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Creative Writing
“If you treat your characters like people, they’ll reward you by being fully developed individuals.” – Don Roff Een van
The right level of language can make or break a book for children. Learn what kinds of English to avoid
BY CARMEN MARCUS It was the summer of 1984 and Lady Di was just about to marry my toy gorilla,
Wanting to portray how women really felt about their lives has been a constant theme for acclaimed New Zealand
You know a new trilogy has really grabbed you when, as soon as you finish the first novel, you write
How to Stop Dreaming and Start Writing, One Word at a Time Let me tell you something that
After over a decade of judging thousands of short stories in our national writing competitions, our Writers’ College
Alex Smith’s most recent novel ‘Devilskein & Dearlove’ is a YA Fantasy, described by the ‘Sunday Times’ as “a magical
Alex Smith is a well-known creative writing tutor for novels and short story writing at the Writers College,
WEB WRITING
Your Stories
Driving around in the Jordanian desert, we cleaned the car’s air filter more often than we filled up with fuel.
It wasn’t always writing that I loved. First there was the sensory world of writing: cracking the spine on
BY GABRIELLA BRAND I’m a little embarrassed to admit that meeting a potato farmer helped me become a
I liken my passion for writing with the exuberant style in which I tackle housework. I’ll admit that ultimately writing
BY CARMEN MARCUS It was the summer of 1984 and Lady Di was just about to marry my toy gorilla,
By ANDREW PARK The best writing advice I ever received was from Chuck Palahniuk. No, wait! Chuck Palahniuk gave me the
BY OLAKUNLE OLADIRAN Growing up in the tiny village of Akure in Nigeria, I had only felt liberated
BY NATALIE SWAIN Christmas morning. My brother has a secretive smirk on his face. “This one is from me,
I will never forget my first published poem. Well ‘published’ may be a loosely applied term, but it was
BY DAVID WHITAKER My first book was self-published. I wrote every word and illustrated it myself. I also cut
Q & A WITH AWARD-WINNING WRITERS
Rosemary Hepözden has three decades of editing, writing and teaching experience. She is the author of three nonfiction books, and
New Zealand Poet Laureate, Dr Selina Tusitala-Marsh Selina Tusitala-Marsh has published three critically acclaimed collections of poetry. She was the
Mandy Speechly has worked as a copywriter in the advertising industry for over fifteen years for leading international advertising agencies
Susan Williams has been the managing director of Prose & Comms – a communications company – for over a decade.
Fiona Ingram is a multi-award-winning author of adult and children’s fiction. She has won, or been a finalist in, over
BY THABISO SEKGOBELA He made cars.co.za one of the most trusted brands in South Africa. He published a book in
Helen Brain is the author of 30 books for children, an adult memoir and many short stories. In 1998
TRUDY DELAMARE asks veteran copy-editor Di Smith if machines can correct errors better than humans in this frank Q &
Karen Jeynes is a well-known, award-winning playwright whose work includes “Laying Blame”, “sky too big”, “Don’t Mention Sex”, “Kiss
Trending Posts
Apps for Writers
If you are a person who fears or dislikes new apps, and you also happen to be a journalist,
Six apps to help travel writers organise, plan and execute their day. BY CHRIS STRYDOM Travel writers rely on technology
While your Moleskine may never go out fashion, technology changes at a rapid pace. These five apps get you
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
Boost your web writing career with these powerful apps. BY SARAH LLOYD We as 21st century writers are lucky to
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