Episodes
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I loved having the chance to catch up with Lisa Darcy again after the release of her most recent book, Christmas Actually!! We dove into topics like bringing real-life anecdotes and experiences into your writing, how to manage a complete storyline pivot suggestion from your editors, staying true to the kind of story you love to write and so much more...
Looking for a festive last-minute gift? Buy Lisa's book now:
Australia
USA
Connect with Lisa on her socials!
Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/lisadarcyauthor.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisadarcyauthor/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisadarcyauthor4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.darcy.author/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lisadarcyauthor?hl=en
(X)Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisadarcyauthor
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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I had the pleasure of connecting with one of my favourite Aussie authors and writerly friend, Dr Anita Heiss...not only did we talk about the second of her fantastic Historical Fiction novels, DIRRAYAWADHA, but so much more!
Listen in as Anita chats about how she's surrounded herself with her passions, what she does on a daily basis to get so much done related to each of those passions, how she finds balance when writing (sometimes) heavy storylines, finding the right fit publisher (and recognising that not every project is best fit for every publisher), how important her relationship with her agent has been over many years and more insight into her personal writerly process.
Follow her in these places:
https://www.anitaheiss.com
https://anitaheiss.substack.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dranitaheiss
Photo credit: Morgan Roberts
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Missing episodes?
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This week's talk is so important - not just for readers and writers, but for all of us, our friends, family, sisters, daughters, mums, neighbours...
Emma and Kat get into why bringing serious topics into pop culture is so vital, how the messaging is an important aspect of changing culture and what we might do if we recognise ourselves or our loved ones in the dynamic that is shared so truthfully in Emma's latest novel, Pictures of You!!
A review from IG (@karin.heartwell) of the book:
Pictures of You is the latest book by Canberra author @emmagreyauthor and it is a must-read.
Emma has tackled and mastered the topic of coercive control and emotional abuse in relationships while also giving readers hope that healthy relationships are possible, not just toxic ones.
It is a difficult read for me as it is a bit too close to home, having escaped a toxic relationship full of domestic violence. I have yet to experience a healthy relationship and while that seems way out of reach at times, Emma's writing gives me (and others, too) hope.
We must talk about abuse, every day, especially to boys growing up right now.
Things are changing but only so slowly.
More than 80 women have been killed in Australia this year alone due to domestic violence.
Men are still in positions of power where they get to abuse, hate and kill us and apparently, no one ever saw it coming because he has always been 'such a good bloke’.
Enough with this truth avoidance!
We must bring on change, in big and small ways. One way is to read Emma's book and talk about it with the boys and men in your life.
Books have always had the power to change the world for the better, and Pictures of You is no different.
Thank you, Emma, for this book.
Looking for assistance? The following resources may help...
USA Resources
National Hotline and resources
Domestic Violence Support | National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org)
Homepage | National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
Start By Believing – Ending the Cycle of Silence in Sexual Assault
AUS Resources
National Hotline and Resources
Home | 1800RESPECT
Public Awareness free training AUS
Public awareness workshops (dvalert.org.au)
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What a fantastic, fun convo this week with the incredible Australian top 25 fiction author, Tricia Stringer!!
This week, we chat about her process, the difference between author-directed vs character-directed writing/plotting, as well as the joy of embracing the editorial process - such fabulous insights!!
Check out Tricia's extensive backlist and social media here:
https://www.triciastringer.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/triciastringerauthor/
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week's chat with Shelley Davidow, author of The Girl With the Violin, was full of insight about the creative process... We chatted about her substantial backlist, the differences in writing memoir vs fiction and how each of them dance with truth!
Get your hands on a copy of her beautiful novel, The Girl With the Violin, and find out more about Shelley here:
https://shelleydavidow.com/
https://www.instagram.com/shelleydavidow/
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What a fabulous conversation this week with Andrea Barton, editor and author of fun new mystery, The Godfather of Dance! We specifically chatted about how she approaches her work as an editor vs her creative work as an author as well as the importance of Point of View in novel writing.
