Irene Bell explores how you can find inspiration from Agatha Christie, the world's bestselling author.

Agatha Christie is the world’s bestselling author of all time; her book sales are surpassed only by the Bible and Shakespeare’s works. Christie’s oeuvre is iconic, with multiple radio plays, theatre plays, TV and movie adaptations being made; her characters – namely Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple – are two of the most beloved characters in popular literature. There is a lot we can learn from Christie’s work, whether we’re setting out to write mystery novels or not.

Joel Burrows explores the world of MasterClass writing lectures.

Music journalist Sharona Lin on how to conduct an interview like it's your thousandth.

The very first interview I ever landed was with Silversun Pickups. I still remember how nervous I was – I was 18 and had just started writing for Tone Deaf when the opportunity popped into my inbox. I grabbed it, but then I started panicking. What if they hated me? What if I ran out of questions? What if I was actually terrible at music journalism?

Molly McLaughlin talks with Australian writers, asking should I study creative writing?

Kate Reynolds on exploitation and neglected pay in the creative workplace.

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My phone, awkwardly angled by a rock on the ground, captured my triumphant moment via self-timer. I’d just driven the 1,600-plus kilometres from Melbourne to Goondiwindi to begin my first job since completing my Creative Arts degree. I was going to be a video journalist. I quit my part-time job at the pub. I was beside myself with joy.

Joel Burrows on the dangers of Grammarly and better ways to edit.

Stacey Farley on creating goals to write more each day and achieving dream word counts.

Writer Laura Elizabeth Woollett on how the perfect book playlist can save your novel.

Every writer has a unique relationship with music. While some of us crave the silence of a cabin in the woods, others just want to silence the critics in our heads. Music is good for this. Yet for me, music is primarily about inspiration – a force that attracts details and holds them together. 

It’s meant to be a magical time – you’ve been working your guts out as a writer for the past decade, focussing on the goal of getting a book published. Now it’s happened – there’s an actual book, full of your words, out in the world – and you just feel kind of … anxious. Shouldn’t you be revelling in the critical praise and enjoying room service in nice hotels before you head to your next festival appearance? Isn’t the hard work all over?

Turns out, publishing a book is a more emotionally complex experience than I, for one, realised.

Emma Michelle on staying in your writer friend's good books when writing support is hard to come by.

Last year I self-published a book. I’d worked in bookstores for years so understood the process, but what I didn’t know were all the ways my friends and family (and strangers!) would lend a hand.