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Writing Course Graduate Sarah Kelleher Q & A
Sarah Kelleher completed the Freelance Journalism Course and the Write a Novel Course at NZ Writers’ College. Her first novel is currently sitting on a

How to Write Effective Dialogue
Learn how to engage readers with your characters’ dialogue. Here are seven ways you can write believable, purposeful dialogue. Dialogue plays a major role in

Avoid A Defamation Claim in New Zealand: Practical Tips for Your Next Article
Defamation law is often overlooked by article writers until it is too late. Here are some of the basics of New Zealand legislation and pointers to help prevent a libel complaint. Even for a writer, defamation or libel were probably not words front of mind until recently. Now, they may conjure up images of a […]

Romancing Success: Tania Hutley’s Five Top Tips for Self-publishing Romance Novels
Romance novelist and Writers College tutor Tania Hutley has hit the jackpot. She has quit her admin day job and is making a living doing

5 Powerful SEO Writing Tips
By Veselina Yaneva The following five powerful writing tips will help you to optimize your online articles for search engines. Writing for the web requires the consideration of two audiences – human readers and search engines. These two audiences are interrelated: to make your content visible and accessible to the former, you need to ‘impress’ […]

The Curse of Overthinking: Is Writing the Cure?
BY CLAIRE MUIR How writing has taught me to embrace my active mind. In his 1980 book, Ways of Escape, British author Graham Greene wrote,

The Self-Doubt of an Accidental Freelance Journalist
By PAUL HARRIS No, I did not crash my bike into a newsstand, although my journey was somewhat accidental. I went in search of professional

Bye-Bye, Block: Physical and Mental Techniques to Help Overcome Writer’s Block
Many writers – both aspiring and established – have at some time come up against the dreaded writer’s block. This is a discouraging and debilitating
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How Do You Get Your Web Content to Show Up in AI Searches?
Over 70% of searches are now AI-driven. Adapting your content strategy is becoming increasingly important for staying visible and relevant. Not long ago, every digital

Re-wilding language with Robert Macfarlane
How Robert Macfarlane is opening our eyes to the natural world and advocating for its protection, one word at a time. By JANA BEER. I

Practical Strategies for Fearful Writers
BY JANE DANIELL If you, too, struggle with self-doubt when writing, the following tips may help you overcome some of the more common insecurities, while

The Modern Writer’s Toolkit: 6 Essential Tools to Supercharge Your Writing
Focusing on writing can feel impossible in today’s world full of deadlines and distractions. EMMA CLARKE shares six free digital tools to help freelance writers balance creativity and efficiency. Are your folders filled with half-finished drafts? Do your browser tabs seem to multiply endlessly? Does finding the right words feel like fumbling through the dark? […]

How to Succeed in Content Writing
If you’ve ever wondered what makes the digital world tick, the answer is simple: content. It’s the words, images, videos and messages that keep audiences engaged and businesses thriving. Content writing is one of the fastest-growing fields, and the demand for talented writers has never been higher. With the ever-expanding world of digital marketing, e-commerce, […]

Destigmatising AI: Why ChatGPT Isn’t Here to Replace You
For eight years, Amanda Penton of QuickFuse Studios has handled marketing for prominent clients such as Only Organic, Takapoto Estate, Morris & James Pottery, and Natural Things. She has seen the before-and-after of doing business with AI tools like ChatGPT. So in a world of generative AI, in which swathes of text are only a […]

A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming a Writer – Part Two
Earning an income from freelance writing can be daunting. In part two of her series, KATE TAYLOR breaks the process into easy-to-follow steps. Writing is

The Healing Power of Writing
When life unravels, committing to a daily practice of writing can be tremendously healing and helpful. SUE FENTON explores the benefits of writing. Writers seem

Is My Freelance Writing Awful?
Does your passion for writing outweigh your skill? KATE TAYLOR explores what to do if you suspect your friends aren’t telling you the truth about

A Copywriting Deep Dive: The Role of Words in Modern Marketing
Many brands and marketers know what they want to say. Few know how to say it. That’s where copywriters come in. BY AMY TJASINK ‘Just

An Interview with Emma Russell, Award-Winning Investigative Journalist
WORDS BY JESS COOMBES Award-winning journalist Emma Russell has built a praiseworthy writing career in only six years. In 2017, she wrote for her home

5 Reasons Why Writers Should Use Visual Journalism
BY JANE GARDINER The world is changing, and digital media continues to adapt. Rather than despair, writers should see visual journalism as an opportunity for
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An Interview with Author Madeleine Redding
Madeleine Redding completed two writing courses at New Zealand Writers College. Her memoir Hold My Hand, Rosie. Don’t Let Go, co-written with her daughter, is

Why Do a Travel Writing Course?
When every man and his dog thinks he’s a great travel writer, WENDY MONTROSE explains why she did a course before embarking on the road

Q & A With Travel Writer and Award-Winning Author: Joe Bennett
An ex-pat Brit who travelled to NZ 35 years ago and settled in Lyttelton, Joe Bennett is an award-winning travel author, writer, and columnist. His

Travel Writing: 5 Travel Writers Who Show It’s Never Too Late to Start
It’s never too late to start a career in travel writing. Here, Chris Shorrock focuses on five travel writers who show that with hard work
Watch a Q & A with Award-winning Tutors at Our College
Our team of Writers College writers/tutors answer your questions about the creative writing industry – and about getting published!












