So You Want to be a Writer – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

So You Want to be a Writer

Australian Writers' Centre

Arts

Education

Fiction

Frequency: 1 episode/6d. Total Eps: 722

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.

Read moreCollapse

Site

RSS

Apple

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇫🇷 France - books
25/06/2026
#83
🇬🇧 Great Britain - books
22/12/2024
#88

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.

See all

https://omnystudio.com/listener
722 shares
http://valeriekhoo.com/
722 shares

RSS feed quality and score

Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.

See all

RSS feed quality

To improve

Score global : 48%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

Recent episodes with titles, durations, and descriptions.

See all

WRITER 642: Madeline Te Whiu on her trilogy and latest book, ‘The Queen Thief’

Monday, December 16, 2024 • Duration 58:15

If you love fantasy, you’ll love our delightful interview with author Madeline Te Whiu, who shares her journey from writing her first book The Assassin Thief to completing her trilogy with her latest release, The Queen Thief. Madeline talks about her experience writing while working full-time, her planning process, harnessing social media and advice for aspiring writers.

00:00 Introduction
03:29 Holiday book recommendations
08:33 Nat’s writing tip: Structure
12:24 WIN! The Bogan Book Club by John Larkin
13:51 Word of the week: ‘Chrestomathy’
16:51 Writer in residence: Madeline Te Whiu
27:05 Finding time for writing
28:56 The journey to getting published
31:05 Madeline’s experience pitching her trilogy
31:58 Experiencing reader reactions
35:36 Writing the second and third books
37:15 Overcoming writer's block
43:11 Balancing writing and full-time work
45:36 Madeline’s approach to social media
53:21 Advice for aspiring authors
56:07 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.

Read moreCollapse

WRITER 641: Joe Aston on his tell-all book on Qantas, ‘The Chairman’s Lounge’

Monday, December 9, 2024 • Duration 53:22

Fasten your seatbelts and stow those tray tables, as we interview Joe Aston about his latest book, The Chairman's Lounge – The inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out. Joe is a former Australian Financial Review columnist and he discusses his experience writing about Qantas, its CEO and the company’s public branding crisis. He also shares insights on journalism, research and balancing objective reporting with creating a compelling narrative.

00:00 Introduction
03:36 Nat Newman’s writing tip
08:50 WIN! Murdle Australia by G.T. Karber
11:16 Word of the week: ‘penetralia’
12:32 Writer in residence: Joe Aston
21:10 Joe’s switch from corporate life to journalism
27:25 The evolution of journalism
28:04 The pressure of producing quality content
29:02 Balancing reporting and opinion
31:18 The role of CEOs in public perception
34:06 Joe’s experience writing his book
37:28 Research versus the writing process
42:34 Future plans and new ventures
49:02 Joe’s advice for aspiring authors
50:50 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.

Read moreCollapse

WRITER 632: Meet Ryan Butta, author of the new biography, 'The Bravest Scout at Gallipoli'

Monday, October 7, 2024 • Duration 54:52

Meet Ryan Butta, author of the new biography, The Bravest Scout at Gallipoli – a previously untold story of one of Australia’s forgotten wartime heroes. In this lively and interesting conversation, Ryan shares what led him to tell this particular story, his research process and other fascinating stories from here and overseas that inadvertently prepared him for a life as a published author.

00:00 Introduction and host welcome
00:19 Upcoming travel writing course
00:38 Special bonuses for enrollees
05:42 Writing tip: Imagination game
09:42 Win: Diving, Falling by Kylie Mirmohamadi
11:32 Word of the week: Imbrication
14:12 Interview with Ryan Butta
28:36 Organising research and writing process
30:13 Starting the writing journey
31:23 From fiction to nonfiction
34:18 Pitching and publishing success
36:54 Challenges and realities of being published
39:51 New projects and future plans
45:48 Passion and motivation in writing
49:50 Top tips for nonfiction writing

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.

Read moreCollapse

WRITER 542: Janette Paul, author of The Summer Place

Monday, May 29, 2023 • Duration 43:10

Meet Janette Paul, author of The Summer Place. She talks about her crime writing alter ego Jaye Ford, her creative process and much more. You'll also discover tips on how to get the most out of a writers' festival, whether or not you should court book bloggers, and much more. And win Fire with Fire, the latest novel by Candice Fox.

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.

Read moreCollapse

WRITER 541: Samera Kamaleddine, author of The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart

Monday, May 22, 2023 • Duration 44:11

Meet AWC graduate Samera Kamaleddine who reveals the writing process behind her second novel The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart. What you need to do if you have two main point-of-view protagonists. And win Search History by Amy Taylor.

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.

Read moreCollapse

WRITER 540: Joanna Jenkins, author of 'How To Kill A Client'

Thursday, May 18, 2023 • Duration 15:10

Joanna Jenkins, author of How To Kill A Client, talks about her big break.

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.

Read moreCollapse

WRITER 539: Ilsa Evans, author of 'Family Baggage'

Monday, May 15, 2023 • Duration 41:06

Ilsa Evans on her latest novel Family Baggage. How to motivate yourself to finish your novel. And win Everything and Nothing by Heather Mitchell

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.

Read moreCollapse

WRITER 538: Emma Grey on her novel 'The Last Love Note'.

Monday, May 8, 2023 • Duration 01:12:46

Emma Grey on her novel The Last Love Note. Gearing up for the Sydney Writers’ Festival. When should you write a scene versus a summary? And win The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks.

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.

Read moreCollapse

WRITER 537: Andrew Daddo on his picture books Grandma's Guide to Happiness and Poo Face

Monday, May 1, 2023 • Duration 39:03

Andrew Daddo has written 28 books for all ages including picture books, chapter books, young adult stories and adult books. The multi-skilled creative also juggles this with a career as a TV personality. He talks to us about his latest picture book Grandma's Guide to Happiness and his next one, Poo Face. And here's your chance to win Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater.

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.

Read moreCollapse

WRITER 536: Leanne Yong, author of 'Two Can Play That Game'

Thursday, April 27, 2023 • Duration 25:07

Leanne Yong, author of Two Can Play That Game, talks about her big break and how she got a publishing deal for her debut novel.

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.

Read moreCollapse