Free Writing Tips and Expert Advice
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Popular Stories
Should You Specialise In A Niche as a Freelance Writer?
Should you market yourself as a writer of all topics (a generalist), or rather focus on one topic? Which choice will bring you more assignments
5 Pointers For Writing A Paragraph For A Magazine Article
Writing a paragraph for a magazine article is not as easy as experienced writers make it seem. Its content is clear. It is crisp and
Freelance Rates – How Much Should You Be Charging?
Deciding on an amount that reflects my worth as a writer is probably my biggest headache as a freelancer. With the diversity that comes with
Clearer, Stronger Writing
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Should You Self-Publish? Here’s What You Need to Know First.
You’ve written your first novel. Now you face the dilemma of most modern authors – should you go the self-publishing route or brace yourself for
Eleven Ways To Draw In Your Reader
Here are 11 ways to draw in your reader and keep them hooked. Each one of these ways takes time to master, so do expect
Our Students' Successes
Student Success Story: Tanja Wijnen’s Path to Becoming a Published Children’s Author
Tanja Wijnen, the talented author of The Pangolin Killers (Danish title: Skældyrsjægerne), crafted her debut children’s book while studying with
Sally’s Secrets of Self-Publishing Success
Sally Gutteridge has found her niche and she has a tribe: she makes a living writing about dogs for people
Drawing Inspiration From Reality: Graduate Catherine Jarvis Talks About Her Award-Winning Debut Novel
INTERVIEWED BY SAM NARRAZID Catherine Jarvis is a graduate of the Write a Novel Course at the Writers College. An
Writing Course Success Selina Lavery
Selina Lavery completed three creative writing courses at The Writers College. She recently had two of her short stories published.
Writers College Success Story: Award-winning Novelist Martin Steyn
The dark side of human nature holds a certain allure for acclaimed crime fiction author, Martin Steyn. AWARD-WINNING NOVELIST MARTIN
Writers College Success Story: Novelist Jo Nel
A background as a dentist – and limited writing experience – didn’t deter author Jo Nel from accomplishing his goal
Q & A With Author Of ‘Namaste Life’, Ishara Maharaj
Ishara Maharaj completed the Write a Novel Course at SA Writers College. Since then her debut novel Namaste Life (Modjaji Books) was published. We
Gareth Ward – Accomplished Young Adult Novelist
NZ Writers College is proud to showcase one of its Novel Course graduates, Gareth Ward. Gareth’s debut novel, The Traitor
Graduate Success Story: An Interview with Trish Nicholson
Trish Nichsolson completed the Short Story Writing Course at NZ Writers College in 2010. We tracked her progress in the
Magazine Journalism Student Success Story: Janet Hart
Janet Hart from Nelson, New Zealand completed the Magazine Journalism Course at NZ Writers’ College in 2012. After 28 years of
‘N Onderhoud Met Oud-Student, Gina Van Staden
In 2016 slaag Gina van Staden die SA Writers College Tydksrifjoernalistieke kursus met onderskeiding. Haar alomvattende kreatiwiteit laat haar paadjie in baie verskillende rigtings
Reality Or Fiction: Graduate Travis Inglis Talks About The Inspiration Behind His Writing
Travis Inglis is a poet and a writer. Published in the art magazine Artascent and the literary journal Toasted Cheese,
Creative Writing Tips From Award-Winning Writer, Megan Frith
Q & A with Author Megan Frith Megan Frith studied short story writing at NZ Writers’ College, before embarking on
Journalist Rochelle Sewell On Starting Out As A Writer
Rochelle Sewell is a freelance journalist, blogger, and storyteller. She completed the Basics of Feature Writing course in 2015, followed
Glenn McGoldrick – Published Short Story Writer
Glenn McGoldrick completed the Short Story Writing For Magazines Course at UK Writers College in 2016. Since then he has
From Blogger To Author: Lesley Sefton’s Journey
Catching up with our former student and avid writer – Lesley Sefton – is nothing short of inspiring. She is
Writer Shelley Kirton Opens Up About Her Love Of Learning And Where It’s Taking Her
Shelley Kirton has been writing for years, but it’s obvious she’s truly finding her niche now. Her words are a
Journalism Graduate Jeanna Thomson Talks About Her Success
Jeanna Thomson recently graduated from the Advanced Magazine Journalism course. She describes how this experience has impacted her writing and
