Not the Plot

Teena
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Conversations about books, art and living a creative life.

  1. Sharon Giltrow - Writing for young readers with humour and heart.

    5D AGO

    Sharon Giltrow - Writing for young readers with humour and heart.

    Send us Fan Mail Sharon Giltrow is an award-winning author of humorous and heartfelt picture books and speculative, adventure-filled middle grade books.  Sharon grew up in South Australia, the youngest of eight children in a one-hundred-year-old farmhouse, which she turned into a library filled with books written by other people.  She now lives in Western Australia with her husband and two children in a ninety-year-old house, which she is turning into a library filled with books written by her. In this episode of Not the Plot Sharon chats with Teena Raffa-Mulligan about how she uses her surrounds as settings for her stories, the learning curve of switching to self-publishing, dealing with rejections, and the importance of self-care to nurture her creative life. Sharon's tips for aspiring authors: * Have multiple manuscripts out on submission rather than pinning all your hopes on one manuscript.  * See rejection as redirection.  * Attend writing events and connect with other writers.  You can find out more about Sharon on her website at https://www.sharongiltrowauthor.com/ Follow her on FB https://www.facebook.com/sharongiltrowwriter Thank you for listening. Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

    24 min
  2. Liv Lorkin - A heart-led path to creativity

    APR 25

    Liv Lorkin - A heart-led path to creativity

    Send us Fan Mail Liv Lorkin is a heart-led children's book author, illustrator and visual storyteller. Since packing books underneath her bed as a child, she’s loved reading, writing and colouring outside the lines. With a blended background in science and a career in design, she creates thoughtful stories that spread messages of hope and joy.   When not immersed in illustrating, she can be found exploring gardens, finishing a good puzzle and drinking her third cup of tea. In this episode of Not the Plot, Liv talks about her 'Joy Jars', following the nudges of life, redirection - not rejection, and how zooming out on a situation can change perspective. Her top tips for aspiring writers: * Follow your own path *Practise your craft *Connect with community * Have a life outside your passion  You can find out more about Liv at: www.livlorkin.com   Thank you for listening. Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

    31 min
  3. Alan Fyfe - Putting place and poverty on the page

    APR 17

    Alan Fyfe - Putting place and poverty on the page

    Send us Fan Mail Alan Fyfe is a maker of stories and poems who lives on unceded Noongar country. Alan’s poetry and prose fiction has received recognition with a number of awards and listings in Australia and internationally. His latest release, The Cross Thieves, is the second part of a trilogy centred around The Peel Region and concerning housing instability and homelessness.  In this episode of Not the Plot, Alan shares his thoughts on what has shaped him as a writer, the inspiration behind his novels, and the place for different voices in fiction. He also reveals an unusual hobby or two and offers sound advice for aspiring authors. Follow Alan on FB https://www.facebook.com/FyfePoet/ Thank you for listening. Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

    27 min
  4. Brenton Cullen - On writing, reading, and staying the distance

    APR 10

    Brenton Cullen - On writing, reading, and staying the distance

    Send us Fan Mail Brenton Cullen is a Queensland writer, bookseller and passionate advocate for children’s literature. He writes stories from the heart for all ages, with a particular love for picture books and middle-grade fiction. He has written articles, interviewed authors and reviewed children’s books. His debut middle-grade novel The Prime Minister Problem is released in April by Riveted Press, and he has three more books coming out over the next year.  In this episode of Not the Plot Brenton chats with host Teena Raffa-Mulligan about his path to publication, finding a writing process that works for him, dealing with self-doubt, and spreading the word about the importance of reading.  He also shares his three top tips for aspiring authors: Love what you're doing. Find your tribe and get involved in that community. Keep going. Don't give up. To find out more about Brenton visit his website at https://www.brentoncullen.com/ or follow him on FB at https://www.facebook.com/people/Brenton-Cullen-Childrens-Author/61566492037896/ Thank you for listening. Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

