It’s Day 1 of National Young Writers’ Month, so first things first: Welcome!

Get excited because we are brimming with resources, events and opportunities for both rookies and pro writers alike. Every day of June you can expect a booster shot of inspiration and motivation to write. Whether it’s a quick writing workout to ease that lag in inspiration, or advice from published authors and experienced editors, we have something for all of you.

Express Media is particularly interested in supporting writers from across Australia to connect and engage with each other; and the internet helps us connect like never before. We have a chock-a-block program of online discussions and workshops that allow us to meet up and hangout with some of the best young writers in Australia. We are also excited to be launching our 100^th issue of Voiceworks in each state – so come along and meet other local writers.

This month is all about achieving your writing goals – so help us help you. Send us through your goals for June, and we’ll help you Find Your Words. Download the program, check out our series of live and online events, and get those dates in your calendar!

And if you’re in Wollongong and Canberra, we have an extra-special line-up for you! We’ve partnered with Wollongong Writers’ Festival and Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centre to present localised events for NYWM in your area.

Now to kick off National Young Writers’ Month with a bang, we have the first of fourteen live-streamed events, beginning with Where Do I Begin?. Debut novelist Eliza Henry-Jones chats to Lily Mei about her road to being published and what she’s learnt along the way. Tune in at 6pm (AEST) to join in the conversation, and use the Twitter hashtag #NYWM15 to ask any burning questions you have.

Since it’s the first week of NYWM, we thought we’d also get the ball rolling with some tips for getting started on your writing. Tomorrow night we have Start Your Story with Scum Mag, followed on Wednesday by an introduction to pitching in Pitching 101 presented by The Under Age. And tune in to Across State Lines on Thursday to see writers from all over Australia meet and chat about what it’s like to live and write in their respective states. They’ll also let you in on the opportunities and publications you haven’t heard about yet!

To give you some inspiration on how to start writing your story, check out how Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites and Publishing Director of Kill Your Darlings, started writing her first book. Read all about it now and have a happy and productive National Young Writers’ Month!