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Writing from Personal Experience: Tips and Techniques
Some articles have a greater impact and reader engagement if written from personal experience. Writing from your own perspective can engage readers and convey your
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
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
Not Having the Time to Write Makes Me Angry
By KIM PATTON Because my stories keep my heart pounding at night with the possibility of it all, when I can’t get words on paper,
Five Top Tips for B2B Copy and Content Writing
Business-to-business (B2B) copywriting refers to the development of copy material for companies selling goods and services to other businesses (for example, product wholesalers and companies
How can you make a living from writing?
With the rise of digital media, writing as a career has become more accessible. The financial rewards of writing may not come easily, but with
Our Students' Successes
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 enjoyed a spate of literary
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 up with her on her
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. Tell us a bit about
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 propelled her into getting her
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 who love dogs as much
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 by Advanced Magazine Journalism in
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 removing errors that a
‘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 kronkel – van skilder en
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 and the Thief, has been
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 of getting published. After taking
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 English teacher by day, and
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, Travis is currently working on
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 wonderful reminder that we can
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 STEYN – SUCCESS STORY Martin
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 literary world. An Interview with
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 herself an expert on Koh
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
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
A Writer’s Inner Workings: Andrew Salomon
Andrew Salomon is the author of the novels The Chrysalis (Oxford University Press) and Tokoloshe Song (Random House Umuzi). His writing was shortlisted for the Terry Pratchett First
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
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 Helen Brain
Meet Author and Writing Tutor Extraordinaire, Helen Brain Helen Brain is the author of 30 books for children, an adult memoir and many short stories.
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
All About Journalism
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.
The Writing Tools
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Should You Give Up Your Day Job to Be a Writer?
Writer Veselina Yaneva discusses six vital questions to ask yourself before quitting your day job to pursue a writing career. Feeling the urge to leave
5 Ways To Motivate Yourself To Write
When your flaming enthusiasm for a new project has dwindled, you’ll have to spark up your motivation manually. Rozelle Sunkel shows us how. You’re on
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.
Playwriting 101
By EWING EUGENE BALDWIN I had ruined my voice touring for three years in a bus and truck company of Jesus Christ Superstar. I had
Pretend You Know What You’re Doing
By CARTER LAPPIN You’re on a bus, about to head up the side of a winding mountain road. You’re trying to get comfortable in your
Best Writing Advice: It’s Skills, Not Genre, That Determines Writing Success
‘What’s Your Favourite Popsicle?’ By Archanaa I stared at the red circle on my calendar. I had three weeks to submit my short story. The
Face Challenges, Take Risks and Write About Them
BY ROBERT B. ROBESON If I’d wanted an easy life, I could have taken up quantum physics, brain surgery or attempted to open a McDonald’s
Your Scraps Will Be Your Treasure Later
By Laura Borjas There is a challenge every writer goes through – one might call it a ‘rite of passage’ – where you smear your
How to Overcome Self-Doubt as a Writer
Here are some tips on kicking your inner critic out the door, so you can get back to doing what you love most, writing. As
The Best Writing Tip: Cut with a Razor
BY AMELIA RAY Don’t ask me where but once I read that Keith Richards reportedly has a unique songwriting approach. Supposedly, he writes down every
Even Art Should Be Taken Seriously
By JAVI REDDY There is a notion held by non-artistic people that creatives sit around half-nude for most of their days, stewing in their emotions,
Best Writing Advice: Get a Hobby
BEST WRITING ADVICE: GET A HOBBY The lettuce wilted. The basil died as soon as it flourished, and the oregano never sprouted in the first
We Write from Our Scars
By SARAH DITTMORE “It’s a great story,” my teacher acquiesced. I beamed with the smile of an over-achiever receiving the much longed-for validation of a
Self-help 101: Build Trust in One Easy Step
By KIRSTY MAC DOUGALL ‘Trust in the writing process.’ ‘Trust in your innate and untapped writing abilities.’ ‘Trust in yourself.’ Great advice. Tony Robbins would
Best Writing Advice: Embrace Your Craft Completely
By Sujana Vangala For years, I lived in a space of hesitancy, in Plan B’s and safety nets. In the same way, my writing survived
Let Nothing Stop Your Writing
BY CHARLIE CY ‘The writer’s only responsibility is to his art. He will be completely ruthless if he is a good one. He has a
Perfidious Passion: Why You Should Bleed Out For Your Writing Instead
By AIMAN SHAHID Take a wound as a starting point; it doesn’t need to be a dramatic blood-splattered Monty Pythonesque affair. It can even
Not Having the Time to Write Makes Me Angry
By KIM PATTON Because my stories keep my heart pounding at night with the possibility of it all, when I can’t get words on paper,
Writing Is a Game for Optimists
“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” This piece of wisdom came from an American baseball player long deceased.
Best Writing Advice: Don’t Write It, Be It
By Chase D. Cartwright That’s it. That’s the best advice I can give. Don’t write it, be it. Don’t live your life to become a
Advice for Writers: Rejection is Just a ‘No’
By Kathleen Marple Kalb Rejection is bad, but the fear of it is worse. Too many good writers are afraid to put their work out
Best Writing Tip I’ve Ever Received: ‘Don’t Value Your Time’
by Luciana Patri ‘Wanna be successful? Don’t value your time.’ – read the daring title of a video by Teal Swan, one of my favourite
The Best Writing Advice: You Can Break the Rules If You Have a Good Reason For It
By ETHAN ALEXANDER I was never the popular kid in high school. In fact, I was mostly ignored. I had just transferred to a
Web Writing Tips and Tools
How To Write Great Website Home Page Copy
For most people, the home page is the first thing they see on a website and first impressions do indeed count. Think of the home
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.
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
What is holding you back from being the writer you want to be?
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Build Your Brand with Powerful Web Writing
Explore the importance of web writing to build and maintain a strong brand presence online with three key tips. There is no doubt that the
How Changing Technology Is Changing Advertising: Six Copywriting Trends For The New Year
The Writers College Copywriting Course tutor MANDY SPEECHLY explains six trends that are directly impacting the copywriting industry. In Part One Mandy Speechly explained how technology has
How to Find Ideas for Articles & Speeches
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Travel Writing Advice
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.
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
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
10 Travel Writing Tips Writers Must Know
Award-winning writers Julienne du Toit and Chris Marais have travelled the world side-by-side writing travel articles for more than 20 years. They answer essential questions
Can You Make A Living From Travel Writing? We Ask Travel Writer Gabi Logan
Travel writing is a dream job for many aspiring writers. But can you really make a living at it? DONNA DAILEY chats with Gabi Logan,
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
Travel Writing From Home
Overseas adventures face an uncertain future after the COVID-19 pandemic. ANDREW EARL-PEACOCK explores ways you can keep your inner wanderer satisfied while staying local. “Travel
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
Darling, Will You Be My Downfall?
BY DENARII PETERS Make ready your scalpel, sword or knife – even your pistol if you prefer – but whatever weapon you do choose keep
Write For Trade Magazines
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Writing a Memoir: Should You Do It?
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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
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
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
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
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
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.
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