Secrets from the Green Room Craig Cormick

Craig and Irma discuss lesson learned from life on the road doing a book tour for Irma's book the Breaking. Then Irma speaks with national living treasure Charlotte Wood about the terror of public exposure on releasing a book into the world, the discomfort of the first draft and why it’s important to ‘look for trouble’, how and when to get feedback on work-in-progress, how the pandemic has changed book publicity, why writers desperately need more financial support, why a book rejection was the best and worst moment of her career, and green room encounters that would horrify the reading public.

Craig and Irma discuss Covid-19 impacts on book sales – then Craig has an insightful chat with Mirandi Riwoe about combining fact and fiction in her historical novels, viewing the past through the lens of the present and the important difference between accuracy and authenticity. 

Irma and Craig talk about balancing the writing life with real life and then Jack talks about juggling multiple books, his love-hate relationship with social media and his most embarrasing fan-boy moment at Comicon.

Craig and Irma talk about what you write on your immigration card and when you first feel like a ‘real’ writer. Then Irma talks to Nikki Gemmell about the trauma of being outed for The Bride Stripped Bare, the importance of re-drafting and harsh edits, how words can change the world, the creep of imposter syndrome even when you have published a ton of books, dealing with vicious criticism, and how a leather-bound volume of Jane Eyre changed Nikki’s life.

Craig and Irma talk about the good the bad and ugly sides of teaching writing, and then they chat with Wuilli Wuilli woman and prize-winning author Lisa Fuller about the state of publishing, how the industry can better support First Nations writers and editors, how the Pancake Parlour figured in her winning a major prize, and the many books her dog has eaten!

Craig and Irma talk about writing groups and getting quality feedback on your work, followed by Irma talking with Sophie Laguna, on finding the essence of your characters, the fraught space of awards, how kids have made her writing practice better, the cruel world of publishing, how she struggles with success, navigating good and bad reviews, why writing a screenplay can sharpen the book edit, and how reading is like having an author's dreams in your hands.