So You Want to be a Writer

Real-life pharmacist and acclaimed British author Amit Dhand says the only difference between medicine and poison is the dose – a fantastic backdrop for his most recent books, of which The Kingpin is his latest. In this episode, Amit (writing as A.A. Dhand) explores the world of crime/thriller, his singular approach to writing and his own slate as a storyteller. 00:00 Welcome 11:45 Writing tip: Finding adverbs 14:47 Writers in the wild: Annika 16:20 WIN: The Centre by Hannah Tunicliffe 17:48 Word of the week: “Dudgeon” 18:38 Interview with A.A. Dhand 19:21 What The Kingpin is about 20:40 Setting and pharmacy authenticity 26:19 Write what you emotionally know 28:00 Why crime stories? 29:22 Research and realism 35:15 Pharmacy as a thriller world 40:37 Writing routine and process 46:18 What’s next? 49:08 Writing tip 50:35 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.

Are YOU a middle child? Author and AWC grad Seetha Dodd is, and that’s just one of the parallels between her life and the characters in her debut junior-fiction novel, Myra in the Middle – a fabulous take on finding your place in your family, and the world. In this episode, Seetha discusses how she found her way back to writing and her experience bringing this book and its characters to life. 00:00 Welcome 06:28 Writing tip: Take part in Furious Fiction! 09:02 WIN: Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli 10:18: Word of the week: “Darkle” 11:11 Interview with Seetha Dodd 13:55 Furious Fiction beginnings 19:23 Courses and confidence 24:28 The importance of community 27:25 About her book, Myra in the Middle 28:53 Culture on the page 31:05 The book’s themes 32:42 Working with an illustrator 34:03 The pitching, editing and publication timeline 38:56 Writing picture books 43:20 Writing advice 44:34 Book recommendations 47:00 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.

Glasses are a necessity for some, a curiosity for others, and even a status symbol in other contexts. So when Sydney-based academic Adam Geczy was tasked with writing about this ubiquitous item for the Object Lessons book series, how did he go about it (without making a spectacle of himself)? In this episode, Adam discusses the experience researching and writing Glasses , along with insights from an academic POV on the craft of writing in general. 00:00 Welcome 09:08 Writing tip: Make time to read 12:26 WIN: Garden of Lost Girls by A.L. Tait 13:46 Word of the week “Adsorb” 14:36 Interview with Adam Geczy 15:15 What Glasses Is about 17:49 Pitching for the Object Lessons series 22:11 Adam’s writing process and editing 28:38 Style and voice shifts 30:57 Staying adaptable 32:55 Writing without fear 35:40 Time discipline ‘hacks’ 38:34 Linear drafting method 41:59 Manual research workflow 43:09 Owning your craft 45:09 Publicity and marketing 46:25 What’s next? 49:52 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.

Some authors dream of writing when they’re young but leave it behind to focus on another career. But not Bridie Blake, who instead quit university and made her work fit around her publishing aspirations. After pivoting from YA to romance, she published her debut rom-com novel, The Boyfriend Clause , and in this episode, AWC grad Bridie shares the writing courses that changed her fortunes and her experience seeing her book on the shelves. 00:00 Welcome 10:23 Writing tip: Explore art 13:16 WIN: The Lady with the Dog by Carrie Tiffany 14:32 Word of the Week “Reify” 15:20 Interview with Bridie Blake 16:42 Explaining The Boyfriend Clause 17:49 Early writing dreams 20:12 Day jobs and persistence 22:09 AWC courses and getting feedback 25:36 Pivoting to adult rom-com 27:25 Romance course lessons 29:47 Bridie’s writing process 30:59 Morning writer mindset 33:15 Balancing humour and heart 34:12 Choosing Australian publishing 37:33 The “yes” email moment 39:45 Promoting her books 40:52 What’s next? 41:49 Her writing technique evolution 45:51 Bridie’s writing tip 47:15 Theme of the book 48:13 Book recommendations 49:57 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.

