Are YOU ready to unlock your potential in 2026? Join us for a special ‘manifestation’ episode of the podcast, as Valerie is joined by Matt Cooke, author of Beyond Wanting: The Art of True Manifestation. Matt shares his personal story into manifestation – from skeptic to believer AND how he manifested his book deal – and some key ideas you can use immediately in taking actionable steps towards achieving goals. It’s a positive blend of inspiration and practical advice for anyone looking to make meaningful changes in the year ahead!

00:00 Welcome
03:25 Practical steps and skepticism
04:34 Valerie's personal connection to goal setting
07:53 Writer in residence: Matt Cooke
09:06 Understanding ‘Beyond Wanting’ and manifestation
13:35 Common manifestation mistakes
17:10 Matt’s own journey
17:50 Getting the book deal of his dreams – literally
26:01 How Matt got into manifestation
33:40 The power of gratitude for future events
34:20 The science of reality
39:23 Signs and synchronicities to look for
43:20 The numerical significance of 2026
48:18 Manifestation stories and lessons
57:07 Practical steps for the year ahead
1:03:01 Final thoughts

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We’ve all heard of the ‘muse’ but what about the ‘mewwwws’? That’s the sound of authors' cats, and in this episode, Susannah Fullerton discusses her wonderfully titled book, Great Writers and the Cats Who Owned Them – exploring the unique relationships between famous authors and their feline companions. Susannah shares how she researched the topic, choosing the authors and the magical publishing story, as well as offering tips to aspiring nonfiction writers.

00:00 Welcome
07:26 Writing tip: Follow the formatting guidelines
09:36 WIN!: Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson
12:24 Word of the week: ‘Clerisy’
12:59 Writer in residence: Susannah Fullerton
14:10 Explaining her book, Great Writers and the Cats Who Owned Them
14:45 The inspiration for the book
17:50 Choosing and placing authors in the book
19:30 Animal protection and authors
22:30 Research methods
24:40 Organising all her notes
26:41 The timeline of writing the book
27:35 The pitching process
30:01 The joy of getting published
32:22 Publicity and promotion of the book
36:34 Merchandising and collaborations
37:27 Balancing lecturing and writing
38:22 Where her ideas come from
42:51 The timeless appeal of classics
46:32 Advice for aspiring nonfiction writers
48:58 Final thoughts

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We’ve heard of crashing weddings, but what about funerals? That’s the topic that bestselling author Joanna Nell has tackled for her sixth book, The Funeral Crashers. In this episode, she joins us to discuss the experience behind writing this latest novel as well as the turning point in her life that got her publishing her first book in her fifties.

00:00 Welcome
06:44 Writing tip: Overcoming technology distractions
11:16 WIN!: A Complete Fiction by R.L. Maizes
12:46 Word of the week: ‘Emolument’
13:22 Writer in residence: Joanna Nell
15:05 What her latest book, The Funeral Crashers, is about
18:36 Patients inspiring her writing
22:06 Rediscovering a passion for writing
24:58 The joy of finding a writing community
26:23 Lessons learned from a decade of writing
29:29 A word about writing short fiction
31:23 A day in the life of a full-time writer
33:40 Writing retreats
35:22 Creating memorable characters
40:06 Promoting the latest novel
41:02 Future Projects
41:58 Final thoughts

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How do you go about writing a personal memoir that heavily features your very-much-alive parents? Author Candice Chung grappled with this and her culturally private family while curating her book, Chinese Parents Don’t Say I Love You. In this episode, she joins us to discuss the inspiration for a book that uses food as a storytelling device, some of the rituals around dining and the story behind the title of her book!

00:00 Welcome
07:10 Writing tip: Developing your own editing checklist
12:44 WIN!: How to Live an Artful Life by Katy Hessel
14:17 Word of the week: ‘Anhedonia’
14:49 Writer in residence: Candice Chung
15:05 Writing about food rituals
17:25 Inspiration for writing the book
20:20 Selling the book to publishers
22:15 The story behind the title
26:29 Telling parents about the book
31:33 Fact checking emotional details
34:05 Grappling with sharing personal thoughts
38:20 Why Candice decided to get into journalism
42:37 The ‘frozen sandwiches’ anecdote
44:21 Literary inspirations for the book
49:24 Future projects
51:14 Final thoughts

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Do ideas come to you while you’re out walking? There’s a unique connection between writers and walking – and in this episode, Belinda Castles shares the inspiration and experience in creating her new book, Walking Sydney. The book is a curated collection of talks had while on walks with authors around various parts of the city and exploring the concepts of nostalgia, change and a sense of place.

