“I knew I needed to improve my writing skills, so I decided to bite the bullet and register for the Writing Picture Books course. I completed the modules and assignments in pockets of free time around my kids and job, and it sparked the desire to dive even deeper into the kid lit world. The more I learnt, the more I realised how little I knew!” Rebecca told us.
by Jodi Gibson There’s more to success as an Indie author than simply writing your book and hitting publish. As an indie author, you’re not only the author but the publisher, marketing specialist and bookkeeper. And with all of those roles comes many responsibilities. With three indie published books under
When Judy Wollin heard young family members say they didn’t like reading, she decided to write something they would love! As an education professional, she knew that she could benefit from learning the practicalities of how to write a novel, and so she turned to the Australian Writers’ Centre.
The Australian Writers’ Centre’s Romance Writing course came at just the right time for school teacher Emma Pignatiello. She had written three YA manuscripts and was working on a crime novel, but she realised that what she really loved was romance.
Liz Foster always imagined being a published author one day. She says: “Imagine being the key word there.” But it was while doing courses through the Australian Writers’ Centre that she learned the difference between writing well and writing well for an audience. “I literally would be nowhere without AWC’s
Are you ready to get back into writing? Gearing up to return to your writing practice after a break is never easy, no matter whether you’ve been away from your computer/typewriter/notebook for a few days, a few weeks or a few months. Sometimes you’re mid-manuscript and you need to pick
Allie Reynolds is the author of The Bay and Shiver. She’s also a former professional freestyle snowboarder who spent five winters in the mountains of France, Switzerland, Austria and Canada. Her short fiction has been published in magazines in the UK, Australia, Sweden and South Africa. Allie swapped her snowboard
There’s nothing quite like having three traditionally published books in 15 months to give you a crash course in the world of book publishing! Things I had no idea about just over a year ago are now like second nature to me. Here are my five biggest takeaways so far:
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.
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.”
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.
Welcome to part two of my short series on book distribution. If you read part one, you’ll know that distribution is an integral part of a book’s success – but it’s also an area that many emerging authors don’t know much about. Book distribution is essentially what it says on
Write the book, edit the book, market the book… there’s a lot for a new author to think about when publishing a book. But there’s something else in the mix when it comes to a book’s success. Distribution is something that most emerging writers never think about – and many
Sisters in Crime have announced the shortlist for the 30th Scarlet Stiletto Awards, and we’re so thrilled that a whopping 13 out of the 25 writers on the shortlist are AWC graduates! Here are the details from the Sisters in Crime website: Sisters in Crime Australia is proud to announce
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.
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
“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.
“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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