How does someone with a long-established career in international business switch to running a literary agency? I asked Michael about this, as well as what he has learnt in the book business, how New Authors Collective has grown, and more. Continue reading Michael Cybulski, Literary Agent, New Authors Collective
Amanda has a PhD in biology; she’s also a literary novelist. The Breeding Season, her debut novel was short-listed for The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award, and she’s been awarded a Queensland Writers Fellowship for her next novel, Relativity. Please join us for a chat about her transition from science to writing. Continue reading Amanda Niehaus on the Intersection Between Science and Art
Patti is a prolific author with a wealth of experience in teaching and mentoring authors. Her specialties are life writing and creative non-fiction, and she works for writing centres in Australia and around the world. Please join us for a chat about her books, her training courses and the joy she derives from working with … Continue reading Patti Miller on the Art of Life Writing
Yasmin is a talented editor, writer and English teacher who recently won the Sisters in Crime Eleanor Taylor Bland award for her unpublished novel. One of her areas of expertise is sensitivity reading, a field of growing importance as authors become more aware of their responsibilities when they write minority characters. Join us for a discussion about appropriation, agency and author intent. Continue reading Yasmin A. McClinton on Being a Sensitivity Reader
Journalist Nicole Webb worked her way up to become a newsreader at Sky News Australia, but then gave it all up on a whim to move overseas. After six years in Hong Kong and then Xi’an, China, she returned to Sydney a different person and completed her memoir, China Blonde. Read on for more about the transformative nature of her expat life and writing journey. Continue reading Nicole Webb From Newsreader to Author
They say pictures speak louder than words, and this picture of a boat adrift sums up my mood today. With Covid-19 running rampant across the world, the outlook feels bleak. Continue reading Adrift
When I first decided to write a book, I didn’t give much thought to genre. In blissful ignorance, I rejected the idea of ‘writing to a formula’ and merrily scribed whatever took my fancy. Years later, I see this has been my biggest mistake on the road to traditional publication. Continue reading The Importance of Understanding Novel Genres
Writers Victoria held their second flash fiction competition in 2020, the perfect distraction for writers in isolation. Each day in April, they posted a prompt and we wrote a 30-word response.
Here are my last 10 stories. I eked out an honorable mention on the last day! Continue reading Writers Victoria Flash Fiction 2020 – Part Three
I walked to my local shops today and witnessed people elbow-bumping. It looked natural, as if they’d been doing it their whole lives. I guess that’s part of our new lifestyle. Meanwhile, as I revise my latest novel, I’m struck by how many times my characters hug or shake hands. Will people read this and say, … Continue reading Social Distancing the Melbourne Way
Cassie’s frank memoir about her life as a model explores how the fashion and beauty industries objectify and exploit women. She tells the story with insight, humour and self-awareness. Read on for our discussion about the impact of the memoir on her life, tips for memoir writers and what she is working on next. Continue reading Cassie Lane on Writing Memoir
