Happy Tuesday, friends! Today we have Maryam Master with us to chat about how scriptwriting has shaped our writing. Whether it's through dialogue, writing action, or the three act structure, scriptwriting can be a useful technique to keep your story snappy and to-the-point. Have you ever tried using this technique to write? Make sure to check out M…

It's never fun when you receive feedback from agents and/or editors advising you to do big rewrites on your story. But you know what? After giving yourself the space to sulk, you almost always find that these rewrites make your story stronger. And isn't that what we want most of all? Thanks to Mick Elliott for filling in for Tristan Bancks! Visit t…

Can you think of a cliffhanger from a story that got you so excited you had to keep reading? In this episode, the team chat about how they tackle cliffhangers in their own books, and what feelings they want to evoke when writing their closing lines. Thanks to Mick Elliott for filling in for Tristan Bancks! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristan…

We all love reading funny books, right? But how do you write humour? It can be tricky but the one thing to always remember is if you make yourself laugh, there's a good chance others will laugh along with you! Thanks to Mick Elliott for filling in for Tristan Bancks! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.c…

It's never a great feeling to be told your story isn't working or that your writing needs work. But we're here to remind you that feedback is important to make your story the best it can possibly be! So don't worry—even established writers get knocked back and critiqued! Keep at it! Thanks to Mick Elliott for chatting to us today! Visit the authors…

The hero of every story needs a baddie. They can come in the form of a nemesis or sometimes, the hero's own struggle is the baddie of the book! But how do you write a good baddie? Thanks so much to Nathan Luff for hanging out with us! Check out Nathan's books here: https://nathanluff.com.au/ Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Debo…

"My story isn't good enough." "I am a terrible writer." "No one will like my book." Every writer has had these thoughts swirling through their minds. And it's ok. We're all human, right? In this episode, the team chat about feeling vulnerable and how they remind themselves to keep going when their self-doubt gets loud. Thanks so much to Nathan Luff…

How do you convey emotion in your story? What does your character do with their hands when they are sad? Where do they feel fear in their body? And how can you write these emotions in a way that isn't cliché? Thanks so much to Nathan Luff for hanging out with us! Check out Nathan's books here: https://nathanluff.com.au/ Visit the authors: Tristan B…

Hey friends!I It's so good to be back. 😊 Today we have Nathan Luff joining us as we discuss the opening lines of our books. Finding the perfect words at the VERY start of your story can be daunting so we hope this episode helps. Check out Nathan's books here: https://nathanluff.com.au/ Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Ab…

Hey folks! Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes. Tristan Bancks is busy at the moment so Sue Whiting has been kind enough to sit in for a few episodes. Thanks Sue! This week, the team chat about pantsing (writing by the seat of your pants without much pre-planning) and Plotting (spending a lot of time planing out your story before you begin writing)…

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In this episode, the team chat about adverbs and adjectives, which can sound good... but say very little, while not moving your story forward! It's all about making all your words work really hard! Have a listen. Filling in for Tristan Bancks is Sue Whiting! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com D…

Writing stories filled with magic is fun.... but definitely not as easy as people think! There are lots of rules to creating a world with magic and these rules can't be broken or else the magic doesn't feel real. And if there are no limitations to the magic, then what's at stake? If you're planning on writing a story with magical themes, this is de…

Have you heard of the saying, "Show—don't tell?" In this episode, the writers talk about info-dumps—boring blocks of text with backstory or other information writers think their readers need to know. But the question is, do they really need to know so much? And is there a better way of sharing this information besides dumping it all in a very borin…

Hey pals, welcome back. It's so easy to compare yourself to others, isn't it? In this episode, Zanni, Lian, Sarah, and Deb talk about how they make sure they stay focused on their own unique voice! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner.com.au…

Hello friends! As you can see, Tristan is still not back so we are still 4 writers. Come back soon, Tristan! This week Sarah answers some questions about Magic Awry, the second book in her amazing Big Magic duology. Do you have any questions for Sarah? Ask away in the comments and she'll answer them. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks…

Hey hey, friends! This week, Tristan couldn't make it but he says hello to you all and he'll be back for the next round! In this episode, we discuss how to write dialogue that feels real while propelling the story forward. Can you think of an example of good dialogue from a book you recently read? Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.co…

Happy Tuesday, pals! Thanks so much for hanging out with us today. In this episode, the team brainstorm the beginning of a mystery involving a missing parent, a rollerskating rink, and corruption! Oooooooh! If you're inspired to run with this writing prompt and have a go at writing a story with it, please share it with us. We'll share excerpts in a…

Hello friends, and welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes. This week, the team chats about connecting and trusting the unconscious mind— the part of you that uses intuition to create a story. How do you connect to your unconscious mind? Are you someone who sits down to write with only a very loose plan or do you spend a good chunk of your time plannin…

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes, friends! This week, the team chat about their typical writing day and are surprised to find out how similar their daily practices are! Any night-time writers out there? We'd love to hear from you because... how on earth do you make it work? We just don't get it. 🤪 Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks…

Welcome back friends! This week we get Zanni in the hot seat and as her lots of questions about her wonderful new book, Cora Seen and Heard. Have you read it yet? Let us know your thoughts! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner.com.au Zanni L…

Today, the team chat about how important it is for them to put themselves—even in the smallest of ways—into their stories. It may not be as obvious as a character that looks like you, but it could be writing a character that believes in the things you do, or reacts in ways you'd react! Do you need to inject a little bit of YOU into your characters,…

Welcome back! In this episode, we ask Deb Abela some burning questions about her latest book, The Kindness Project. Have you read it? What did you think? Feel free to ask your burning questions of your own over on our Youtube channel! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstro…

