Just how different is it in the city compared to the country? Former co-host Allison Tait returns to discuss capturing that feeling in her latest middle-grade novel, Willow Bright’s Secret Plot (writing as A.L.Tait) – as well as teasing some of her other books coming out and how she balances it all!

00:00 Welcome
08:02 Writing tip: Be proud of your own work
10:12 WIN!: I Want Everything by Dominic Amerena
12:02 Word of the week: ‘Lagniappe’
15:24 Writer in residence: A.L Tait
16:01 Recap on Allison’s life lately
21:53 Defining middle grade
24:55 Her latest book, Willow Bright’s Secret Plot
26:35 Inspiration behind the story
29:48 The ideas file – the ‘wows’ and ‘whys’
36:47 Upcoming projects and writing rhythm
37:56 Danger Road – a middle-grade crime novel
45:59 Allison’s drafting process
47:30 Hiding clues through books without plotting
48:45 A third secret book on the way
52:20 Why ‘A.L.Tait’ and not ‘Allison Tait’?
53:58 The ‘Your Kids Next Read’ podcast
54:45 Final thoughts

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Australian columnist Kasey Edwards has published 10 books, with her latest memoir Goodbye Good Girl, Hello Me exploring self-love and societal expectations and what it means to be a woman. In this episode, Kasey discusses the process of writing the book, her research methods, dealing with rejection and tips for memoir writing.

00:00 Welcome
04:34 Writing tip: Borrowing books online
10:06 WIN!: When She Was Gone by Sarah Foster
12:04 Word of the week: ‘Pantagruelian’
13:40 Writer in residence: Kasey Edwards
14:30 Thoughts on growing up as a girl
16:31 Defining Goodbye Good Girl, Hello Me
21:00 Researching to solve problems
23:59 The healing power of sharing your truth
24:51 Facing criticism as a writer
27:31 Daily writing routine and challenges
31:31 Collaborating with a co-author
33:30 Writing fiction vs memoir
34:07 Navigating the publishing industry
37:10 The importance of self-promotion
41:07 Tips for aspiring memoir writers
43:03 Conclusion and course promotion

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

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What do you get when you mix house-sitting frenemies with a big lovable dog? You get My Hot Housemate – the latest rom-com from Susannah Hardy, who joins us to discuss the characters and the writing process behind the book.

00:00 Welcome
03:19 Writing tip: Reference managers
06:03 WIN!: Elphie: A Wicked Childhood by Gregory Maguire
07:48 Word of the week: ‘Overweening’
08:29 The world of words: Ordering adjectives
12:16 Writer in residence: Susannah Hardy
13:02 Overview of My Hot Housemate
14:47 Writing about the acting world
17:46 Adding a dog character to the story
20:17 Showing off Sydney
21:36 Tips on writing comedy
22:41 Writing authentic dialogue
24:00 Character development and relationships
25:38 The rise of rom-coms
27:44 Writing process and challenges
29:39 Balancing writing with life
33:38 Having other creative interests
35:32 Importance of mentors and community
37:42 General writing tips
40:17 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.