It feels like there should be blaring trumpets to accompany this post… National Young Writers’ Month begins today! Here at Express Media headquarters we’ve been preparing for this day for quite some time. What can you expect over the next 30 days? Loads of support and advice to help you set and reach a unique writing goal. Want to write the perfect sentence? We’ll cheer you on. Want to get a manuscript ready for publishing? We’ll offer advice on how to do just that. Want to write a blog post each day? We’ll motivate you to keep going.

Each day we will share opportunities to be published, competitions opening and closing, magazines looking for contributors, upcoming events, potential leads of jobs or blogs/videos/websites that can help you achieve your goals right here on this blog. Subscribe to the feed to receive each post as an email to your inbox, or via an RSS reader.

Don’t forget that our collaborative stories all kick off today, too. You can participate in a couple of ways. Firstly, write your own contribution to our online collaborative story. It is open to anyone and everyone, so we can’t wait to see where the tale takes us. Starting us off in fine style is Voiceworks editor Kat Muscat, who has written our first 100 words. Secondly, check out if there is a state-based collaborative story for you to write for. Some of our intrepid story hosts have started stories for NSW and Victoria, with more on the way.

For those of you who might be curious to learn more about the new editor of Voiceworks, Kat Muscat, take a look at this interview she did with Bookseller and Publisher. She’s so eloquent!

Did you know you can participate in the Emerging Writers’ Festival even if you’re not in Melbourne? EWF Digital is underway as we speak. Today’s panel discussion features Ali Fareed, Fee Plumley and Anita Sethi on how writers can make a living from digital writing. Head over to EWF Digital to participate. You can also join today’s twitterFEST from 2-3pm.

For writers in Queensland, today kicks off the return of The Rabbit Hole. A three-day, 30-hour writing frenzy where participants aim to write 30,000 words OR the words ‘The End’ – whichever comes first! It’s not a marathon, it’s an all-out, limbs-flying mad sprint. Check out more details at the Queensland Writers’ Centre.

Today is also the launch of the NYWM Travelling Story. Our first daily contributor is Sami Yildirim, 14, from Ivanhoe in Victoria.

Friday Follow – who should you be following on twitter to keep up to date with writing and publishing news?

Us, of course! Follow @Express__Media for news/information/events tailored specifically to writers under 30.

Follow @SPUNC (Small Press Underground Network Community) for the latest and greatest on independent publishers around the country.

@EmergingWriters is where you can find the news about all things Emerging Writers Festival (get in before the festival is over for 2012!) but they are also fantastic at spreading news of other happenings all through the year.