So You Want to be a Writer

Some authors dream of writing when they’re young but leave it behind to focus on another career. But not Bridie Blake, who instead quit university and made her work fit around her publishing aspirations. After pivoting from YA to romance, she published her debut rom-com novel, The Boyfriend Clause, and in this episode, AWC grad Bridie shares the writing courses that changed her fortunes and her experience seeing her book on the shelves.
00:00 Welcome
10:23 Writing tip: Explore art
13:16 WIN: The Lady with the Dog by Carrie Tiffany
14:32 Word of the Week “Reify”
15:20 Interview with Bridie Blake
16:42 Explaining The Boyfriend Clause
17:49 Early writing dreams
20:12 Day jobs and persistence
22:09 AWC courses and getting feedback
25:36 Pivoting to adult rom-com
27:25 Romance course lessons
29:47 Bridie’s writing process
30:59 Morning writer mindset
33:15 Balancing humour and heart
34:12 Choosing Australian publishing
37:33 The “yes” email moment
39:45 Promoting her books
40:52 What’s next?
41:49 Her writing technique evolution
45:51 Bridie’s writing tip
47:15 Theme of the book
48:13 Book recommendations
49:57 Final thoughts
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Imagine being married to one of literature’s most famous wordsmiths and having him describe your life as “a blank”. This is the reputation that Charles Dickens’ wife Kate of 22 years – with whom he had 10 children – has endured for 150 years. But in author Emily Howes’ new novel Mrs Dickens, she seeks to fill in those blanks. In this episode, Emily shares her inspirations for choosing this historical figure and the challenges of reimagining history.
00:00 Welcome
08:28 Writing Tip: Try something new
11:55 WIN: The German Ward by Pip Williams
13:16 Word of the Week: “Pertinacious”
14:14 Interview with Emily Howes
15:02 Why Mrs Dickens matters
16:50 Inspirations for the novel
22:23 Researching her life
24:01 Turning facts into fiction
25:35 What stayed and what was cut
30:02 Second POV character: Anne
35:57 Balancing work and writing
38:48 Emily’s writing breakthrough
43:22 What’s next?
45:48 Writing tip
47:31 Final thoughts
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Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook
Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com
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Scottish-Australian author and AWC grad Judith Katherine went from being crippled by fear about sharing her writing to publishing her debut novel, Simply Beside Herself. In this episode, Judith shares the lockdown routine that unlocked her new writing path, the courses that changed the game and some of the valuable lessons she learnt along the way. She also shares insights into her book’s theme of dissociation.
00:00 Welcome
13:30 Writing tip: Focus on the work
16:00 WIN: Secrets of the New Online Entrepreneurs by Bernadette Schwerdt
19:02 Word of the week: ‘Onomastic’
19:44 Interview with: Judith Catherine
21:33 Describing Simply Beside Herself – themes and inspiration
23:55 Back story and finding writing
25:00 Discovering AWC courses
26:35 Judith’s writing breakthrough
30:30 The value of community and sharing work
32:28 Writing the novel – dissociation story hook
35:10 The timeline to publication
39:04 Editing lessons learned
42:16 Writing process chaos
44:35 Getting the book deal
47:04 Judith’s advice for writers
49:47 Reading recommendations
51:37 The book’s opening Rumi quote
54:03 What’s next?
55:23 Final thoughts
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Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook
Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com
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UK-based queer author Curtis Garner burst onto the scene a few years ago with his debut novel, Isaac. Now he’s back with Orange – a coming of age novel that explores two characters as they grapple with a sense of identity and place across a five-year span. In this episode, Curtis shares his inspirations for this novel, his writing process and tips, plus why sex scenes in books should have less fluff!
00:00 Welcome
09:09 Writing tip: Public transport
13:46 WIN: Last Night I Dreamt by Paul de Zulueta
15:32 Word of the week: ‘Ensorcell’
16:26 Interview with: Curtis Garner
17:00 Describing Orange
19:15 Creating the characters
20:20 Themes and clichés of place
23:35 London as a setting
26:27 Two timeline structure
28:30 Writing sex scenes honestly
33:33 Deadlines and drafting
35:00 Rage behind the debut
40:03 Writing around a day job
42:25 Collecting notes daily
44:35 The perils of overplanning
46:15 Writing what you care about
48:53 What’s next?
50:25 Writing advice summary
51:33 Final thoughts
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Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook
Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com
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From the ice rinks to the locker rooms, sports-related romance is sizzling HOT right now. So perhaps it comes as no surprise that AWC graduate and debut author Emma J. Warrender found herself in a fast and furious bidding war for her street-racing-romance, Driven! In this episode, she shares that story, how she got an agent, plus the book character who was inspired by a very special real-life friend.
00:00 Welcome
11:12 Writing tip: Meet your heroes!
15:05 WIN: A Word for All Seasons by David Crystal
16:50 Word of the week: ‘Croze’
17:39 Interview with: Emma J. Warrender
18:42 Describing Driven
19:38 Inspirations
21:03 The characters
23:00 Fiction beginnings
26:02 Chucky
28:00 Connecting with AWC courses
34:00 Agents and querying
40:08 Editing the manuscript
41:11 The submission stage
44:40 Bidding war
46:33 Promotion experience
48:55 What’s next?
50:00 Writing tip
52:11 Book recommendations
53:40 Final thoughts
Read the show notes
Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook
Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.