I'm thrilled to announce that I've established a new online writing group called Write With Allison Tait. For over a decade now, I've been sharing my journey as a writer, my tips and tricks, my highs and lows, my inspiration and, especially, information for over a...
Graeme Simsion’s Top 10 Tips For Writers
Graeme Simsion is not only the author of The Novel Project, a new writing craft book, and a bunch of international bestselling books, he's also a very generous soul. When Valerie Khoo and I began our So You Want To Be A Writer podcast all those years ago, Graeme was...
4 new writing books by Australian authors
Is there anything better than a new writing book to inspire, motivate, inform and entertain? I've written before about my favourite books about writing – heck, I've even written a book about being a writer myself – but I'm always happy to discover a new one, and...
Want to be a children’s author? Here’s what you need to know
So you want to be a children's author? Before I became a children's author, I think, like most people, I thought it was just a matter of writing a children's book. Write a great book and, voila!, you're a children's author. And it's true. But also not true. You...
21 children’s and YA books about gender identity
There's been a lot of discussion in the media, online and, well, everywhere of late about gender, specifically gender identity. As with most discussions about most subjects, I'm a big believer that understanding is the key and that books can go a long way to fostering...
On being a children’s author, creativity and change
Creativity and change. The two things go hand in hand... In case you missed it, I am no longer co-hosting the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast. Call it a seven-year itch, if you like, but after 462 episodes the love had gone out of my labour of love, and so I had to...
7 books about consent for kids under 10
'Consent' is a word we've heard a lot about over the past few years and it's a word that parents know they need to discuss with their kids from an early age. But how? In her brand-new picture book, From My Head to My Toes, I Say What Goes, Australian author Charlotte...
The one thing I wish I’d known when I started: 16 children’s and YA authors reveal all
"What's the one thing you wish you'd known when you started out as an author?" It's a big question, and one I've been toying with over the past week. The problem is, there are just SO many things I wish I'd known. Narrowing it down to one seems impossible. So I...
The Ultimate Your Kid’s Next Read Best Books of 2021 Holiday Reading List
As all the 'best books of 2021' lists begin to storm the internet and various other media channels, I decided that it was time the Your Kid's Next Read community got in on the action. So I challenged our members to help me create The Ultimate Your Kid's Next Read Best...