• Writing Podcast Episode 718: Mary-Lou Stephens welcomes you to 'The Hobart Hotel'
    May 25 2026

    Do you love historical fiction? I have to admit to being a sucker for a different time and place – and both are on offer in Mary-Lou Stephens’ latest novel, The Hobart Hotel. In this episode, Mary-Lou discusses her unique approach to research and the challenges of writing about Uruguay in the 1940s, as well as why she loves writing historical fiction so much.

    00:00 Welcome
    06:03 Writers in the Wild
    10:08 Writing tip: Find balance in your creative life
    13:15 WIN!: The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives by Elizabeth Arnott
    15:07 Word of the week: ’Patalous’
    15:45 Writer in residence: Mary-Lou Stephens
    17:19 Describing The Hobart Hotel
    19:16 Inspiration and research
    20:57 The dual timeline process
    22:36 Capturing the Uruguay wartime vibe
    27:24 Why Historical Fiction?
    30:32 Mary-Lou’s ‘slow travel’ writing life
    34:40 Writing while traveling
    37:17 Memoir and meditation
    43:10 What’s next?
    44:58 Promoting her books
    46:07 Final thoughts

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    51 mins
  • Writing Podcast Episode 717: Katie Hoskins and her new book, 'When the Party’s Over'
    May 18 2026

    OMG, I adored Katie Hoskins’ debut novel, When the Party’s Over! In so many ways, it’s the PERFECT book – nailing structure and narrative to tell a nuanced and contemporary story. In this episode, Katie talks about the path that took her from beginner to a two-book Pan Macmillan deal, including the AWC courses that helped her hone her structure, subplot, distinct voices and more.

    00:00 Welcome
    09:33 Writing tip: Don’t avoid the tough scenes
    11:43 WIN!: When Lemons Give You Life by Anna Johnston
    14:12 Word of the week: ’Imprimatur’
    14:45 Writer in residence: Katie Hoskins
    16:12 Plot and inspiration for When the Party’s Over
    20:23 Dreaming of being an author
    21:16 From journalism to fiction
    22:58 AWC courses that sparked the shift
    25:01 Writing her novel
    26:22 The usefulness of workshopping
    27:11 Nailing story structure
    29:57 Balancing subplot arcs
    33:01 Distinct voices
    36:06 Landing the book deal
    39:30 Advice for aspiring writers
    42:29 Final thoughts

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    49 mins
  • Writing Podcast Episode 716: Sarah Barrie invites you into her 'Dark Sanctuary'
    May 11 2026

    Australian bestselling crime author Sarah Barrie has a dozen books to her name, with her latest standalone thriller Dark Sanctuary, exploring the nuanced world of mental health support, prisons and more. In this episode, Sarah shares the serendipitous inspiration for this novel, the research process and POV choices she made, as well as turning back the clock to give insights into her equally serendipitous start into the world of writing!

    00:00 Welcome
    07:35 Writing tip: Put your writing out there!
    10:20 WIN!: The Couples Retreat by Mercedes Mercier
    13:06 Word of the week: ’Crepuscular’
    13:38 Writer in residence: Sarah Barrie
    14:49 Dark Sanctuary overview
    15:46 Inspiration and themes
    17:59 Three POV structure
    19:11 Podcast character angle
    20:49 Setting and research
    21:45 Prisons – psychology and programs
    24:34 Research and the findings
    25:30 Writing the detective character
    27:47 Editing and deadlines
    28:20 Farm life writing
    30:07 Mental health themes
    32:59 Sarah’s origin story
    34:56 Publishing breakthrough
    38:50 Advice for writers
    40:16 What’s next?
    41:29 Final thoughts

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    44 mins
  • Writing Podcast Episode 715: India-Rose Bower’s folk horror novel, 'We Call Them Witches'
    May 4 2026

    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 Welcome
    06:45 Writing tip: Don’t use AI for a pitch!
    08:05 WIN!: The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon
    9:57 Word of the week: ‘Mélange’
    10:17 Writer in residence: India-Rose Bower
    11:04 What is her book, We Call Them Witches about?
    12:22 Origins of the story
    15:02 Designing the eldritch ‘witches’
    17:02 Creating the first draft
    18:42 Entering a competition and securing an agent
    21:07 Selling yourself and the book
    22:21 Publicity and author life
    23:35 Writing around work and health issues
    25:29 Next book and research habits}
    28:41 India-Rose’s unique writing tip
    30:58 Final thoughts

