WRITER 671: Emilia Hart discusses her latest bestselling novel, The Sirens
How much research is too much when writing historical fiction? This is just one of the topics that bestselling author Emilia Hart discusses in this episode as she shares details of her latest novel, The Sirens – a blend of nautical history and fantasy across two stories separated by time and distance. 00:00 Welcome04:23 Writing tip: ‘The Most Dangerous Writing App’07:25 WIN!: The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs08:51 Word of the week: ‘Luthier’11:01 Writer in residence: Emilia Hart12:48 Inspirations for the books two timelines19:45 Writing about Australia during the pandemic20:24 Exploring the themes of distance and journey22:17 Researching convict history25:00 Note taking methods25:59 The importance of her day job in her writing 28:11 Deleting 300,000 words30:00 There’s no such thing as a perfect draft30:32 Learning to sail for the book31:20 The book deal and publishing process32:50 Balancing writing with public engagement35:10 Emilia’s writing tips37:29 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.
--------
39:20
--------
39:20
WRITER 670: Rory H. Mather and his prolific picture book writing career
Should all picture books rhyme? Why use animals as characters? And what’s the deal with working with an illustrator? Picture book author (of more than 15 books) Rory H. Mather joins the podcast in this episode to discuss all of these things, as well as his own journey into the industry, and his latest titles, Laugh in the Bath and Mumma Bear. 00:00 Welcome04:20 Writing tip: Learn to play an instrument (sort of)08:23 WIN!: The CIA Book Club by Charlie English11:40 Word of the week: ‘Psephology’12:30 The world of words: Capitalising the seasons14:05 Writer in residence: Rory H. Mather15:00 Rory explains his love of writing picture books18:45 How Rory got his start22:55 Where he gets his ideas from26:30 Why writing animals can be a good thing27:47 The importance of curiosity29:40 A discussion about picture books that rhyme31:39 Who is the picture book audience?32:30 Working with illustrators37:00 Selling books to publishers40:48 Remembering the first book he signed41:30 The economics of picture book writing42:30 Telling succinct stories45:05 Writing longer books47:33 More books coming up49:30 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.
--------
52:55
--------
52:55
WRITER 669: Mandy Beaumont and her true-crime inspired novel, 'The Thrill of It'
How important is it to have a unique author voice? Hugely important, says author Mandy Beaumont while discussing her late 1980s true-crime inspired novel The Thrill of It. Mandy discusses her inspiration for the book, unique stylistic and narrative choices she made, and more. 00:00 Welcome03:04 Writing tip: What to do while ‘changing eyeballs’06:38 WIN!: The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith08:07 Word of the week: ‘Falderal’11:23 Writer in residence: Mandy Beaumont12:20 Overview of The Thrill of It13:10 Mandy’s true crime inspirations17:55 Choosing a unique narrative style20:13 Researching and organising the details24:50 The publishing journey with Hachette28:17 Mandy’s writing process and routine32:13 Balancing writing with other jobs33:26 Short stories versus novels35:08 Publicity and promotion37:14 Upcoming projects and inspirations38:56 Mandy’s writing tips41:14 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.
--------
43:39
--------
43:39
WRITER 668: Gareth and Louise Ward talk 'The Bookshop Detectives #2: Tea and Cake and Death'
They always say ‘write what you know’, right? Well, authors Gareth and Louise Ward (two British ex-cops who moved to New Zealand and opened a bookshop) fully leaned into it with The Bookshop Detectives series – all about, you guessed it, British ex-cops who move to New Zealand and open a bookshop! The murders are fiction though – and they join the podcast to share their experience writing book 2 in the series. 00:00 Welcome02:56 Writing tip: yWriter app04:47 WIN!: Whisky Valley by Joan Sauers06:04 Word of the week: ‘Moiety’07:26 The world of words: 'Jail' vs ‘Gaol’09:28 Writers in residence: Gareth and Louise Ward10:35 Gareth’s other writing and magician life12:36 Buying a bookshop together15:17 Leaning into ‘write what you know’18:18 The collaboration process21:38 Incorporating local culture and the setting24:12 Real-life inspiration for the book 2 climax25:37 Advice for aspiring cosy crime writers28:24 Tips on co-writing a book30:10 The value of constructive feedback31:27 Future projects and adventures35:15 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.
--------
37:28
--------
37:28
WRITER 667: Barry Jonsberg explores masculinity in his YA novel, 'Darkest Night, Brightest Star'
What kind of life-spanning damage can parents do to their children? Award-winning author Barry Jonsberg explores this and themes of masculinity in his latest YA novel, Darkest Night, Brightest Star. Barry joins the podcast to share his inspiration for the story and insights into his writing process. 00:00 Welcome04:18 Writing tip: Supporting other writers07:32 WIN!: Best Left Buried by Neil A. White10:04 Word of the week: ‘Hyperborean’11:39 Writer in residence: Barry Johnsberg12:12 Describing of Darkest Night, Brightest Star17:00 Writing quieter characters like Morgan20:54 The theme of toxic masculinity22:04 Understanding Morgan's father23:38 Crafting Three-Dimensional Characters25:10 The writing process from draft to publication27:26 Challenges of commissioned writing30:04 Writing for Young Adults34:09 Balancing full-time writing and life36:50 Current and future projects39:57 Advice for aspiring writers42:34 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.
Ireland