This could be you | Australian Writers' Centre

Michelle Upton goes from school teacher to successful author

A few years ago, Michelle Upton made the life-changing decision that she wanted to be a writer. So she focused her efforts on learning about the craft and getting as much practical experience as possible. This included entering literary competitions, enrolling in the Romance Writing course at the Australian Writers' Centre and taking part in the Centre’s Furious Fiction competition.

Author Madeline Te Whiu working at her desk, surrounded by editorial notes and bookcases.

How Madeline Te Whiu became a fantasy author

For veterinary nurse Madeline Te Whiu, her writing dreams started with a simple scene. As an avid reader, she thought she’d give writing a go by sketching out a few scenes for her own story. She wasn’t quite sure what to do next, but committed to writing 4000 words a week.
“After that, I really threw myself into writing. I was very strict with myself to try and reach my word count every week; I spent many of my days off at my local library in an attempt to keep myself distraction-free.”

Karina May is set to be the Next Big Thing in rom-com writing

Karina May was working in digital marketing when she started dabbling in creative writing just for the fun of it – but she soon found herself hooked on the craft of storytelling. She voraciously attended courses at the Australian Writers' Centre, including two rounds of Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman, which gave her the structure to complete her first manuscript. After signing a two-book deal with Pan MacMillan, Karina has now released her novel Duck à l'Orange for Breakfast.

Zewlan Moor launches her career as an author with two picture books!

When Dr Zewlan Moor started her training to become a general practitioner, she had two goals: to complete her GP fellowship and to write a novel for National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo). It might seem like an unusual combination, but Zewlan was determined to follow her passion for writing alongside her medical career. She was drawn to Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers' Centre and is now delighted to announce that she will be publishing two picture books in 2023.

Jemima Parker kicks off her new career as a picture book author

The only thing that Jemima Parker regrets about the Writing Picture Books course is not doing it sooner! With a varied career that spanned law, communications and visual arts, Jemima knew she wanted to take a writing course ‘one day’. But it wasn’t until she was knee-deep in wedding decorations that she finally made the commitment to herself.

Writing Podcast Episode 576: Joanna Nell on her novel ‘Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year' and how to build a career as a bestselling author

AWC alumni Joanna Nell is a bestselling author and her fifth novel is Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year. She has carved out a successful literary career alongside her work as a medical doctor. When Joanna first explored the world of writing, she completed several courses at the Australian Writers' Centre. One of the writing […]

Susannah Glenn’s reinvention to become an author

“My earliest memories were of reading and writing and dreaming of becoming a full-time writer. Instead, I became a journalist and editor (the pay was better), thinking ‘one day’ I’ll turn my attention to fiction,” Susannah told us. “Well, that ‘one day’ had come! I rolled up my sleeves and learnt everything I could about how and where to start. Fortunately, one of the amazing resources I discovered was the Australian Writers’ Centre.”

Writing Podcast Episode 574: Lucy Lever on how she got a book deal for her novel ‘Mystic Ridge'.

Lucy Lever on her novel Mystic Ridge. 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 – the book! Facebook group for So You Want to be a […]

A publishing dream come true for Pamela Jones

When her youngest son was a toddler, Pamela Jones found herself with two whole free hours a week. Not wanting to waste that precious time on household chores, Pamela instead decided to do something delicious for herself: she enrolled in Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers' Centre.

Writing Podcast Episode 572: Vikki Marmaras scores three book deals and reveals the process behind her latest book, ‘I Spy Treasure'.

Vikki Marmaras scores three book deals and reveals the process behind her latest book, I Spy Treasure. 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 – the […]