Word Docs

This week Amy kicks off with a rant about people who want to 'break the mould' of genre fiction, instead of just doing it bloody well, which leads us down the rabbit hole of defining genres, arguing about the rules (knowing the rules; bending the rules; breaking the rules; stop breaking the bloody rules!), following formulas, smashing formulas, value adding and (because it's us) comparing genres t...

This week we're probing (with consent) Sean's sometime-collaborator Garth Nix. A man who has penned many bestsellers, Garth gives us the lowdown on writing: where he does it (The beach! Alex is astounded. How does he keep the seagulls at bay?), how he does it (By hand! Alex is further astounded. How does he keep his hand from cramping?), and why writing full time was a trap. We get the dish on wha...

Sean, Alex and Amy take almost a third of the episode to get to the point. Which is kind of the point. This week they're discussing the fine art of procrastination: procrastishopping, procrastibaking, Wikisurfing, how not to follow a recipe, stealing other people's nostalgia, and how great Frank Langella's eye performance is in the 80s classic Masters of the Universe.  Sean is outraged by Ale...

This week Alex, Amy and Sean interview their colleague Dr Lisa Bennett/Lisa L Hannett about her eerily beautiful dark fantasy fiction, her first draft agonies and second draft ecstasies, and her obsession with writing on trains. Turtles and tableaux, fine art and flying flips, Canadians, Scandinavians, and hillbillies from the Deep South - what more can you ask for? Writing talk? Oh yeah, we've go...

Will Sean ever achieve his life's ambition of getting his work on the banned book list? Will Amy give in and write a book without rude bits? Will Alex stop slandering salamanders already! Or will they just ignore all the critics and push on, puritans, prudes and salamanders be damned! This week, the Word Docs discuss criticism: the good, the bad, and the medium. We'll be exposing all our scars and...

They always say you should kill your darlings...but have Amy, Alex and Sean taken this too literally? Tune in as the Word Docs discuss all the (fictional) people they've murdered. From mythological creatures to wagon trains, hellish high schools to doppelgängers, it's an intergalactic bloodbath. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

Amy, Alex and Sean confess to all the jobs they had before becoming writers. From the eternal happy hour of a Sydney call centre, long nights at service stations, and weddings where the guests eat gold, the word docs have been making mischief across a range of industries. We're not afraid to ask the big questions: Has Amy got any free salad? Will Sean realise he's been shanghaied? A...

Everyone fails. No one fails forever. There are many ways to negotiate the gap between, in the arts and in academia. The Word Docs have risen through the ranks themselves, and now devote a large proportion of their life to helping others do the same. As teachers, mentors, positive role models, and occasional drinking buddies, Amy, Alex and Sean are here for you.   Episode 11 - tags Accidental...

What’s the secret to getting published? Alex, Amy and Sean tell all, or at least as much as they can in thirty minutes.   Episode 10 - tags acting advice awards bottom drawer stories bravery commandments community conferences contests creative writing programs deadlines fear feedback flipside fonts footnotes formatting genres heartbreak industry knowledge long game marking mentors perfe...

Would you rather win all the awards or make all the money? “Both” is a valid answer, but few writers are so lucky. Sometimes peers and publishers will push you one way or another, when really, all you want to do is be yourself. How have the Word Docs managed this? In a lively conversation spanning everything from pop culture to professorships, Amy, Alex and Sean reveal all.   Epis...

Alex, Amy and Sean take a closer look (see Episode 6) at two of our favourite character types and explore ways to write thrilling new ones. It’s harder than it seems. Maybe it’s okay for good people to be bad sometimes, but would Darth Vader ever pat a puppy? Answers await in the Cubby House/Lair of the Word Docs.   Episode 8 - tags Acting Adaptations Antiheroes Boring Good Drafti...

Who are Amy, Alex and Sean? What have they written? How do they juggle teaching and writing? Is it even possible to teach people to write? Why does this podcast exist? One of them swears too much, one makes an unconvincing soldier, one wrote epic D&D poetry as a teenager: by the end of this informal Q&A, you will know who, and much more about your Word Docs hosts.   Episode 7 - tags A...

“Two out of three Word Docs have books out this month, and so does special guest Lisa Hannett (aka Dr Lisa Bennett). How do you launch a book during lockdown? By asking Amy to interview all three authors and raise a virtual toast to their inevitable success. Happy book birthday, Word Docs!”       Bonus Book Launch Episode - tags Allen & Unwin Book Birthday Book Launc...

People read stories about people, so learning how to write people is an important step on your journey. Whether you steal from real life or create out of whole cloth, whether you prefer heroes to villains, whether you regularly lose control of the characters you have brought into being – the Word Docs are right there with you. Their methods may differ, but one thing is certain: chocolate is...

New writers beware: saying that you are one invites interrogation on the nature of your work, where it has been published, and how much you’re being paid – all difficult questions to answer when you’re starting out. Writers, ultimately, come in many different shapes and sizes. The Word Docs are here to help you find your place in the pantheon, and to guide your dealings with Gran...

Your book is done. What comes next? Finding the right editor is just one of the many challenges that the Word Docs have faced with aplomb – or if not aplomb, at least with a cocktail and a good conversational opener. Alex, Amy and Sean will help you break down the wall between writer and publisher that sometimes seem insurmountable. Twitter: @TheWordDocs Instagram: @TheWordDocs Facebook: The...

Whether you’re a reclusive garret scribe or a gregarious cafe scribbler, you’ve put serious thought into the space you write. Alex, Amy and Sean are no different. They’ve experimented with rituals and rooms of their own. They’ve wrangled writers’ groups and writing retreats. One of them has gone to Antarctica in search of the ultimate office. The Word Docs learned the...

Where do ideas come from? Are there any new ones left? Does taking a long shower count as work? Is chocolate tax-deductible? The Word Docs share techniques, traps, and tales of times when inspiration has fled but the words must be put down regardless. Twitter: @TheWordDocs Instagram: @TheWordDocs Facebook: The-Word-Docs   Baking, Beginnings with no endings, Boredom, Bread, Cooking, Community,...

Alex, Amy and Sean check in from their underground bunkers, where their research, writing and teaching continue unchecked. How are they coping with physical isolation? How are you? New times call for new solutions. Stay safe, everyone See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex, Amy and Sean tackle a topic close to the heart of many writers and students: getting work in on time. When stopping is sometimes just as hard as starting, the question of how to know if a story is ready for the world is one the Word Docs have all wrestled with many times in their careers. From procrastination baking to life in the Zone, our experts take you on a deep, discursive dive into th...

Over 5 million Australian's listen to podcasts every month, make sure your brand is in the mix. At Podvertise, we are partnered with a global leader in digital audio advertising solutions. This means, you get to reach your target audience with ease, within budget and with proven results. Have your brand heard now at Podvertise.com.au   #podvertise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...