So You Want To Be A Writer With Valerie Khoo And Allison Tait: Australian Writers' Centre Podcast

Do you mourn the loss of a character? How to write a killer elevator pitch for your book, 10 over-writing traps to avoid, tell us your 2016 writing goal, and how to enter our “12 Days of Christmas” giveaway. Also: tips on pitching to a blogger, and meet Writer in Residence epic fantasy novelist Mitchell Hogan, author of “Blood of Innocents”. Plus: a free screenwriting app from Amazon, what to do when agents aren’t taking on new authors, and more. Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why publishers are giving million dollar advances to debut novelists. Should you write for love or money? Book hotels are now a THING. Also: why a female author wanted a male voice actor to narrate her books. WIN a copy of "The Man With the Golden Typewriter" by Fergus Fleming. Plus: great books about writing, Writer in Residence Ellie Marney, vehicle log app, advice on splitting your personal brand, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congrats to our presenter Judith Rossell for making the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards shortlist. Allison Tait’s “The Mapmaker Chronicles 2: Prisoner of the Black Hawk” is one of the best middle grade books for 2015! Also: would you want to write a novel in a castle? Why you need a professional book cover for your self-published book, phrases to cut from your writing, patience for writers, and the death of the mummy blog. Plus: Writer-in-Residence Drew Chapman, the app “Tape a Call” to record your phone calls (perfect for journalists!), how to approach writing a trilogy, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allison’s “The Mapmaker Chronicles” optioned for a film, new words in the Merriam-Webster dictionary (YAAAS!), the author who assaulted a reviewer, book promotion minus the misery, “China Rich Girlfriend” giveaway, and the book Dictionary of “English Down The Ages” by Linda and Roger Flavell. Meet novelist and film director Shirley Barrett and find out if an unctuous cup of coffee is a good thing. Plus: the Pink Fibro Book Club, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reprint of book one of Allison Tait’s “The Mapmaker Chronicles”, how freelance writers price their work, why you don’t need tragedy in your story, things you can do to save money on editing, #NaNoSix - inspirational six word writing tips, win a copy of Larissa Dubecki’s hilarious book “Prick with a Fork”. Also: 10 novels that were written in about a month, a self-published sensation, AG Riddle, whose books are being turned into Hollywood movies, the motivating writing app Write or Die, should you put footnotes in your articles, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rise of freelance writers, is a co-working space better than working from home? How to trim your manuscript to a workable size, the book “Story” by Robert McKee, writing advice from AWC presenters, Writer in Residence children’s author Tristan Bancks, a new writing app to inspire flow, further advice on writing your author bio, download Allison’s top ten tips, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian self-publishing success Beau Taplin, a vending machine that dispenses short stories, how to write your author bio, super prolific author caught in a plagiarism scandal, and the book “Content Inc.” by Joe Pulizzi. Also: how Candice Fox writes two books at once and keeps them distinct, how to DIY book publicity with uber-publicist Emma Noble, the writing app Novlr (free until the end of November), how much should you charge as a copywriter, Allison Tait’s latest book “Breath of the Dragon”, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why reading a Kindle is different from reading a physical book, the strange phenomenon of bestselling colouring books for adults, mistakes new screenwriters make, how to pick one idea for NaNoWriMo when you have too many, and the perils of writing the confessional personal essay. Writer in Residence is freelance corporate writer Kate Hennessy. Also: an app to easily book people into your calendar, how to break into the world of travel writing, and more. Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian women authors are making tech work for them, win a $4000 writing scholarship, changing careers to become a writer, Girlfriend and Total Girl magazines are merging, apply your feature writing skills to fiction. Writer in Residence picture book author Danny Parker. Resources to discover what agents really think, listener question: “Should I use a pen name?”, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Direction releases a children’s book (say what?), how to use author events to grow your fan base and sell more books, why dads reading to kids is important, things to think about when co-authoring a book, it’s time to begin prepping for NaNoWriMo (eek!), and starting a blog. Our Writer in Residence this week is Mary-Rose MacColl, who has just released her fifth book “Swimming Home”. Also: how Trello can make blogging easier, how to