In QWS S4E11, Troy sits down with his mate Holden Sheppard and they go deep into some meaty topics, from masculinity, drinking and trauma, through to YA vs adult writing and writing gay sex. Buckle up!

They dive into the fascinating origin stories behind Holden’s three acclaimed novels - Invisible Boys, The Brink and King of Dirt - as well as exploring unpublished YA fantasy novel and his gay bogan novella and how they informed his path to publication.

Of course the recent Invisible Boy hit tv series on Stan gets looked at too. (Also see Words and Nerds ep 727 with Dani Vee for a dedicated discussion of this series.)

Things that Holden recommends:

- Gus and the Burning Stones by Troy Hunter

- Wrong Answers Only by Toby Madden

- Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie by Alanis Morisette

Other media referenced includes:

- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams

- Brokeback Mountain directed by Ang Lee

- The Language or the Kiss by the Indigo Girls

Trigger warnings: this episode covers depression, suicidal ideation, alcohol abuse and violence. If these topics raise any issues for you, here are some support resources to consider:

- Life line 131114

- Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

- MensLine 1300789978

Hosted by Troy Hunter who you can find at www.troyhuntwriter.com

Troy is the author of Gus and the Missing Boy and Gus and the Burning Stones

Follow Troy on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/troyhunterwriter/

#QWSPodcast #LoveOzYA #Gayauthor #Queerwriting #adultfiction #WordsandNerds #LGBTQIABooks #YoungAdult #bromosexual