Australian Writers' Centre
So You Want to be a Writer
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about succeeding in the world of writing and publishing. Learn practical writing techniques, go behind-the-scenes and discover how real-life authors got their big break. Uncover the creative processes of writers who have made it. Your host is Valerie Khoo – author, journalist, creative and CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre.
Author
Australian Writers' Centre
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jul 6, 2026
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Episodes
WRITER 174: Meet Jenevieve Chang, author of 'The Good Girl of Chinatown' 23.05.2017 1:19:05
Make sure you know the 3 different types of editing you need. Discover how to create “scene goals” in your writing. We’re a bit gobsmacked by a plagiarised paper about plagiarism! Meet Jenevieve Chang, author of the memoir “The Good Girl of Chinatown”. Plus 5 tips on how to build your author platform and much more! Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, All...
WRITER 173: Meet Anne Trubek, author of 'The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting' 18.05.2017 35:39
How to improve your writing. And meet Anne Trubek, author of “The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting”. And where does the term “John Hancock” come from? Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...
WRITER 172: Meet Anna Daniels, author of 'Girl in Between' 16.05.2017 1:09:35
Are you a writer or an author? We review Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice! Some unexpected writing tools (which do you use?). You could win “Behind Her Eyes” by Sarah Pinborough! Plus: meet Anna Daniels, author of “Girl in Between”, discover authors to follow on Instagram, and much more! Read the show notes. Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast com...
WRITER 171: Do young adult books need to be set in the present day? 11.05.2017 15:12
Do young adult books needs to be set in the present day in order to be marketable? What's the most efficient way of receiving international payments? Read the show notes. Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
WRITER 170: Meet archaeologist turned writer Brenna Hassett, author of 'Built on Bones' 09.05.2017 1:17:11
Who gets to write a Star Wars book? Learn why author Paula Hawkins transitioned from writing romance books to thriller novels. Discover 6 unusual habits of creative people. Meet archaeologist turned author Brenna Hassett, learn what an author platform looks like and much more! Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit Writers...
WRITER 169: Meet children's picture book writer Zanni Louise, author of 'Tiggy and the Magic Paintbrush' 01.05.2017 1:19:10
It’s the 50th anniversary of “The Outsiders”! You can rent Emily Dickinson’s room by the hour to pen your next masterpiece. Discover how to write a good synopsis and your chance to win a double pass to the film “Whiteley”. Do you know any “apple-knockers”? You’ll meet children’s picture book author Zanni Louise. Plus: tips on using your c...
WRITER 168: Meet the incredibly prolific and talented Pamela Hart, author of 'A Letter to Italy' 27.04.2017 50:02
We chat to the incredibly prolific and talented Pamela Hart, author of "A Letter to Italy". Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
WRITER 167: Meet Australian Idol judge turned barrister Mark Holden, author of memoir 'My Idol Years' 25.04.2017 1:22:46
Do you love the smell of old books? What you need to know about your narrator and how to work with beta readers. Win our Mother’s Day book pack! We chat to Australian Idol judge turned barrister Mark Holden on his memoir. Discover how to schedule your Instagram posts in advance and much more! Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on...
WRITER 166: Meet Rachael Lucas, author of 'The State of Grace' 17.04.2017 1:08:56
How to get over your wall of self-doubt and discover the art of writing murder mystery characters. Take virtual literary tours of New York! Do you want the chance to win a Mother’s Day book pack with 7 books? Plus: meet Rachael Lucas, author of ‘The State of Grace’ and much more! Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on F...
WRITER 165: How do you layer more detail into your novel? 13.04.2017 21:00
How do you layer more detail into your novel? And how to avoid bright shiny object syndrome when you’re writing. Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
WRITER 164: We chat to Stephanie Darling, author of 'Secrets of a Beauty Queen' 09.04.2017 1:12:48
Discover how to write an award-winning screenplay on your commute and the 6 documents you need open when you write. Learn how to edit your work like a New York publisher. Plus: how you could win our special Mother’s Day book pack! Meet beauty writer and author of 'Secrets of a Beauty Queen' Stephanie Darling, and much more! Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listen...
WRITER 163: We chat to Samone Bos, who evolved her blog into the book 'Momo Freaks Out' 03.04.2017 55:00
Discover new opportunities in content and custom publishing. Learn why writing is rewriting and what makes you a real writer. Meet Samone Bos, who evolved her popular blog into the book ‘Momo Freaks Out’. We have 3 copies of A.L. Tait’s ‘Beyond the Edge of the Map’ to giveaway. Plus: author Instagram accounts you should be following and much more! Read the show notes...
