If you love fantasy, you’ll love our delightful interview with author Madeline Te Whiu, who shares her journey from writing her first book The Assassin Thief to completing her trilogy with her latest release, The Queen Thief. Madeline talks about her experience writing while working full-time, her planning process, harnessing social media and advice for aspiring writers. 

00:00 Introduction
03:29 Holiday book recommendations
08:33 Nat’s writing tip: Structure
12:24 WIN! The Bogan Book Club by John Larkin
13:51 Word of the week: ‘Chrestomathy’
16:51 Writer in residence: Madeline Te Whiu
27:05 Finding time for writing
28:56 The journey to getting published
31:05 Madeline’s experience pitching her trilogy
31:58 Experiencing reader reactions
35:36 Writing the second and third books
37:15 Overcoming writer's block
43:11 Balancing writing and full-time work
45:36 Madeline’s approach to social media
53:21 Advice for aspiring authors
56:07 Final thoughts

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Fasten your seatbelts and stow those tray tables, as we interview Joe Aston about his latest book, The Chairman's Lounge – The inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out. Joe is a former Australian Financial Review columnist and he discusses his experience writing about Qantas, its CEO and the company’s public branding crisis. He also shares insights on journalism, research and balancing objective reporting with creating a compelling narrative. 

00:00 Introduction
03:36 Nat Newman’s writing tip
08:50 WIN! Murdle Australia by G.T. Karber
11:16 Word of the week: ‘penetralia’
12:32 Writer in residence: Joe Aston
21:10 Joe’s switch from corporate life to journalism
27:25 The evolution of journalism
28:04 The pressure of producing quality content
29:02 Balancing reporting and opinion
31:18 The role of CEOs in public perception
34:06 Joe’s experience writing his book
37:28 Research versus the writing process
42:34 Future plans and new ventures
49:02 Joe’s advice for aspiring authors
50:50 Final thoughts

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Meet Susannah Glenn, author of Between Husbands and Wives. Susannah discusses her writing process, overcoming self-doubt, and the importance of setting and character development. She highlights the impact of persistence, learning from setbacks, and taking writing courses.

00:00 Introduction
01:53 The importance of doing the work
07:07 Writing tip: Keep it simple
11:13 WIN! Literary Journeys by John McMurtrie
13:07 Word of the week: pedicular
14:26 Writer in residence: Susannah Glenn
21:57 The writing process: Finding the sweet spot
22:35 Character development
24:23 Balancing writing with everyday life
25:51 From manuscript to book deal
31:54 The importance of writing routines
37:38 Navigating the emotional roller coaster of writing
44:45 Top writing tips for aspiring authors
46:57 Conclusion

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Meet Sebastian Smee, a Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic, who discusses his new book Paris in Ruins, its historical context, and the challenges of writing it. He also touches upon his previous book The Art of Rivalry, how to approach writing art criticism, and tips for aspiring writers. Sebastian now writes for The Washington Post, but got his start writing for The Sydney Morning Herald. He then went on to write for The Boston Globe, The Spectator, The Guardian, The Australian and more.

00:00 Introduction
02:35 Nat Newman’s writing tip
10:28 Win Endgame by Sarah Barrie
12:44 Word of the week: Hypnagogic
16:47 Interview with Sebastian Smee
20:27 Diving into historical context
20:59 Early career and education
21:49 Breaking into art criticism
23:55 Writing art reviews
25:50 Journey to America
27:34 The Art of Rivalry
31:02 Crafting Paris in Ruins
38:30 Challenges and reflections
42:21 Advice for aspiring art critics
47:57 Final thoughts

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Meet Mitch Jennings, author of A Town Called Treachery, who shares his journey to becoming a novelist and his advice for aspiring writers.

00:00 Introduction
00:27 Reinvention
04:02 Writing opportunities and taking chances
07:58 Writing tip: The Pomodoro Technique
14:23 WIN: Everyone this Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
15:12 Word of the week: Claque
18:32 Mitch Jennings and his page-turning novel A Town Called Treachery
26:16 Balancing writing and family life
28:00 Discovering writing process during COVID
29:26 The role of mentorship and courses
32:30 Crafting the story of A Town Called Treachery
37:40 Journalism's influence on writing
44:24 Entering and winning the Banjo Prize
50:34 Advice for aspiring writers
53:30 Final thoughts

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Meet New York Times bestselling author Laura Dave, who talks about her latest novel The Night We Lost Him, her writing process, and adapting her hit novel The Last Thing He Told Me for television. Laura shares her approach to character development, writing routines, and advice for aspiring writers. She talks about the importance of dedication, routine, and what you need to do before seeking publication.

