So You Want to be a Writer

WRITER 211: Meet Lexi Landsman, author of 'The Perfect Couple'

15 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Why NaNoWriMo is a great time to draft your novel. Discover a site dedicated to discounted ebook deals and perks. British author Ian Rankin says crime...

WRITER 210: Meet bestseller Deborah Rodriguez, author of ‘The Zanzibar Wife’ and 'The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul'.

06 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to find time to write during NaNoWriMo. Enter this new critic award, and discover 10 books that were written on a bet. Meet bestseller Deborah Rod...

WRITER 209: Meet Jaclyn Moriarty, author of ‘The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone’.

30 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

‘The Book of Secrets’ is featured in the Kids’ Reading Guide! Discover how to write authentic American dialogue. What you need to do...

WRITER 208: Meet content writing expert Kath Walters, author of 'Sticky Content'

23 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Discover what makes a good children’s book. We share with you a beginner’s guide to NaNoWriMo as well as tips for filling up your social m...

WRITER 207: We chat to actor and author Steve Bisley about his memoir 'All the Burning Bridges'.

17 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Learn how to write media releases. We chat about Tom Hanks’s new book ‘Uncommon Type’, and how one woman turned her side hustle into...

WRITER 206: Get clients as a ghostwriter

14 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We share tips on how to get clients as a ghostwriter. We answer the question, “do cover blurbs work?”. Plus, strategies on how to write a ...

WRITER 205: Meet executive director of NaNoWriMo Grant Faulkner, author of ‘Pep Talks for Writers’.

13 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We unpack what should you supply a literary agent and how to world-build through your character’s eyes. A new print magazine is about to launch....

WRITER 204: Meet internationally best selling author Kate Forsyth.

04 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

You'll meet internationally best selling author Kate Forsyth! Plus, we have a surprise guest copywriter who undertook a smart strategy 10 years ago th...

WRITER 203: Our 'go to' writing apps

28 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to approach agents, especially when they all seem to say not accepting “unsolicited manuscripts”. Valerie and Allison share their &ldq...

WRITER 202: Meet Torre DeRoche, author of 'The Worrier's Guide to the End of the World'

26 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tips for avoiding information dumping in dialogue and strategies for researching your historical novel. One editor reveals big freelance pitching mist...

WRITER 201: Meet Tristan Bancks, author of 'The Fall'

18 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to teach your kids to write a good story, why social media advice for authors can be tricky, and why freelancers should sample office life from ti...

WRITER 200: Meet Shankari Chandran, author of 'The Barrier'

11 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Allison new book 'The Book of Secrets' is out now! What is it like to be Obama’s speechwriter? Discover more apps to help with your writing and ...

WRITER 199: What’s the difference between a structural edit, copy edit and proofread? And more.

07 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Can you indie publish a professionally edited manuscript? What’s the difference between a structural edit, copy edit and proofread? Plus: with m...

WRITER 198: We chat to Jacqueline Harvey, author of the Alice-Miranda series

04 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Useful writing tips from a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and how to balance freelancing with creative writing. Freelance writing skills you can use t...

WRITER 197: Is my memoir interesting enough?

31 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Is my memoir interesting enough? How to give feedback on horror when you don’t read it. Which laptop should I buy? Read the show notes.  Co...

WRITER 196: Meet Garry Disher, author of 'Her'

28 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Take part in our awesome ‘So you want to be a writer’ community survey. The curious case of whether someone scammed a book’s way ont...

WRITER 195: Do I need a travel blog?

24 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do you need a travel blog to be a travel writer and tips on converting typewritten pages into Word documents. Plus: should you mention to publishers w...

WRITER 194: Meet Sophie Green, author of 'The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club'

21 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Discover lawyers who moonlight as romance writers. The intriguing case of a crime writer arrested for alleged murder, plus short story writing tips fr...

WRITER 193: Meet Catherine Jinks, author of 'Charlatan'

14 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to use subplots to bring your story together and commuters can enjoy stories from short story vending machines. Plus, how NOT to bury your lede. M...

WRITER 192: Can you submit to multiple publishers as the same time?

10 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Can you submit your manuscript to multiple publishers as the same time? Tips on how to drag yourself out of a rut when it feels like your novel is goi...

WRITER 191: We chat to Patti Miller on her new book 'Writing True Stories'

09 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The freelancing life and mental health. Writing movie ‘tie-in’ books as a path to publication. Creating a CV for your protagonist and tips...

WRITER 190: Meet award-winning author Tamsin Janu on her third novel ‘Blossom’.

03 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Tamsin Janu who talks about her third novel ‘Blossom’ and how she has a flourishing career as an author working on it one day a week....

WRITER 189: Meet author Louise Park, who writes under three pseudonyms.

01 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Walkley mid-year award winners have been announced, Keanu Reeves co-founds indie poetry press, and narrative arcs explained. Valerie gives her tips f...

