Category: Interviews with writers

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

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

Bestselling author of epic middle-grade fiction Allison Tait met with AWC CEO Valerie Khoo in a Creative Conversations episode to chat about her new book The Fire Star and answer the community’s burning questions about all things writing.  Allison Tait, also known as A.L. Tait, is the internationally published bestselling

Allison Tait had it all figured out. Having worked for years as a staff writer and sub-editor at glossy women’s magazines like Cosmopolitan and Cleo, she could see the obvious genre for her first novel would be romance. It made perfect sense: she knew the audience, she knew what they wanted and she had the voice down-pat.

Looking at Tim Harris’ body of work, it would be easy to think he had planned it all out in advance. After spending 15 years as a primary school teacher, he picked up a pen and started writing for that same age group: less than a decade later, he has 11 children’s novels under his belt along with a pack of literary awards, and he’s an in-demand presenter at primary schools across Australia.

Bestselling author of several hilarious book series for kids Tim Harris joined Valerie Khoo in our Creative Conversation series to share his clever writing tips and tricks to writing stories that will make kids – and even adults – laugh out loud. A full-time primary school teacher for 15 years,

Some rules are meant to be broken. When author Deborah Abela and illustrator Marjorie Crosby-Fairall came up with an idea for a picture book, they were also acutely aware of the unspoken rule that publishers DO NOT like authors and illustrators to work or pitch together. But, flying in the

Literary agent specialising in children’s and young adult authors Annabel Barker shares her inside knowledge with Australian Writers’ Centre CEO Valerie Khoo in our ‘Creative Conversations’ Facebook Live event. We’ve shared the replay here so you don’t miss out on Annabel’s invaluable insights. In a 20-year-long career in the literary

World-class crime and thriller author and Australian Writers’ Centre presenter, L.A. Larkin, joined Valerie Khoo for the ‘Creative Conversations’ Facebook Live event to discuss the adrenaline-fuelled world of crime and thriller writing. And you get to watch the replay here. L.A. Larkin, also known as Louisa Bennet, talks about her

Heather Rose’s novel Bruny, which won the 2020 ABIA for General Fiction Book of the Year, is not easily classified: it combines political satire with thriller, and adds elements of romance as well as complex family dynamics into the mix.  For Heather’s part, she says she never set out to

British-Australian crime and thriller writer L.A. Larkin – who teaches the Australian Writers’ Centre’s popular Crime and Thriller Writing course is our go-to woman for crafting suspenseful, exciting literature.  Larkin’s latest thriller novel Prey was released in April 2020, published by Clan Destine Press in Australia and Bloodhound Books in

Award-winning author, speaker and Australian Writers’ Centre presenter Nicole Hayes has made no secret of her passion for AFL. Much of her back catalogue is football-adjacent, and she’s a founding member of weekly ABC podcast The Outer Sanctum.  Nicole’s latest project speaks to a different audience from her previous young

Multiple generations of children have grown up with the books of Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton. From their first book Just Tricking!, released in 1997, to their latest The 117-Storey Treehouse – which was awarded the ABIA award for the Book of the Year for Younger Children in 2020 –

Tara Moss – author, journalist, documentary-maker and human rights activist – joined Australian Writers’ Centre CEO, Valerie Khoo, in the ‘Creative Conversations’ Facebook Live event. Tara explains her latest paranormal fiction novel The Cobra Queen, the fourth book in the Pandora English series following The Skeleton Key. Amidst paranormal fiction,

Join us in conversation with #1 New York Times bestselling crime author Candice Fox right here! Candice discusses her crime writing journey, from her big break into crime and thriller writing with her first novel Hades, to her latest book Gathering Dark. Candice explains how she landed a co-writing deal

Sue Whiting is one of the most prolific and best-loved Australian writers for children and young adults. She’s also one of our popular presenters at the Australian Writers’ Centre. Sue’s 2018 novel for kids, Missing, was a smash hit and she has followed it up with her latest novel, The

We’re absolutely thrilled that our amazing presenter Lesley Gibbes has published another children’s book. Three Little Mermaids, which is beautifully illustrated by Lisa Stewart, is out now with Scholastic Australia. Lesley is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books for children. Her chapter book series Fizz has been