Imagine being married to one of literature’s most famous wordsmiths and having him describe your life as “a blank”. This is the reputation that Charles Dickens’ wife Kate of 22 years – with whom he had 10 children – has endured for 150 years. But in author Emily Howes’ new novel Mrs Dickens , she seeks to fill in those blanks. In this episode, Emily shares her inspirations for choosing this historical figure and the challenges of reimagining history. 00:00 Welcome 08:28 Writing Tip: Try something new 11:55 WIN: The German Ward by Pip Williams 13:16 Word of the Week: “Pertinacious” 14:14 Interview with Emily Howes 15:02 Why Mrs Dickens matters 16:50 Inspirations for the novel 22:23 Researching her life 24:01 Turning facts into fiction 25:35 What stayed and what was cut 30:02 Second POV character: Anne 35:57 Balancing work and writing 38:48 Emily’s writing breakthrough 43:22 What’s next? 45:48 Writing tip 47:31 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.

Scottish-Australian author and AWC grad Judith Katherine went from being crippled by fear about sharing her writing to publishing her debut novel, Simply Beside Herself . In this episode, Judith shares the lockdown routine that unlocked her new writing path, the courses that changed the game and some of the valuable lessons she learnt along the way. She also shares insights into her book’s theme of dissociation. 00:00 Welcome 13:30 Writing tip: Focus on the work 16:00 WIN: Secrets of the New Online Entrepreneurs by Bernadette Schwerdt 19:02 Word of the week: ‘Onomastic’ 19:44 Interview with: Judith Catherine 21:33 Describing Simply Beside Herself – themes and inspiration 23:55 Back story and finding writing 25:00 Discovering AWC courses 26:35 Judith’s writing breakthrough 30:30 The value of community and sharing work 32:28 Writing the novel – dissociation story hook 35:10 The timeline to publication 39:04 Editing lessons learned 42:16 Writing process chaos 44:35 Getting the book deal 47:04 Judith’s advice for writers 49:47 Reading recommendations 51:37 The book’s opening Rumi quote 54:03 What’s next? 55:23 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.

UK-based queer author Curtis Garner burst onto the scene a few years ago with his debut novel, Isaac . Now he’s back with Orange – a coming of age novel that explores two characters as they grapple with a sense of identity and place across a five-year span. In this episode, Curtis shares his inspirations for this novel, his writing process and tips, plus why sex scenes in books should have less fluff! 00:00 Welcome 09:09 Writing tip: Public transport 13:46 WIN: Last Night I Dreamt by Paul de Zulueta 15:32 Word of the week: ‘Ensorcell’ 16:26 Interview with: Curtis Garner 17:00 Describing Orange 19:15 Creating the characters 20:20 Themes and clichés of place 23:35 London as a setting 26:27 Two timeline structure 28:30 Writing sex scenes honestly 33:33 Deadlines and drafting 35:00 Rage behind the debut 40:03 Writing around a day job 42:25 Collecting notes daily 44:35 The perils of overplanning 46:15 Writing what you care about 48:53 What’s next? 50:25 Writing advice summary 51:33 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.

From the ice rinks to the locker rooms, sports-related romance is sizzling HOT right now. So perhaps it comes as no surprise that AWC graduate and debut author Emma J. Warrender found herself in a fast and furious bidding war for her street-racing-romance, Driven ! In this episode, she shares that story, how she got an agent, plus the book character who was inspired by a very special real-life friend. 00:00 Welcome 11:12 Writing tip: Meet your heroes! 15:05 WIN: A Word for All Seasons by David Crystal 16:50 Word of the week: ‘Croze’ 17:39 Interview with: Emma J. Warrender 18:42 Describing Driven 19:38 Inspirations 21:03 The characters 23:00 Fiction beginnings 26:02 Chucky 28:00 Connecting with AWC courses 34:00 Agents and querying 40:08 Editing the manuscript 41:11 The submission stage 44:40 Bidding war 46:33 Promotion experience 48:55 What’s next? 50:00 Writing tip 52:11 Book recommendations 53:40 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.

