Thousands of teams participate in Write a Book in a Day across the country, but only a handful can be named as winners.
The schools and their writers that consistently see their names on the honour roll have it all down pat, and in a Write a Book in a Day world first, we managed to get them to share some of their secrets!
Unsurprisingly, flavoured milks and energy drinks are off the menu at Huntingtower School in Victoria, but organisation is the order of the Write a Book in a Day.
“The best advice that we can give is to get organising early, as the earlier you start, the easier it is to navigate around obstacles,” Huntingtower’s Director of Student Communication and Engagement, Matthew McDonald says.
“We try to set the date almost a year in advance and start the immediate organising of teams and logistics for the day about a term beforehand.”
“In terms of the stories that the students produce: we’ve been blown away by all of them. The winning stories were all outstanding, but across the board and it’s genuinely shocking what students can come up within twelve hours.”
Tenille from Ursula Frayne Catholic College is all about doing the little things right in the hours leading up to submission.
“Formatting,” she quips.
“Directing students to a PDF template can be handy and encourage them to keep backups of the backups and work on live documents for ease of collaboration.”
“Prior to that, just fill them up with plenty of snacks and enjoy witnessing their creative journeys!”
The top tips come down to allowing extra time and having contingencies in place. Having enough time for formatting and converting text files will save you any panic before 8pm!
Well, there you have it. Teamwork, adaptability, and a well-planned approach – whether structured or spontaneous – are the hallmarks of a winning Write a Book in a Day outfit. For more tricks and tips to put you and your teams in the mix in 2025, visit our resources page here.
Cover picture provided by Huntingtower School