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Tips on technique

We've put together some extracts from our books on writing technique. There are tips on technique as well as writing exercises which you can try.

Click on the links to the left of this page to find out more about each of these topics:

  • Character
  • Setting
  • Point of view
  • Dialogue
  • Revision
The extracts in this section have been taken from the following books:




Spotlight:

Writing Feature Stories

by Matthew Ricketson

More feature stories are being published in newspapers and magazines than ever before, ranging from lifestyle spreads about the search for the perfect chocolate mud cake to investigative series about the illegal trade in wildlife. Feature stories offer journalists the chance to move beyond conventional news reporting and write more creatively.

Spotlight:

Writing Book

by Kate Grenville

The Writing Book doesn't just talk about how to write fiction; it takes you, step-by-step, through the process of doing it.

Each chapter concentrates on one aspect of writing: getting started, bringing characters to life, writing convincing dialogue, revising and writer's block, etc. Exercises in each chapter are carefully structured so that each one builds on the one before.

Spotlight:

Writing Fiction

by Garry Disher

The art of writing fiction successfully requires not only talent but craft. This book is a guide to that craft - for writers who want to understand and master the basics of what makes a novel or story work well. The principles and sound practical advice offered arise from Garry Disher's own deep experience as a professional writer, as well as a teacher of writing, an editor of collections, and a judge for fiction awards. Disher illustrates his points with examples from many other Australian and international fiction writers, presenting a candid picture of the pleasures and pitfalls across a diversity of fiction-writing experiences.

Spotlight:

Art of Romance Writing

by Valerie Parv

The Art of Romance Writing is an up-to-the-minute practical guide to the romance writing genre, written by the international best-selling author Valerie Parv. Clearcut examples of romance writing show exactly what works, what doesn't and why, unravelling the myth of the formula' and highlighting the subtle differences between the lines put out by major publishers.