It’s a big call, but I think Fiona McArthur’s new novel – The Bush Telegraph – might just be my favourite romance novel of 2020. The outback Queensland setting, the strong leads, the perfect storm of conflicts and the all-round beautiful small-town vibe had me grinning (and also sobbing) my way through the pages. As a writer, I loved the shades of grey and moral dilemmas Fiona wove through the story and the excitement of a birth in the middle of the story. As a reader I was cheering for the down-at-heel community and adored the lovely nature of Maddy …
OCTOBER OWLS | Character-led plotting by Samantha Bond
Several years ago, I developed a course on plotting. Like many things, I created it out of my desire to understand something better, in this case, ‘plot’. There are so many methods bandied about by writers and especially movie makers (Hero’s Journey or Save the Cat anyone?) that it’s difficult to keep it simple and find what works for you. I’ve been surprised by the popularity of this course, but I suspect that like my situation, many of you just want plot to be simple to understand and apply in your writing. The reason I was interested in plot was …
Member New Releases | September 2020
Check out our Member New Releases for September 2020!
Anthology contributors in the spotlight
By Libby M Iriks This has been a year of adaptation, but with that comes new opportunities, to which our anthology contributors can attest. Tradition has seen RWA’s anthologies launched amid the fun and chaos of its annual conference weekend. This year, however, each Sweet Treats and Spicy Bites contributor was given their moment in the virtual spotlight. When the RWA committee and conference team announced earlier this year that the conference would go ahead in a virtual setting, I was left wondering – as a Sweet Treats contributor – how our anthologies would be launched. I made an offer …
SEPTEMBER OWLS | Fear of a different blank page
Taking the plunge: your book submission pack with Janet Gover As writers, fear of the blank page is something we all understand. But the blank page I fear is not the one that says Chapter XX at the top. It’s the page that has the word Synopsis at the top. And the one that starts, Dear (agent or editor)… For me, the hardest part of being a writer is not coming up with ideas. My head is swimming with those. The hard part is letting go and sending my book out into the world to be read by someone else. …
SEPTEMBER OWLS | Pen a kick-arse short story in 9 easy steps!
Mastering the Art of Storytelling: Learn how to pen a kick-arse short story with Libby M Iriks Writing isn’t hard. Anyone can put words on a page. In fact, there are countless five-year-old children around the world learning to pen their names as you read this. Storytelling, on the other hand, is an art form, and it takes time to master. Experts have been known to say a person must write half a million to a million words before they can consider themselves a capable storyteller. Now, I know what’s running through your head—how many manuscripts does that equate to …
Kiss and Tell | Fiona Palmer
Fiona Palmer’s new novel Tiny White Lies was released by Hachette on July 28, tackling tough issues in a beautiful Western Australian setting with a dash of humour and Fiona’s trademark country style. Set mostly in Bremner Bay, WA (which also happens to by Fiona’s favourite holiday destination), the story centres on two best friends Nikki and Ash, and a month away that changes their lives. For Nikki, it’s a chance to reconnect with her social media-obsessed daughter, her video-game addicted son, and her poster-boy husband, who’s hiding a devastating secret. Ash is grieving her late husband, and when she …
Conference News | 10 Top Tips for A Kick-Ass Virtual Conference with Daniel de Lorne
RWA’s annual conference is looking a little different this year—thank you, Miss Rona—as it moves from its usual three days of workshops to five, all on a virtual platform. Every conference comes with opportunities for networking and learning, and the virtual conference is no different. Running from 12 to 16 August, with over 41 hours of content available, here are our top ten tips for getting the most of the conference.
Member New Releases | August 2020
Check out our August Member New Releases!
Three things I learned while writing… The Postmistress and The Goldminer’s Sister
Welcome author Alison Stuart! Alison is an award winning author of Historical Fiction, romance and mysteries. Alison has twelve published novels and is working on a series of historical romance series set in Australia. Alison joins us today to tell us about three things she learned while writing her Australian Historical series novels ‘The Postmistress’ and ‘The Goldminer’s Sister’.