Meet children's author Jess Horne, who shares her journey in writing, the inspiration behind her book Bernie Thinks in Boxes, and her intensive writing process. Jess also details her experience securing a book deal, the value of feedback, and the importance of community in the writing world. Jess provides tips for aspiring authors on maintaining passion, embracing feedback, and connecting with the writing community.

00:00 Introduction to the podcast
01:09 App tip of the week: Clockify
11:19 Interview with children's author Jess Horn
13:46 Jess Horn's writing journey and tips
23:05 Exciting news and future projects

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Meet Scott Ryder, a former Australian commando, who discusses his memoir Forged in Fire, detailing his 22-year military career and the transition to civilian life. Forged in Fire takes us inside the secretive world of the commandos.

00:00 Introduction
01:18 Nat Newman’s writing tip
09:15 Giveaway: The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu
11:31 Word of the week: lenitive
12:11 Creative nonfiction
13:44 Interview with Scott Ryder
25:06 Reflecting on military life and writing
26:04 The writing process: Chronology and challenges
27:36 Confronting memories and emotional transparency
29:27 The impact of writing on personal growth
33:13 Transitioning to civilian life
41:57 Fact-checking and authenticity in memoir writing
43:29 Future plans and final thoughts
48:43 Fun fact: Words that only exist in plural form
49:39 Closing remarks

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Meet Sandhya Parappukkaran, a picture book author with four wonderful books that have all been shortlisted or have won Premier’s Literary awards. This is a huge achievement for this former food technologist who started writing picture books on a whim not that long ago! Sandhya discusses her journey to becoming an award-winning writer, the inspiration behind her stories, and shares valuable tips for aspiring picture book writers.

00:00 Introduction to the podcast
00:20 Special series on children's authors
01:48 Weekly app tip: Submittable
07:53 Interview with Sandhya Parappukkaran
09:14 Sandhya's journey to writing picture books
14:40 The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name: From idea to book deal
23:55 Exploring Sandhya's recent works
33:12 Tips for aspiring picture book writers
37:59 Conclusion

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Meet Lisa Kenway, author of the psychological thriller All You Took From Me. Lisa shares insights on how her medical background influenced her novel, the exhaustive research involved in writing about medieval reenactment, and the persistence required to secure a publishing deal after three years of pitching.

00:00 Introduction
02:25 Nat Newman's creative insights
05:43 Writing tips and techniques
10:22 Giveaway: Klim by Michael Klim
12:20 Word of the week: triskelion
15:19 Interview with Lisa Kenway, author of All You Took From Me
23:20 NaNoWriMo success strategies
25:54 Researching for authenticity
30:03 Crafting twists and red herrings
32:41 The journey to getting published
44:11 Balancing writing with a medical career
47:19 Top tips for aspiring writers
50:42 Conclusion and final thoughts

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Meet Bec Nanayakkara who discusses her journey to becoming a published picture book author. Bec reveals how she got her book deals, her writing techniques, the illustration process, and much more. Also discover how our app recommendation can help you keep track of submissions.
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
00:20 Special Series on Children's Authors
01:55 App Tip of the Week
06:56 Course Spotlight: Writing Picture Books
09:07 Interview with Bec Nanayakkara
09:53 Bec's Journey to Publication
10:32 The Book Star: Inspiration and Process
16:02 Grow Big Little Seed: Themes and Illustrations
23:15 Future Projects and Final Thoughts

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Meet Sandie Docker, who shares her journey and strategies for ensuring longevity in your author career. Sandie emphasises the importance of networking, connecting with readers, and seeking help in areas outside of one’s expertise. She also discusses her role in starting the Northern Beaches Readers Festival and how it has benefited her career.

00:00 Introduction
00:19 Upcoming webinar on avoiding infringement in fiction writing
03:38 Nat Newman's lighthouse residency experience
07:27 Writing tips from Nat Newman
12:45 Exciting book giveaway: The Oxenbridge King by Christine Paice
16:07 Word of the week: Gravamen
17:45 Interview with author Sandie Docker
27:06 Establishing an author career
28:47 Building industry relationships
33:40 Connecting with readers
37:02 The role of an agent
41:06 Starting a literary festival
48:35 Writing routine and final thoughts

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Cassy Polimeni discusses her journey to becoming an author, the process of writing and publishing her books The Garden at the End of the World and Ella and The Amazing Frog Orchestra, and valuable insights into writing for the children's market.

00:00 Introduction to the podcast
02:02 Writing tips with Nat Newman
09:46 Interview with Cassy Polimeni
11:21 Writing and publishing children's books
13:34 Crafting Ella and The Amazing Frog Orchestra
20:25 Cassy’s writing process and routine
27:28 Future plans and final thoughts
28:53 Conclusion and course promotion

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Meet memoirist Louise Southerden about her book Tiny, which details her experience building a tiny house while going through a challenging relationship. Louise shares her journey into travel writing, the dynamics of writing personal stories, and techniques for capturing the essence of travel experiences.

00:00 Introduction
04:16 Nat Newman’s writing tip
13:15 Book giveaway: Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor
15:06 Word of the week: Piscatorial
17:12 Writer in residence: Louise Southerden
17:36 Introduction to Louise and her memoir Tiny
18:11 The emotional journey of building a tiny house
19:39 Deciding to write the memoir
20:58 Challenges and process of writing
24:38 Pitching and publishing the memoir
35:16 Insights on travel writing
41:49 Defining a tiny house
43:08 Conclusion and final thoughts
43:35 Fun fact and farewell

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