Do you love a new writing book as much as I do? Even after co-writing my own book about writing (‘So You Want To Be A Writer: How To Get Started While You Still Have A Day Job’), I find myself adding new writing books to my shopping cart way too frequently – particularly when they come with a recommendation! I’ve put together a list of writing books (new and old) that have been recommended either to me or by me in recent months. I think it’s always worth remembering that writing books are like writing processes – not the same for everyone. A book that might bring out 1000 lightbulb moments for ..read more

Luke Rutledge loves his job in communications, but was keen to scratch his creative itch. He had enjoyed writing as a child, but had stopped when life got in the way, before deciding to start again in his late 20s. After completing Novel Writing Essentials at the Australian Writers' Centre, he started writing the manuscript for what would become A Man and His Pride – his debut novel which is out now with Penguin Random House. “When I heard that one of the publishers at Penguin Random House loved my manuscript, my initial reaction was disbelief,” Luke told us. “I’m still pinching myself and str ..read more

Dr Lee Kofman is a Russian-born Israeli-Australian author, editor, writing teacher and mentor based in Melbourne. Her works include The Writer Laid Bare, Scars, I Will Love Christina, and the memoirs Imperfect and The Dangerous Bride. In the past she had sampled many different occupations, including party organising and university teaching. Now she is a full-time writer and writing teacher. Lee chats to Valerie Khoo, host of the podcast ‘So you want to be a writer’ and CEO of the Australian Writers' Centre ..read more

Courses completed at AWC:Write Your Novel Writing Picture Books Whenever Rebekah Campbell told people the story of how she met her husband, they would lean in and ask for more. That’s when she knew she had to write a book about her three-year search for love. But finding time to write seemed impossible for the busy entrepreneur and mum. So when she saw the Write Your Novel six-month program at the Australian Writers' Centre, she felt it was the push she needed to write the book she’d been putting off for years. “I signed up because I thought it would give me a structure,” Rebekah says. “I woul ..read more

Creative non-fiction – whether it’s retelling stories from human history or publishing a compelling memoir – is a genre of writing which is more complex than it may first seem. When combining truth and facts with writing style and techniques, there are plenty of potential obstacles for writers to run into. We’ve outlined four of the biggest mistakes creative non-fiction writers make – and how you can avoid them.  Mistake #1: Neglecting the narrative Bloggers looking to turn their successful posts into a non-fiction book can easily fall into this trap, according to CEO of the Australian Wr ..read more

Aspiring writers from diverse backgrounds are invited to take part in the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition and enter a memoir piece of 1000-2000 words on the topic of ‘Growing up in diverse Australia’.  What is the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition?The aim of the competition is to search “for the next generation of bold new voices that reflect the diversity of contemporary Australia, providing them with a platform to share their unique experiences and perspectives,” according to the media release.  First prizeThe winner of the competition will receive $5000 as well as having their s ..read more

This week’s giveaway book is 488 Rules for Life – Kitty Flanagan's way of making the world a more pleasant place to live. Providing you with the antidote to every annoying little thing, these rules are not made to be broken. 488 Rules for Life is not a self-help book, because it's not you who needs help, it's other people. Whether they're walking and texting, asphyxiating you on public transport with their noxious perfume cloud, or leaving one useless square of toilet paper on the roll, a lot of people just don't know the rules. But thanks to Kitty Flanagan's comprehensive guide to modern beha ..read more

Patti Miller was raised on Wiradjuri land in central western NSW and now lives in Sydney. She is the author of True Friends, Writing Your Life; The Last One Who Remembers; Child ; Whatever the Gods Do ; The Memoir Book; the award-winning The Mind of a Thief; Ransacking Paris; Writing True Stories; and The Joy of High Places (NewSouth, 2019). She has also taught memoir and creative non-fiction for many years around Australia and in Fiji, Bali, Paris and London. Patti teaches Life Writing at Australian Writers' Centre. This interview is from the  ..read more

By Angela Slatter. In your travels as a new writer, you’ve probably heard the term ‘beta reader’ but you might not quite know what that means. So, what’s a beta reader? A beta reader is someone who reads through your completed manuscript and gives their feedback. So, not just someone critiquing a chapter or a chunk – they read the whole enchilada! The idea is modelled on the concept of ‘beta testing’ in software design. Basically, it’s taking the manuscript out for a test drive to see how – if – it runs the way you meant it to. It’s the phase in which you’re looking for ‘bugs’ – does the story ..read more

Courses taken at AWC:Life Writing Plotting and Planning Fiction Essentials: Characters Nicole Webb was a trained journalist and newsreader, with a wealth of writing talent. But when she sat down to write her memoir of life in China, she knew she needed to learn and utilise a whole new set of skills. After taking three courses at the Australian Writers' Centre, doing hundreds of interviews, writing thousands of words, and doing many rewrites, her debut memoir China Blonde is out now with Brio Books. “Without doing those courses, I really don’t think I would have had the knowledge or know-h ..read more