This 'inbetweenisode' is part of our Story Sessions series featuring 'Starting From Scratch' by Penelope Janu. Return to the town of Horseshoe Hill and Sapphie Brown as she grapples with her injured pride, and questions if it's standing in the way of true love. Narrated by the author herself, we bring bookshop browsing to you in this episode with the first chapter of this charming rural romance.

Read the show notes

Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook
Visit WritersCentre.com.au | AllisonTait.com | ValerieKhoo.com

This 'inbetweenisode' is part of our Story Sessions series featuring 'Starting From Scratch' by Penelope Janu. Return to the town of Horseshoe Hill and Sapphie Brown as she grapples with her injured pride, and questions if it's standing in the way of true love. Narrated by the author herself, we bring bookshop browsing to you in this episode with the first chapter of this charming rural romance.
<a href="https://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/ep-380/">Read the show notes</a>
Connect with Valerie, Allison and listeners in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2346749828883788/">the podcast community on Facebook</a> Visit <a href="https://www.writerscentre.com.au/">WritersCentre.com.au</a> | <a href="https://allisontait.com/">AllisonTait.com</a> | <a href="http://valeriekhoo.com/">ValerieKhoo.com</a>

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. 

Everything you&rsquo;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 &ndash;&nbsp;author, journalist, creative and CEO of the Australian Writers&rsquo; Centre.&nbsp;

So You Want to be a Writer

WRITER 380: Penelope Janu's 'Starting from Scratch' [Story Sessions series]

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

UK-based queer author Curtis Garner burst onto the scene a few years ago with his debut novel, Isaac. Now he&rsquo;s back with Orange &ndash; 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: &lsquo;Ensorcell&rsquo; 16:26 Interview with: Curtis Garner 17:00 Describing Orange 19:15 Creating the characters 20:20 Themes and clich&eacute;s 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&rsquo;s next? 50:25 Writing advice summary 51:33 Final thoughts
<a href="https://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/ep-735/">Read the show notes</a>
Connect with Valerie and listeners in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2346749828883788/">the podcast community on Facebook</a> Visit <a href="https://www.writerscentre.com.au/">WritersCentre.com.au</a> |&nbsp;<a href="http://valeriekhoo.com/">ValerieKhoo.com</a>

Writing Podcast Episode 735: Curtis Garner explores identity in new novel, 'Orange'

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

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: &lsquo;Croze&rsquo; 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&rsquo;s next? 50:00 Writing tip 52:11 Book recommendations 53:40 Final thoughts
<a href="https://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/ep-734/">Read the show notes</a>
Connect with Valerie and listeners in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2346749828883788/">the podcast community on Facebook</a> Visit <a href="https://www.writerscentre.com.au/">WritersCentre.com.au</a> |&nbsp;<a href="http://valeriekhoo.com/">ValerieKhoo.com</a>

Writing Podcast Episode 734: Emma J. Warrender talks all things 'Driven'

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

Want to go to Mars? The main character in Jordan Prosser&rsquo;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&rsquo;t miss this one &ndash; it&rsquo;s &lsquo;out of this world&rsquo;!
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: &lsquo;Epicene&rsquo; 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&rsquo;s next? 47:47 Writing tip 51:07 Final thoughts
<a href="https://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/ep-733/">Read the show notes</a>
Connect with Valerie and listeners in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2346749828883788/">the podcast community on Facebook</a> Visit <a href="https://www.writerscentre.com.au/">WritersCentre.com.au</a> |&nbsp;<a href="http://valeriekhoo.com/">ValerieKhoo.com</a>

WRITER 380: Penelope Janu's 'Starting from Scratch' [Story Sessions series]

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