So You Want to be a Writer

The 2015 winners of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards, 10 things we think we need to do before we start writing, Mark Latham being weird at the Melbourne Writers Festival, author of “Chocolat”, Joanne Harris, forthright about authors’ rights and responsibilities, beware Amazon Prime, preventing writing related injuries, three common mistakes when writing dialo...

Grab your blind date with a book, quirky micro book reviews, one traveller’s odd reading habit, an embarrassing mix up at the Kennedy Awards, the book “Write Better, Faster” by Monica Leonelle, what uber-blogger Heather from Dooce said at this year’s Problogger event, Writer in Residence Jill Margo on her biography of famous businessman Frank Lowy, The Brainstormer app, the...

Cover reveal for Allison Tait’s latest instalment of The Mapmaker Chronicles , brutally honest writing advice from brutally honest writers, US bookshop offers refunds for Go Set a Watchman, an author sends out manuscripts out under a masculine pseudonym, how women authors were told to promote their books in the 1960s, the Young Writers Award, “tie you over” vs “tide you ove...

Five essential podcasts for writers, National Bookshop Day, Richard Linklater is the top choice to direct The Rosie Project movie, the psychology behind writer’s block, an awesome interactive map of the most famous road trips in American literature, Reservoir Dad: the movie, Harry Potter printed on a dress, the Stella Prize 2015, continuously vs continually, Agent in Residence Jacinta di Mas...

The hotly debated “Go Set a Watchman” by Harper Lee, the exciting life of the original Nancy Drew author, cool new Lego visual storytelling app, a 15 minute writing productivity hack, the difference between comprises and consists, Writers in Residence brother-and-sister author duo Nicholas and Alison Lochel from the Zarkora series, how to deal with feeling like an imposter, and more! R...

The printed word is alive and well in luxurious libraries, maps of fictional worlds, a cunning way to write a best seller and lose weight, science confirms walking fosters creativity, great writing advice from children’s book editors, the difference between fewer and less, survival life, Writer in Residence Sarah Hepola (author of Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget ) stay foc...

Stunning sticky page markers, why journalists should care more about media business models, Ruth Rendell competition, Random House’s kid/teen writing comp, Screenwriter in Residence Tim Gooding, your readability score, protocol when following up with an editor on a commissioned piece, how to boost your author platform, and more! Read the show notes .  Connect with Valerie, Allison and l...

Ten works of literature that were seriously strenuous to write, Eat, Pray, Love anthology looking for submissions, The Sydney Morning Herald to reverse “dumb idea” and bring subediting back in-house, Darren Rowse launches new Problogger podcast, Writer in Residence Andy Griffiths, a YouTube channel on pronouncing words, and more! Read the show notes .  Connect with Valerie, Alliso...

The word nerd test, what a blogger’s morning routine looks like, new books from EL James and JK Rowling, the book ‘Modern Australian Usage: A Practical Guide for Writers and Editors’ by Nicholas Hudson, why scheduling will make you a better blogger, interview with Managing Editor of Penguin Random House Brandon VanOver, hacks to make you a Scrivener pro, and more! Read the show n...

AWC graduate Belinda Williams published her novel The Pitch with Momentum, two new content marketing agencies launched in Australia, get great deals by signing up to HarperCollins’ new Book Bliss, the 29 Minute Book service for those who want to be smart and fast, facts about the Magna Carta, the book Still Writing by Dani Shapiro, free to use images from Unsplash, Writer in Residence Nicky...

Essay writing competitions with real estate prizes, co-written books, 27 interesting facts about words that you probably didn’t need to know, to outline or not to outline your novel, Damian Madden interviews Gab Tozer, how to approach celebrities for interviews, the book “Hot for Words”by Marina Orlova, Writer in Residence Anne Gracie, and more! Read the show notes .  Connec...

Australian writers on #WhereIWrite, the ethics of branded content marketing, famous authors who were rejected by publishers, the superpower all published writers have (and you can have too!), Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner on art, a street map made up of book titles, everything you wanted to know about blogging as a career, the book "Who said that first? The curious origins of common words and phr...