WRITER 188: Is Wattpad useful?

27 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Is Wattpad useful? Should you send interviewees your article to approve? Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the...

WRITER 187: Meet Matthew Benns, author of 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'

24 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Discover how you could win $20,000 for writing 100 words, plus the story of how Stephen King’s pen name was revealed. What your website should i...

WRITER 186: We chat to Natasha Lester about her new book 'Her Mother's Secret'

17 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do you need to experience what your character goes through? There are two types of writers - which one are you? Wow your friends and dinner guests wi...

WRITER 185: Meet picture book author and AWC alumni Shelly Unwin, author of 'You're Five!'

06 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Have you started your book in the right place? And meet picture book author and AWC alumni Shelly Unwin. Read the show notes.  Connect with Valer...

WRITER 184: Meet Nicole Alexander, author of 'An Uncommon Woman'

03 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Congratulations to both Anne Tonner and Shankari Chandran! Should you keep a reading journal? How to launch your blog with your book in mind. How to w...

WRITER 183: Meet Andrew Marmont, author of 'Their Finest Hour'.

29 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Andrew Marmont, author of 'Their Finest Hour' and find out about how he turned his sporting passion into a book. Read the show notes.  Conne...

WRITER 182: Meet Hardie Grant Egmont publisher Marisa Pintado

26 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Learn how to use a plotting chart in your redrafting process and why this teenager won’t read Young Adult novels. Discover how the ‘Creati...

WRITER 181: Meet 2017 Finch Memoir Prize winner Anne Tonner, author of 'Cold Vein'

22 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to prepare for author talks; and meet 2017 Finch Memoir Prize winner Anne Tonner, author of Cold Vein. Read the show notes.  Connect with Val...

WRITER 180: Meet Ben Hobson, author of 'To Become a Whale'

20 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to choose and set up a pen name. Should you talk about your book before it’s published? Discover how you could win a copy of ‘Only: A ...

WRITER 179: Do publishers like rhyming picture books?

15 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do publishers like rhyming picture books? How to break into the industry and techniques to edit and revise without going through hell. Read the show n...

WRITER 178: We chat to Emily Gale, author of 'The Other Side of Summer'

13 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie launches Shelly Unwin's book! Discover how to get annotated books from your fave authors and how to get back into writing after a long break. ...

WRITER 177: How to self-publish

05 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to self-publish, author branding when you write for multiple genres, are you writing “new adult” fiction? Read the show notes.  C...

WRITER 176: Meet Lauren Child, author of the ‘Charlie and Lola’ and ‘Ruby Redfort’ series.

29 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How an author wrote a novel via email and what to do when your story stalls. Discover how to get into corporate writing. Meet the spectacularly succes...

WRITER 175: Meet 2017 Vogel winner Marija Pericic, author of 'The Lost Pages'

25 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

What kind of blogging routine do you need as a writer? And meet 2017 Vogel award winner Marija Pericic, author of The Lost Pages. Read the show notes....

WRITER 174: Meet Jenevieve Chang, author of 'The Good Girl of Chinatown'

23 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Make sure you know the 3 different types of editing you need. Discover how to create “scene goals” in your writing. We’re a bit gobs...

WRITER 173: Meet Anne Trubek, author of 'The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting'

18 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to improve your writing. And meet Anne Trubek, author of “The History and Uncertain Future of Handwriting”. And where does the term &l...

WRITER 172: Meet Anna Daniels, author of 'Girl in Between'

16 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a writer or an author? We review Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice! Some unexpected writing tools (which do you use?). You could win &ldquo...

WRITER 171: Do young adult books need to be set in the present day?

11 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do young adult books needs to be set in the present day in order to be marketable? What's the most efficient way of receiving international payments? ...

WRITER 170: Meet archaeologist turned writer Brenna Hassett, author of 'Built on Bones'

09 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Who gets to write a Star Wars book? Learn why author Paula Hawkins transitioned from writing romance books to thriller novels. Discover 6 unusual habi...

WRITER 169: Meet children's picture book writer Zanni Louise, author of 'Tiggy and the Magic Paintbrush'

01 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the 50th anniversary of “The Outsiders”! You can rent Emily Dickinson’s room by the hour to pen your next masterpiece. Di...

WRITER 168: Meet the incredibly prolific and talented Pamela Hart, author of 'A Letter to Italy'

27 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We chat to the incredibly prolific and talented Pamela Hart, author of "A Letter to Italy". Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison a...

WRITER 167: Meet Australian Idol judge turned barrister Mark Holden, author of memoir 'My Idol Years'

25 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do you love the smell of old books? What you need to know about your narrator and how to work with beta readers. Win our Mother’s Day book pack!...

