wasn’t
Do you spend eight hours a day in front of your computer at work? Maybe you’re sending emails. Perhaps you’re writing proposals or recommendations. The reality is that many of us spend much of our day doing some form of written communication. So it’s vital to understand a few simple
In Episode 111 of So you want to be a writer: Find out which authors took more than five years to write their books, why Judy Blume opened a book shop at age 78, and what really goes on in an author’s day. Plus: learn the meaning of “bucolic”, meet Steve Lewis,
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 look twice at “bi”…
Avuncular (adjective) “When I first heard this word, my friend was describing an older gentleman that she worked with. It’s an adjective that means ‘like an uncle’ and when I met her colleague it made total sense. Because he was very kind towards her and looked out for her. Please
In Episode 110 of So you want to be a writer: The worst ways to begin your novel and things authors should know. Discover how to turn your “off” writing days into “on” days and how to refill your creative well. How a “mommy blog” ruined the blogger’s life. You’ll learn
Australian and New Zealand short story writers, this competition is for you. The Overland Victoria University Short Story Prize for new and emerging writers is now open for the fifth consecutive year. They are welcoming pieces no longer than 3,000 words. To qualify, you must not have published more than
Stultify (verb) “One meaning is to make a person appear stupid or foolish. But mainly it means to lose all enthusiasm due to a boring routine. So you might say that being in prison was stultifying if you had nothing to do. Or that the stultifying job meant you were
Our AWC graduates continue to amaze us with their publishing success. So many are turning their freelance writing dreams into reality with their articles regularly featuring in major publications. And we love the variety of subject matters that they explore. Check out some of the recent accomplishments from our superstar
Today we’re chatting with author Leigh Hopkinson about her new memoir Two Decades Naked. Now, we’re pretty sure even the staunchest of naturalists would struggle to spend that long starkers, so we thought we’d get to the bottom of this. (Pun absolutely intended.) Hi Leigh, for those readers who haven’t
In Episode 109 of So you want to be a writer: breaking up with your novel, what to look for in a writers’ group, bogus writing rules you should ignore, and tax tips for writers who hate maths. Plus: discover the meaning of “stultify” and meet author Sue Whiting. Also: how
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) have just announced their shortlist for the 2016 Book of the Year and we were so excited to see AWC Writing Picture Books presenter Danny Parker among the list of amazing authors. Danny’s acclaimed picture book Perfect, with illustrations by Freya Blackwood, has been shortlisted
Peripatetic (adjective) “This is a fancy word to mean ‘wandering’. It comes from the Greek word for ‘pacing to and fro’, but relates to someone who does that in a more organised way, rather than someone who bumbles about. So a peripatetic startup CEO might split his time between Sydney
This month, we’ve gone memoir-mad, with not one, not two, not three, not four, not 10, but FIVE hand-picked memoirs to give away to one lucky winner! We love a good memoir. Perhaps it’s the mixed bag of experiences – some across decades, others just days. Maybe it’s the way
In Episode 108 of So you want to be a writer: The benefits of writing longhand and famous writers and their first word processor (can you remember yours?). Discover what “peripatetic” means and meet publishing doyenne Marina Go, author of Break Through: 20 Success Strategies For Female Leaders. Check out Litsy, the
“Captivating, romantic and tragic, A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald follows a young woman ahead of her time amid the fragile hearts and glamour of jazz age New York…” This week, one lucky reader is set to walk away with the popular new book from Natasha Lester, A Kiss from Mr
Emily McAuliffe can’t remember what first prompted her to do a writing course – possibly just for “something to do”. However, many words later, she now lives in Portugal and works as a full-time writer – with work published here and overseas! Getting started “I had no real expectations and
It’s almost that time of year again when over 100,000 literature lovers flock to Walsh Bay for the Sydney Writers’ Festival. This year the program is jam-packed with 300+ events held across 16-22 May 2016. And we are thrilled that some of our amazing AWC presenters are taking part and sharing their writing
Ask an author for their top tip for aspiring writers and it would be to READ. Read widely and read often. So once a month, we’ll be sharing what we’re reading – fiction or non-fiction. We’d love you to do the same – so share a paragraph on your latest
In Episode 107 of So you want to be a writer: Beware where you send your manuscript. Do skinny, pretty writers get more book deals? Discover writing tips from bestselling YA authors, how to speed up your writing, and what “feckless” mean. Plus: a blog for teen writers and meet Sonya Voumard,
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