Want to go to Mars? The main character in Jordan Prosser’s new novel Blue Giant certainly does, and will stop at nothing to achieve this goal. In this episode, Jordan explores the origins of this story, the intriguing cast of characters and how writing a novel differs from other forms of writing he does. Don’t miss this one – it’s ‘out of this world’! 00:00 Welcome 09:10 Writing tip: Fridge poems online 11:20 Writers in the wild 12:40 WIN: The Extraordinary Florence Stoker by Karen Brooks 14:45 Word of the week: ‘Epicene’ 15:42 Interview with: Jordan Prosser 16:24 Describing Blue Giant 18:00 Origins of the story 20:10 Exploring the cast of characters 31:05 Fitting novel writing into everyday life 33:33 Prioritising writing 37:48 The publishing journey 41:20 Differences between fiction and script writing 44:06 Genre defining 46:06 What’s next? 47:47 Writing tip 51:07 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.

With a mountain of rejections, AWC grad Leearna Shaw was ready to throw in the proverbial towel with her dream of novel writing. But just a few years later, her rural romance A Farm in Golden Clouds wins the Romance Writers of Australia’s Emerald Award and she lands a 2-book publishing deal! So what happened in the middle to set this success story in motion? In this episode, Leearna shares it all. 00:00 Welcome 09:10 Writing tip: Help other writers 11:48 Writers in the wild 13:08 WIN: Realms of Gold by A.J. MacKinnon 14:48 Word of the week: ‘Heirophant’ 15:40 Interview with: Leearna Shaw 17:00 Description of A Farm in Golden Clouds 18:15 Inspirations for the book 20:22 Her early writing dreams 22:20 Getting rejections 24:00 Discovering AWC courses 28:40 Winning the Emerald Award 32:00 Scoring a 2-book deal 38:00 The importance of the writing community 41:10 Advice for writers 42:46 Book recommendations 45:28 Promotion experiences 47:50 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.

Have you ever sat on a train and wondered about the lives of the other passengers? Author Samantha Sotto Yambao certainly has. In fact, she’s written a book based on that very concept! In this episode, Samantha shares her experience crafting and publishing her new novel, The Elsewhere Express , the unique lit scene in the Philippines and the manuscript that ended up becoming a donor for her other books! 00:00 Welcome 09:40 Writing tip: Doodling words 12:02 Writers in the wild 13:16 WIN: She Lied First by Dinuka McKenzie 15:00 Word of the week: ‘Noctambulism’ 15:57 Interview with: Samantha Sotto Yambao 16:33 Describing The Elsewhere Express 18:00 Crafting the characters 22:00 Using an ambiguous location 23:40 Samantha’s writing and publishing journey 27:40 Getting an agent and published 35:30 Paralysed by fear 39:00 Current book experience: reboot 47:10 The unique Philippine literature scene 51:00 Thoughts on other genres 52:07 What’s next? 55:20 Writing tip 56:28 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com k See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wanted a step-by-step insight into building a novel? Well, in this episode, you have access to bestselling author Kate Forsyth’s note-taking, research and writing process in the creation of her latest novel, The Changeling ! It’s a fascinating look into the actual nuts and bolts of crafting a story, from idea to finished edit – including mistakes made along the way! Kate generously shares her methods in this special episode and a bonus Q&A session, with a link to the video available in the show notes. 00:00 Welcome 05:44 Writers in the wild 06:56 WIN: Bad Neighbours by Joanna Jenkins 08:25 Word of the week: ‘Pyroclastic’ 09:22 Kate Forsyth: Behind the scenes of The Changeling 12:56 Beginnings 14:10 Stage one of the process 18:58 Timelines 23:00 Building the protagonist’s story 26:01 Relevance to today 27:00 Asking questions 30:32 Key dates and weaving the story into them 31:48 On location research 34:06 New beginnings 36:38 Narrative structure 40:00 Thematic structure 41:48 Building the word count 43:55 The editing process 48:03 Q&A 62:35 Final thoughts You can access a free video version of Kate’s session, go here . 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.

