If there's one thing I love about So You Want To Be A Writer, my podcast with Valerie Khoo, it's the fact that I get to sit around and talk writing with some of the best in the business. And we all know that, like most writers, I like talking about writing even more...
Wondering how to write a better blog? Not what to write, but how to write it. Here are four things that I've learnt about writing a blog over the decade that I've been keeping this one. I hope they'll be of use to you. Get closer I've written about this before, but...
Narrative non-fiction for young readers is having a moment in the spotlight, combining facts, illustrations and storytelling in an irresistible short-form package. But, as anyone who's ever tried writing narrative non-fiction will tell you, getting the balance right...
One of the best – and most difficult – things to develop as a writer is your own 'voice'. That X factor that makes your writing inherently, well, yours. I'll be visiting schools up and down the coast over the next few weeks, giving talks and presentations, including...
In case you missed it, verse novels for children are having a real moment in the sun. Last year's CBCA Book of the Year for younger readers was a verse novel by Pip Harry called The Little Wave. This year's shortlist contains two verse novels: Bindi by Kirli Saunders...
I get very excited every time I receive a new post for the Writing For Kids series because I learn something new from every post. They might be writing tips aimed at kids, but they're actually brilliant for writers of any age. After all, these are writing tips from...
My, but my blogging muscles feel a bit creaky. I've been submerged in school holidays for what feels like the last year (really a matter of weeks) - just long enough for my blogging habit to become a faint memory. I've written before about how I used to find blogging...
On Monday, I shared my five top tips for editing your own writing, from a writer's perspective. Today, as promised, I'm following up with five top tips from an editor, thanks to the willingness of professional (and respected) freelance editor Nicola O'Shea. "Nothing...
"How do I edit my own writing?" "Where do I start editing my own manuscript?" "How do I edit my first draft? When I put out my survey recently, I asked you to let me known the one thing I can help you with this year. The questions above are just a smattering of the...