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    34 mins
  • Writing Podcast Episode 714: Tina Strachan and the latest book in her Wilder Zoo middle-grade series
    Apr 27 2026

    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 Welcome
    06:45 Writing tip: Carry a tiny book around
    11:26 WIN!: The Angry Wives Club by Gabbie Stroud
    12:57 Word of the week: ‘Spicate’
    13:22 Writer in residence: Tina Strachan
    15:09 Wilder Zoo series overview
    17:20 Tina’s favourite koala fun fact
    18:19 Wildlife career origins
    21:54 The role of zoos and conservation
    25:05 Turning point to getting into writing
    27:02 Building a daily habit
    27:37 Entering a CYA competition
    31:22 Connecting with a publisher
    33:03 From samples to a series
    35:12 Courses and gaining confidence
    36:55 Building her author website
    38:25 Writing routine and its evolution
    42:07 School visits and writing festivals
    42:57 Illustrator collaboration
    44:52 Next books
    47:08 Tina shares some writing advice
    49:11 Final thoughts

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    52 mins
  • Writing Podcast Episode 713: George Kemp dishes up his debut novel, 'Soft Serve'
    Apr 20 2026

    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 Welcome
    10:51 Writing tip: Focus on positive feedback
    15:00 WIN!: Click by Sarah Bailey
    17:29 Word of the week: ‘Mensal’
    18:06 Writer in residence: George Kemp
    18:44 What his book Soft Serve is all about
    19:47 Origins and influences
    21:54 Novel versus script
    23:27 The differences between the two
    27:21 Defining the age range
    30:48 Small town limitations
    34:41 Unconventional dialogue and POV choices
    37:01 Acting skills in writing
    39:43 George’s writing routine
    42:54 The publication process
    45:54 Editing collaboration
    48:25 A writing tip
    50:13 Next projects
    51:03 Final thoughts

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    50 mins
  • Writing Podcast Episode 712: Penny Tangey asks the cosy-crime question, 'What Rhymes with Murder?'
    Apr 13 2026

    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 Welcome
    04:26 Writing tip: Listen to your characters
    08:00 WIN!: The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
    10:37 Word of the week: ‘Weltschmerz’
    11:30 Writer in residence: Penny Tangey
    12:07 Penny describes the book What Rhymes with Murder?
    12:52 Real-life inspirations for the book
    14:39 The quirky title
    15:32 The decision to write her first adult book
    17:36 The writing process and plotting
    18:38 Librarian life in the novel
    20:31 Building a cosy cast
    21:07 The timeline of writing the book
    21:50 Penny’s writing routine
    22:30 The biggest challenge
    23:41 Having for researching the book
    24:16 Finding an agent and new publisher
    27:58 Editing and sprinkling clues
    29:39 The overall themes of the book
    31:29 Next projects ahead
    32:02 Genre switching advice
    33:33 Cosy crime specific advice
    34:28 Librarian book pick
    35:58 Final thoughts

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    39 mins
  • Writing Podcast Episode 711: Emma Styles dives into her new crime thriller, 'The Shark'
    Apr 6 2026

    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 Welcome
    05:33 Writing tip: Don’t put off your writing dream
    08:28 WIN!: The Writers Retreat by Victoria Brownlee
    11:15 Word of the week: ‘Shallop’
    13:04 Writer in residence: Emma Styles
    14:42 Inspiration for the book
    18:00 Crafting characters
    21:21 Writing unlikable women
    24:30 Complex crime characters
    25:19 Why two young women?
    28:02 Alternating POV method
    29:22 Planning vs pantsing
    32:22 Adult crime not YA
    34:18 Landing The Shark book deal
    36:11 The supportive publishing world
    37:39 Writing about Australia from UK
    40:38 The setting for her next book
    43:10 Trusting your instincts
    44:16 Final thoughts

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    47 mins