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes. In our 30th episode, we want to let you know that seasoned writers sometimes find it hard to write too! You are not alone! But here are a few things we do to try to move our stories forward. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com …

How do you create realistic locations that your readers can see (and, more importantly, FEEL) as they read your story? In this episode, the writers share techniques to build sets that are as important as the characters! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tan…

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In this episode, the team chat about how important it is to write about the things that matter to you, because that's when your writing improves, and story really shines. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantan…

Hello friends! This episode is a little bit different. Today, we spend some time talking about Lian's brand new book, Fledgewitch, Book 2 of the Dragons of Hallow series! Do you have any questions for Lian? Feel free to leave a comment! Check out Fledgewitch here. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com …

In this episode, the 5 Writers talk about inciting incidents—that big life-changing event that takes the main character on their journey! Think of your favourite movies or stories. What's your favourite inciting incident? Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian T…

Welcome back! In this episode, the gang chats about collecting other sources of inspiration to help them as they dig deeper into their stories. What do you do? Do you create a soundtrack for your story? Do you have a vision board? Are you extra high-tech and use augmented reality to immerse yourself in the setting? Let us know! Visit the authors: T…

In this episode of 5 Writers 5 Minutes, the gang chat about being brave enough to explode parts of your story that may be good... but could be even better! It's never an easy thing to do, and it can be painful, but it's totally worth it when you see what other amazing stories appear from the ashes! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.c…

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! Today, the gang talks about how they deal with rejection. Remember, friends, all of us go through it so chin up! It'll be okay. 🩷 Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner.com.au Zanni Louise: zannilouise.com …

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes. Listen in as Deb, Sarah, Lian, Zanni, and Tristan brainstorm a story idea! If any kids use this inspiration to write their own version, please send it to us! We'd love to see what you come up with. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstro…

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes. It's so good to return for a second season of writing tips and tricks just for you! We kick off the season chatting about encouraging our creative minds by always allowing—and celebrating—the silliest ideas that may pop into our brain! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahab…

Welcome back to the 5 Writers 5 Minutes podcast! It's our season finale! In this last episode, Deb Abela, Tristan Bancks, Sarah Armstrong, Lian Tanner, and Zanni Louise share their top tips on writing stories. Thank you so much for checking us out! We can't wait to chat to you again next year! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com De…

In this episode of 5 Writers 5 Minutes, the authors talk about what they do to stay focused on the story they've almost finished, instead of getting distracted with what's next! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner.com.au Zanni Louise: zanni…

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes. In this episode, Zanni Louise, Lian Tanner, Deb Abela, Sarah Armstrong, and Tristan Bancks chat about their good writing habits that help them to continually create amazing stories! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tann…

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In this episode Zanni Louise, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner, and Sarah Armstrong chat about how to write good dialogue that keeps your story moving forward. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantann…

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In this episode Zanni Louise, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner, and Sarah Armstrong give you tips on how to keep your readers entertained in the middle of the book! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: lia…

Welcome back to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In this episode Zanni Louise, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner, and Sarah Armstrong chat about how to write good dialogue that keeps your story moving forward. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantann…

Welcome to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In Ep 14, Deborah Abela, Lian Tanner, Sarah Armstrong, Tristan Bancks, and Zanni Louise chat about raising the stakes of their characters to keep their readers invested in the story. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: …

Welcome to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In Ep 13, Sarah Armstrong, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner and Zanni Louise discuss how to keep the reader on the edge of their seat! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner.com.au Zanni Louise: zannil…

In Ep 12, Sarah Armstrong, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner and Zanni Louise talk about how reading your work aloud can help make your sentences flow better! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner.com.au Zanni Louise: zannilouise.com…

Welcome to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In Ep 11, Sarah Armstrong, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner and Zanni Louise talk about how they write opening scenes that grab the attention of their readers. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner.co…

Welcome to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In Ep 10, Sarah Armstrong, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner and Zanni Louise talk about the ways they bring their own emotions and experiences into their stories! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner…

Welcome to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In Ep 9, Sarah Armstrong, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner and Zanni Louise discuss writer's block and give you some tips and tricks on how to pull yourself out when you get stuck! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian …

Welcome to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In Ep 8, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner Sarah Armstrong, Deborah Abela, and Zanni Louise chat about how they go about organising their stories. Don't forget—this podcast is also a Youtube thingy! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lia…

Welcome to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In Ep 7, Zanni Louise, Sarah Armstrong, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner, and Deborah Abela talk about how they go about developing their characters. And don't forget, friends—this podcast episode is also a Youtube thingy! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong…

Welcome to 5 Writers 5 Minutes! In Ep 6, Sarah Armstrong, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner and Zanni Louise talk about how they research to create believable characters and stories. Don't forget—this podcast is also a Youtube thingy! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sara…

In Ep 5, Sarah Armstrong, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner and Zanni Louise discuss how they use visual inspiration to bring their stories to life. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner.com.au Zanni Louise: zannilouise.com Music: On…

In Episode 4 Zanni Louise, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Sarah Armstrong, and Lian Tanner talk about making trouble for their characters! Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner.com.au Zanni Louise: zannilouise.com Music: On The Roads by Evert…

Thanks for joining us for Episode 3! Sarah Armstrong, Deborah Abela, Tristan Bancks, Lian Tanner and Zanni Louise chat about their personal freewriting techniques. Visit the authors: Tristan Bancks: tristanbancks.com Deborah Abela: deborahabela.com Sarah Armstrong: sarah-armstrong.com Lian Tanner: liantanner.com.au Zanni Louise: zannilouise.com Mus…