Sydney Writers’ Festival wrap up, the most borrowed books from Australian libraries, how much (or little) publications pay freelance writers, the rise and demise of the paragraph, crime short stories inspired by Bruce Springsteen songs, the book ‘How I Became a Famous Novelist’ by Steve Hely, an interview with children’s book publisher Suzanne O’Sullivan, Spotify musi...

Long lost sisters meet in a writing class, healthy habits to deal with the loneliness of being a writer, the late William Zinsser’s advice, five websites to visit instead of writing, where you can get fab free pictures for your blog, Writer in Residence Pip Lincolne, how to manage passwords without losing your mind, approaching interviewees for article pitches, and more! Read the show notes...

Things to know about getting an agent, how to use Twitter for your career, crime fiction writer Ruth Rendell passes away, how to do an offline book tour, the book 'There Are Tittles in This Title: The Weird World of Words' by Mitchell Symons, why you should write a blog post series, Writer in Residence Nicole Hayes, how to browse the web without embarrassment, landing corporate writing gigs, and m...

The couple suing after their engagement photo lands an erotica novel cover, crowdfunding a novel, famous book titles rewritten as click bait, why a bad review is not the end of the world, the book 'How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times' by Roy Peter Clark, lessons from 15 years of blogging, Writer in Residence and movie star Matt Nable, how to type more with less effort, writers beware: th...

The disappearance of the vocative comma, how to write blog posts when you don't want to, Bundanon Trust residency applications now open, 10 author platform examples, the rules for non-fiction manuscripts, Writer in Residence Pamela Hart, the value in routine, and much more! Read the show notes .  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCen...

Brilliant words that we should add to the dictionary, time-saving tools for busy writers, the coffee-shop writer – Jane Costello, the fastest-selling adult novel in history, how to make a motza as a self-published author, the book Why is Q Always Followed by U? By Michael Quinion, Writer in Residence Rachel Power, and is this the biggest improvement to email since spell check? Read the show...

The Sydney Writers' Festival kicks off, are "clean words" offensive, the key to keeping clients happy, the one skill you need to write well, how to create a fantastic social media plan, the book "Spell It Out" by David Crystal, Writer in Residence Annabel Smith, understanding Scrivener, how to deal with negative people. Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast@writerscentre.com.au . Read the...

Judith Rossell wins an Indie Award! Book 2 of the Mapmaker Chronicles is released, how punctuation marks got their names, 10 tools to keep you writing, first novel published at 95 years old, Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words, Writer in Residence Alice Campion, the one-minute writer, how often you should pitch and more! Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast@writersce...

The Readings Children's Book Prize 2015 shortlist, top authors give their advice on blogging, how to prepare for a writers’ conference, use your writing skills to win an inn, The Hoopla shuts down, bloggers moved from the front row at Melbourne Fashion Week, Writer in Residence Patti Miller, the four mistakes writers make on twitter, and more! Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast@wr...

Alan Cumming in Sydney, book-inspired jewellery, self publishing vs traditional publishing, new online property publication, how five writers got started on their first novels, should you start a blog, Writer in Residence Sylvia Day, the Ulysses app, how not to get bogged down in the plot, and more! Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast@writerscentre.com.au . Read the show notes .  Wr...

The origins of lorem ipsum, how social media started 2000 years ago, how to make friends with creative people, the news writing robots are here, the book "Spilling the beans on the cat's pyjamas: Popular expressions - what they mean and where we got them" by Judy Parkinson, Jane Friedman's blog, Writer in Residence Joanne Fedler, what the Apple watch can do for you, how to write a powerful case st...

Agents and editors calling out to authors, internships, publisher forced to retract allegation in Julia Gillard's book, weird writer habits, ideas on how to use your new notebook, the 5-minute journal, Writer in Residence Judith Rossell and more! Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast@writerscentre.com.au . Read the show notes .  WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com...

The gorgeous typeface that drove men mad, the most important skills you need to start a writing career, literary profiles on Instagram, Neil Strauss crowdsources his next book cover, the book "How not to write bad" by Ben Yagoda, when bloggers are affiliates, Writer in Residence Peg Fitzpatrick, story wars and more. Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast@writerscentre.com.au . Read the show...