Author Annie West How did you discover you wanted to be a writer? As a kid I always had my head in a book and by my teens I was playing with story ideas (very badly) and imagining the fine, easy life of a writer – ha! But I never went as far as believing I could be one. I think it genuinely hit me when I found myself reading romances and loving them until the last quarter when I thought the ending didn’t fit or the characters suddenly stopped caring about whatever it was that had driven their actions all through the book. It didn’t happen often, but enough to make me itch to try writing a stor ..read more

Author Melanie Milburne How did you discover you wanted to be a writer? I wanted to be a writer from the age of five. I was fascinated by stories, both reading and writing them. I always got excited when there was a creative writing lesson at school. I never had any trouble thinking of things to write about. And I’m happy to report that even after all these years later, that hasn’t changed.  What did you do to actively pursue writing? (Joining RWAus, Mentorship etc) I actively pursued writing by writing manuscript after manuscript, then I discovered RWA and joined. I am quite sure I would ..read more

Some fabulous new releases for Autumn! Title: Marrying Her Outback Enemy Author: Michelle Douglas Date: April 17 Publisher: Harlequin Mills & BoonFormat: ebook Blurb:  “MARRY ME, LINCOLN.” Rose has put everything into running her family’s farm, so she’s furious that her father’s will states she must marry to keep it! All she can do is propose—to anyone. She picks Lincoln—her neighbor, her enemy and the man she once shared a pulse-racing moment of passion with… She offers him a coveted plot of land in return—but she’s still surprised when he says yes to m ..read more

Welcome to the Romance Writers of Australia Flash Fiction for February and March! Our winner For February is Alison L Robson with ‘Tomorrow’ for the theme of ‘Second Chances’ and our winner for March is Kylie Maguire with ‘Loathe Thy Neighbour’ for the theme ‘Enemies to Lovers’. Congratulations Alison and Kylie! Please note that due to the ‘quick’ nature of flash fiction, our flash fiction entries are unedited by RWAus prior to publication. Tommorrow by Alison L Robson I feel my cheeks warm as he glances in my direction. My breath catches in my throat and I look down at my book. He has this e ..read more

How to weave in the past without information dump telling. The art of integrating backstory seamlessly into a ficton narrative is vital to show casing how your character formed their world views, beliefs and desires. Understanding the purpose of backstory A character’s past isn’t just about providing context to who they were as a child, it’s about breathing life into who they are now. It’s the key to unlocking their motivations, fears and desires. Effective backstory humanises our characters in order to make them more believable and relatable to our readers. It provides the all-important why t ..read more

Author: Alice Quinn (Article reproduced with permission from https://www.nla.gov.au/stories/blog/library-love-stories-romance-national-library-australias-collection#) When it comes to romance writing in Australia, it’s a been a long affair. Romance is one of Australia’s largest and most impressive literary exports, and since the 19th century has been a way for readers to explore tales of intimacy from the innocent to the risqué.   Our collections of these stories ensure the voices of authors who write and read this genre are preserved, so that readers of the future can indulge in and re-e ..read more

Welcome to the Romance Writers of Australia Flash Fiction series! And our inaugural winner this month is Athena Law – congratulations Athena! The Perfect Pairing – Athena Law My earring was caught up in the blindfold. I was paused on the top step attempting to untangle it when a body bumped into me from behind. From the distinctive snort-giggles I could easily identify my friend Jules sight unseen. ‘Move it along, Becks! A room full of delectable men awaits!’ She pushed me through the doorway, feeling foolish as my hands groped the empty air in front of me. ‘They’re probably all horrid’, I hi ..read more

Position title: Volunteer Coordinator Volunteer commitment: 10 hours per week (approximately) after initial set-up period Reporting to: Member Services Manager About us Since 1991 Romance Writers of Australia (RWAus) has been helping writers all across Australia (and beyond!) to follow their dreams. We provide support and inspiration while actively fostering opportunities for our members to engage in professional development, network with industry professionals, and pursue excellence in their writing and publishing careers. About you As an organisation that is reliant on our amazing team of v ..read more

Position title: Anthology Production Coordinator Volunteer commitment: 3 hours per week or less(approximately) Reporting to: RWAus Contest Manager About us Since 1991 Romance Writers of Australia (RWAus) has been helping writers all across Australia (and beyond!) to follow their dreams. We provide support and inspiration while actively fostering opportunities for our members to engage in professional development, network with industry professionals, and pursue excellence in their writing and publishing careers. About you Service delivery is at the heart of everything we do. In your role as An ..read more

Position title: Opal Mentor Volunteer commitment: Numerous hours in mid to late May to determine the top three winners  Reporting to: RWAus Contest Manager About us Since 1991 Romance Writers of Australia (RWAus) has been helping writers all across Australia (and beyond!) to follow their dreams. We provide support and inspiration while actively fostering opportunities for our members to engage in professional development, network with industry professionals, and pursue excellence in their writing and publishing careers. About you As an Opal Mentor you will be committed to RWAus’ goals fo ..read more