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Creative Writing
A background as a dentist – and limited writing experience – didn’t deter author Jo Nel from accomplishing his goal
The following unedited snippets of creative writing come from students’ assignments on our Short Story Writing Courses, Novel Courses, Scriptwriting and
BY NATASHA BARRETT It’s never too late to pursue your dreams of becoming a writer, as British author Jack Sheffield
The right level of language can make or break a book for children. Learn what kinds of English to avoid
One of the most common problem writers have when learning to write fiction, is maintaining point of view (PoV). Here,
What are genres and how do we tell them apart? Genres are used to group stories that contain common elements,
I met with Bixley, author of Monkey Boy, and winner of the White Raven Book Award, at his Taupo studio
People who want to write a memoir often compare the process of writing that memoir to therapy. They say things
Ginny Swart was one of the first writers to join us when we started our writing college in 2005. She designed the
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Your Stories
Doing a writing course can shine more light on your writing strengths and weaknesses than a 100-watt reading lamp. DANIELLE
BY DAVID WHITAKER My first book was self-published. I wrote every word and illustrated it myself. I also cut
BY SUZETTE LEAL I would say that my venture into the world of words started thanks to Tchaikovsky. Had
BY STEPHANIE MILLAR “We’re moving to Durban next month,” my dad nonchalantly announced. He and my mum had
Technically, I shouldn’t even be here. Where? Here, among a sea of writers filled with talent who always knew they
By Eileen Kennedy Scientists say there’s a specific region of the brain dedicated to writing. Somewhere between the prefrontal
BY MIKE CASTO Joe Lansdale, the award-winning author of 45 novels, sat on the stage and told us, “Write as
BY GLENN McGOLDRICK My writing journey? Ha-ha. Sounds pretentious. Where to start? I liked writing as a kid.
BY THERESA-LOUISE BRINK The best writing tip I ever received was from a man who had fallen in love with
I will never forget my first published poem. Well ‘published’ may be a loosely applied term, but it was
Q & A WITH AWARD-WINNING WRITERS
Successful journalist Sarah Lang may have started her working life sleeping in her mother’s garage, but she has quickly climbed
Paul Cleave – international bestselling New Zealand author – talks about his writing career and offers tips for new writers
He’s the son of New Zealand’s inaugural Poet Laureate and describes himself as a freelance writer and editor.
For someone with a curious streak and a passion for Japanese design, Fiona Wilson may have one of the
BY THABISO SEKGOBELA He made cars.co.za one of the most trusted brands in South Africa. He published a book in
Alex Smith’s most recent novel ‘Devilskein & Dearlove’ is a YA Fantasy, described by the ‘Sunday Times’ as “a magical
Mandy Speechly has worked as a copywriter in the advertising industry for over fifteen years for leading international advertising agencies
Rosemary Hepözden has three decades of editing, writing and teaching experience. She is the author of three nonfiction books, and
Helen Brain is the author of 30 books for children, an adult memoir and many short stories. In 1998
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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