Train platforms are fascinating people-watching locations. And if you’ve ever sat and imagined the lives of the strangers standing next to you, UK-based author Ilona Bannister’s new psychological thriller Five may be for you. In this podcast episode, Ilona discusses her inspiration for the book and her own path to writing, along with insights into her daily writing practice. 00:00 Welcome 03:09 Writing tip: Hobbies help you write better 07:38 Writers in the wild 09:06 WIN: Nutcote: Home of May Gibbs by Fiona Starr 11:45 Word of the week: ‘Irredentism’ 12:42 Interview with: Ilona Bannister 13:16 The premise of Five 15:56 Why a train platform? 18:15 Building the five characters 20:20 Creating a strong narrative voice 23:30 Morally ‘grey’ characters 24:52 Writing for readers 26:33 London versus New York 28:20 Finding the ending 30:21 Ilona’s path from lawyer to novelist 36:09 Publishing during lockdown 38:10 Writing routines as a parent 39:48 Networking and its benefits 43:10 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.

Same-sex couples fought long for marriage equality, but finally getting it didn’t necessarily equate to ‘happily ever after’. That’s the area UK-based bestselling author Tom Rob Smith explores in his new novel Twenty Years Together – inspired by how legalisation of gay marriage changed the psychology of long-term relationships. In this episode, Tom discusses the inspiration behind telling this nuanced love story and his own journey as a writer. 00:00 Welcome 04:24 Writing tip: Active vs. Reactive characters 10:04 WIN: The Warrumbar by William J. Byrne 11:48 Word of the Week: ‘Incrassate’ 12:37 Interview with: Tom Rob Smith 13:45 Twenty Years Together premise 15:24 Defining the genre 19:17 Plotting and outlining process 21:54 Finding the right ending 23:24 Queer love story influences 26:48 Midlife marriage thought experiment 31:50 Publishing his debut Child 44 35:45 Success and self doubt 39:02 Balancing books and TV 43:37 Disciplined writing routine 46:55 Connecting with readers 48:50 Tom shares a writing tip 51:33 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.

Every day we experience ‘sliding doors moments’ – those decisions we make that unwittingly affect the future. In this episode, bestselling author Petronella McGovern explores this concept through her own life and via the plot of her latest novel, Every Time She Wakes . As well as sharing the inspiration and research into this story, she also shares the evolution of her life as a writer and advice for writers wanting to grow their wordcount. 00:00 Welcome 09:04 Writing tip: Stop thinking, start writing 11:20 Writers in the wild 14:26 WIN: When the Party’s Over by Katie Hoskins 15:56 Word of the Week: ‘Futz’ 16:51 Interview with: Petronella McGovern 18:57 Elevator pitch for Every Time She Wakes 20:44 Inspiration for the novel 22:54 Bushfire setting 26:45 Structure and research 29:38 The mind-bending rules of time travel 30:37 Suze’s identity 34:54 Editing a time loop story 36:01 Evolving as a writer 38:58 Personal sliding doors moments 41:48 Early reading and writing influences 44:41 Petronella’s writing routine 47:08 Craft tip to beat perfectionism 49:01 Book recommendations and one last question 52:14 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.

Do you believe in second chances? In this episode, author Michelle Wright discusses her new novel Good Boy – about a long-term prisoner who joins a dog rehabilitation program and is assigned a troubled pooch he renames ‘Good Boy’. Michelle talks about the story’s inspiration, reasons for setting it in its particular time period, the double meaning behind the title and more. 00:00 Welcome 07:55 Writing tip: Call yourself a writer! 11:15 Writers in the wild 13:59 WIN: Whistler by Ann Patchett 15:19 Word of the week: ‘Glabrous’ 16:16 Interview with: Michelle Wright 16:59 Overview of new book, Good Boy 18:08 Origins and prison research 21:10 Planning process 23:52 ‘Beat sheet’ method 25:27 Why set it in 1997? 27:56 Naming Good Boy ’ 30:36 Why short stories matter 33:33 Short vs. novel ideas 36:24 Michelle’s publishing breakthrough 38:09 Redefining writer success 39:44 Next novel plans 41:10 Tip: Find your own process 43:05 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.

