Category: Writing
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How I wrote a novel in nine months
At the start of the year I wrote about my goal to write a novel in a year. I’ve just finished the first draft, all in the space of nine months. I’m not the world’s fastest writer, nor am I the slowest. But the point is, I have 250 pages of work which make sense from…
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Walking the Melbourne City of Literature in Pictures – Part I
What better day than National Bookshop Day to start walking the Melbourne City of Literature? With my trusty literary companion, Edie Hawthorn, we set out to visit as many bookstores as we could in a three hour period (less than we thought, given how much time we spend in bookstores). But this is only the…
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How to manage and format your book manuscript in Word
While there are a lot of great software options out there for writing your novels, I use Microsoft Word. Why? Because it’s simple – there’s no distracting features, just you and the page. But sometimes it’s hard to figure out how you should format and manage your manuscript in Word, especially if you’re new to…
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What are the best books on writing genre fiction?
I asked some of my writing friends to share the best books on writing. There are some great suggestions here, including several books I’d never heard of. I’ve included several of my favourites at the bottom of the list.
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Researching an Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Association
I’m currently researching the establishment of an Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Association by surveying local authors and creative professionals. This research was part of my grant I got from the UNESCO City of Literature last year.
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Why comparing yourself to everyone else is stupid
I was having one of those days. Sitting there writing, thinking that even if I write and write and write, I’ll never be as good as [insert author name here]. Funnily enough, it seems like a bunch of other writers were having those days too. I checked into social media, where at least three author friends…