So You Want to be a Writer

We love books about books, and bestselling Canadian author Emily Austin’s latest novel Is This a Cry for Help? explores the subject through the lens of a librarian returning to the job after a breakdown. As well as the book’s themes, Emily also shares her own parallels to the story, writing and reading with dyslexia, her approach to book promotion and a random writing tip! 00:00 Welcom...

After a first-hand experience with a witch, author and AWC graduate Inessa Jackson started researching the real world Wiccan community, and the result was her debut crime/thriller novel, Devil Mountain . In this episode, Inessa generously shares her quirky writing process, her experience learning the craft, publishing timeline and more! 00:00 Welcome 04:17 Graduate spotlight 10:21 Writing tip: Nam...

Is food your love language? It certainly is for bestselling author and AWC graduate Anna Johnston – brought to life through her new novel, When Lemons Give You Life . In this episode, Anna dishes up the inspiration and character creation for this latest book and the challenges, strategies and superpowers of being an author with ADHD. She also shares how she deals with writing tough scenes, h...

Australia is experiencing a golden age of crime and thriller writing right now and Christine Gregory is a part of that. Her latest novel, The Informant , explores the world of bikie gangs, and in this episode, Christine discusses how she went about researching this subject, and how she balances dark themes as an author. And we love that she is an AWC graduate! 00:00 Welcome 04:25 Writers in the wi...

Do you spend your weekends visiting cliffs with your child to find out which ones would be deadliest? Well, that’s something Fiona Hardy did in researching her new ‘cosy crime’ novel, Old Games ! In this episode, Fiona joins us to discuss the inspiration for this latest book, her own writing process and how she went from kids to adult fiction! 00:00 Welcome 06:31 Writers in the w...

She’s baaaaack! Any chance to chat with my former podcast co-host Allison Tait (who writes as A.L Tait) is a good day, and she’s back with yet another book hitting shelves – tween romance, The Last Word . Allison also discusses some of the other exciting projects including curating a new series of books through her Your Kids Next Read community. 00:00 Welcome 06:05 Writers in the...

Do you love historical fiction? I have to admit to being a sucker for a different time and place – and both are on offer in Mary-Lou Stephens’ latest novel, The Hobart Hotel . In this episode, Mary-Lou discusses her unique approach to research and the challenges of writing about Uruguay in the 1940s, as well as why she loves writing historical fiction so much. 00:00 Welcome 06:03 Write...

OMG, I adored Katie Hoskins’ debut novel, When the Party’s Over ! In so many ways, it’s the PERFECT book – nailing structure and narrative to tell a nuanced and contemporary story. In this episode, Katie talks about the path that took her from beginner to a two-book Pan Macmillan deal, including the AWC courses that helped her hone her structure, subplot, distinct voices an...

Australian bestselling crime author Sarah Barrie has a dozen books to her name, with her latest standalone thriller Dark Sanctuary , exploring the nuanced world of mental health support, prisons and more. In this episode, Sarah shares the serendipitous inspiration for this novel, the research process and POV choices she made, as well as turning back the clock to give insights into her equally sere...

British writer and librarian India-Rose Bower’s folk horror debut novel, We Call Them Witches explores the concept of ‘eldritch’ creatures in a surreal post-apocalyptic world. In this episode, India-Rose discusses her surprising inspirations for the novel, what ‘eldritch’ actually means and a unique writing tip we should all try! 00:00 Welcome 06:45 Writing tip: Don&r...

Some kids dream of being a zookeeper when they grow up. Others dream of becoming a writer. Well, author and animal conservationist Tina Strachan ended up doing both! In this episode, she shares her passion for wildlife and how she ended up scoring a book deal for her Wilder Zoo series – with book 3, Neeka and the Great Search out now. She also shares her writing routine and experience workin...

Would you like fries with that? Playwright and author George Kemp’s debut novel, Soft Serve, follows a particular day at a regional McDonalds restaurant and the various characters who work there. In this episode, George shares his influences and some of the curious choices he made in writing the book, as well as his writing routine and differences between novel and script writing. 00:00 Welc...

