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Resources for Western Australian writers
A practical collection of reliable resources for Western Australian writers, covering writing support, editing, competitions, copyright, ISBNs and publishing.
Robin Bower
3 days ago2 min read


ISBNs and book imprints: What independent authors need to know
A practical guide to ISBNs and imprints for independent authors, including free and purchased ISBNs, barcodes and branding.
Robin Bower
4 days ago3 min read


How to write a first draft: From idea to self-editing
Got an idea for a book but not sure how to get it onto the page? Here are some practical thoughts on getting that first draft written, and tackling self-editing.
Robin Bower
Aug 85 min read


Senses of Morocco - now online!
Senses of Morocco is an exploration of Morocco - Casablanca, Tangier, Chefchaouen, Fes and the Sahara via the creative retreat at Cafe Tissardmine.
Robin Bower
Apr 13, 20251 min read


Book review: The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela by Sisonke Msimang
What if everything you thought you knew about Winnie Mandela was only part of the story?
Robin Bower
Nov 30, 20242 min read


Book review: Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Book review of Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Robin Bower
Nov 17, 20242 min read


I'm on Substack!
Substack will host more content about my creative work such as new releases in my Senses series (after Paris, Morocco, Italy and India - there'll be a book on Morocco).
Robin Bower
Sep 30, 20241 min read


eBooks vs printed books: 6 reasons eBooks are better
28,000 books in your pocket can't be bad, can it? Or can it?
Robin Bower
Jul 20, 20223 min read


Welcome to RB Publishing
RB Publishing provides editing, proofreading and manuscript assessment services to people who are writing or self-publishing
Robin Bower
Jul 17, 20221 min read


I wanted to be a teacher
I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up - know what they knew, be my childhood god.
Robin Bower
Apr 12, 20213 min read


Book Review: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
This one flew across my radar from a conference I attended. I’m not an overly talkative person but I also seem to cross the boundary between extrovert and introvert. I do get a bit annoyed that sometimes the loudest person in the room is the most heard although they often don’t have much to say. It’s very well researched and a good read but did become a bit repetitive for me. It’s nice to know that the extroverts don’t get to rule the world. Susan has also presented an intere
Robin Bower
Jan 14, 20191 min read


Book review: The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
I have read a couple of other Jodi Picoult books and decided she wasn’t really for me. She seemed a bit preachy, somehow. However, The Storyteller was brilliant. I loved it from the start, the writing was excellent, I felt for the characters and the story was so sensitively written. The story is told from the perspective of four different storytellers, and the flashbacks are seamless. The premise of a not-so-Jewish woman being asked by a former Nazi SS solder to kill him had
Robin Bower
Jan 3, 20191 min read


Book review: The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan
If you love mystery, suspense, odd children, large old houses, flashbacks and elderly women of an evil disposition, you will love The Ruin. Told with empathy, sensitivity and with a huge talent for suspense, McTiernan packs a punch with her first novel. The Cormac Reilly character is well drawn and the author manages to convey the detective’s own sense of wonder at the events unfolding around him. I loved the atmosphere of the book and McTiernan cleverly ties past to present
Robin Bower
Jul 30, 20181 min read


Book review: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
There were so many sad stories and characters in this book that I can’t really say I loved it. I certainly wouldn’t want to live in that small town if there’s so much depression, suicide and murder of women going on! While the writing is good and you could call the book a page turner, I didn’t like any of the characters and ultimately I wasn’t concerned what happened to them. There is a general feel of depression about the whole story which submerged me into its pages. This,
Robin Bower
Jul 30, 20181 min read


Book review: Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
3 out of 5 stars A sad, dissatisfied wife and mother writes letters to her husband which are buried between the pages of the books in his library. In her last missive, she asks him to burn the letters (including the books one suspects) so that her two daughters cannot know the truth of their parents’ lives. The book is built on a present and past narrative written at times by the daughter and then her mother who has gone missing, believed dead by all except her daughter. The
Robin Bower
Jul 30, 20181 min read


Book review: The Choke by Sofie Laguna
As the title suggests, this book tightens your throat with its raw poignancy of an innocent girl born into a family who cannot and does not care for her. Her innocence is so beautifully shown that it is truly believable and she has no vocabulary for the ways of the world that visit her far too early. Her dyslexia stifles her voice as do the men around her and her utter loneliness is painful to discover. Certainly a rite of passage and ultimately a story of strength, I cannot
Robin Bower
Mar 25, 20181 min read


Story structure: Why so many stories follow the same pattern
Way back in 1928, Russian scholar Vladimir Propp analysed 100 Russian fairy tales and identified 31 narrative functions, along with eight character types.
Robin Bower
Dec 14, 20143 min read
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