Tae Richardson Talks About Her Writing And Publishing Successes
Tae Richardson completed the Basic and Advanced Creative Writing Courses, as well as the Literary Short Story Course. We follow
Travel Writer Rosanne Turner About Her Writing Life On A Thai Island
Rosanne Turner completed the Travel Writing Course at the Writers College in 2008. Dozens of published travel articles later, she finds
Catching Up With Copy-Editor, Lesley Wyldbore
Copy-editing is a vital yet often overlooked part of the writing process. Effective copy-editing adds polish to writing, ensuring clarity
And Now We Wait…. An Author’s First Experience Of Getting Published
– BY HILARY MURRAY For those not familiar with my journey, I recently had my debut novel published (recently, as in ten days
Q & A with Award-winning Novelists
Q & A with award-winning Authors Alex Smith and Tania Hutley: Getting Started as a Creative Writer
Discover answers to burning questions about creative writing:
How to find time to write on top of a day job • How to fire up creativity • How to get over rejection by publishers • The importance of a writing buddy or writers’ circle • How to get published for the first time • The value of self-publishing • Submitting to agents and publishers worldwide • Does the increasing popularity of audiobooks affect the way you write? • What to do if you keep getting work rejected • Is it realistic to be a full-time writer? • How much do you write for your reader and genre? • How to get past the first page/chapter • How much plotting and planning is required • Should you use Scrivener? • Top writing tip for aspiring writers
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Q & A's with Award-winning Authors and Tutors
A Writer’s Inner Workings: Andrew Salomon
Andrew Salomon is the author of four novels: The Chrysalis and Tokoloshe Song, the young adult thriller The Wonderbear and the dark fantasy thriller The Equilibrist.
Spotlight On Author Helen Brain
Meet Author and Writing Tutor Extraordinaire, Helen Brain Helen Brain is the author of over 60 books for children, an adult memoir and many short
Q & A With Award-Winning Novelist Sonny Whitelaw
Sonny Whitelaw has enjoyed a successful career as a writer for more than thirty years. Her work as a photojournalist has appeared in dozens of
Spotlight On Writing Coach Course Tutor, Susan Williams
Susan Williams has been the managing director of Prose & Comms – a communications company – for over a decade. She has also tutored the
Spotlight On Copywriting Tutor At The Writers College: Mandy Speechly
Mandy Speechly has worked as a copywriter in the advertising industry for over fifteen years for leading international advertising agencies on a range of different
Spotlight On Author Lisa Lazarus
Lisa Lazarus is a freelance journalist for a variety of publications, including Men’s Health, Femina, Psychologies, Shape, Cosmopolitan, Femina, Healthy Pregnancy and the Mail &
Spotlight On Karen Jeynes – By Kyle Keegan
Karen Jeynes is a well-known, award-winning playwright whose work includes “Laying Blame”, “sky too big”, “Don’t Mention Sex”, “Kiss Kiss”, “The Happy Factory”, “I’ll Have
Spotlight On Rosemary Hepözden
Rosemary Hepözden has three decades of editing, writing and teaching experience. She is the author of three nonfiction books, and has a fourth book due
All About Journalism
Freelance Rates – How much should you be charging?
Deciding on an amount that reflects my worth as a writer is probably my biggest headache as a freelancer. With the awesome diversity that comes
USER-FRIENDLY APPS FOR TECHNOPHOBE JOURNALISTS
If you are a person who fears or dislikes new apps, and you also happen to be a journalist, then this article is for you.
Tips for a Successful Ghostwriting Career
If you’re a talented writer (and you can keep a secret), ghostwriting could be a profitable and rewarding career path. Keep reading to learn more
Copyright Q & A For Journalists
What Is Copyright? Copyright law protects the works of artists, and prevents others from publishing, profiting from or proffering an original creative work as if
Writing Tips from Around the World
These essays on writing are written by writers from around the globe. Read the best writing advice that they have ever received.
Best Writing Tip: Get Out of Your Own Way
When my life upended in 2018, one of the things I did to re-anchor was to take a course of workshops in ‘Creative Writing Outside’.