00:00 Introduction
03:00 Nat Newman's writing tip
05:46 Writing opportunities and tips
10:51 Competition: Win The Dictionary of Terrible Ideas by Dominic Knight
13.01 Word of the week: piacular
16:16 Laura Dave, with of The Last Thing He Told Me and The Night We Lost Him
23:26 From novel to screen
24:57 The success and future of the series
25:46 The role of music in writing
29:12 Crafting characters and storylines
40:44 Writing routine and research
46:36 Advice for aspiring writers
48:51 Fun fact

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Meet Amanda Willimott, who talks about her historical fiction novel Winter of the Wolf, informed by extensive research. Amanda reveals how she got her book deal with Penguin Random House and the power of persistence, planning and mentorship.

00:00 Introduction
03:56 Writing tip: Attend events
07:19 Competition: Win The Dictionary of Terrible Ideas by Dominic Knight
09:25 Word of the week: Riparian
10:48 Interview with Amanda Willimott, author of Winter of the Wolf
25:24 Deciding to write a novel
26:12 Setting goals and overcoming challenges
27:56 The importance of planning and research
29:35 Writing discipline and tracking progress
36:04 Editing and refining the manuscript
37:58 The path to publication
41:19 Celebrating success and future plans
45:11 Final thoughts and advice for aspiring writers
47:13 Fun fact: What is a circadian novel?

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Meet bestselling author and screenwriter Christian White on his novel The Ledge and writing the Netflix hit Clickbait. his writing process, and his transition from books to screenwriting, including his work on TV shows like Clickbait and Apartment 7A.

00:00 Welcome to episode 635
01:46 Nat Newman's writing tip
02:41 Nat's creative writing journey
04:34 The importance of elevator pitches
09:07 Win: Cherrywood by Jock Serong
11:20 Word of the week: Panoply
14:01 Interview with Christian White, author of The Ledge
31:43 The journey to Clickbait
33:15 Balancing success and stress
35:16 Appreciating the moment
36:11 From Clickbait to Apartment 7A
41:36 The collaborative process
45:43 Balancing writing and family life
55:30 Tips for aspiring writers
01:01:29 Conclusion

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Meet Ariane Beeston, who shares insights into her powerful memoir Because I'm Not Myself, You See, exploring postpartum psychosis, her writing journey, and the therapeutic yet challenging process of recounting personal experiences. This memoir is brave and beautifully written. As a graduate of Australian Writers' Centre, we’re so thrilled for Ariane.

00:00 Introduction
00:19 Using prompts to discover your character
03:39 Nat Newman’s writing tip
08:32 Setting writing goals
11:23 Win: The Paris Gown by Christine Wells
14:22 Word of the week: Vestige
6:22 Interview with Ariane Beeston, author of Because I'm Not Myself, You See
28:03 The proposal journey
28:17 Navigating rejections and acceptances
29:01 The challenge of writing a book
29:26 Creative Nonfiction insights
30:00 Seamlessly weaving research and personal story
31:14 Overcoming personal obstacles
32:35 The emotional toll of writing
33:36 The urgency to finish
34:58 Post-writing reflections
35:49 The writing timeline
36:52 Managing deadlines and mental health
39:52 Reliving the past through writing
42:04 Ethics and accuracy in memoir writing
46:20 The book's impact and reader responses
48:18 Top tips for writing a memoir
54:02 Conclusion

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Meet bestselling author Paula Hawkins, whose new book The Blue Hour explores a psychological thriller set on a Scottish island. Paula discusses her writing process, research on art, transition from a finance journalist to a novelist, how she wrote four romance novels under a pen name and her experiences following the success of The Girl on the Train. She also shares her writing advice, emphasising the importance of feedback and understanding your readers’ experiences.

00:00 Introduction
00:34 Writing tip with Nat Newman
02:53 Storyboarding for writers
06:22 Win: The Stranger at the Wedding by A. E. Gauntlett
08:14 Word of the week: Palmy
09:30 Paula Hawkins and her latest novel The Blue Hour
21:19 From financial journalism to fiction
21:46 First foray into fiction
23:40 How Paula writes romance under a pseudonym
24:52 Finding the right genre
25:38 The birth of The Girl on the Train
27:48 Dealing with success and pressure
30:12 Writing process and challenges
40:34 Advice for aspiring writers
43:02 Fun fact: apophony

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