about

Selina Shapland

Selina Shapland writes paranormal romance mysteries. She's been in love with writing fiction since she read P.S. I Love You by Barbara Conklin as a teenager. 

Since 2008, she has written two paranormal adventure manuscripts, edited novels, published 72 articles with Weekend Notes Brisbane, taught a character development class online, attained certification as a leadership coach with The Forton Group, and became a certified fiction book coach. Selina has also  presented for Brisbane Writers Workshop. 

She has studied with David Farland, Margie Lawson, the Queensland Writer’s Centre, Australian Writers’ Centre, Romance Writers of Australia, and many other teachers. 

Selina is a member of the Romance Writers of Australia, and Romance Writers of New Zealand.

She lives just outside Albury/Wodonga on the NSW/Victorian border, is a poodle mumma, a cat servant and dabbles in art.

With compassion, insightful understanding, warmth and good humour, Selina found the right switches to flick in my head, and made writing fun again. The time I’ve spent with her has left me feeling excited about writing fiction, but more importantly – capable of writing fiction. She wants you to succeed and genuinely cares about your book. After my first two sessions with her, I knuckled down and in a shockingly short time frame had 36,000 words staring back at me. Even better, the story was good! 

Jack Sinclair - The Intersection

RWA Diversions 'Lights' Anthology 2024

More about

Selina’s Fiction Writing, Writing and Coaching Education History

Australian Writers Centre

  • Novel Writing Essentials - 2023-2024
  • Creative Writing Stage 1 - 2023
  • Dare to Dream - 2023
  • Show Don’t Tell Seminar - 2023
  • Focus on Villains Seminar - 2023
  • Pacing Seminar - 2023
  • Openings Focus Seminar - 2022
  • Anatomy of a Crime: How to Write about Murder - 2021 - 2022
  • Romance Writing - 2022
  • Fiction Essentials: Dialogue - 2022
  • Short Story Essentials - 2022

Author Accelerator

  • Certified Advanced Book Coaching: Fiction - 2021 - 2022
  • Mentor Training - 2022
  • The Business of Book Coaching - 2022
  • Coaching a Romance Writer - 2023

Queensland Writers Centre

  • Editorially Savvy with Two Professional Editors - 2022
  • Blackbelt in Writing with Aiki Flinthart - 2021
  • Writing Through with Andrea Baldwin - 2021

The Forton Group

  • Certified Leadership Coach training - 2018 - 2020
    Completed minimum of 92 Coach Training Hours (inclusive of 75 live interactions plus 17 hours of self-study)

Brisbane Writers' Workshop with Lauren Elise Daniels

  • Mentored by Lauren Elise Daniels, Editor and Brisbane Writers' Workshop Founder
  • Introduction to Poetry: A gentle approach - 2024
  • Family Ties & Life Stories: Exploring Memoir - 2022
  • Fantasy, Sci Fi, Horror: Otherworldly Writing - 2021
  • Seasons & Symbols: Writing the Inner Journey - 2021
  • Seriously Short Stories: Small Group Short Story Clinic - 2021
  • Magic Realism for Rebels - online course 2020 & 2022
  • Seriously Short Stories - 2019
  • The Art of Travel Writing - 2019
  • Speculative Fiction: Myths & Madness - 2017
  • Polish & Publish - 2016
  • Introduction to Creative Writing: Light Your Fire - 2016
  • Fiction Blitz - 2016
  • Writing for Children & Young People - 2015
  • Women Who Run with the Wolves Creative Writing - 2014
  • Seasons & Symbols - 2014
  • Enneagram Workshop - 2010
  • Introduction to Novel Writing - 2008

My Story Doctor with David Farland

  • Writing Enchanting Prose - online course, no feedback 2020
  • Advanced Story Puzzle - online course, no feedback 2020
  • Fantasy Fiction Workshop - Oxford, England 2018 (five day intensive)
  • Million Dollar Outlines - Face to Face course with feedback, Brisbane 2015
  • Promising Starts - online course with feedback 2015-2016
  • The Story Puzzle - online course with feedback 2014-2015
  • Writing Mastery 1 - online course with feedback 2015
  • Writing Mastery 2 - online course with feedback 2016
Michael Knost
  • First Person POV 2023
  • Internal Dialogue and Deep Point of View Webinar 2023
  • Marketing Your Book 2023
  • Plot Mechanics 2023
  • Show, Don't Just Tell Webinar 2023
  • Tone and Voice 2023
  • Weaving Multiple POVs into a Great Story

CreativeLive

  • How to Get Emotion onto The Page with Lisa Cron - 2021
  • Wired for Story: How to Become a Story Genius with Lisa Cron - Commenced 2021

Romance Writers of Australia - Member 2017-2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

  • Writing a Whirlwind Romance - online course self-paced 2022
  • Creating Unforgettable Characters - online course with feedback 2017

How to Write Academy 

  • How to Write a Romance Novel that Sells - 2024

Lawson Writer's Academy with Margie Lawson and various teachers

  • Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist - online course with feedback and peer editing/critique - 2017
  • Deep Editing, Rhetorical Devices and More - online course with feedback and peer editing/critique 2017
  • Visceral Responses: Beyond Hammering Hearts - online course with feedback and peer editing/critique 2016

Article Writing with Krishna Everson

  • Get-it-Write - 2013