Check out more of what Andrea is up to here:
Author website: https://andreabartonauthor.com/
Editing website: https://brightsidestorystudio.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreabartonauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreabartonauthor/
X: https://twitter.com/AndreaBartonAu
#murder #ballroomdance
#familysecrets
#journalistinvestigation #betrayal
#loyalty #siblingrivalry #fictionbooks
#debutauthor #Intrigue #Secrets
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
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This week I got to talk with Jane Tara about her fantastic new book, TILDA IS VISIBLE (available now in Australia and soon-to-be released in the US)!
We chatted about Jane's process of writing a novel where she intentionally added more of herself to the fictional storyline, the beauty of making friends with that internal critic, what women deal with 'at a certain age', how meditation has been a game changer for her and so much more. Love, love, loved this chat!
Discover more about Jane Tara here:
https://www.janetara.com/
https://instagram.com/authorjanetara
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week we talk to Writers Talking favourites, Lorissa Rinehart and Tracy Dawson, getting an update on book deals, TED talks and more!
Listen in as we chat about the differing paths to publication, how to build your writerly resilience, the way to embrace manifesting in your writing career (even if you hate the concept of 'manifesting') and why it's more important than ever to learn about (and share) the incredible stories of women in history.
Don't forget to check out the work both Lorissa and Tracy are doing by clicking the links to their websites and social pages:
https://www.lorissarinehart.com/
https://tracydawson.net/
https://instagram.com/lorissa_rinehart
https://instagram.com/dawsontracy
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Welcome back as we get started with Season 3 of Writers Talking!
In this episode, we chat with the ever-insightful Sara Foster, author of multiple books, including the upcoming thriller WHEN SHE WAS GONE. In our conversation, Sara shares what she's observed about the limits of verbal communication, how it affects our understanding of each other and the ways she has begun to explore the other kinds of communication between characters in her stories to show rather than tell. Really thought-provoking and undoubtedly only the start of a compelling and ongoing conversation!
Check out Sara's website here: https://www.sarafoster.com.au/
And keep your eye out for pre-orders to open on WHEN SHE WAS GONE, available everywhere April 2025!
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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At the end of an incredible year on the podcast, we wrap up Writers Talking with one of our favourite regular writers, the gorgeous Emma Grey, author of The Last Love Note!
From her Australian book launch in January to a spectacular US launch in November, Emma shares her takeaways from all the excitement (that's still growing!) and challenge of travelling to promote a deeply personal story. On a personal note from my end, it has been beautiful to watch so many readers connect with her writerly voice and heart. We talk about the highlights of her US tour, and those things she might try to tweak next time.
Haven't got your hands on a copy of The Last Love Note yet?!! Check out all things Emma here:
https://www.emmagrey.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/emmagreyauthor
And if you've loved any (or ALL) of the Writers Talking episodes this year, PLEASE share our pod with your friends and followers!
https://www.instagram.com/writers_talking_podcast
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
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If you love to read fictionalised history, I think you're going to love today's convo! Angie Elita Newell has written one of the most ambitious novels I've read in a long time. Not only does she manage to draw readers in with multiple POVs and timelines, but she also provides empathetic yet realistic characters who bridge the gaps between the history we've been taught and the reality so many other people lived.
To get your hands on a copy of ALL I SEE IS VIOLENCE and to learn more about Angie, her work and her new podcast, check out her website here:
https://www.angieelitanewell.com/
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week's conversation with Steph Vizard felt fabulously on brand with the themes in her book!
Steph’s debut novel, The Love Contract, won the Banjo Prize for fiction. and we discussed everything from how she managed the time to write while on maternity leave to the similarities between her 'day job' and her practice as a writer. We were in total agreement about what makes a swoon-worthy leading man and how looking more closely at societal expectations (and making the needed shifts) can help men AND women navigate family life and work life.
To get your hands on a copy of Steph's fabulous book and find out more about her:
https://www.stephvizard.com/
https://www.instagram.com/stephevizard/
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
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If you have wondered about swapping between script writing and novel writing (or have already given it a go) you're going to love today's episode!
Alli Parker is not only an incredibly experienced screen editor and coordinator, but she's now written an incredibly powerful novelisation of her own family's experience - a historical fiction story about Australia's first war bride from Japan. Alli generously shares her experience in choosing to fictionalise versus strict biography, how to manage editorial notes, moving past your own creative hurdles and more. We'll definitely be getting Alli back to share more behind-the-scenes insights as it felt like we just got started!
