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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, ‘Writing
How to Find Work as a Freelance Writer in New Zealand
By Melissa Gilbert Understanding the playing field is essential in order to secure work as a freelance writer. Researching the various routes a freelance writer
How much money can you make as a writer in New Zealand?
Writing is a fascinating field. It is not only personally rewarding but also financially feasible if done right. The writing industry in New Zealand is vast and covers various genres, including journalism, fiction, non-fiction, poetry and academic writing. The industry has changed significantly due to technology and digital publishing, and is thriving as a result. […]
A Guide to Dialogue: How to Write Realistic Conversations
Mastering the art of writing realistic conversations engages your reader in the story. Here’s why and how to do it. BY ANDREW BAIRD One of the great things about writing fiction is that you don’t have to tell the story all by yourself. You can delegate much of that responsibility to your characters. How? Through […]
3 Biggest Web Writing Mistakes for SEO
Imagine pouring hours into writing the perfect article, only to find that hardly anyone is reading it. Why? Because if your content doesn’t appear on the first page of Google search results, the likelihood of users seeing it is less than 1%. But don’t fret. Search engine optimisation (SEO) isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a […]
The Surprising Benefits of Journalling for Your Mind and Mood
People have been writing down their thoughts and feelings as a form of self-therapy for centuries. It seems to be a human instinct, but recent
The Role of Emotion in Writing: 5 Tips to Make Your Readers Feel
In our modern world of distraction and disconnection, writing with genuine emotion helps readers relate to your content. Plus, writing is an excellent way to release pent-up feelings. Read on to discover five emotion-fuelling tips for your writing! BY ANDREW BAIRD Tip 1 – Journal Journaling is a super-charged tool for understanding your emotions and […]
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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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
Writers Evolve! How to Make AI Work for Us
The recent rise of AI has been seen by writers as anything from troubling to an extinction-level event. But so were the tools that came
4 Reasons ChatGPT Can’t Compete with Professional Writers
BY ANDREW MURTON If you believe the hustle-bros and get-rich-quick gurus on YouTube, just about anyone can earn easy money publishing professional-quality e-books, articles and courses with little to no writing experience. Just use ChatGPT, they say! Sound too good to be true? That’s because it is. Here are four reasons ChatGPT can’t compete with […]
Writing Through Menopausal Brain Fog
Every woman aged between 40 and 60 will experience some symptoms of menopause. TJ FREDRICKSON shares her journey and some strategies that help alleviate her most challenging symptom – brain fog. I’ve lived an interesting and exciting life. I’ve been married (twice), brought up some well-rounded kids, lived in two countries and travelled. I successfully […]
The Role of Emotion in Writing: 5 Tips to Make Your Readers Feel
In our modern world of distraction and disconnection, writing with genuine emotion helps readers relate to your content. Plus, writing is an excellent way to release pent-up feelings. Read on to discover five emotion-fuelling tips for your writing! BY ANDREW BAIRD Tip 1 – Journal Journaling is a super-charged tool for understanding your emotions and […]
Accomplished Writer Rebecca Hayter Shares Tips and Tales
Author, award-winning freelance journalist and editor-with-accolades Rebecca Hayter shares insights from her journey as a writer. At 29 years old, when Rebecca Hayter woke to
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 to travel journalism. ‘I’m doing a travel writing course,’ I told my daughter. With retirement looming and plans for getting out and about in our camper, I saw travel writing […]
The Art of Ghostwriting
Ghostwriting has gained immense popularity in recent years due to its potential as a rewarding career. But what exactly is ghostwriting? The role of a
Doubting Yourself as a Writer? You Are Not Alone.
Doubting yourself as a writer is more common than you think. How can you overcome self-doubt and find your writing voice? BY LAURA SWAIN Is it good enough? This is a question that all writers have, at some point, asked themselves. You’ve written your article and triple-checked it. Keywords? Check. SEO-friendly title? Check. Links to […]
Mastering ChatGPT: Prompt-Writing Tips for Journalists
Rather than being afraid of ChatGPT and other AI, savvy journalists are taking advantage. The revolutionary AI chatbot can produce the broad strokes of an idea in seconds, saving hours of writing time. Sure, it can’t fact-check, conduct interviews, provide nuanced context, or anecdotal stories that evoke the reader’s emotions, but that’s where an expert […]
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 development. What I found was a new career as an outdoor travel journalist. As a slightly wayward teenager, journalism was never on my horizon. The words of my fifth-form English […]
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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 to travel journalism. ‘I’m doing a travel writing course,’ I told my daughter. With retirement looming and plans for getting out and about in our camper, I saw travel writing […]
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 work has been described by fellow travel author Bill Bryson as ‘brilliant’ and ‘deadly accurate and absurdly funny’. JANE DANIELL asks Joe Bennett about his life and travels. Q: Why […]
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 and perseverance, you can succeed. Travel writing is what dreams are made of. Whether it’s an African overland odyssey, reviewing upmarket hotels in Ko Samui, or weighing up the best […]
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!