We’ve all heard of the ‘muse’ but what about the ‘mewwwws’? That’s the sound of authors' cats, and in this episode, Susannah Fullerton discusses her wonderfully titled book, Great Writers and the Cats Who Owned Them – exploring the unique relationships between famous authors and their feline companions. Susannah shares how she researched the topic, choosing the authors and the magical publishing story, as well as offering tips to aspiring nonfiction writers.

00:00 Welcome
07:26 Writing tip: Follow the formatting guidelines
09:36 WIN!: Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson
12:24 Word of the week: ‘Clerisy’
12:59 Writer in residence: Susannah Fullerton
14:10 Explaining her book, Great Writers and the Cats Who Owned Them
14:45 The inspiration for the book
17:50 Choosing and placing authors in the book
19:30 Animal protection and authors
22:30 Research methods
24:40 Organising all her notes
26:41 The timeline of writing the book
27:35 The pitching process
30:01 The joy of getting published
32:22 Publicity and promotion of the book
36:34 Merchandising and collaborations
37:27 Balancing lecturing and writing
38:22 Where her ideas come from  
42:51 The timeless appeal of classics
46:32 Advice for aspiring nonfiction writers
48:58 Final thoughts

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We’ve heard of crashing weddings, but what about funerals? That’s the topic that bestselling author Joanna Nell has tackled for her sixth book, The Funeral Crashers. In this episode, she joins us to discuss the experience behind writing this latest novel as well as the turning point in her life that got her publishing her first book in her fifties.

00:00 Welcome
06:44 Writing tip: Overcoming technology distractions
11:16 WIN!: A Complete Fiction by R.L. Maizes
12:46 Word of the week: ‘Emolument’
13:22 Writer in residence: Joanna Nell
15:05 What her latest book, The Funeral Crashers, is about
18:36 Patients inspiring her writing
22:06 Rediscovering a passion for writing
24:58 The joy of finding a writing community
26:23 Lessons learned from a decade of writing
29:29 A word about writing short fiction
31:23 A day in the life of a full-time writer
33:40 Writing retreats
35:22 Creating memorable characters
40:06 Promoting the latest novel
41:02 Future Projects
41:58 Final thoughts

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How do you go about writing a personal memoir that heavily features your very-much-alive parents? Author Candice Chung grappled with this and her culturally private family while curating her book, Chinese Parents Don’t Say I Love You. In this episode, she joins us to discuss the inspiration for a book that uses food as a storytelling device, some of the rituals around dining and the story behind the title of her book!

00:00 Welcome
07:10 Writing tip: Developing your own editing checklist
12:44 WIN!: How to Live an Artful Life by Katy Hessel
14:17 Word of the week: ‘Anhedonia’
14:49 Writer in residence: Candice Chung
15:05 Writing about food rituals
17:25 Inspiration for writing the book
20:20 Selling the book to publishers
22:15 The story behind the title
26:29 Telling parents about the book
31:33 Fact checking emotional details
34:05 Grappling with sharing personal thoughts
38:20 Why Candice decided to get into journalism
42:37 The ‘frozen sandwiches’ anecdote
44:21 Literary inspirations for the book
49:24 Future projects
51:14 Final thoughts

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Do ideas come to you while you’re out walking? There’s a unique connection between writers and walking – and in this episode, Belinda Castles shares the inspiration and experience in creating her new book, Walking Sydney. The book is a curated collection of talks had while on walks with authors around various parts of the city and exploring the concepts of nostalgia, change and a sense of place.

00:00 Welcome
03:59 Writing tip: Dictionary of Australian Words
06:11 WIN! Jack Reacher Book Pack Giveaway
08:58 Word of the week: ‘Catenary’
09:37 Writer in residence: Belinda Castles
10:22 What Walking Sydney is about
11:09 Inspiration for writing this book
13:04 How the book came together
18:18 The connection between writers and walking
24:50 Writing and the connection to place
28:57 Reader experience and audience
31:18 Why there are no maps in this book
32:31 The armchair travel experience
34:12 Balancing writing with teaching
36:06 The writing process and time management
41:58 The book trailer and filmmaking experience
44:56 A tip from Belinda for writers
46:48 Final thoughts

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In this special bonus episode of 'So You Want to Be a Writer,' Valerie is joined by her original podcast co-host Allison Tait in a live-streamed event celebrating 20 years of the Australian Writer Centre. Together, they discuss important topics for all writers – including goal-setting, overcoming writing obstacles, and structuring one's writing career. They also reflect on their own writing journeys, give writing tips, and offer valuable advice on managing impostor syndrome, planning writing schedules, understanding genre requirements and MORE!

00:00 Welcome
02:24 Reunion with original co-host A.L.Tait.
08:55 Writing Roadmap: Setting Goals and Overcoming Obstacles
19:00 Giving yourself writing rewards
21:44 Overcoming common obstacles
26:46 The importance of discipline in writing
31:04 Networking and community in writing
34:41 Understanding your genre
37:15 The role of revision in writing
41:54 Flexibility and pivoting in writing
48:48 Q&A session
52:53 Final thoughts

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If you found yourself newly single after not dating since being a teenager, what would you do? Author and AWC graduate Holly Brunnbauer asks that question in her award-winning romance novel, What Did I Miss? –and in this episode she shares what inspired her to write it, her exciting story about getting an agent and book deal, plus the unusual window of time she writes in during each day!