Grab a copy of her gorgeous book and find out more about here:
http://www.alliparker.com/
https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460763520/at-the-foot-of-the-cherry-tree/
https://www.instagram.com/alliparkerwriter/
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week I had the pleasure of chatting with fabulous London-based author Ivy Ngeow. Not only does she share how her writing process has shifted, but which aspects of her own personality and experience find their way into her novels, making her psychological thrillers totally unique to her!
Find out more about Ivy and her books here:
https://writengeow.com/
https://www.instagram.com/authorivyngeow
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week we got to chat with the ever-engaging Lorissa Rinehart and Tracy Dawson to catch up on what they've been up to since our last convo!
We dove into the beauty of modern research options, the democratisation of so many aspects of writing as an industry, ways we should be wary of AI (and the ways we shouldn't fret too much over), the HUGE win writers in the US are celebrating and SO. MUCH, MORE. Safe to say, we'll be fitting in another chat again soon.
If you haven't yet gotten your hands on their books, please do (highly recommend as required reading!):
Tracy Dawson
https://tracydawson.net/
https://www.instagram.com/dawsontracy
https://www.twitter.com/dawsontracy
If you need more encouragement to check out Let Me Be Frank, look at these endorsements!
"An entertaining, astonishing collection celebrating the diverse trailblazers who disguised themselves as men...Let Me Be Frank is a witty, sometimes infuriating, wholly inspiring look at the lengths that women had to go to." - Buzzfeed
“A smart, funny journey through history that introduces us to the rule breakers who made history worth traveling through. So well-written.”—Patton Oswalt
“Tracy has such a gift for storytelling and making history leap off the page. Her book has a wit that suggests it was written by a man since everyone knows women aren't this funny.”—Kay Cannon
Lorissa Rinehart
https://lorissarinehart.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lorissa_rinehart
Lorissa's book, First to the Front, is out NOW and getting huge buzz...
"Jam-packed with colorful details and incisive character sketches, this is a vivid reappraisal of a pioneering journalist." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"An astonishing story...exquisite. After reading this enthralling book, now, when someone asks, 'What three people from history would you have over for dinner?' My first choice is easy: At the head of the table is the incomparable Dickey Chapelle. Next to her, the other two guests will be fighting for table scraps." ―Buddy Levy, author of Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk
"An extraordinary story, told with cinematic flair. Chapelle's groundbreaking career should be studied in every journalism school in the country. Rinehart's vivid prose makes us feel like we're right there with her through all her trials and triumphs." ―J. Martin Daughtry, author of Listening to War: Sound, Music, Trauma, and Survival in Wartime Iraq
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week's convo sees us back to one of our fabulous panels with Nina Campbell, Emma Grey and Rachael Morgan, talking all about the dissonance between our expectations vs reality when it comes to our writerly life.
Often online, in social and mainstream media we can see all of the exciting aspects of an author's life, but what does it *actually* look and feel like behind the scenes? Does the experience match up to our expectations? I loved how open and honest all three of these writers have been about the peaks and troughs (and enormous levels of 'efforting') that are going on between these snapshot moments.
Check out more details about what everyone has been up to on their websites and socials"
Nina Campbell
https://ninadcampbell.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/NinaDCampbellwrites
https://www.instagram.com/nina.d.campbell.author/
Emma Grey
https://www.emmagrey.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/emmagreyauthor
https://www.instagram.com/emmagreyauthor/
Rachael Morgan
https://www.therealzerofox.com/
https://www.facebook.com/realzerofox
https://www.instagram.com/therealzerofox/
And here's an interesting thread from FB that shows how many writers struggle... https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02m3khDoYTXayLGBUdDMEJrU3HxvDRZHQEKidL7j9XCrpKGohHGvaVtYynFe2bZMzEl&id=100057764975418&mibextid=CDWPTG
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
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This week's chat with the author of Why You Feel the Way You Do, Reneau Peurifoy, was filled with so much great info for every type of writer! We talked about how he shifted his knowledge from individual sessions, to an old-school cassette-delivered course, to an incredibly successful book called Anxiety, Phobias & Panic: Taking Charge and Conquering Fear.