Two questions: Where do new mothers meet new people? And ‘What Rhymes with Murder?’ – the latter being the title of author Penny Tangey’s cosy crime novel, inspired by her own experiences as a new mother at her local library’s story time! In this episode, Penny shares insights on making the switch from YA to adult stories, her writing routine and whether you need to k...

Australian noir has become a huge sub-genre in the world of fiction and UK-based author Emma Styles brings it to the beaches of Western Australia in her latest novel, The Shark . In this episode, Emma shares her inspiration for writing the book, the pressure of completing her latest adult novel and the process of putting the dual (sometimes unreliable, sometimes unlikeable) narratives together. Sh...

With 20 books now to her name and a slew of accolades and bestseller titles under her belt, crime author Candice Fox has gone with something a little different for her latest novel, Redbelly Crossing . Inspired by a real-life family reminiscence, she has reimagined elements of two actual Sydney cold-case murders – and in this episode, Candice discusses how she balanced the sensitivity of a r...

Derek Pedley was a young newspaper journalist in the 1990s when bank robber Brenden Abbott became well known throughout Australia as escaped prisoner ‘The Postcard Bandit’. One capture, break out and recapture later, Derek gained exclusive access to Abbott and wrote an account of his story. Now, 20 years later – with Abbott still in prison – a Warner Brothers documentary an...

The 1990s are often looked back at fondly as a largely peaceful time. But for former Australian ambassador to Germany Ian Kemish, the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland featured largely in his job at the time. Now retired, he has chosen to set his debut thriller novel, Two Islands , during this timeframe. In this episode he shares his inspiration for the book, the real life ch...

How would you like to spend summers in Australia and then travel to a small village in France to bask in the northern summer during the other half of the year? Well, that’s the current reality of journalist and author Sheryle Bagwell – and in her new memoir, Letter from Provence , she not only documents her French experiences, but also connects to her late mother and the writings of 17...

What’s more fascinating than reading actual books? Well, it’s the weird and bizarre stories behind the stories themselves! At least, that’s what journalist and author Alex Johnson hopes with his latest book, When Books Go Bad – exploring some of the strangest and most infamous stories about book writing and publishing experiences through the years. In this episode, Alex sha...

We often talk about persistence in the journey of an aspiring author, and for podcaster Sam Elliott, his 20 years of working towards publication had many twists and turns. Now finally with his debut crime/thriller novel Haze under his belt, in this episode Sam shares the turning points that got him to this stage – including completing a particular AWC course – and the inspiration for t...

The cosy crime genre has exploded in recent years, with older protagonists featuring heavily (they tend to have more time on their hands for solving mysteries, you see). But what happens when your older protagonist has a murderous past? That’s the hilarious set up for British actor, comedian and author Fergus Craig’s new ‘cracked cosy’ whodunnit  I’m Not the Only...

Two thousand years ago in Britain, the historical figure of Boudicca famously revolted against the Roman Empire and carved a path across the land. This later sparked many myths and stories – including the new historical fantasy novel Nightshade and Oak by author Molly O’Neill. In this episode, Molly discusses her inspirations for telling this story and the experience of writing and edi...

There are three short words you’re often told when you first walk into a nail salon – and they form the title of award-winning Laotian Canadian poet and author Souvankham Thammavongsa’s new novel Pick a Colour . In this episode, Souvankham explains how the novel came about, its unusual inspiration and timeframe as well as the cultural and power dynamics it explores. 00:00 Welcome...

War stories are often famously told by the victors. But what of the stories of civilians caught up in the conflict? These themes intersect in World-War-II-era Hong Kong in AWC graduate Emma Pei Yin’s debut historical novel, When Sleeping Women Wake – and in this episode she shares her inspirations, the book’s themes and the publishing process, including a fascinating connection w...

A lot of old bands these days seem to be reforming for reunion tours – allowing older fans to reminisce (usually while sipping wine and sitting in a comfy picnic chair). This idea fascinated author Rebecca Heath, so in her new book The Last Encore , she decided to not only get a fictional old-school band back together but add a documentary crew and a dead body into the mix! In this episode,...