Camilla Hullick: My Happy Place
In the attic with me this week is Camilla Hullick. Camilla sent me this heartwarming story of how she returned to her ‘happy place’ after many years away from it. I related to Camilla’s conflicting emotions of enjoying solitude and physical...
Samantha House: How Reading Made Me A Writer
Western Australian writer and mother-of-four, Samantha House, has stepped into the attic today. She talks about how important reading is to her and what she hopes to give her own readers one day. I hope you’ll enjoy her essay as much as I do—she’s managed...
Susan Dunn: My Reading and Writing Life
Perth writer, Susan Dunn, is my guest in the attic this week. Susan’s essay takes us from her early reading through to her adult writing life, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading about the books and people who have influenced her. ‘I...
Anthea Hodgson: The Drifter’s Heart
I don’t have the words to express how deeply this essay by Anthea Hodgson about her dad and his death from Alzheimer’s affected me. All I can say is that it’s beautiful and it made me cry. If you’ve never read a Writers in the Attic post...
Rebecca Freeman: Running Writing
I’m so proud to host of this series of essays and bring you a different insight into the writing life every week. Each essay is truly inspiring and thoughtful and really bolsters my spirits. They’re all too special, really, not to be published more widely...
No More Edits and That’s a Promise.
Last week, I finished editing my novel and sent it back to Allen and Unwin. A few days later, one of my editors emailed to say: ‘It has been such a pleasure to read the revised manuscript this week. I think you’ve tightened the pace of the novel and fleshed out...
Lauren Keegan: The Anchor That is Writing
If you’re an aspiring writer, this is a not-to-be-missed post about rejection and not giving up. A few weeks ago, I read a blog post titled, ‘How To Cope with Rejection and Keep on Writing’. The author of the post, Lauren Keegan, had sent her...
Jodi Gibson: Finding My Place in the World
Jodi Gibson, writer and blogger, has stepped into the attic today. I found myself nodding all the way through Jodi’s piece and wanted to underline so many of her sentences. I relate to what she says about blogging, about how it changed her life. It does;...
Rachel Nightingale: When Achieving Your Dream Makes You Sad
I have another moving essay for the attic today. This piece by Rachel Nightingale, about her dad and his influence on her writing, really touched me. There’s something special about the relationship between daughters and their dads. ...
Cait Gordon: When to Listen to and When to Ignore Writing Advice
I’m always excited when someone I don’t know contacts me wanting to be part of Writers in the Attic. That’s how this post came about, and until I read Cait’s essay, I knew as much about this Irish-Canadian author and editor as you! Read on to...