It’s not often that authors get to enjoy some glamour. Writing is a lot of hard work, and there aren’t many opportunities to kick back and enjoy the fruits of our labours. So I was pleasantly surprised when I clicked on an email from the Greek Festival of Sydney organisers, and saw that it contained …
The best thing about writing for children is getting to see through their eyes again. Once you’re an adult, it’s all too easy to forget how astonishing the world used to be. We’ve seen so much that we tend to get jaded. But when you’re a kid, everything is fresh and sharp and startling. I feel …
… Just like the ones I never knew … For me – and for most Australians – Christmas days are long, hot and lazy. The sweet smell of mangoes, the salty tang of beach air, the heavy haze of humidity. No chestnuts roasting on an open fire, no Jack Frost nipping at my nose. Just …
Congratulations, you’ve got a new follower! Five likes on your post so far … nice! X liked your post – maybe you’d like to see theirs, too! Is it just me, or does that sound like something you’d hear in a primary school classroom? Is social media treating us like a bunch of emotionally fragile …
Have you ever used Klout? I’d never heard of it until I attended a social media workshop, and was put through the humiliation of setting up an account and announcing my score to everyone. I got 10 and thought that was utterly brilliant … until I realised it was out of 100! Well, be fair, …
How many times do we say we shouldn’t put off our dreams because ‘we only live once’ and ‘life’s too short’? Many, right? But how many times do we actually, seriously think about it? Not so many – until something happens that forces us to confront our own mortality. I’ve just had one of those …
Australians may be geographically isolated, but thanks to the internet we no longer feel it. Through my blog, I’ve connected with amazing people from all around the world. And to celebrate our home-grown blogosphere, the Australian Writers’ Centre has created the Best Australian Blogs Competition. It’s our chance to show our country – and the …
I was completely blown away last Saturday. I was running Part 2 of my Writing for Profit workshop, and it happened to be my birthday. I’d mentioned to one of my students in a previous course that I’d be working on my birthday. A very lovely woman (and a talented emerging writer) attended both courses. …
We’re already one week into January. In case you haven’t made your New Year’s resolutions yet – or you’ve broken them already – feel free to borrow mine! This year: 1. I will finish writing my novel. 2. I will finish writing my novel. 3. I will finish writing my novel. 4. I will not …
In my innocence, I used to think these two words could be used interchangeably. I soon found out I was wrong. When I first started writing professionally, I quickly discovered that many people get fired up by the author / writer distinction. What I’ve encountered When my first book was published, I proudly announced to …
Stella Tarakson 