    33 min
  5. Marlene Rattigan - Inspiring children through words and music

    APR 3

    Marlene Rattigan - Inspiring children through words and music

    Send us Fan Mail Marlene Rattigan is an early childhood teacher with an extensive background in music. She’s the author of the kidz-fiz-biz series of music and movement books and has conducted training workshops for teachers, children, and parents at schools, in the community, at festivals, and at conferences throughout Australia and overseas. Her vision is to see children all over the world learn, grow and develop through the use of music and physical activity. Marlene has also been writing fiction for children for more decades than she cares to remember and calls herself a grammar nerd.  In this episode of Not the Plot she gives host Teena Raffa-Mulligan an insight into her creative life as a children's author and music and movement instructor. She  suggests ways to encourage children to enjoy reading, shares which books have influenced her writing life and where she draws her greatest inspiration.   Find out more about Marlene at Kidz-fiz-biz | Children’s Picture Books Thank you for listening. Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

    35 min
  6. Christine Read - Sharing the joy of circle dancing

    MAR 14

    Christine Read - Sharing the joy of circle dancing

    Send us Fan Mail Christine Read found circle dance about 22 years ago and has been teaching for the past 18 years. Her love for this form of dance turned her into a dancing nomad and led to major lifestyle changes. In 2016 she retired from paid employment, sold her rural property and spent the better part of the next few years travelling to Europe and the UK to attend workshops and retreats with some of the best choreographers and teachers in the world.  In this episode of Not the Plot, Christine chats with host Teena Raffa-Mulligan about the origins of circle dancing, its health and wellbeing benefits, and how it changed her life. You can find Christine on FB https://www.facebook.com/people/Circle-Dance-Australia-Christine-Read  Thank you for listening. Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

    25 min
  7. Michelle Worthington - Sharing stories on page and screen

    MAR 6

    Michelle Worthington - Sharing stories on page and screen

    Send us Fan Mail Michelle Worthington is an International award-winning author, scriptwriter, playwright and producer. Michelle has twice taken out the International Book Award and been shortlisted for the Australian Speech Pathology Award. In 2018 she received the AusMumPreneur Gold award for Business Excellence and the Redlands BaR award for Best Start Up Business.  Her scripts have been finalists at the California Women's Film Festival, Kids First Film Festival, Gold Coast International Film Festival and 4th Dimension International Indie Film Festival. In 2021, she won the AFIN International Film Award for Best Screenplay and in 2023, she won the Best Unproduced Screenplay Award at the New York International Film Festival. Before We Sleep is nominated for Best Short Film at the AACTA Awards 2025. Michelle is an advocate for creating inclusive and diverse productions to allow people of all abilities the chance to share their story.  She has often been described as a real-life book fairy whose magic powers include turning coffee into award-winning books and coaching aspiring authors and illustrators all over the world to achieve their dreams of publication.  In this episode of Not the Plot she offers a behind the scenes look at surviving as a career creative in challenging times, the need for change in the publishing industry, and the importance of knowing your 'why'.  To find out more about Michelle, visit her website at Home or find her on FB at Michelle Worthington Author | Facebook Thank you for listening. Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

    33 min
  8. Dianne Wolfer - Writing across genres

    FEB 27

    Dianne Wolfer - Writing across genres

    Send us Fan Mail Award-winning author Dianne Wolfer is a bookworm who reads and writes every day and can’t imagine a world without books. Dianne writes across genres, from picture books for pre-schoolers to fantasy novels for young adults, and historical fiction for all ages.  Her stories are about different cultures, the environment, friendship, being brave, turns in the road and taking chances. She also likes exploring things from different perspectives.  Dianne lives on the south coast of Western Australia with her husband Pete and their dog Harry and has a special interest in animal characters in children’s literature. She is a passionate advocate for children’s literature and presents author talks and workshops at schools and festivals across Australia and Asia.  In this episode of Not the Plot, Dianne chats with Teena Raffa-Mulligan about the changes she's witnessed during her long author career, the challenges of working in the publishing industry, her concerns about AI, and her interest in anthropomorphism.  You can find out more about Dianne at Dianne Wolfer – author  and follow her on Facebook at Dianne Wolfer - Author | Facebook Thank you for listening. Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

    32 min
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About

Conversations about books, art and living a creative life.

Information

  • Creator
    Teena
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Not the Plot
  • Show Website
    Not the Plot

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