find out if a publication pays before you pitch, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What writers should’t do on social media, a typewriter that pours beer (instant writing reward!), protecting your freelance identity, how to capture someone else’s voice and be a kick-butt ghostwriter, fashion bloggers are now powerful, the new book “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert, Writer in Residence Robert Hoge, author of the memoir “Ugly”, an app that translates between US and UK English, how to beat writers’ block, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valerie reads 270 short stories, book 3 of Allison Tait’s “The Mapmaker Chronicles”, Bauer Media shutting down Zoo Weekly magazine, what skills a Vogue editor needs, do you agree with brand journalism? Faulty freelance writer assumptions, how to fit freelance writing around a full-time job, kidlit blogger Tara Lazar, Writer in Residence Kevin Kwan, author of “Crazy Rich Asians” and “China Rich Girlfriend”, and team work and productivity app Asana. Also: how do you know when you’ve done enough research for your article? Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What literary agents want to see before signing you, ten cool tech tools for writers, grammar mistakes you want to avoid, beware of vanity publishers, and some of the best advice from writing veteran Stephen King. Meet food critic and Writer in Residence Larissa Dubecki, author of the hilarious memoir “Prick with a Fork”, find out how long it takes to write an article, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s podcasting boom, 51 words you might be mispronouncing, freelancing mistakes newbies make, the book “Woe is I” by Patricia O’Conner, a magazine for cats by cats (yes, you read that correctly), Writer in Residence Stephanie Clifford, author of “Everybody Rise”, a one-word writing prompt app, how to write when you’re sick, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourists pay to run a Scottish bookshop for a week, who exactly is an “emerging” writer, manspreading, fur baby, and other terms that have made it into the Oxford Dictionary, the ballpoint pen’s role in the demise of cursive handwriting, revisiting The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, do writers need self-belief or self-discipline? Five Aussie author blogs to watch, Writer in Residence Tony Cavanaugh, how to dictate to your phone, tips for finding beta readers, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2015 winners of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards, 10 things we think we need to do before we start writing, Mark Latham being weird at the Melbourne Writers Festival, author of “Chocolat”, Joanne Harris, forthright about authors’ rights and responsibilities, beware Amazon Prime, preventing writing related injuries, three common mistakes when writing dialogue, Publisher in Residence Meredith Curnow, Allison’s “Where I Write” Periscope recording, and how to get your copywriting invoices paid now, and more. Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab your blind date with a book, quirky micro book reviews, one traveller’s odd reading habit, an embarrassing mix up at the Kennedy Awards, the book “Write Better, Faster” by Monica Leonelle, what uber-blogger Heather from Dooce said at this year’s Problogger event, Writer in Residence Jill Margo on her biography of famous businessman Frank Lowy, The Brainstormer app, the importance of a good copywriting quote, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cover reveal for Allison Tait’s latest instalment of The Mapmaker Chronicles, brutally honest writing advice from brutally honest writers, US bookshop offers refunds for Go Set a Watchman, an author sends out manuscripts out under a masculine pseudonym, how women authors were told to promote their books in the 1960s, the Young Writers Award, “tie you over” vs “tide you over”, congrats to Nikki Parkinson from StylingYou.com on her win in the Telstra Business Awards, Writer in Residence John Tesarsch, finding work as a newbie content writer, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five essential podcasts for writers, National Bookshop Day, Richard Linklater is the top choice to direct The Rosie Project movie, the psychology behind writer’s block, an awesome interactive map of the most famous road trips in American literature, Reservoir Dad: the movie, Harry Potter printed on a dress, the Stella Prize 2015, continuously vs continually, Agent in Residence Jacinta di Mase, tax deductions for Aussie writers, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hotly debated “Go Set a Watchman” by Harper Lee, the exciting life of the original Nancy Drew author, cool new Lego visual storytelling app, a 15 minute writing productivity hack, the difference between comprises and consists, Writers in Residence brother-and-sister author duo Nicholas and Alison Lochel from the Zarkora series, how to deal with feeling like an imposter, and more! Read the show notes.  Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.