In this episode of The Whole Truth: Motherhood and the Writing Life, Nadia Mahjouri chats with Katherine Collette, author, cartoonist, ex-sewage engineer, mother of two, ex-podcast host of The First Time Podcast and The Next Step, and writing coach for debut authors.

Katherine and Nadia discuss her newly released first book in a series of Middle Grade Fiction books called The Too Tall Tales of Alma T - written with the help of her kids over lockdown - the best way to get real time feedback on your writing. We discuss how the mental load is shared in her home and how the dream of getting published can get in the way of the unpublished writers work.

We also dig into Katherine's writing routine that includes working three days a week over five days - setting aside the morning every day to write - and learn about how Katherine took long service leave one and a half hours a day to buy time to write. And we touch on the joy of realizing that you have somehow managed to find yourself in the place you dreamed of getting.

Buy Out of Bounds: The Too Tall Tales of Alma T online here

Follow Katherine Collette on Instagram @katherinecollettewriter or check out her website here.

Nadia Mahjouri is a therapist at The Holding Space Counselling. If you would like to reach out for support, you can book an appointment online.

Nadia works in face to face in nipaluna or online everywhere.

Nadia Mahjouri is also the author of Half Truth - her debut novel that will be released in Feb 2025. Pre-orders available from these links

Her website is www.nadiamahjouri.com and you can find her on instagram @nadiamahjouri or sign up for her newsletter The Whole Truth: Stories of Ache and Ecstasy here

Or you can email me at nadiamahjouriauthor@gmail.com