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Creative Writing
Award-winning author Derek Landy shows how one bright idea can unexpectedly turn into a writing career. Read about his journey
How do you write a script for a video game? And how does writing for games differ from conventional story-telling?
Sarah Lotz: Award-winning author of ‘The Three’ and ‘Day Four’ (Hodder Publishers) BY ALEX SMITH I can remember
Best-selling crime author, Michael Robotham, continues to make his mark in the fictional world of murder, mystery and twists.
Author Linda Dawley Ask award-nominated author Linda Dawley for her advice on developing as a writer and she will mention
Award-winning author ALEX SMITH tells us about the making of the trailer for her upcoming novel Devilskein & Dearlove. While
Whoever he or she is, your main character has to be someone your reader can identify with. If he’s the
“There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly: Sometimes it’s like drilling rock and
Every story is told from a particular point of view. It is the reader’s way “in,” enabling them to experience
WEB WRITING
Your Stories
Hilary Murray, author of Choices, describes her first forays as a writer into the publishing industry – and the genre
BY PRAJKTA BUDJADE In a self-defense class I once took, the instructor said, “Never engage in a confrontation
The three years I spent in high school gave me a taste of what it must be like to
Oh, the joy of your first job! How exciting, wonderful and, honestly, very disappointing. ‘First job blues’ is a
BY DEEPTI KUMAR It was in the summer of 2010, shortly after I had just started my first real job
Congratulations to Helen Yuretich, the winner of our November 2011 My Writing Journey Competition. Helen’s inspiring story is called ‘Just for fun’.
Driving around in the Jordanian desert, we cleaned the car’s air filter more often than we filled up with fuel.
BY TASNEEM DANIELS “Kill them,” she said. “What?” “Kill your darlings,” she repeated. “But why should I kill them? This
BY THERESA-LOUISE BRINK The best writing tip I ever received was from a man who had fallen in love with
“Dreams are goals I haven’t yet managed to reach.” During the course of my writing journey, I’ve actually considered stamping
Q & A WITH AWARD-WINNING WRITERS
He’s the son of New Zealand’s inaugural Poet Laureate and describes himself as a freelance writer and editor.
Rosemary Hepözden has three decades of editing, writing and teaching experience. She is the author of three nonfiction books, and
TRUDY DELAMARE asks veteran copy-editor Di Smith if machines can correct errors better than humans in this frank Q &
When Lotta received her ‘Local Hero’ award in 2014, she celebrated it with lime and soda rather than bubbly. Lotta
For someone with a curious streak and a passion for Japanese design, Fiona Wilson may have one of the
Mandy Speechly has worked as a copywriter in the advertising industry for over fifteen years for leading international advertising agencies
Helen Brain is the author of 30 books for children, an adult memoir and many short stories. In 1998
Fiona Ingram is a multi-award-winning author of adult and children’s fiction. She has won, or been a finalist in, over
Alex Smith’s most recent novel ‘Devilskein & Dearlove’ is a YA Fantasy, described by the ‘Sunday Times’ as “a magical
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Apps for Writers
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,
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
Six apps to help travel writers organise, plan and execute their day. BY CHRIS STRYDOM Travel writers rely on technology
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