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Creative Writing
Nicholas Sparks is a multiple New York Times bestselling novelist. MONIQUE JAFTHA looks at his writing process and how his
Piet van Wyk de Vries, a songwriter and singer, has earned fame and respect in the circles of Afrikaans
What does the most common advice dished out to writers – Show, Don’t Tell Your Reader – actually mean?
Writing can be tedious and a little depressing at times. Here’s how you can overcome these problems. BY ANYA
by Louis Wiid The beginning of a new journey Sitting through hours of traffic jams every day on
Paul Cleave – international bestselling New Zealand author – talks about his writing career and offers tips for new writers
It’s pretty alarming how New Year’s resolutions can dash into hiding the minute we’re back at work, and back
“But I write fiction, I create worlds so I don’t need to research, right?” Wrong. All writers need research to
– BY FIONA ZERBST There are no short cuts in poetry. Even if you have been writing for over
WEB WRITING
Your Stories
Technically, I shouldn’t even be here. Where? Here, among a sea of writers filled with talent who always knew they
By ANDREW PARK The best writing advice I ever received was from Chuck Palahniuk. No, wait! Chuck Palahniuk gave me the
BY GLENN McGOLDRICK My writing journey? Ha-ha. Sounds pretentious. Where to start? I liked writing as a kid.
BY OLAKUNLE OLADIRAN Growing up in the tiny village of Akure in Nigeria, I had only felt liberated
BY NIKKY LEE “Kill your adverbs.” This advice came from thriller writer John Harman. I was eighteen, in my first
I was five years old, hugging the floor of my mother’s little shack, gunshots ringing through the air. I
Congratulations to Christie Williams from New Zealand for her story about procrastination. Christie wins our June contest. The closing date for the next My
BY NATALIE SWAIN Christmas morning. My brother has a secretive smirk on his face. “This one is from me,
BY SUZETTE LEAL I would say that my venture into the world of words started thanks to Tchaikovsky. Had
This is the Year of the Tortoise: the year I write my book. It will be about my journey
Q & A WITH AWARD-WINNING WRITERS
Karen Jeynes is a well-known, award-winning playwright whose work includes “Laying Blame”, “sky too big”, “Don’t Mention Sex”, “Kiss
Mandy Speechly has worked as a copywriter in the advertising industry for over fifteen years for leading international advertising agencies
Helen Brain is the author of 30 books for children, an adult memoir and many short stories. In 1998
He’s the son of New Zealand’s inaugural Poet Laureate and describes himself as a freelance writer and editor.
Paul Cleave – international bestselling New Zealand author – talks about his writing career and offers tips for new writers
Susan Williams has been the managing director of Prose & Comms – a communications company – for over a decade.
Rosemary Hepözden has three decades of editing, writing and teaching experience. She is the author of three nonfiction books, and
Fiona Ingram is a multi-award-winning author of adult and children’s fiction. She has won, or been a finalist in, over
When Lotta received her ‘Local Hero’ award in 2014, she celebrated it with lime and soda rather than bubbly. Lotta
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Apps for Writers
Boost your web writing career with these powerful apps. BY SARAH LLOYD We as 21st century writers are lucky to
Six apps to help travel writers organise, plan and execute their day. BY CHRIS STRYDOM Travel writers rely on technology
Anyone can share their travel stories on the Web. However, it is the quality of your writing, editing and photos
If you are a person who fears or dislikes new apps, and you also happen to be a journalist,
Web writing is an increasingly popular specialism for writers, but it’s also highly competitive. I’m sharing my top free and
While your Moleskine may never go out fashion, technology changes at a rapid pace. These five apps get you
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Well, it’s all about power, isn’t it? That’s where and why my life intersects the here and how
This competition was discontinued in 2025. Read recent winning entries in our e-anthology ‘The Writers’ Journey’, a free download
Logical flow is one of the trickier writing skills to master, but it is vital for good writing. Here’s a
Finally finished a piece of writing that you want to submit to an editor? Woohoo! But before you hit the
Need some writing inspiration and courage to keep going? Here are wise words from famous writers. “A professional
Here are 11 ways to draw in your reader and keep them hooked. Each one of these ways takes time
For most of the twentieth century, television was the preferred channel for advertisers to promote their goods to the masses.
The plot twist is the writer’s equivalent of magic: a sleight of hand, a puff of smoke and kazam! You
After over a decade of judging thousands of short stories in our national writing competitions, our Writers’ College
In most stories, people talk to each other. Many readers enjoy the “talking bits” the most, and will happily