MURDER EP 22 John Connolly is a crime writer famous for his series of novels including "The Killing Kind"
John Connolly is an Irish crime writer most famous for his series of novels with private detective Charlie Parker. His novels include The Killing Kind and Every Dead Thing. John Connolly is an experimental crime writer, preferring to call his books mystery novels. He decided to join together the two... read more
Ep 136 Stop having a "romantic fantasy" about your life as a writer. And meet rural romance sensation, Karly Lane.
In Episode 136 of So you want to be a writer: Discover 4 huge novels that started in NaNoWriMo and tips from famous authors to help you finally write that book. Stop having a "romantic fantasy" about your life as a writer and find out how you could win a... read more
COMP CLOSED: Win a 2017 Pilot writer's diary – two to give away!
Every good wordsmith needs a trusty diary at their side, and this one has been specially created for writers – featuring writerly resources and motivation! We have TWO of these great diaries to give away. Created by Pilot Press, these diaries go beyond the 365 dates – also packing in handy tips... read more
MURDER EP 21 YA Erskine spent 11 years in the police service. She is now a crime fiction author.
YA (Yvette) Erskine was in the Tasmanian Police service for 11 years before she became a crime fiction author with notable novels The Betrayal and The Brotherhood. With her background as a police officer YA Erskine had first hand experience into the minds of criminals. It's an element she... read more
Word of the week: Metier
Metier (noun) [meteeay] "Even though many people know this word, it's not really in common usage. I was inspired to include it when I was watching The Crown on Netflix recently. Winston Churchill was speaking to the artist painting his portrait. The artist admits that he came to painting... read more
MURDER EP 20 PD Martin is a crime writer whose books feature Australian profiler Sophie Anderson
Phillipa (PD) Martin is author of the Sophie Anderson series featuring an Australian FBI officer. Her novels include Body Count, Fan Mail and Kiss of Death. PD (Philippa) Martin started out writing non- fiction books, but then discovered she actually really loved the process of writing and slowly transitioned herself... read more
Ep 135 A new book on pronunciation; and meet Laura Greaves, author of "Incredible Dog Journeys".
In Episode 135 of So you want to be a writer: Have you been mispronouncing words? Find out with the latest book on pronunciation. What are the crossroads you face when writing a novel? And what no one tells you about pages proofs and blurb requests. Discover how you could... read more
COMP CLOSED: Win a $20 Dendy Direct gift card!
Love & Friendship, the hilarious and heart-warming new adaption of Jane Austen's novella Lady Susan, is now available to rent and own on Dendy Direct. Starring Kate Beckinsale as the seductive and manipulative Lady Susan Vernon, this is one of the finest Austen adaptations in years. Thanks to... read more
MURDER EP 19 Crime writer and psychologist Leah Giarratano
Leah Giarratano is a clinical psychologist and author who specialises in psychological trauma and sex offences, which feature in her novels Vodka Doesn't Freeze and her recent Disharmony series including The Telling, The Laeduin and Immortal Combat. Leah talks the plotting process and the dichotomy between understanding your characters... read more
Word of the week: Neologism
Neologism (Noun) [nee'oluhgizuhm] "The Macquarie Dictionary says this is 'a new word, meaning, usage, or phrase.' So recent examples of this might include 'crowdsourcing' or 'metrosexual' or 'chillax'." To hear Valerie and Allison chat more about this and more on the world of writing, blogging and publishing, check out... read more
Ep 134 How to improve your dialogue. And children's author Wendy Orr on how her book was turned into a Hollywood movie starring Jodie Foster.
In Episode 134 of So you want to be a writer: Discover great resources for children's writers and seven ways to improve your dialogue. Bookworms rejoice: Kindle Unlimited launches in Australia. Learn how you could win a Surface Pro 4. And meet children's author, Wendy Orr, who talks... read more
MURDER EP 18 LA Larkin is famous for her thrillers. She is a presenter at the AWC
LA (Louisa) Larkin is famous for her thrillers The Genesis Flaw, Thirst and her latest novel Devour. She has been likened to Matthew Reilly and Michael Crichton and is a presenter at the Australian Writers' Centre. LA (Louisa) Larkin is an expert on the thriller writing genre. Here, she provides... read more
MURDER EP 17 Zane Lovitt is a documentary filmmaker turned crime writer
Zane Lovitt is a documentary filmmaker turned crime writer. His debut novel, The Midnight Promise, won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction, and led to Zane being named one of the Best Young Novelists of 2013 by The Sydney Morning Herald. He released Black Teeth in 2016. Zane... read more
Q&A: Internet terms explained
Each week here at the Australian Writers' Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It's a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we're asking... read more
MURDER EP 16 Mark Abernethy is an Australian crime and thriller writer
Mark Abernethy is an Australian crime and thriller writer, famous for his thriller novels Second Strike, Double Back and Counter Attack. He is also a journalist and a ghostwriter. Mark is an extremely fast writer, he talks about producing the first draft of his first book in eight weeks. He... read more
Word of the week: Syzygy
Syzygy (noun) [sizz-err-jee] "Yes, this is a real word - and it doesn't contain a single vowel. Admittedly, you might not use it very often because it refers to a very specific thing. Wikipedia says that it is: 'a straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies in a... read more
MURDER EP 15 Ellie Marney is author of the "Every" crime trilogy series for young adults
Ellie Marney is a young adult novelist. Every Breath was one of two Australian novels on the most borrowed YA library books in 2015 and her second novel Every Word won the 2015 Sisters in Crime Davitt Award for Best Young Adult Novel. Ellie Marney says that writing for a... read more
Q&A: Coronated vs Crowned
Each week here at the Australian Writers' Centre, we dissect and discuss, contort and retort, ask and gasp at the English language and all its rules, regulations and ridiculousness. It's a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness. This week, we're sending... read more
Writing habits: From shortlisted authors of the 2016 Prime Minister's Literary Award
This week, the winners of the 2016 Prime Minister's Literary Awards were announced. Prizes were awarded in six categories: fiction, non-fiction, Australian history, children's and young adult literature. Some of the authors shortlisted for the Award have shared their writing habits: where they write and when, their... read more
Ep 133 We talk to "Divergent" author Veronica Roth about her new book "Carve The Mark".
In Episode 133 of So you want to be a writer: 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 emails! Astound your friends by casually dropping "syzygy" into conversations about the upcoming... read more