Glasses are a necessity for some, a curiosity for others, and even a status symbol in other contexts. So when Sydney-based academic Adam Geczy was tasked with writing about this ubiquitous item for the Object Lessons book series, how did he go about it (without making a spectacle of himself)? In this episode, Adam discusses the experience researching and writing Glasses, along with insights from an academic POV on the craft of writing in general.

00:00 Welcome
09:08 Writing tip: Make time to read
12:26 WIN: Garden of Lost Girls by A.L. Tait
13:46 Word of the week “Adsorb”
14:36 Interview with Adam Geczy
15:15 What Glasses Is about
17:49 Pitching for the Object Lessons series
22:11 Adam’s writing process and editing
28:38 Style and voice shifts
30:57 Staying adaptable
32:55 Writing without fear
35:40 Time discipline ‘hacks’
38:34 Linear drafting method
41:59 Manual research workflow
43:09 Owning your craft
45:09 Publicity and marketing
46:25 What’s next?
49:52 Final thoughts

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Some authors dream of writing when they’re young but leave it behind to focus on another career. But not Bridie Blake, who instead quit university and made her work fit around her publishing aspirations. After pivoting from YA to romance, she published her debut rom-com novel, The Boyfriend Clause, and in this episode, AWC grad Bridie shares the writing courses that changed her fortunes and her experience seeing her book on the shelves.

00:00 Welcome
10:23 Writing tip: Explore art
13:16 WIN: The Lady with the Dog by Carrie Tiffany
14:32 Word of the Week “Reify”
15:20 Interview with Bridie Blake
16:42 Explaining The Boyfriend Clause
17:49 Early writing dreams
20:12 Day jobs and persistence
22:09 AWC courses and getting feedback
25:36 Pivoting to adult rom-com
27:25 Romance course lessons
29:47 Bridie’s writing process
30:59 Morning writer mindset
33:15 Balancing humour and heart
34:12 Choosing Australian publishing
37:33 The “yes” email moment
39:45 Promoting her books
40:52 What’s next?
41:49 Her writing technique evolution
45:51 Bridie’s writing tip
47:15 Theme of the book
48:13 Book recommendations
49:57 Final thoughts

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Imagine being married to one of literature’s most famous wordsmiths and having him describe your life as “a blank”. This is the reputation that Charles Dickens’ wife Kate of 22 years – with whom he had 10 children – has endured for 150 years. But in author Emily Howes’ new novel Mrs Dickens, she seeks to fill in those blanks. In this episode, Emily shares her inspirations for choosing this historical figure and the challenges of reimagining history.

00:00 Welcome
08:28 Writing Tip: Try something new
11:55 WIN: The German Ward by Pip Williams
13:16 Word of the Week: “Pertinacious”
14:14 Interview with Emily Howes
15:02 Why Mrs Dickens matters
16:50 Inspirations for the novel
22:23 Researching her life
24:01 Turning facts into fiction
25:35 What stayed and what was cut
30:02 Second POV character: Anne
35:57 Balancing work and writing
38:48 Emily’s writing breakthrough
43:22 What’s next?
45:48 Writing tip
47:31 Final thoughts

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Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook
Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.