Resources for Writers

Resources for Writers

On this page you’ll find all sorts of useful resources to help you hone your writing and find a home for it.  More websites will be added so check back often.

Australian Society of Authors

Created to protect and advance the interests of Australia’s literary creators, the ASA offers newsletters, workshops and Masterclasses, books and other resources as well as legal advice around contracts and rates of pay. Well worth the yearly membership fee if you want to become a writing professional. You can also join the state society where you live, such as Writers Victoria.

Preditors and Editors

You’ve been offered a contract and you’re ecstatic. Just be aware there are a lot of dodgy operators out there who know there’s a lot of money to be made from aspiring writers. This website is a non-profit wiki for writers and other creators where you can look up publishers, lawyers and others in the publishing industry and make sure you are dealing with someone reputable. It also offers a space for authors to promote their books.

The Thesis Whisperer

The tag line for this website is ‘Just like the horse whisperer, but with more pages.’  This is a comprehensive, down to earth site that has huge amounts of information on all aspects of writing a thesis. It’s also written in a very accessible style to make it the perfect antidote when you are totally over reading academic texts and articles. Highly recommended – incredibly useful.

The Periodic Table of Storytelling

Amusing, but also a useful learning tool. It breaks down the parts of a novel (eg structure, plot, character, tropes etc. ) into common patterns – you can learn a lot from it about what goes into storytelling.

Australian Writers Centre

Online and face-to-face writing courses for fiction, non-fiction and business writing.

Varuna: The Writers House

Varuna offers fully catered writing retreats in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. These can be paid retreats but they also regularly offer fellowships. Worth subscribing to their email list to find out when to apply.