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Melissa Min is one of Western Australia’s most prominent professional Storytellers. She is a published poet, author, and psychotherapist who works with language, myth and story to evoke a deep sense of connection and belonging. Melissa is a passionate advocate for bringing creative and artistic practices to community spaces. She facilitates Storytelling Circles, Poetry Workshops, Narrative Therapy sessions and Women’s Gatherings throughout WA. In this episode of Not the Plot, Melissa speaks with host Teena Raffa-Mulligan about the role ancient stories can play in creating deep, authentic connections with each other, the importance of community, and how we can help young people reconnect to the natural world away from the distractions of technology.

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Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

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Libby Iriks fell in love with story as an eight-year-old when her teacher read Charlotte’s Web to the class. She developed a fondness for the romance genre soon after, and in 2018, combined her passions when she became the Commissioning Editor of Romance for a boutique publishing house in the UK. Since receiving her autism diagnosis at the ripe old age of 42, she has come to understand that story and romance are her ‘special interests’. She is currently studying her Master of Creative Writing at Edith Cowan University and, in her free time, coaches romance authors who write stories with heart. Her debut novel, Home to the Heart Country has just been released. Libby chats with host Teena Raffa-Mulligan about how her childhood has influenced her as a writer and the challenges she has faced in living a creative life. She also highlights the importance of creating connections in the writing world and being clear about writing goals.

You can find out more about Libby at her website: Libby Iriks | Stories with Heart

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Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

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Stuart Everly-Wilson is an Australian writer living in Bundjalung country in New South Wales with his partner and the ghost of Aspro the dog. His first published work, Low Expectations, was short-listed for the 2022 New South Wales Premier’s Glenda Adams Prize for best new writing and was also long-listed for the Dublin International Literary Prize, 2022. His follow-up novel, The Maskeys was released last month. In this episode of Not the Plot Stuart chats with host Teena Raffa-Mulligan about returning to writing 10 years after giving up, and finding his way into his acclaimed debut novel by letting his protagonist loose on the page.

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Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

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Celia Berrell is an England-born Australian writer and poet who is best known for her Science Rhymes, which have been published by the CSIRO and in textbooks for Australian, Irish and Canadian high school students. Celia taught maths and science for four years before travelling to Australia. She has regarded her life in Australia as a working holiday ever since. She found her voice for writing poems about science in 2008 and launched her Science Rhymes website in 2009. Two hundred of Celia’s poems feature on the Australian Children’s Poetry website where she has been a regular contributor to the Poem of the Day prompts.

In this episode of Not the Plot, Celia chats with host Teena Raffa-Mulligan about how public speaking has helped her as a writer and explains why rhyming is like knitting and submissions are holiday adventures.

Find out more about Celia at Science Rhymes - Scientific Poetry & Environmental Poems

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Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

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Danni Line has been hooked on reading since childhood and fell in love with writing in her senior year, thanks to a crush on her English teacher. She writes Romantic Suspense and Paranormal Romance where her characters find redemption through romance. When Danni isn’t juggling life as a wife, mum, and wannabe baker who wishes she could sing, she is the Aspiring Authors Ambassador for Romance Writers of Australia. In this episode of Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan Danni reveals her favourite phrase for prompting story ideas, how she keeps her characters under control and alerts readers to look out for hidden 'easter eggs' in her stories.

You can find out more about Danni on her website at https://danniline-author.com

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Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

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Bonnibelle Angelica is a debut author from rural Australia. Growing up with a love for creativity, she has done everything from sculpting to painting to costume design, but nothing has held her attention quite like writing. After a burst of popularity from her online publications, she decided to give a novel a go. Loud and ever-opinionated, she chose dystopian sci-fi as her genre, exploring biology, oppression, indoctrination, psychology and of course, a healthy dose of romance.

In this episode of Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan chats with Bonni about creating her characters and their world, finding the conflict in her story and the thinking behind her self-publishing decision.

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Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

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Riley Merigan is a Perth-based performer, actor, dancer and singer who has appeared in a range of community theatre productions since taking a lead role in his high school performance of the musical Grease as a fifteen-year-old. The buzz of performing in that show sparked his love of performance and led to two years full-time study of musical theatre.

In this episode of Not the Plot, Riley chats with host Teena Raffa-Mulligan about getting into character, preparing for performances, factoring auditions and rehearsals into every-day working life, and pushing through the challenges to continue enjoying his love of performance.

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Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3

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Holly Cardamone is an award-winning Australian author and communications specialist. Her writing has appeared in publications as diverse as bridal tomes and in fashion magazines, in trade publications and in the large dailies. Her debut novel, Summer, in Between was the 2024 winner of the Hawkeye Publishing Manuscript Development Prize and she has been long and short listed in a number of national short story awards. Holly weaves words with an Australian Shepherd on her feet and says her work is inspired by the shenanigans of real life in all of its glorious entanglements and emotional constellations.

In this episode host Teena Raffa-Mulligan chats with Holly about her path to publication, balancing her business and creative life, and why she writes for teen readers.

Find out more about Holly at www.hollycardamone.com.au

Thank you for listening.

Find out more about Not the Plot host Teena Raffa-Mulligan at https://www.teenaraffamulligan.com or follow her FB author page https://www.facebook.com/TeenaRaffaMulligan You can also sign up for her occasional newsletter at http://bit.ly/2gqsJz3