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Creative Writing
My Competitions blog has raised a lot of enthusiasm among my writerly friends for trying overseas comps, but they are wary
Rejection. Dejection. Introspection. Funny how these words all go together. GINNY SWART explores the reasons why writers might have their
Do you have a piece of creative writing you would like to have published? This area of our webzine is
Writing a story is a craft that requires constant tweaks, edits and trial and error by the writer. Here are
One of the fastest ways to progress as a writer is to receive feedback. Here’s how to get more of
by Louis Wiid The beginning of a new journey Sitting through hours of traffic jams every day on
Everyone wants to be published, to see their name in print and enjoy that glow that comes from a publisher
Want to write really flash stories? Sharpen your skills with these tips and tricks for writing flash fiction. BY TRISH
Need some writing inspiration and courage to keep going? Here are wise words from famous writers. “A professional
WEB WRITING
Your Stories
By SARAH KELLEHER For me, writing used to move in cycles. First, the inspired phase. I’d put my laptop by
BY TASNEEM DANIELS “Kill them,” she said. “What?” “Kill your darlings,” she repeated. “But why should I kill them? This
Love at first word. My first word was ‘home’, and that word has stuck with me ever since. Home is
The best advice I ever received about writing came from highly successful Australian children’s author John Heffernan about 25 years
Amber Walker should be used to death by now, but she wasn’t. Her stiletto heels clicked against the ceramic
Hilary Murray, author of Choices, describes her first forays as a writer into the publishing industry – and the genre
BY NOHLEE CLOETE On my mobile phone, I have a picture saved of the urban English word ’Rastrophiliopustrocity’. It has eight
By Eileen Kennedy Scientists say there’s a specific region of the brain dedicated to writing. Somewhere between the prefrontal
I’m in the middle of writing a novel and I’m having a bit of a wobbly at the moment.
“I’ll do it if you do it.” “OK. Let’s do it together.” And so I started writing. It had been
Q & A WITH AWARD-WINNING WRITERS
New Zealand Poet Laureate, Dr Selina Tusitala-Marsh Selina Tusitala-Marsh has published three critically acclaimed collections of poetry. She was the
Fiona Ingram is a multi-award-winning author of adult and children’s fiction. She has won, or been a finalist in, over
Sonny Whitelaw has enjoyed a successful career as a writer for more than thirty years. Her work as a photojournalist
Alex Smith’s most recent novel ‘Devilskein & Dearlove’ is a YA Fantasy, described by the ‘Sunday Times’ as “a magical
Paul Cleave – international bestselling New Zealand author – talks about his writing career and offers tips for new writers
For someone with a curious streak and a passion for Japanese design, Fiona Wilson may have one of the
When Lotta received her ‘Local Hero’ award in 2014, she celebrated it with lime and soda rather than bubbly. Lotta
Karen Jeynes is a well-known, award-winning playwright whose work includes “Laying Blame”, “sky too big”, “Don’t Mention Sex”, “Kiss
Mandy Speechly has worked as a copywriter in the advertising industry for over fifteen years for leading international advertising agencies
Trending Posts
Apps for Writers
Six apps to help travel writers organise, plan and execute their day. BY CHRIS STRYDOM Travel writers rely on technology
Anyone can share their travel stories on the Web. However, it is the quality of your writing, editing and photos
Web writing is an increasingly popular specialism for writers, but it’s also highly competitive. I’m sharing my top free and
While your Moleskine may never go out fashion, technology changes at a rapid pace. These five apps get you
Boost your web writing career with these powerful apps. BY SARAH LLOYD We as 21st century writers are lucky to
If you are a person who fears or dislikes new apps, and you also happen to be a journalist,
latest posts
Well, it’s all about power, isn’t it? That’s where and why my life intersects the here and how
This competition was discontinued in 2025. Read recent winning entries in our e-anthology ‘The Writers’ Journey’, a free download
Logical flow is one of the trickier writing skills to master, but it is vital for good writing. Here’s a
Finally finished a piece of writing that you want to submit to an editor? Woohoo! But before you hit the
Need some writing inspiration and courage to keep going? Here are wise words from famous writers. “A professional
Here are 11 ways to draw in your reader and keep them hooked. Each one of these ways takes time
For most of the twentieth century, television was the preferred channel for advertisers to promote their goods to the masses.
The plot twist is the writer’s equivalent of magic: a sleight of hand, a puff of smoke and kazam! You
After over a decade of judging thousands of short stories in our national writing competitions, our Writers’ College
In most stories, people talk to each other. Many readers enjoy the “talking bits” the most, and will happily