WRITER 162: Meet Bridget Isichei, author of 'Road No Good' 29.03.2017 36:00
What genre am I writing in? And meet Bridget Isichei, author of 'Road No Good' and runner up in the Finch Memoir Prize. Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
WRITER 161: Meet Allen & Unwin publisher Louise Thurtell 28.03.2017 1:08:24
Discover the unfortunate truth about most writers and listen to an awesome playlist for writer’s block. Avoid the top manuscript formatting mistakes and find out how to earn more than six figures as a freelancer. You could win a copy of Pamela Hart’s latest book, ‘A Letter From Italy’. Plus meet Allen & Unwin publisher Louise Thurtell. We also share platform building ti...
WRITER 160: Meet Harrison Young, author of 'The Daughters of Henry Wong' 21.03.2017 1:14:47
Great writing advice from Kurt Vonnegut, how to tell if you’re writing middle grade or young adult fiction, and how to get effective feedback on your writing. Discover how you could win our organisational book pack. Meet Harrison Young, author of ‘The Daughters of Henry Wong’. Plus, how to get noticed on social media and much more! Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie...
WRITER 159: Meet Penelope Janu, author of 'In at the Deep End' 16.03.2017 25:41
Do I need an overseas literary agent? And meet Penelope Janu, author of ‘In at the Deep End’. Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
WRITER 158: Meet Carole Wilkinson, author of the Dragonkeeper series 13.03.2017 1:12:56
5 ways to find time to write. Learn the differences between crime, mystery and thriller novels. How an author used Google Street View and YouTube to write her novel. Find out how you could win a copy of Candice Fox’s latest book, “Crimson Lake”. Meet Carole Wilkinson, author of “Bronze Bird Tower” and the Dragonkeeper series. Read the show notes . Connect with V...
WRITER 157: Has someone stolen my work? 09.03.2017 22:32
Do I need to visit a place I write about? Has someone stolen my work? Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
WRITER 156: Meet Caroline Baum, author of 'Only: A Singular Memoir' 06.03.2017 1:11:00
Lessons from a debut novelist’s journey in book marketing, beliefs that will hold you back as a freelance writer, and what to include in your author bio on your website. You’ll meet Caroline Baum, author of ‘Only: A Singular Memoir’. Plus, Gmail add-ons that will make your freelance writing life easier and much more! Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison...
WRITER 155: How do I write my back cover blurb? 05.03.2017 23:20
How do I write my back cover blurb? Am I a prolific writer? Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
WRITER 154: We chat to Hilary Spiers, author of 'Love, Lies and Linguine' 01.03.2017 1:16:56
Make writing part of your daily life with the Creative Writing Bootcamp, discover Oxford Dictionary’s new words, and learn how to be more creative in 10 minutes a day. Impress your friends by casually dropping “halcyon” into your conversations. You’ll meet the delightful Hilary Spiers, author of “Love, Lies and Linguine”. Plus: discover what the difference betwe...
WRITER 153: Do you need an agent? 25.02.2017 25:22
Should I get an agent if I can negotiate myself? How do I respond to friends who don't think I'm a real writer when I write children's books? Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
WRITER 152: Meet David Crystal, author of 'Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar' 21.02.2017 1:10:21
Breathe magazine launches and Yen mag closes. Discover some great tips on how to write historical fiction and learn a neat trick for dealing with research for multiple articles. Meet the dynamic and engaging David Crystal, author of ‘Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar’. Plus: play with the 'One Word' app, find out what your minimum author online presence should be and...
WRITER 151: When you can call yourself a writer? 16.02.2017 17:57
Debbi wants to know when she can call herself a writer, and Holly queries whether she should pitch her stand alone novel as part of a potential series. Read the show notes . Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
WRITER 150: Meet author and illustrator Tania McCartney, writer of 'Australian Story' 14.02.2017 1:07:27
Discover tips for writing great dialogue, why learning about your craft is vital (even for writing veterans), and how whiteboard planning can help your creative writing. Shoutout to AWC graduate Penelope Janu who landed a two-book deal. Learn the meaning of meretricious and meet author and illustrator Tania McCartney. Plus, why sharing other people's stuff is good for your author platform, and muc...
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