So You Want To Be A Writer

New Book Shows How You Can Be a Writer When You Still Have a Day Job

The ultimate guide to making your writing dreams come true!

Want to write a novel or earn an income as a freelance writer, but not sure how to go about it? Authors Allison Tait and Valerie Khoo – co-hosts of the popular So You Want To Be A Writer podcast – will give you the steps you need to make your dream a reality.

In this book, you'll discover everything you need to be a successful writer, including how to connect with people who will help your career grow and productivity tips for fitting everything into your already busy life. You'll also explore how to keep your creative juices flowing and where to find other writers just like you.

This book lays out a blueprint to help you get started and thrive in the world of words. With advice from over 120 writers, you'll tap into proven wisdom and find the path that will lead YOU to success!

Valerie Khoo is the CEO of the Australian Writers' Centre (AWC), Australia's leading centre for writing courses. Since 2005 the centre has taught over 45,000 students and has evolved into a hot-house for talented writers, who are regularly selected by major publishers for book deals.

She's a mentor to freelance writers through AWC's innovative masterclass program designed to nurture freelance writers to build a lucrative and rewarding career.

Khoo is also a keynote speaker and author of the book 'Power Stories: The 8 Stories You Must Tell to Build an Epic Business'.

She has spent over 20 years in the world of writing and publishing, including 13 years writing for The Sydney Morning Herald and a range of glossy magazines. She has previously worked as a public relations consultant and began her early career as an accountant at PwC and lecturer at the University of Sydney.

She now combines her love for writing with her creative pursuits as a visual artist. Khoo is also the curator of the Sydney Lunar Festival, the City of Sydney's arts and culture festival which attracts more than 1.4 million people.

Allison Tait is an internationally published, bestselling author of two epic, middle grade adventure series: The Mapmaker Chronicles' and The Ateban Cipher. She is a multi-genre writer, teacher and speaker with more than 25 years' experience in magazines, newspapers and online publishing.

Race to the End of the World, the first book in The Mapmaker Chronicles series, was published by Lothian Books (Hachette Australia) in October 2014. It was shortlisted for the Readings Children's Book Prize 2015 and named a "Notable" book in the CBCA Children's Book of the Year Awards 2015.

Book number two, Prisoner of the Black Hawk, was released in April 2015 and was shortlisted for the 2015 Aurealis Awards (Best Children's Fiction). Book number three, Breath of the Dragon, arrived in October 2015, with book number four, Beyond the Edge of the Map, published in April 2017.

The Mapmaker Chronicles is available in Australian, the USA, the UK, Lithuania and Turkey.

The Book of Secrets, book number one in the Ateban Cipher series, came out in September 2017 in Australia, with The Book of Answers (number two in the series) following in March 2018. Both books are also available in the USA, through Kane Miller Books.

Allison is the creator of several courses for the Australian Writers' Centre, including Make Time to Write, Creative Writing 30-Day Bootcamp, Build Your Author Platform and Creative Writing Quest for Kids.

So You Want To Be A Writer
Australian Writers' Centre Publishing
Authors: Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait
RRP: $25.00

Interview with Valerie Khoo

Question: What originally inspired you to write So You Want To Be A Writer?

Valerie Khoo: Allison and I co-host the weekly podcast "So you want to be a writer" which is all about helping aspiring writers learn more about the craft of writing. So we often get asked for advice on how to get published and how to overcome some of the challenges you face when you're getting a foot in the door of the writing industry. We wanted to write the book in order to distill our advice into one handy place! And the response has been overwhelming. We're so thrilled that it seems to be striking a chord with people who have found it really inspiring and informative.


Question: Can you talk us through the process of being co-writers, on this title?

Valerie Khoo: Allison and I have known each other for so long that we understand how to work together. Twenty years ago, we had desks right next to each other when we both worked at a women's magazine. So we're pretty in sync when it comes to bouncing ideas off each other and allocating who is supposed to do what. We divided up the chapters based on our areas of expertise and we agreed on our "voice", which is really the conversational and friendly voice we have on our podcast – and away we went!


Question: Is writing often a side-hustle for aspiring writers in the beginning?

Valerie Khoo: Writing is definitely often a side-hustle for aspiring writers in the beginning. And that's why the full title of our book is So you want to be a writer (How to get started when you still have a day job). Very few people can transition from another career into being a full-time writer overnight. It's usually a stepped process – and our book guides you through that process. We provide really practical advice on how you can fit writing into your already busy life.

Question: How do you overcome writers block?

Valerie Khoo: Neither of us actually believe in writers block. We believe in putting your bum into that chair or your fingers on that keyboard – and to keep writing. Even if total rubbish comes out, that's does matter. Because sometimes you need the rubbish to come out before you get to the gold.

Allison always says: "Don't wait for the muse to arrive. Just imagine that she's stuck in traffic and get started with your writing anyway."

Sure, you can go for a walk or do something to clear your head if you're a bit foggy. But, ultimately, if you're stuck for too long, you might actually be procrastinating!


Question: Why should aspiring writers be members of the Australian Writers' Centre?

Valerie Khoo: The Australian Writers' Centre is a community of writers who have access to resources, courses and mentors who help you get published. It's great seeing so many members of our community end up on bestseller lists. Plus, it's free to join!


Question: What's the main message you hope So You Want To Be A Writer? spreads to aspiring writers?

Valerie Khoo: It's totally possible to achieve your writing goals, whatever they may be. It's a matter of determining the steps that will get you to where you want to be – and our book helps you figure that out – and then making small progress on those steps every day.

Interview by Brooke Hunter

 

So You Want To Be A Writer 
Australian Writers' Centre Publishing

Authors: Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait 
RRP: $25.00