What do you get when you mix house-sitting frenemies with a big lovable dog? You get My Hot Housemate – the latest rom-com from Susannah Hardy, who joins us to discuss the characters and the writing process behind the book.

00:00 Welcome
03:19 Writing tip: Reference managers
06:03 WIN!: Elphie: A Wicked Childhood by Gregory Maguire
07:48 Word of the week: ‘Overweening’
08:29 The world of words: Ordering adjectives
12:16 Writer in residence: Susannah Hardy
13:02 Overview of My Hot Housemate
14:47 Writing about the acting world
17:46 Adding a dog character to the story
20:17 Showing off Sydney
21:36 Tips on writing comedy
22:41 Writing authentic dialogue
24:00 Character development and relationships
25:38 The rise of rom-coms
27:44 Writing process and challenges
29:39 Balancing writing with life
33:38 Having other creative interests
35:32 Importance of mentors and community
37:42 General writing tips
40:17 Final thoughts

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