- Advertisement -
Creative Writing
The five podcasts you should be listening to if you want to understand the world of books, publish more, or
“I’ll do it if you do it.” “OK. Let’s do it together.” And so I started writing. It had been
BY TRISH NICHOLSON Competitions don’t just develop your skills. They can be a source of inspiration and motivation to keep
You know a new trilogy has really grabbed you when, as soon as you finish the first novel, you write
How do you write a script for a video game? And how does writing for games differ from conventional story-telling?
Most fiction writers want to know if they can live off their income from writing. Sadly, the short answer is
“But I write fiction, I create worlds so I don’t need to research, right?” Wrong. All writers need research to
New Zealand’s renowned writer Witi Ihimaera talks history, homage and hope for the future with NICOLA MURRAY. Conversing with this
Having a hard time getting your story to the level that you want it at? Struggling to sell it or
WEB WRITING
Your Stories
“I’ll do it if you do it.” “OK. Let’s do it together.” And so I started writing. It had been
By SARAH KELLEHER For me, writing used to move in cycles. First, the inspired phase. I’d put my laptop by
Congratulations to Christie Williams from New Zealand for her story about procrastination. Christie wins our June contest. The closing date for the next My
Love at first word. My first word was ‘home’, and that word has stuck with me ever since. Home is
BY DO HYUN KANG It all began the day I turned 100 days old. I don’t remember anything about the
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
I’m in the middle of writing a novel and I’m having a bit of a wobbly at the moment.
BY BEATRICE ELLIS As the writer on the radio was being interviewed, I heard her say, “Think of something
BY STEPHANIE MILLAR “We’re moving to Durban next month,” my dad nonchalantly announced. He and my mum had
Q & A WITH AWARD-WINNING WRITERS
Karen Jeynes is a well-known, award-winning playwright whose work includes “Laying Blame”, “sky too big”, “Don’t Mention Sex”, “Kiss
Sonny Whitelaw has enjoyed a successful career as a writer for more than thirty years. Her work as a photojournalist
BY THABISO SEKGOBELA He made cars.co.za one of the most trusted brands in South Africa. He published a book in
Successful journalist Sarah Lang may have started her working life sleeping in her mother’s garage, but she has quickly climbed
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
When Lotta received her ‘Local Hero’ award in 2014, she celebrated it with lime and soda rather than bubbly. Lotta
TRUDY DELAMARE asks veteran copy-editor Di Smith if machines can correct errors better than humans in this frank Q &
For someone with a curious streak and a passion for Japanese design, Fiona Wilson may have one of the
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
If you are a person who fears or dislikes new apps, and you also happen to be a journalist,
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
Boost your web writing career with these powerful apps. BY SARAH LLOYD We as 21st century writers are lucky to
Web writing is an increasingly popular specialism for writers, but it’s also highly competitive. I’m sharing my top free and
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