Reneau talks openly about the importance of learning to take good critical feedback to ensure your writing will make sense to your ideal readers. He shares his process, how he gets good beta readers and a bit about his own experience in the subjective nature of feedback from traditional publishing.
This newest book by Reneau Peurifoy can help writers, not only with their own core emotional patterns day-to-day, but in creating characters who resonate deeply with readers!
Find more info about Reneau and his work here:
https://www.whyemotions.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@reneaupeurifoy2956
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What a great, truth-filled convo! Louisa Deasey, two time published memoir author, joined me to chat through her experience in getting her first memoir published.
Not only did we cover her incredible (and really kind of shocking!) first publisher meeting along with what she's learnt along the way about how literary memoir is often misunderstood, what it takes to really write a compelling memoir as a debut author and we dive into so much more. This ep was already so chock full of great stories, we decided to make it Part 1 of 2, so stay tuned!!
To learn more about Louisa and check out all that she offers writers...
https://louisadeasey.com/
https://www.instagram.com/louisadeasey
https://www.youtube.com/@LouisaDeaseytv
To connect with Anjanette, you can email: anjanette (at) storyaslife.com
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This week we welcome back the lovely Monique Mulligan, author of Wildflower, which is set for re-release worldwide with Bloodhound Books on 10 August.
As always, a vulnerable writerly convo where we chatted about the serious themes in her book, letting a younger voice highlight some of the unexpected ramifications on family and community where domestic violence is seen & heard, but not addressed and so much more!
Monique shared her experience with coming back to her own writing after feeling disconnected (for a longer time than she'd expected) and we both chat about ways to move through the ebbs and flows that all writers can expect to experience. I think more emerging authors need to hear the truth of what working writers (all) go through as they navigate their creative expression in the real world!
To find out more about Monique and to get your hands on her gorgeous book...
https://moniquemulligan.com/
https://www.instagram.com/moniquemulliganauthor/
https://www.facebook.com/MoniqueMulliganAuthor
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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If you have a preference for novels and don't understand the appeal of biography and history, THIS is the episode for you! Not only are both of today's writers brilliant, they are both women who are passionate about uncovering the real stories that have been hidden in history for far too long.
Lorissa joins us again to talk with Tracy Dawson about how they each came to their book writing process, how they sold their first manuscripts and the path toward selling their second. They each share some surprises they've learnt along the way as well as their excitement about bringing MORE readers to a genre that may be overlooked by female readers. This was a definitely a convo that will have a part 2, so jump in to hear what these fabulous writers shared...
If you haven't yet gotten your hands on their books, please do (highly recommend as required reading!):
Tracy Dawson
https://tracydawson.net/
https://www.instagram.com/dawsontracy
https://www.twitter.com/dawsontracy
If you need more encouragement to check out Let Me Be Frank, look at these endorsements!
"An entertaining, astonishing collection celebrating the diverse trailblazers who disguised themselves as men...Let Me Be Frank is a witty, sometimes infuriating, wholly inspiring look at the lengths that women had to go to." - Buzzfeed
“A smart, funny journey through history that introduces us to the rule breakers who made history worth traveling through. So well-written.”—Patton Oswalt
“Tracy has such a gift for storytelling and making history leap off the page. Her book has a wit that suggests it was written by a man since everyone knows women aren't this funny.”—Kay Cannon
Lorissa Rinehart
https://lorissarinehart.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lorissa_rinehart
Lorissa's book, First to the Front, is out NOW and getting huge buzz...
"Jam-packed with colorful details and incisive character sketches, this is a vivid reappraisal of a pioneering journalist." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"An astonishing story...exquisite. After reading this enthralling book, now, when someone asks, 'What three people from history would you have over for dinner?' My first choice is easy: At the head of the table is the incomparable Dickey Chapelle. Next to her, the other two guests will be fighting for table scraps." ―Buddy Levy, author of Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk
"An extraordinary story, told with cinematic flair. Chapelle's groundbreaking career should be studied in every journalism school in the country. Rinehart's vivid prose makes us feel like we're right there with her through all her trials and triumphs." ―J. Martin Daughtry, author of Listening to War: Sound, Music, Trauma, and Survival in Wartime Iraq
We'd love for you to follow and share our Writers Talking convos with your friends and writerly network! https://plus.acast.com/s/writers-talking.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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