So You Want to be a Writer

Australian Writers' Centre
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Everything you’ve always wanted to know about succeeding in the world of writing and publishing. Learn practical writing techniques, go behind-the-scenes and discover how real-life authors got their big break. Uncover the creative processes of writers who have made it. Your host is Valerie Khoo – author, journalist, creative and CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre. 

  1. Writing Podcast Episode 715: India-Rose Bower’s folk horror novel, 'We Call Them Witches'

    6 DAYS AGO

    Writing Podcast Episode 715: India-Rose Bower’s folk horror novel, 'We Call Them Witches'

    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 Welcome06:45 Writing tip: Don’t use AI for a pitch!08:05 WIN!: The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon9:57 Word of the week: ‘Mélange’10:17 Writer in residence: India-Rose Bower11:04 What is her book, We Call Them Witches about?12:22 Origins of the story15:02 Designing the eldritch ‘witches’17:02 Creating the first draft18:42 Entering a competition and securing an agent21:07 Selling yourself and the book22:21 Publicity and author life23:35 Writing around work and health issues25:29 Next book and research habits}28:41 India-Rose’s unique writing tip30:58 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
  2. Writing Podcast Episode 714: Tina Strachan and the latest book in her Wilder Zoo middle-grade series

    27 APR

    Writing Podcast Episode 714: Tina Strachan and the latest book in her Wilder Zoo middle-grade series

    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 working with a professional illustrator. 00:00 Welcome06:45 Writing tip: Carry a tiny book around11:26 WIN!: The Angry Wives Club  by Gabbie Stroud12:57 Word of the week: ‘Spicate’13:22 Writer in residence: Tina Strachan15:09 Wilder Zoo series overview17:20 Tina’s favourite koala fun fact18:19 Wildlife career origins21:54 The role of zoos and conservation25:05 Turning point to getting into writing27:02 Building a daily habit27:37 Entering a CYA competition31:22 Connecting with a publisher33:03 From samples to a series35:12 Courses and gaining confidence36:55 Building her author website 38:25 Writing routine and its evolution42:07 School visits and writing festivals42:57 Illustrator collaboration44:52 Next books47:08 Tina shares some writing advice49:11 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    52 min
  3. Writing Podcast Episode 713: George Kemp dishes up his debut novel, 'Soft Serve'

    20 APR

    Writing Podcast Episode 713: George Kemp dishes up his debut novel, 'Soft Serve'

    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 Welcome10:51 Writing tip: Focus on positive feedback15:00 WIN!: Click by Sarah Bailey17:29 Word of the week: ‘Mensal’18:06 Writer in residence: George Kemp18:44 What his book Soft Serve is all about19:47 Origins and influences21:54 Novel versus script23:27 The differences between the two27:21 Defining the age range 30:48 Small town limitations34:41 Unconventional dialogue and POV choices37:01 Acting skills in writing39:43 George’s writing routine42:54 The publication process45:54 Editing collaboration48:25 A writing tip50:13 Next projects51:03 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  4. Writing Podcast Episode 712: Penny Tangey asks the cosy-crime question, 'What Rhymes with Murder?'

    13 APR

    Writing Podcast Episode 712: Penny Tangey asks the cosy-crime question, 'What Rhymes with Murder?'

    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 know who did it before writing the end of the book! 00:00 Welcome04:26 Writing tip: Listen to your characters08:00 WIN!: The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke10:37 Word of the week: ‘Weltschmerz’11:30 Writer in residence: Penny Tangey12:07 Penny describes the book What Rhymes with Murder?12:52 Real-life inspirations for the book14:39 The quirky title15:32 The decision to write her first adult book17:36 The writing process and plotting18:38 Librarian life in the novel20:31 Building a cosy cast21:07 The timeline of writing the book21:50 Penny’s writing routine22:30 The biggest challenge23:41 Having for researching the book24:16 Finding an agent and new publisher27:58 Editing and sprinkling clues29:39 The overall themes of the book31:29 Next projects ahead32:02 Genre switching advice33:33 Cosy crime specific advice34:28 Librarian book pick35:58 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min
  5. Writing Podcast Episode 711: Emma Styles dives into her new crime thriller, 'The Shark'

    6 APR

    Writing Podcast Episode 711: Emma Styles dives into her new crime thriller, 'The Shark'