WRITER 166: Meet Rachael Lucas, author of 'The State of Grace'

17 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to get over your wall of self-doubt and discover the art of writing murder mystery characters. Take virtual literary tours of New York! Do you wan...

WRITER 165: How do you layer more detail into your novel?

13 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How do you layer more detail into your novel? And how to avoid bright shiny object syndrome when you’re writing.   Read the show notes.&nbs...

WRITER 164: We chat to Stephanie Darling, author of 'Secrets of a Beauty Queen'

09 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Discover how to write an award-winning screenplay on your commute and the 6 documents you need open when you write. Learn how to edit your work like a...

WRITER 163: We chat to Samone Bos, who evolved her blog into the book 'Momo Freaks Out'

03 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Discover new opportunities in content and custom publishing. Learn why writing is rewriting and what makes you a real writer. Meet Samone Bos, who evo...

WRITER 162: Meet Bridget Isichei, author of 'Road No Good'

29 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

What genre am I writing in? And meet Bridget Isichei, author of 'Road No Good' and runner up in the Finch Memoir Prize. Read the show notes.  Con...

WRITER 161: Meet Allen & Unwin publisher Louise Thurtell

28 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Discover the unfortunate truth about most writers and listen to an awesome playlist for writer’s block. Avoid the top manuscript formatting mist...

WRITER 160: Meet Harrison Young, author of 'The Daughters of Henry Wong'

21 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Great writing advice from Kurt Vonnegut, how to tell if you’re writing middle grade or young adult fiction, and how to get effective feedback on...

WRITER 159: Meet Penelope Janu, author of 'In at the Deep End'

16 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do I need an overseas literary agent? And meet Penelope Janu, author of ‘In at the Deep End’. Read the show notes.  Connect with Vale...

WRITER 158: Meet Carole Wilkinson, author of the Dragonkeeper series

13 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

5 ways to find time to write. Learn the differences between crime, mystery and thriller novels. How an author used Google Street View and YouTube to w...

WRITER 157: Has someone stolen my work?

09 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Do I need to visit a place I write about? Has someone stolen my work? Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the po...

WRITER 156: Meet Caroline Baum, author of 'Only: A Singular Memoir'

06 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Lessons from a debut novelist’s journey in book marketing, beliefs that will hold you back as a freelance writer, and what to include in your au...

WRITER 155: How do I write my back cover blurb?

05 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How do I write my back cover blurb? Am I a prolific writer? Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast comm...

WRITER 154: We chat to Hilary Spiers, author of 'Love, Lies and Linguine'

01 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Make writing part of your daily life with the Creative Writing Bootcamp, discover Oxford Dictionary’s new words, and learn how to be more creati...

WRITER 153: Do you need an agent?

25 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Should I get an agent if I can negotiate myself? How do I respond to friends who don't think I'm a real writer when I write children's books? Read the...

WRITER 152: Meet David Crystal, author of 'Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar'

21 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Breathe magazine launches and Yen mag closes. Discover some great tips on how to write historical fiction and learn a neat trick for dealing with rese...

WRITER 151: When you can call yourself a writer?

16 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Debbi wants to know when she can call herself a writer, and Holly queries whether she should pitch her stand alone novel as part of a potential series...

WRITER 150: Meet author and illustrator Tania McCartney, writer of 'Australian Story'

14 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Discover tips for writing great dialogue, why learning about your craft is vital (even for writing veterans), and how whiteboard planning can help you...

WRITER 149: Should you write under different pen names for different genres?

10 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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

WRITER 148: Meet Vanessa Carnevale, author of 'The Florentine Bridge'

06 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How to research your genre (and why you should), the counter-intuitive benefits of scheduling your writing, and fortune cookie writer gets writer&rsqu...

WRITER 147: World building, rugby league and stealing someone's story.

02 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 som...

WRITER 146: Meet Nicole Hayes, author of 'A Shadow's Breath'

01 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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&rs...

WRITER 145: Writing under a pen name; and publishing options for a parenting book.

26 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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

WRITER 144: Meet children's writer Oliver Phommavanh, author of 'The Other Christy'

25 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

WRITER 143: Smutty fiction and bank accounts

19 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 (b...

WRITER 142: Meet Jarett Kobek, author of the runaway hit 'I Hate the Internet'

18 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Vote for your favourite Australian author, hear about the latest plagiarism scandal, and discover the worst words of last year. Get more writing done ...

WRITER 141: Meet Kristel Thornell, author of 'On the Blue Train'

09 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

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 Krist...

WRITER 140: Meet Beatrice Colin, author of 'To Capture What We Cannot Keep'

08 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Holiday packing tips for writers, top punctuation mistakes, the science behind reading print books for kids. Our word of the week is “fart&rdquo...

WRITER 139: Meet Mark Tedeschi QC, author of 'Murder at the Myall Creek'

19 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 Tedes...

WRITER 138: Meet young adult writer Rachael Craw, author of 'Shield'

14 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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...