The Best Writing Tip: You Are the God of an A4 Piece of Paper
BY TESS GADD ‘What?’ my lecturer asked me in her I-only-baby-my-children-and-not-my-students voice. She looked up from her laptop, glasses holding on to the edge of
The Best Writing Tip: All Your Words Aren’t Brilliant
BY REV DR JILL RICHARDSON I got my first World Religions paper returned with an ‘A’ slashed across the top. This should have elicited joy
The Best Writing Tip: Don’t Write What You Know
BY KIRSTY MACDOUGALL ‘Write what you know, Kirsty.’ This advice stayed with me for well over a decade. At 17, I wrote an essay about
The Best Writing Tip: Write Like No One Is Looking
BY WENDY SPENCER My phone beeped as I was buying milk in Sainsbury’s. Mom’s icon flashed on my screen and I smiled. We had said
The Best Writing Tip I’ve Ever Received: Write to Rewrite Someone’s Life
BY LYN CUBILLAS Time checked: six o’clock in the morning. I was gearing up for my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. I looked towards
The Best Writing Tip I’ve Ever Received: Get Your Hands Bloody
BY MESHNA BHATTARAI The best writing tip I ever received was to get my hands bloody. ‘Wrestle with words, scream at them, claw at them,’
Best Writing Tip: This Is Material
By Ross Ian Fleming 1994 It’s 11.30 a.m.. Early April 1994. Probably a Monday. Our country is on the cusp of a ground-shaking change. But
Best Writing Tip: Trust Yourself
BY EVA BELL Writing was always my first love. One thing I wanted above all else was to be a writer. But my father had
The Wise Take Criticism and Turn It to Their Advantage
BY LISA CORTEZ ‘I’m bored already,’ my mother said, removing her reading glasses and throwing my manuscript down on the coffee table. She’d come to
Stop Waiting for Permission to Write
BY BELINDA MOUNTAIN The best piece of writing advice I ever received? It was from a professor of journalism in my hometown of Makhanda, Eastern
The Best Writing Tip: Remember Why You Write
BY LIZ AMOS I have a confession to make: no one told me this. No one sat me down, looked me in the eyes and
Best Writing Tip: I Write As If Nobody Will See My Work
BY SIMON WINTER Bill Nighy, the famous English actor, recently celebrated his 74th birthday. Interviewed, he said, ‘I am a world-class procrastinator. I’m only an actor
Get Your Dumb, Lazy Ass in There and Start Writing!
BY TOM LARSEN I wrote my first short story at ten years of age. Back then, magazines would have a back page full of two-inch
Move Over, Hemingway. Kindergarteners Hold My Compass.
BY AMY HADDEN Writers. Each stroke of the marker let out a faint ‘shhh’ across the yellow chart paper. Its scent danced over the rainbow
The Best Writing Tip: You’re Never Too Old!
BY SARAH DAS GUPTA It had taken five very sexy young firemen to move me to the ambulance on that hot July afternoon. I couldn’t
The Best Writing Advice: Why Do I Write?
BY RINA BESTER My life was a mess: children grown up, husband retired. In the background, an unnerving prodding from my unfulfilled dreams begged me to
What Kind of Writer Are You: Gardener or Architect?
BY TRI NGUYEN I am a gardener. Well, I am not a gardener by trade per se, but a gardener by style. That is the
The Best Writing Tip I’ve Ever Received: Forget about Plot
BY ALANA BETH DAVIES Plot was always my downfall, my weak spot, my Achilles heel – you get the picture. Description, I was okay with:
You Can’t Be an Imposter Because I Am
BY KRISTINE LACO Sheena wasn’t a writer, but she gave the best writing advice. She was my instructor at a cognitive behavioural therapy group. ‘What
Emotions: My Tool for Writing
BY GEETHA RANGANATHAN Sitting at the city library in Parramatta, I asked myself what drove me to write. As the clouds passed by, I realised
Best Writing Tip: Find Your Sound
BY SHAYNA LEWIS My music career ended at age 15. I’d just finished my second year of high school. As a music student, I’d been
Top Writing Tip: Cook for One Person
BY FATEMEH EBRAHIMI If, like me, you’re a woman in a traditional family and society, whether you’re working or not, you must do the housework.
Be Like Great Uncle Ferdy – My Writing Hero
BY TONY OSWICK When I was growing up, I wanted to be just like Great Uncle Ferdy. My mum was his only living relative and,
Web Writing Tips and Tools
The Advertising Industry Has Changed. Here’s What Copywriters Need To Know
The Advertising Industry Has Changed. Here’s What Copywriters Need To Know by MANDY SPEECHLY For most of the twentieth century, television was the preferred channel
Six Top Tips for B2C Copywriting
What is B2C copywriting? In contrast to business-to-business (B2B) copywriting, business-to-consumer (B2C) copywriting is the development of copy material for companies that sell directly to
Why You Need to Learn to Write For The Web
Entrepreneurs and small business owners need to know how to write for the web in order to broadcast their marketing message and build their brand.