    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. She also explores the publishing journey and shares a top tip for writers. 00:00 Welcome05:33 Writing tip: Don’t put off your writing dream08:28 WIN!: The Writers Retreat by Victoria Brownlee11:15 Word of the week: ‘Shallop’13:04 Writer in residence: Emma Styles14:42 Inspiration for the book18:00 Crafting characters21:21 Writing unlikable women24:30 Complex crime characters25:19 Why two young women?28:02 Alternating POV method29:22 Planning vs pantsing32:22 Adult crime not YA34:18 Landing The Shark book deal36:11 The supportive publishing world37:39 Writing about Australia from UK40:38 The setting for her next book43:10 Trusting your instincts44:16 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    47 min
  6. Writing Podcast Episode 710: Candice Fox and the cold case that inspired 'Redbelly Crossing'

    30 MAR

    Writing Podcast Episode 710: Candice Fox and the cold case that inspired 'Redbelly Crossing'

    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 real case (including speaking with the victim’s husbands) with her creative storytelling instincts and a genuine desire to solve the case. 00:00 Welcome06:56 Writing tip: Set an Intention09:51 WIN!: Astral Library by Kate Quinn11:49 Word of the week: ‘Ylem’13:52 Writer in residence: Candice Fox14:41 Crossing the line into a true-crime inspired novel16:25 Candice’s mum’s encounter with a possible killer20:30 Rabbit Holes and why she didn’t make a true-crime podcast26:07 Similarities in the cold cases: one killer or two?26:44 Writing real tragedy into fiction: meeting the husbands & making hard edits28:50 Pitching the project to her agent32:23 The novel’s elevator pitch34:22 Ending a fictional case when the real one is unsolved37:02 What readers should take away39:55 Career reflections – 20 books in 12 years42:19 Candice’s writing routine and finding ideas45:25 Top tips for crime writers47:39 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    51 min
  7. Writing Podcast Episode 709: Derek Pedley shares his true crime story 'The Postcard Bandit'

    23 MAR

    Writing Podcast Episode 709: Derek Pedley shares his true crime story 'The Postcard Bandit'

    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 and six-part drama series have put the story back into the spotlight, and Derek has released an updated version of his book, The Postcard Bandit. In this episode, Derek shares the timeline and why it made sense to update the story now. 00:00 Welcome06:03 Writing tip: Breaking down a novel into sessions08:28 WIN!: Iluka by Cassie Stroud10:08 Word of the week: ‘Stochastic’12:54 Writer in residence: Derek Pedley15:27 The story of Brenden Abbott – the ‘postcard bandit’18:30 Brenden’s bank robbing style19:51 How Derek became involved in Brenden’s story23:00 Frustrations writing the first account24:10 Gaining access to Abbott26:16 Frustrations publishing the second account28:59 20 years later – returning to the project30:30 A new angle to the story32:10 Turning it into a TV series and documentary36:45 Updates with the new book40:55 Finally meeting Brenden42:10 Why change the book’s name?43:23 Derek’s tip for writing crime stories46:30 Future book projects47:43 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    53 min
  8. Writing Podcast Episode 708: Former ambassador Ian Kemish and his novel, 'Two Islands'

    16 MAR

    Writing Podcast Episode 708: Former ambassador Ian Kemish and his novel, 'Two Islands'

    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 characters and how to capture the nuances of the story and the decade. What do you do after you retire from a celebrated 25-year diplomatic career? Play golf? Take up birdwatching? No, you write your first novel. 00:00 Welcome07:26 Writing tip: Ask “why?” to being blocked10:31 WIN!: Aubrey Wants to Die by Pip Knight12:15 Word of the week: ‘Absquatulate’16:16 Writer in residence: Ian Kemish17:14 Ian describes what Two Islands is about19:34 What are the two islands in question?22:04 Remembering Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland23:30 Inspiration for the novel25:53 Why the Balkans?27:35 The inspiration for the Australian character, Anita30:01 Writing about the 1990s: distance before the internet31:22 How the story took shape34:07 Researching the book38:15 From bad poetry to diplomacy: finding his writing voice40:52 The challenges of writing fiction for the first time45:28 Landing the publishing deal47:54 What’s next?49:09 Ian’s tip for writers50:32 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    52 min
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4.7
out of 5
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About

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about succeeding in the world of writing and publishing. Learn practical writing techniques, go behind-the-scenes and discover how real-life authors got their big break. Uncover the creative processes of writers who have made it. Your host is Valerie Khoo – author, journalist, creative and CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre. 

Information

  • Creator
    Australian Writers' Centre
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    715
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Australian Writers' Centre
  • Show Website
    So You Want to be a Writer

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