So You Want to be a Writer

Layne wants to know about how to write stories with different timelines. And Bohdi asks whether he should write under different pen names for different genres. 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.

How to research your genre (and why you should), the counter-intuitive benefits of scheduling your writing, and fortune cookie writer gets writer’s block! Discover how you could win an animal lovers’ book pack. Valerie’s word of the week is ‘petrichor’! You’ll meet Vanessa Carnevale, author of ‘The Florentine Bridge’. Plus: why you should stay within...

Andrew wants to know how Allison approached her world building and which rugby league teams we support! And we discuss a writer’s dilemma on someone who may have stolen her story. 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...

Discover how to become an insanely good writer, the life-changing magic of tidying up your writing, and learn the meaning of the word "paraph". You’ll meet Nicole Hayes, author of ‘A Shadow’s Breath’, find out how to do a structural edit, and much more! This episode is brought to you by Creative Writing Stage 1 at the Australian Writers' Centre. Read the show notes . ...

Bill wants to write and create social media platforms under a pen name. Simone asks about different publishing options for her parenting book. 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.

Find out 5 things you can learn by writing every day and 7 steps to help you write your novel. You’ll meet children’s author and standup comedian Oliver Phommavanh. Plus, discover why your author newsletter is so important and much more! This episode is brought to you by Copywriting Essentials at the Australian Writers' Centre. Read the show notes .  Connect with Valerie, Allison...

Anna asks whether her smutty fiction past will help or harm her prospects. And we answer a question about whether different types of writing income (book writing and copywriting) can go into the same bank account. 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...

Vote for your favourite Australian author, hear about the latest plagiarism scandal, and discover the worst words of last year. Get more writing done in 2017 with some useful writing tips. Find out the benefits of Facebook groups to build your author platform. Also meet Jarett Kobek, author of the runaway hit “I Hate the Internet”, get a bot to nag you to do stuff, and much more! This...

Awesome hacks that will give you more time to write, famous typos from first editions, and discover how to set your writing goals for 2017. Meet Kristel Thornell, author of “On the Blue Train”. Also: why you need to do a social media audit and more! This episode is brought to you by Inside Publishing: What You Need to Know to Get Published at the Australian Writers' Centre. Read the sh...

Holiday packing tips for writers, top punctuation mistakes, the science behind reading print books for kids. Our word of the week is “fart”. Discover how you could win a copy of “The Girl On The Train” book and DVD pack. Why you need to bring your personality into your author platform and meet Beatrice Colin, author of “To Capture What We Cannot Keep”. This epis...

Discover how you can use your holidays to prepare for 2017. Do you have bibliophilic tendencies? We think you might! You’ll also meet Mark Tedeschi QC, author of “Murder at Myall Creek”. Plus, we reveal our favourite episodes of 2016 and much more! This episode is brought to you by Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1 at the Australian Writers' Centre. Read the show notes .&nbs...

The daily writing habit you need and 8 steps to writing a profile story. Find great gifts for the other book lovers in your life. Discover your chance to win the epic 12 Days of Christmas book pack. Plus, meet young adult author Rachael Craw! We’ll also give you tips on how to transition from journalist to fiction writer, and much more! This episode is brought to you by Advanced Fiction Writ...

Get a random emoji writing prompt generator (yes, you read that correctly), and have you heard about this writing award with a difference? You’ll also get hints on how to craft a good love scene, unearth some great gifts for writers, and learn the meaning of concinnity. Plus, why you absolutely need to meet deadlines and be accountable. Meet award-winning author Hannah Kent, discover tools f...

Discover 4 huge novels that started in NaNoWriMo and tips from famous authors to help you finally write that book. Stop having a “romantic fantasy” about your life as a writer and find out how you could win a copy of “Pilot: a diary for writers”. Meet rural romance sensation Karly Lane, author of "Third Time Lucky". Also, learn about the Goodreads cataloguing app and let yo...

Have you been mispronouncing words? Find out with a new book on pronunciation. What are the crossroads you'll face when publishing a novel? And what no one tells you about pages proofs and blurb requests. Discover how you could win a Surface Pro 4! Plus: meet Laura Greaves, author of “Incredible Dog Journeys”. Can you repurpose your old Twitter account for building your author platform...

Discover great resources for children’s writers and seven ways to improve your dialogue. Bookworms rejoice: Kindle Unlimited launches in Australia. Learn how you could win a Surface Pro 4. And meet children’s author, Wendy Orr, who talks about how her book was turned into a Hollywood movie starring Jodie Foster. Also: book marketing trends to avoid and much more! This episode is brough...

10 tools you can use to jumpstart your NaNoWriMo novel and draw your own maps with cartography software for fantasy writers. Learn how to tame your emails! Astound your friends by casually dropping “syzygy” into conversations about the upcoming supermoon. Discover how you could with a Surface Pro 4! We talk to “Divergent” author Veronica Roth about her new book “Carve...

Amazon has changed its review policy and what you need to know. Should you review other authors’ books? Grammar mistakes to avoid, and how to be creative every day. Discover how you could win a Surface Pro 4! Plus, meet Duncan McNab, author of the true crime story of Roger Rogerson. Find out what lessons Natasha Lester has learned this year as a writer, and much more! This episode is brought...

Vanity book awards and why you should think twice before buying one. Mistakes made by newbie authors and things you can learn from Man Booker Prize shortlisted authors. Win a pack of books to regift for Christmas (or keep all to yourself). Meet songwriter and novelist Holly Throsby. Plus: the Get Pocket app which makes saving things for later a whole lot easier, and much more! This episode is brou...

Discover famous writers who had totally unrelated day jobs. Get yourself ready for NaNoWriMo success, and how to say “YES” to your writing career. Valerie digs up the origins of the word “dinosaur”. Meet actor, children’s book writer and illustrator Richard Roxburgh, and much more! This episode is brought to you by Writing Books for Children and Young Adults  at...

Discover celebrities reading audiobooks, why you should write a “zero draft”, and how to sell 100 million copies of your book. Find out how Australian crime writer Candice Fox ended up co-writing with James Patterson. Meet Giuseppe Poli, IT guy by day, children’s book illustrator by night. Plus, how to recover after receiving some bad feedback, and much more. Read the show notes...

Discover if you can turn your short story into a novel and how to write when life is nuts. Tips for setting yourself up as a full-time writer. Your chance to win a graphic novel pack. Meet Katherine Johnson, author of “The Better Son”. Learn the number one tip for building your author platform, and much more. Read the show notes .  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in th...

Discover why John Green might not write another book and get tips on how to write better dialogue. Do you know what writers really earn? Also: how do you know when your writing is “good enough”? Meet author Jay Kristoff. Plus: a serialised publishing website, and much more! Read the show notes .  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visi...

The main factors that stop readers from finishing books. Effective strategies for surviving working alone. How to avoid being sued when writing your memoir. Finding good words for body parts. Impress your friends with the word "ineffable". Meet memoirist Toni Tapp Coutts, how to be interviewed as a writer, and much more! Read the show notes .  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in th...

Can you be a successful freelance writer with a pen name? Submission tips from Curtis Brown agents; Discover which six of Roald Dahl’s words are now in the dictionary and find out what's happening in Allison Tait's world. Meet science writer Sarah Keenihan. Plus: the one marketing move authors get wrong, and much more. Read the show notes .  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listen...