Are YOU curious about self publishing? Wondering how much you can make from it and how it differs from traditional publishing? In this episode, prolific self-published author Matt Rogers shares his experience writing three or four novels a year and selling more than a million copies! He also talks about his move to traditional publishing in 2025 – including his latest novel, The Damned , as well as some unique writing methods he employs in his routine and much much more! 00:00 Welcome 03:39 Graduate spotlight 07:55 Writing tip: Don’t give up after your start! 12:12 WIN: Murder Most Delicious by Danielle Postel-Vinay 14:20 Word of the Week: ‘Accoutre’ 15:07 Interview with: Matt Rogers 16:19 Matt’s early writing origins 18:28 Self-publishing breakthrough 22:02 Transcribing for craft 25:33 Prolific output and bookstores 29:15 Influences and endorsements 32:47 Self-publishing hustle 35:41 From indie to bookstores 37:55 Matt describes his new books 41:02 Embedding philosophy inside thrillers 44:21 Ideas and writing routine 47:24 Editing workflow and wordcounts 50:13 Self versus traditional publishing 53:33 Writing advice and reading recommendations 57:22 What’s next? 58:20 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.

We love books about books, and bestselling Canadian author Emily Austin’s latest novel Is This a Cry for Help? explores the subject through the lens of a librarian returning to the job after a breakdown. As well as the book’s themes, Emily also shares her own parallels to the story, writing and reading with dyslexia, her approach to book promotion and a random writing tip! 00:00 Welcome 02:54 Graduate spotlight 08:35 Writing tip: Keep things happening 11:02 Writers in the wild 12:20 WIN: Code Name Funnel Web by Camille Booker 14:05 Word of the Week: ‘Glyph’ 15:32 Interview with: Emily Austin 16:38 Inspiration for her library-themed book 18:45 Emily’s writing process at the beginning 22:02 Exploring the breakdown of the main character 28:14 Dyslexia and reading hacks 30:17 Libraries under fire 33:26 Emily’s publishing journey 36:20 Writing in manic sprints 37:47 Introvert on publicity 39:45 What’s next? 40:56 Emily’s random writing tip 42:37 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.

After a first-hand experience with a witch, author and AWC graduate Inessa Jackson started researching the real world Wiccan community, and the result was her debut crime/thriller novel, Devil Mountain . In this episode, Inessa generously shares her quirky writing process, her experience learning the craft, publishing timeline and more! 00:00 Welcome 04:17 Graduate spotlight 10:21 Writing tip: Name your characters 14:07 Writers in the wild 16:35 WIN: The Divorce by Freida McFadden 18:11 Word of the week: ‘Derrick’ 18:58 Interview with: Inessa Jackson 20:00 Inessa describes Devil Mountain 21:13 Inspirations for the book 23:00 Themes of the novel 24:30 Researching witches for the book 26:04 The timeline to writing the novel 28:00 What drew Inessa to the crime-thriller genre? 29:30 Inessa’s experience with AWC 30:47 Her Write Your Novel experience 32:22 Crime and structure courses 33:22 Post-It note plotting 34:53 Daily writing routine 36:52 Getting the publishing deal 41:34 What readers take away 44:29 Inessa’s writing tip 46:53 Book recommendations 48:28 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.

Is food your love language? It certainly is for bestselling author and AWC graduate Anna Johnston – brought to life through her new novel, When Lemons Give You Life . In this episode, Anna dishes up the inspiration and character creation for this latest book and the challenges, strategies and superpowers of being an author with ADHD. She also shares how she deals with writing tough scenes, her writing workflow, and advice for writers. 00:00 Welcome 11:18 Writing tip: Cut the Starting Scene 13:24 Writers in the wild 14:51 WIN: The Bookshop of Buried Pasts by Sarah Clutton 16:42 Word of the week: Jakes 17:14 Writer in residence: Anna Johnston 18:16 Anna explains new book, When Lemons Give You Life 20:21 Story themes and origins 24:02 Research and authenticity 27:10 POV structure and flashbacks 29:22 Editing and deadlines 32:45 What she learned from AWC courses 35:20 ADHD writing strategies 38:06 Letting characters go 41:34 Organising notes and workflow 43:25 Balancing writing life 44:39 Publicity and events 46:40 Next book plans 47:26 Anna’s advice for writers 49:28 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.