Pauline’s action-packed novel, Memories Don’t Lie, stemmed from her interest in déjà vu: what causes it and how we can harness it. Throw in a dose of genetic engineering, and voilà, you have the makings of a compelling science fiction novel. Read on to find out more about Pauline’s journey to publication. Continue reading Pauline Yates on science fiction – it isn’t all about spaceships
Patti’s latest memoir, True Friends, explores the joys and pitfalls of friendship through the lens of her own experience. Join us as we chat about friends, writing and the sometimes-fraught relationship between the two. Continue reading Patti Miller on True Friends
More than a decade ago, Alexandra was whisked away from her management role in Romania to go to Austria for her husband’s job as a diplomat. Abroad as a diplomatic spouse, she has volunteered for various not for profit organisations, and this year, she published a book to share her experiences. Read on to hear more about her unique lifestyle – the diplomatic life is not always as glamorous as it sounds. Continue reading Alexandra Paucescu, a Diplomatic Spouse
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
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
I had a math teacher at school who used to say, “I’m a mathematician, not an arithmetician.” She loved the logic of maths, but made errors in addition or multiplication. This is a bit like my style of editing. I love structural and line edits, but I can overlook details. Continue reading My Top Three Editing Disasters
Have you ever wanted to write, but struggled to find the perfect time and place? Does the following sound familiar? I can’t start work until I have the right __________ (fill in the blank: study space, computer, head space, time, other). Yes, it’s hard to fit creativity into our busy schedules. Wouldn’t it be wonderful … Continue reading The Perfect Time to Write
JJ Campbell’s fascinating background includes jobs as diverse as hypnotherapist to video producer. Her first published novel, Reclaimed, is book one of the paranormal trilogy, The Immortal Trinity. The story of how it came about is an inspiring tale of women helping women. What did you want to be when you grew up? I was a … Continue reading How JJ Campbell Reclaimed Her Voice
This post is for my long-suffering non-writer friends who have endured my detailed explanations about the book publishing process. It is also for my writer friends who want to show their circle why they haven’t published their book yet. In brief, the process is: write and edit the book find an agent the agent finds … Continue reading The Book Publishing Flowchart
I’m a writer. I love words. But before I was a writer, I was an engineer, so I also love numbers. The typical word count for a novel is around 80,000. Non-novelists often baulk at the idea of writing that many words, and no question, it’s a mammoth task. To make it more manageable, I … Continue reading Engineering the Story—How to Write a Novel in 80 Days
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