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The Craft of Writing author invites you to access skills and writing passages that interest you, by exploring this revamped site in your own time. All posts are based on many years of practice and research into the art of creative writing

About the author

Anne Skyvington is a writer based in Sydney who has been practising and teaching creative writing skills for many years. You can learn here about structuring a short story and how to go about creating a longer work, such as a novel or a memoir. Subscribe to this blog and receive a monthly newsletter on creative writing topics and events.

Karrana

It’s the aftermath of the Second World War in the lush valley of Karrana, a fictional town on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia. This novel fits into the broad genre of Women’s Fiction, since it explores themes to do with love and family. It examines these issues through the prism of the postwar years in country Australia and in Sydney, but the themes are still relevant in society today. It’s about love, passion and the search for real fulfilment within a relationship. At a victory dance, Bridie meets and falls in love with Will from the other side of the river.

 

My Blog

An Amazing Story About Stuttering

An Amazing Story About Stuttering

Did you know that Australia is a world leader in Stuttering research and treatments? See: The Australian Stuttering Research Centre. But first, let…

From the Archives: Australian Story

From the Archives: Australian Story

I first saw the following video on a Facebook group that I belong to: Armidale Teachers College: The Class of 1961-1962 This was the year, 1963,…

I visit the Ukraine in 1968

I visit the Ukraine in 1968

My Travel Journal Continues: “From Paris to Russia and Back” Because of the events in Ukraine today, I have re-published this post with…

In Search of a Voice

In Search of a Voice

My writing started out as therapy for a polarised — to be explained later on — childhood. My own background had been stamped indelibly by my not…

Armidale: The Gang of Four

Armidale: The Gang of Four

This is a guest post by Gordon Forth, a fellow student at Armidale Teachers College, who started there in 1962, a year after me. Gordon writes:…

KARRANA: A Professional Review

KARRANA: A Professional Review

From Amazon’s Online Book Club I’d received lots of reviews from family and friends of my debut novel, Karrana. But I never quite…

A Famous Couple

A Famous Couple

Carl and Emma: A Love Story Dearest, I was telling our grandson, Andreas, just the other day, how he possesses the feeling function more strongly…

A First Day in Paris

A First Day in Paris

This is a short story expressing contrasts between two cultures and the beauty and awe associated with the new one.

The Republican Movement is Back

The Republican Movement is Back

I’m reposting this Conversation article by Denis Altman, to mark my backing of the new model being set up by the ARM. The republic debate is…