Vikki Marmaras was on maternity leave with her second child when she decided she needed a new challenge. She had been writing picture book manuscripts on and off for a few years, but didn’t feel like she was getting anywhere, so she signed up for the course Writing Picture Books.
Lucy Lever had been writing on and off for years, but could never quite finish the novel she dreamt of writing. That all changed when she discovered the Australian Writers’ Centre. “Stumbling across AWC was like discovering a treasure trove of wonderful courses, and I wanted to do them all,” Lucy told us. “I realised that I should have started rather than finished here, given that AWC offered a step-by-step guide to novel writing and many other wonderful courses with lots of workshopping along the way and highly skilled teachers.” Lucy went on to complete several courses with the AWC and her debut novel, Mystic Ridge, has now been published by HarperCollins HQ.
Kate Gray on landing her six-figure book deal for the The Honeymoon. And how she transitioned from rom coms to psychological thrillers. 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
You’ve probably seen her on TV, but actor Pia Miranda has also written a memoir. Finding My Bella Vita is out now and we have three copies to give away. Pia takes us on a ride filled with humour, family, fame and good food. Here’s the blurb: For years Pia
If you’d like to explore how your copywriting skills can help you, or your client, write a book and become an authority in your industry, this is the episode for you. Anna Featherstone is an expert author, publicist, independent book marketer. In this podcast, she reveals her inside secrets on
Middle grade books – books for children between the ages of 8 and 12 – are experiencing a surge in popularity. And children this age love them because these novels often explore themes, experiences and issues that are relevant to what middle grade readers are going through at their stage
Claire Thompson on her picture book about the true story of Lily The Inventor. 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
“I sent one of my stories to Cathie and she told me that she felt that I should consider starting with the foundations first and recommended the Australian Writers’ Centre Writing Picture Books course before taking on a mentor,” Apsara told us. “It was the best advice I could have ever received. Cathie had designed the course so, in a way, I was able to learn from the best in a structured way with a group online.”
Katherine Rundell is a bestselling author whose novels for children include Rooftoppers, The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer and The Good Thieves. She has won the Costa Children’s Book Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, amongst many others. Her books have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Bestselling author Sophie Green on Weekends With The Sunshine Gardening Society. Should you read other books while you’re writing your own? And win Storytellers: Questions, Answers and the Craft of Journalism by Leigh Sales. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS
We are surrounded by news stories on a daily basis, but have you ever thought about how the news gets made or perhaps considered becoming a journalist yourself? In this week’s giveaway journalist Leigh Sales takes us behind the scenes of the industry in her book Storytellers: Questions, Answers and
Welcome to the September Furious Fiction story showcase – our monthly spotlight on our community’s creativity and the opportunity to have YOUR OWN story featured or acknowledged. Here were this month’s criteria: Your story must start and end with the same sentence. Your story must feature something being inflated. Your
This is Heidi Walkinshaw’s inspiring story on how she reinvented her life, transitioning away from a career that no longer served her to become a picture book author and copywriter. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite
We already know that cats rule the internet, but AWC graduate Carla Francis is making sure they rule our bookshelves, too! After the successful release of her debut memoir, The Cat With Three Passports, Carla has now published The Zen of Cat, and a follow-up is in the works, as
Simon Higgins on his novel Dragons of Dusk and Dawn. Using moodboards to help create your characters. And win The Chasm by Bronwyn Hall. 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 week’s giveaway takes us all the way to the mountains of Victoria. We have three copies of The Chasm by Bronwyn Hall to give away. Bronwyn has fast made a name for herself as one of Australia’s most exciting thriller writers. The Chasm, her second novel, won’t disappoint readers.
Jo Dabrowski scored not one, not two, but THREE book deals. She has published two picture books: Higher! and Have Your Seen My Friend?. And has now released her middle grade novel Get Your Act Together, Doris Kozlowski. You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify,
HarperCollins Publishers Australia has revealed the shortlist for the 2023 Banjo Prize. We are so excited that AWC graduates A’Mhara McKey and Natasha Neary are on the list! A’Mhara and Natasha are both members of a writing group that grew out of Write Your Novel in 2021. Since then, the writing group
When community health worker Bronwyn Hall found out she was going to be published she was delighted – and terrified!
“Firstly, I felt a profound shock,” Bronwyn recalls. “It was a case of, ‘Really? I mean, have they thought it through?’ Thankfully, my anxiety faded and the happy came back when the editing started.”
Bronwyn’s edge-of-the-seat debut thriller Gone to Ground is out now with HarperCollins and it’s already getting rave reviews.
“The best time to plan a book is while you’re washing the dishes.” You don’t have to wander too far across the wild plains of the internet to discover this quote from acclaimed mystery writer Agatha Christie, and it’s one I’ve used myself in author talks for many years –
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