00:00 Welcome
03:59 Writing tip: Dictionary of Australian Words
06:11 WIN! Jack Reacher Book Pack Giveaway
08:58 Word of the week: ‘Catenary’
09:37 Writer in residence: Belinda Castles
10:22 What Walking Sydney is about
11:09 Inspiration for writing this book
13:04 How the book came together
18:18 The connection between writers and walking
24:50 Writing and the connection to place
28:57 Reader experience and audience
31:18 Why there are no maps in this book
32:31 The armchair travel experience
34:12 Balancing writing with teaching
36:06 The writing process and time management
41:58 The book trailer and filmmaking experience
44:56 A tip from Belinda for writers
46:48 Final thoughts

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In this special bonus episode of 'So You Want to Be a Writer,' Valerie is joined by her original podcast co-host Allison Tait in a live-streamed event celebrating 20 years of the Australian Writer Centre. Together, they discuss important topics for all writers – including goal-setting, overcoming writing obstacles, and structuring one's writing career. They also reflect on their own writing journeys, give writing tips, and offer valuable advice on managing impostor syndrome, planning writing schedules, understanding genre requirements and MORE!

00:00 Welcome
02:24 Reunion with original co-host A.L.Tait.
08:55 Writing Roadmap: Setting Goals and Overcoming Obstacles
19:00 Giving yourself writing rewards
21:44 Overcoming common obstacles
26:46 The importance of discipline in writing
31:04 Networking and community in writing
34:41 Understanding your genre
37:15 The role of revision in writing
41:54 Flexibility and pivoting in writing
48:48 Q&A session
52:53 Final thoughts

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If you found yourself newly single after not dating since being a teenager, what would you do? Author and AWC graduate Holly Brunnbauer asks that question in her award-winning romance novel, What Did I Miss? –and in this episode she shares what inspired her to write it, her exciting story about getting an agent and book deal, plus the unusual window of time she writes in during each day!

00:00 Welcome
02:00 Our SALE is on
05:21 WIN!: ‘Every Day I Read’ by Hwang Bo-reum
06:54 Word of the week: ‘Orrery’
07:58 Writer in residence: Holly Brunnbauer
09:07 What is What Did I Miss? about?
10:20 What inspired Holly to write the book
12:50 The experience writing it
14:55 Holly’s year of writing a novel
16:27 Discovering the AWC courses
17:15 Getting an agent and a book deal
21:44 Pitching to screen professionals
24:00 Balancing writing with a busy life
26:24 Planning and Structuring a Novel
28:55 Documentation
31:50 The joy of writing and future plans
33:53 Publication surprises and realities
35:28 Bonus short interview with Charlotte Barkla
38:09 Final thoughts

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When Ian Scott and Kirsty McHugh – curators at the National Library of Scotland – created an exhibition on pen names, they never imagined it would become a book. But that’s exactly what happened, and in this episode, Ian joins to discuss some of the curious motivations and stories behind some of the world’s most famous and infamous pseudonyms in their book Pen Names – including examples of authors who fully immersed themselves in their imaginary personas!

00:00 Welcome
00:18 Rewriting your personal narrative
07:06 Writing tip: Tracking your time
10:05 WIN!: The Funeral Crashers by Joanna Nell
13:33 Word of the week: ‘Edentulous’
14:14 The world of words: Short forms of ‘until’
16:10 Writer in residence: Ian Scott
16:57 The inspiration for the book Pen Names
18:42 An exhibition on pen names
23:00 The stories behind the stories
27:00 Common reasons for pen names
27:58 Gender bias in literature
31:55 Other reasons for not using your own name
32:10 Famous examples
34:55 Authors wanting to be judged independently
38:47 Deceptive use of a pen name: Fiona Macleod
40:55 Modern pen names and marketability
43:19 Collaborative writing under one name
45:01 Authors like Lee Child and book cover real estate
46:49 Would Ian choose a pen name for himself?
48:45 Wait – is his co-writer Kirsty McHugh even real?
50:30 Is his book in his own library?
53:02 Final thoughts

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