WRITER 137: Meet award-winner Hannah Kent, author of 'Burial Rites'

05 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Get a random emoji writing prompt generator (yes, you read that correctly), and have you heard about this writing award with a difference? You’l...

WRITER 136: Meet rural romance sensation Karly Lane, author of 'Third Time Lucky'

28 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Discover 4 huge novels that started in NaNoWriMo and tips from famous authors to help you finally write that book. Stop having a “romantic fanta...

WRITER 135: Meet Laura Greaves, author of 'Incredible Dog Journeys'

23 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 n...

WRITER 134: Meet Wendy Orr, author of 'Nim's Island'

17 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Discover great resources for children’s writers and seven ways to improve your dialogue. Bookworms rejoice: Kindle Unlimited launches in Austral...

WRITER 133: We talk to 'Divergent' author Veronica Roth about her new book 'Carve The Mark'

08 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 em...

WRITER 132: Meet Duncan McNab, author of the true crime story of Roger Rogerson

01 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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...

WRITER 131: Meet songwriter and novelist Holly Throsby, author of 'Goodwood'

24 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 sh...

WRITER 130: Meet actor, children's book writers and illustrator Richard Roxburgh

18 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Discover famous writers who had totally unrelated day jobs. Get yourself ready for NaNoWriMo success, and how to say “YES” to your writing...

WRITER 129: Meet Giuseppe Poli, author of 'Oliver's Grumbles'

11 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Discover celebrities reading audiobooks, why you should write a “zero draft”, and how to sell 100 million copies of your book. Find out ho...

WRITER 128: Meet Katherine Johnson, author of 'The Better Son'

06 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 ch...

WRITER 127: Meet Jay Kristoff, author of the Nevernight Chronicles

27 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

WRITER 126: Meet memoirist Toni Tapp Coutts, author of 'A Sunburnt Childhood'

20 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The main factors that stop readers from finishing books. Effective strategies for surviving working alone. How to avoid being sued when writing your m...

WRITER 125: Meet freelance science writer, editor and copywriter Sarah Keenihan

13 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

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...

WRITER 124: We chat to Nathan Besser, author of 'Man in the Corner'

05 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Discover the biggest mistake writers make when applying for jobs and 5 common plotting errors. What happens when a client wants you to deliver more th...

WRITER 123: Meet Louise Doughty, author of 'Black Water'

29 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Gawker is closing down, discover why you’ll never finish your novel and how to write a memoir about a painful experience. Meet Louise Doughty, a...

WRITER 122: Meet AWC graduate Fleur Ferris, author of 'Black'

22 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

You have written your first draft: now what? Indie magazines are flourishing and reading will help you live longer. We touch on resume writers and rea...

WRITER 121: Meet James Phelps, author of 'Australia's Toughest Prisons: Inmates'

15 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What other writers can teach you about writing, why no writing is wasted, Michelle Field’s plagiarism scandal, and the lost art of letter writin...

WRITER 120: We chat to Alan Baxter, author of 'Primordial'

09 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Discover the art of translating foreign language fiction, a competition for children, how to write for magazines, and why we need teacher librarians. ...

WRITER 119: Meet L.A. Larkin, author of the new thriller 'Devour'

01 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Why you should submit to literary journals and how to give your writing rhythm. Smart ways to publicise your book, how to cope when your freelance wri...

WRITER 118: Meet author John Birmingham, writer of 'He Died with a Falalfel in His Hand'

26 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Are you writing a hybrid book? Discover the people writing poetry as a service and the predictive text generator writing fan fiction. We dive into the...

WRITER 117: Meet Nova Weetman, author of 'The Secrets We Keep'

19 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A new documentary on the romance writing industry, scientists discover what causes writer’s block and seven ways to make yourself a better edito...

WRITER 116: Meet Kimberly McCreight, bestselling author of 'The Outliers'

11 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A book of tweets from writers who should be working on their novels and a history of wordprocessing. Discover some commonly misused words. We ask why ...

WRITER 115: Meet journalist Jennifer Hansen, author of 'Making Headlines'

05 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Five entrepreneurial tips for authors who want to up their game and an English teacher’s hip hop curriculum is encouraging appreciation of liter...

WRITER 114: Meet graphic novelist Shane W Smith, author of 'Undad'

28 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Discover which author broke through after four flops and the author afraid to listen to her own audiobook. We discuss if cursive writing is now obsole...

WRITER 113: Meet author Belinda Murrell, writer of 'The Lost Sapphire'

20 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What was the defining moment that made you become a writer? Find out why women are killing it in crime writing and the reason essay writing services a...

WRITER 112: Meet romance writer Kylie Scott, author of 'Dirty'

15 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Grammar mistakes you should correct, visit a book store with no books, and Chuck Palahniuk releases a colouring book for adults. Find out which six di...