Writing Podcast Episode 686: Amy Hutton and her saucy, spooky new book, 'Ghosted'
Halloween is just around the corner, so what better way to mark the occasion than by celebrating AWC grad Amy Hutton’s latest book – a paranormal romance novel, Ghosted! In this episode, Amy shares her writing process, how she wound up writing paranormal romance, afterworld-building and much more! 00:00 Welcome06:39 Writing tip: Work with teachers and mentors10:06 WIN!: Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan12:29 Word of the week: ‘Bodacious’13:52 Writer in residence: Amy Hutton15:09 What her latest book Ghosted is about16:30 What inspired this topic of paranormal romance?19:48 Edits to the story21:05 Amy’s approach to (after) world building23:13 Pacing the story and unravelling the mystery24:16 Writing short stories as a writer’s block strategy28:10 Amy’s first break29:22 The thing she didn’t know when she started32:45 The one thing you can control33:38 Amy’s average writing day and how it has differed over time37:25 Freaking herself out in her own writing39:54 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Writing Podcast Episode 685: Tegan Bennett Daylight takes us back with her YA novel, How to Survive 1985
If there were ever a decade that evoked such a strong emotional resonance, the 1980s would surely be it! Author Tegan Bennett Daylight channels this in her new time-travelling YA novel, How to Survive 1985, in all its neon-coloured, acid-washed glory, and in this episode, she shares her experience bringing that time period to life and some tips for aspiring writers. 00:00 Welcome06:52 Writing tip: Grounding details in world-building09:31 WIN!: The Gifts of Reading for the Next Generation edited by Jennie Orchard11:20 Word of the week: ‘Noisome’13:22 Writer in residence: Tegan Bennett Daylight14:18 Describing her book How to Survive 198517:13 Research vs lived experience of the time period20:00 Why 1985?21:59 Writing about motherhood now and then25:51 Navigating the publishing world26:33 Early writing experiences28:14 Tegan’s first children’s book29:42 Challenges and successes in writing31:49 The reality of being a writer and inspiring new writers36:25 The appeal of writing for young adults40:43 Tegan’s writing routine43:10 An easy early morning tip for writers44:38 Engaging with the writing community45:45 Upcoming projects47:40 Writing tip and the Spotify playlist50:17 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Writing Podcast Episode 684: Alex Dook discusses his new outback thriller, 'Gunpowder Creek'
Would YOU do anything to protect your 18-year-old child? That’s core to the premise behind AWC graduate Alex Dook’s outback thriller novel, Gunpowder Creek – and in this episode, he shares the milestones and research that led to this latest successful book. 00:00 Welcome07:12 Writing tip: Turn jealousy into inspiration13:11 WIN!: The Occupation by Chloe Adams14:56 Word of the week: ‘Cynosure’18:34 The world of words: ‘Bated vs baited’19:59 Writer in residence: Alex Dook20:38 Describing his debut book, Gunpowder Creek 22:15 Alex’s writing history25:30 The reason to keep persisting27:10 The pitching process29:33 The invisible threshold of becoming published31:00 Editing and polishing tip32:08 Advice for aspiring writers33:54 Using AWC’s‘Anatomy of a Crime course36:44 Research road tripping38:00 Discovering the titular Gunpowder Creek town42:40 Alex’s writing process46:20 The second book experience48:30 Alex’s book recommendation49:34 Thoughts on persistence and passion51:06 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Writing Podcast Episode 683: Philip Howell tours English bar-rooms in his latest book, 'Pub'
We’ve all been to a pub. They’re places to meet friends, meet lovers, to celebrate, commiserate and even do weekly trivia. But do you REALLY know pubs? This is the question author Philip Howell poses and attempts to answer in his latest book, the aptly named Pub. Philip joins us to discuss the inspiration for this book, the pitching process, researching topics and his overwhelming love of one particular app! 00:00 Welcome05:12 Writing tip: Night-time whiteboards07:49 WIN!: The Butterfly Thief by Walter Marsh10:09 Word of the week: ‘Vexillology’12:10 Writer in residence: Philip Howell12:55 Describing ‘Pub’ as a concept and book14:00 History vs Geography in this book15:33 Inspirations for writing this book19:06 The pitching process21:53 The structure of the book23:30 Choosing what to leave out28:05 Range of writing topics and side hustles30:42 The social dynamics of pubs32:52 Writing popular geography vs academic34:49 Research methods and tools36:53 The importance of readability in writing37:21 Love of Scrivener40:35 Repurposing cut content42:41 Australian pubs?43:20 On being an expert in ‘pubs’45:40 Future projects48:31 Philip’s writing tip52:17 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Writing Podcast Episode 682: Clayton Zane Comber & Conor McCammon dive into 'The Marvellous Submarine'
Collaborative writing is fairly rare in the world of publishing – and writing while working alongside each other in a bookshop cafe is even rarer! But that was exactly how friends and workmates Clayton Zane Comber and Conor McCammon went about co-authoring their new junior fiction illustrated adventure, The Marvellous Submarine. In this episode, they share their experience creating the story together, illustrating it and getting it published. 00:00 Welcome05:32 Writing tip: Using paintings as a writing prompt06:54 WIN!: The Verifiers by Jane Pek09:27 Word of the week: ‘Blatherskite’10:40 The world of words: ‘Thank you’12:25 Writers in residence: Clayton Zane Comber and Conor McCammon13:40 Describing The Marvellous Submarine14:30 The inspiration for the project17:33 Writing for a particular age group19:59 How sharing the writing worked24:53 The inconsistencies of bizarre worlds25:49 Conor on illustrating the book29:27 The defining moment of the project31:49 Their publishing journey35:30 The book promotion experience39:53 Advice for aspiring authors42:45 Upcoming projects44:44 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about succeeding in the world of writing and publishing. Learn practical writing techniques, go behind-the-scenes and discover how real-life authors got their big break. Uncover the creative processes of writers who have made it. Your host is Valerie Khoo – author, journalist, creative and CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre.
Australia