Category: Fiction writing

Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

20 writing tips from top Aussie authors

Australia produces some fantastic, bestselling authors; and they’re a supportive bunch, always keen to lend a helping hand. We’ve collected 20 top writing tips from Australian authors to help you with your own creative goals.  1. Never give up Susan Francis, author of memoir The Love that Remains, says other

Read More »
Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

6 signs you should become a writer

If you’ve thought about becoming a writer before, but you’ve never made that leap, it can be hard to work up the courage. You might feel like you’re not cut out for it, but don’t worry – plenty of writers feel that way. If you need a kickstart, read our

Read More »
Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

7 tips to writing authentic historical fiction

Historical fiction novels frequently top bestseller lists because readers love the chance to time-travel. A good historical fiction book allows the reader to escape and immerse themselves in a setting which is more glamorous, more dangerous or just more interesting than their own.  It’s safe to say author Kirsten Alexander

Read More »
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Teacher Krys Saclier publishes a picture book about Australia’s electoral system!

Courses taken at AWC:
History, Mystery and Magic
How to Write for Children and Young Adults
Pitch Your Novel: How to Attract Agents and Publishers
Laugh Out Loud

Explaining Australia’s federal voting system seems like strange inspiration for a picture book – but that’s exactly what Krys Saclier did for her second book Vote 4 Me, illustrated by Cathy Wilcox, and published through Wild Dog Books.
Krys is a graduate of several AWC courses, including History, Mystery and Magic, How to Write for Children and Young Adults, and Pitch Your Novel: How to Attract Agents and Publishers. Her debut picture book, Super Nova, was published in 2019 through Ford Street Publishing with illustrations by Rebecca Timmis.
Read More »
Build your profile and promote your book
Australian Writers' Centre Team

6 mistakes fiction authors should avoid when writing guest blog posts

Writing a guest blog post is a great way to build your author profile and introduce your book to a wider audience. It’s a win-win where the blog gets extra content from a variety of voices, and the author reaches a new audience, increases their authority, and drives traffic to their website or social media.

Read More »
Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

How long does it take to write a first draft?

There’s no one right way to write – and there’s no one answer for how long it will take you to get that first draft done. Some writers take years, while others can pump first drafts out in months. If you’re wondering how long it will take you to write

Read More »
Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Second draft syndrome: 10 tips for editing your own work

So you’ve followed all the advice you’ve heard from published authors and smashed out your first draft. You’ve struggled through various pits of despair and soared to lofty heights of ecstasy and finally reached the end of your manuscript. Now what? It’s time to sharpen your pencils and pull out

Read More »
Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Plotter or Pantser? The results are in!

Well – what a week for democracy it has been. And we apologise for taking so long to report the final result, but we had a few plotters in Pennsylvania that had mailed their pants in and, well, everything had to be verified. But now that the polls have closed,

Read More »
Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Want to improve your writing? Do this one thing

If we told you there was one simple thing you could do which would take your writing to the next level – and you already knew how to do it, it was enjoyable, and could often be done for free – would you believe us? It’s one of the top

Read More »
Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Decision 2020: VOTE Plotters vs Pantsers

This is it – the biggest decision of the year is taking place this week and we want YOU to cast your vote and elect the best way to approach writing a novel. Is it by being a PLOTTER (planning your novel in advance) or is it by being a

Read More »
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

The turning point that led to James Antoniou becoming a published picture book author

Courses taken at AWC:
Writing Picture Books

James Antoniou was in the middle of a haphazard gap year when he decided to enrol in Writing Picture Books at the Australian Writers’ Centre. He had always wanted to be a published author, had studied English at Oxford, and was ready to launch his writing career. But it was the course at the AWC that gave James the practical tools he needed to finish his manuscript. 
Read More »
Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

5 ways writing can help reduce your teen’s anxiety

Anxiety is better recognised and understood than ever before, but for parents of teenagers struggling with anxiety it can still be hard to know how to help. One great way is to encourage them to express themselves via writing.  Bestselling parenting book author Michael Grose shares with us some practical

Read More »
Fiction writing
Guest Writer

5 ways to engage readers in your young adult book

By Anna Morgan. The latest book by YA writer and bookseller Anna Morgan is Before the Beginning. Here she reveals her top five ways to engage readers in your young adult book. Do strengthen your plot. One of the most common pieces of feedback I’ve heard from readers is: ‘Once

Read More »
Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

5 things illustrators should know about writing picture books

Image above: By Judith Rossell Multi-award-winning author and illustrator Judith Rossell teaches Writing Picture Books and How to Write for Children and Young Adults at the Australian Writers’ Centre, and has been writing and illustrating children’s books for nearly 20 years. She was an illustrator first before adding writing to

Read More »
Fiction writing
Australian Writers' Centre Team

5 must-dos to turn your thriller into a bestseller

British-Australian crime and thriller writer L.A. Larkin – who teaches the Australian Writers’ Centre’s popular Crime and Thriller Writing course –  is an expert in the art of building suspense and high stakes in a thriller novel. Read on for her top 5 ways to turn your thriller into a

Read More »
Fiction writing
Guest Writer

Five tips for writing mystery stories for kids

By R.A. Spratt. The latest book from R.A. Spratt is The Peski Kids 5: The Final Mission, a mystery story for kids. We get her to spill five tips on how to write a great mystery story for children. 1. Plot backwards I usually come up with the big reveal

Read More »
Writer with pencil and notepad having fun
Fiction writing
Guest Writer

Make writing fun again

By award-winning author, Allison Rushby. We’ve all been there. It’s Sunday. Your chores are done. Everyone else in the house has gone out. The dog/cat/ferret has been walked/played with/whatever you do with a ferret. You’ve got a few hours up your sleeve. Uninterrupted time! You were all set to write

Read More »
Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers' Centre Team

Sonya Bates: Speech pathologist finds license to thrill with debut novel

AWC courses completed:
Anatomy of a Crime: How to Write About Murder
Build Your Author Platform

Sonya Bates was a speech pathologist who dabbled in writing on the side. But when she had the idea for her thriller Inheritance of Secrets, she knew it was time to take her writing seriously. She signed up for the Anatomy of a Crime: How to Write About Murder course at the Australian Writers’ Centre to get the skills and confidence she needed.

Sonya is now proud to call herself an author with her debut adult novel, Inheritance of Secrets, out now through HarperCollins.

Read More »
Browse posts by category

Courses starting soon

SALE ENDS MIDNIGHT TONIGHT SEE COURSES

×

Nice one! You've added this to your cart