Why the Editor is Not the Enemy
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Pros and Cons of Working Remotely as a Freelance Writer
Many people are only now hearing these buzz words: ‘digital nomad’ and ‘remote worker’. But for others, they have been living this lifestyle for years,
Content Writing Takes Centre Stage: Top Careers for Writers in the Digital Age
Since the pandemic, the realisation that certain jobs can be performed remotely has increased the popularity of content creation jobs. And because the work is
Improving Your Web Writing Skills Can Be an Excellent Investment
Are you a business owner and have a product or service that you offer? Let your keyboard do the selling. It’s undeniable: we live in
Travel Writing Advice
8 Essential Apps To Boost Your Travel Writing Career
Anyone can share their travel stories on the Web. However, it is the quality of your writing, editing and photos that distinguish a professional from the run-of-the-mill tourist.
Here are eight apps to help you become the most efficient digital nomad.
Why Locals Know Best In Travel Writing
Take your travel blogging from one-dimensional personal accounts to stories interwoven with local perspectives and authentic insights. Unless you’re in the Arctic Circle and harp
Exposing The 5 Top Travel Writing Myths
You might think that travel writers explore the world for free, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Levonne Apesy separates the fantasy from
Creating Your Niche As A Travel Writer
How do you follow your passion for travel, and make a living from it at the same time? Sometimes you need a little creative thinking
Tips For Aspiring Travel-Writer-Photographers
These days travel editors accept articles for publication based on the merits of your writing and the quality of your photos. Here’s how to take the best shots for success.
Why the Editor is Not the Enemy
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Writing On The Move: A Motorhomer’s Top Tips For Travel Writers
Writer JUNE RICHARDSON shares the secrets to successful travel writing from the backseat of her motorhome. What can be a better life for a travel
Tailor Your Travel Writing For A Millennial Market
With free travel sites coming under fire for fake news, respected travel outlets need to cater for a Millennial market more than ever.
Know Your Writing Rights
Copyright Confusion?
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Copyright Essentials for Writers
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Copyright Office Basics – by The Copyright Office
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How To Avoid Copyright Infringement
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Copyright Q & A For Journalists
What Is Copyright? Copyright law protects the works of artists, and prevents others from publishing, profiting from or proffering an original creative work as if
How to Keep Writing
The Old Stump Story
BY DAKOTA LOVE My writing journey began when I was a wee girl of four years old. I wrote a story about a Native American
It’ll Never Be Perfect
BY PATRICIA A. NUGENT As I grappled with my father’s volatile behaviour, hoping he’d change as a result of his infirmity, his hospice worker consoled
Is Writing Your ‘Ikigai’?
How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? If they’re already falling by the wayside, perhaps they weren’t the RIGHT resolutions for you, and you
What Stops You from Writing?
Fear, self-doubt, procrastination, waiting for perfect conditions – there are so many reasons why we put off getting started on our writing dreams.
At The Writers College, we help writers reach their goals, by encouraging a daily writing routine and removing the doubts from the writing process.
Latest Apps for Writers
Why You Need These 5 Apps To Improve Your Web Writing Career
Web writing is an increasingly popular specialism for writers, but it’s also highly competitive. I’m sharing my top free and most useful apps that have
Five Apps To Kick-Start Your Magazine Journalism Career
While your Moleskine may never go out fashion, technology changes at a rapid pace. These five apps get you to work more effectively and can
6 Vital Apps To Rapidly Transform Your Writing
Boost your web writing career with these powerful apps. We as 21st century writers are lucky to have an arsenal of online tools at our
USER-FRIENDLY APPS FOR TECHNOPHOBE JOURNALISTS
If you are a person who fears or dislikes new apps, and you also happen to be a journalist, then this article is for you.
8 Essential Apps To Boost Your Travel Writing Career
Anyone can share their travel stories on the Web. However, it is the quality of your writing, editing and photos that distinguish a professional from
6 Time-Saving Apps For Travel Writers
Six apps to help travel writers organise, plan and execute their day. Travel writers rely on technology – even in the most remote places on
The Best Apps and Tools for Writers
Writers today have it easier than writers of yesteryear. Gone are the days when you head to the library if you need to do research.