00:00 Welcome
02:00 Our SALE is on
05:21 WIN!: ‘Every Day I Read’ by Hwang Bo-reum
06:54 Word of the week: ‘Orrery’
07:58 Writer in residence: Holly Brunnbauer
09:07 What is What Did I Miss? about?
10:20 What inspired Holly to write the book
12:50 The experience writing it
14:55 Holly’s year of writing a novel
16:27 Discovering the AWC courses
17:15 Getting an agent and a book deal
21:44 Pitching to screen professionals
24:00 Balancing writing with a busy life
26:24 Planning and Structuring a Novel
28:55 Documentation
31:50 The joy of writing and future plans
33:53 Publication surprises and realities
35:28 Bonus short interview with Charlotte Barkla
38:09 Final thoughts

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When Ian Scott and Kirsty McHugh – curators at the National Library of Scotland – created an exhibition on pen names, they never imagined it would become a book. But that’s exactly what happened, and in this episode, Ian joins to discuss some of the curious motivations and stories behind some of the world’s most famous and infamous pseudonyms in their book Pen Names – including examples of authors who fully immersed themselves in their imaginary personas!

00:00 Welcome
00:18 Rewriting your personal narrative
07:06 Writing tip: Tracking your time
10:05 WIN!: The Funeral Crashers by Joanna Nell
13:33 Word of the week: ‘Edentulous’
14:14 The world of words: Short forms of ‘until’
16:10 Writer in residence: Ian Scott
16:57 The inspiration for the book Pen Names
18:42 An exhibition on pen names
23:00 The stories behind the stories
27:00 Common reasons for pen names
27:58 Gender bias in literature
31:55 Other reasons for not using your own name
32:10 Famous examples
34:55 Authors wanting to be judged independently
38:47 Deceptive use of a pen name: Fiona Macleod
40:55 Modern pen names and marketability
43:19 Collaborative writing under one name
45:01 Authors like Lee Child and book cover real estate
46:49 Would Ian choose a pen name for himself?
48:45 Wait – is his co-writer Kirsty McHugh even real?
50:30 Is his book in his own library?
53:02 Final thoughts

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Author Zanni L. Arnot has carved out a prolific career as a children's author – publishing more than 40 books in the past decade as ‘Zanni Louise’. In this episode, Zanni discusses how she got into writing children's books and her first YA novel, A Guide to Falling Off the Map. She also shares the differences between different age range stories, juggling multiple projects, plus provides insights and advice for aspiring authors.

00:00 Welcome
00:28 How a setting can become a character
07:53 Writing tip: Learn to love grammar and punctuation
13:42 WIN!: Reacher by Lee Child
17:14 Word of the week: ‘Headwork’
17:48 Writer in Residence: Zanni L. Arnot
18:46 An overview of her new book
21:03 Why a YA novel?
23:43 How Zanni got into writing
26:52 Discovering a passion for writing
27:30 Building a writing community
28:16 On creating 41 books in ten years!
30:47 Crafting stories for different age groups
32:57 Balancing writing with a busy life
34:15 Navigating the multiple projects
35:33 The process of writing the story
39:42 Is adult fiction next?
41:11 Advice for managing your time
43:30 Zanni’s approach to social media
45:44 Keeping track of ideas and choosing the next one
48:19 Promoting books from overseas
50:15 Advice for authors looking to try YA
53:16 Final thoughts

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The Iranian Embassy siege that unfolded in the UK in 1980 was a huge world event at the time, although perhaps lost in the fog of history today. Prolific British author Ben Macintyre brings it back into focus in his latest book, The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama and he joins us to discuss his writerly beginnings, turning real-world espionage into captivating reads and how he balances the personal and factual details in his stories.

00:00 Welcome
00:48 The power of constraints in writing
11:30 Writing tip: The iceberg theory
13:52 WIN!: Torn by Nicole Madigan
15:26 Word of the week: ‘Nonpareil’
16:11 Writer in residence: Ben Macintyre
17:05 Ben gives an overview of The Siege
21:00 His personal experience with the events
25:43 Ben’s background in writing
28:33 Exploring the SAS archive
32:05 The TV series Rogue Heroes
33:20 Character depth and authenticity
35:20 Challenges of taking an oral history
37:40 Pacing and structuring the book
40:15 Real life being stranger than fiction
42:18 Research and writing process
45:27 From book to screen
51:05 Advice for aspiring writers
54:22 Balancing sensory and factual details
57:12 Ben’s upcoming project
58:13 Final thoughts

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The search for ‘a better life’ is the classic motivation for immigrants arriving in a new country and so often we hear about the success stories. But author Moreno Giovannoni wanted to tell the more overlooked migrant stories for his latest novel, The Immigrants – drawing on his family’s own experiences in Australia. Giovannoni shares his approach to writing, his thoughts on translating, as well as past and future projects.

00:00 Welcome
04:47 Writing tip: Creative Mottos
07:46 WIN!: The Watervale Ladies’ Writing and Firefighting Society by Mette Menzies
10:20 Word of the week: ‘Gibbous’
11:46 Writer in residence: Moreno Giovannoni
12:20 What his new book The Immigrants is about
16:30 Fiction versus the real life inspirations
20:10 Bringing his style to the Australian setting
23:25 The research and notetaking
26:20 Structuring the book
29:31 Fitting the seven key events into the story
31:35 The publishing journey
33:22 The writing process and challenges
34:56 A typical writing day
37:40 Balancing writing and translating
41:33 Publicising the book
43:33 Future writing plans and pure fiction
50:32 Moreno Giovannoni’s writing tip
52:48 Final thoughts

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