Writing Podcast Episode 690: Ian Scott explores the weird and wonderful world of literary 'Pen Names'
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 Welcome00:18 Rewriting your personal narrative07:06 Writing tip: Tracking your time10:05 WIN!: The Funeral Crashers by Joanna Nell13:33 Word of the week: ‘Edentulous’14:14 The world of words: Short forms of ‘until’16:10 Writer in residence: Ian Scott16:57 The inspiration for the book Pen Names18:42 An exhibition on pen names23:00 The stories behind the stories27:00 Common reasons for pen names27:58 Gender bias in literature31:55 Other reasons for not using your own name32:10 Famous examples34:55 Authors wanting to be judged independently38:47 Deceptive use of a pen name: Fiona Macleod40:55 Modern pen names and marketability43:19 Collaborative writing under one name45:01 Authors like Lee Child and book cover real estate46:49 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 Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-------- Â
55:53
--------
55:53
Writing Podcast Episode 689: Zanni L. Arnot’s new novel, 'A Guide to Falling Off the Map'
Author Zanni L. Arnot has carved out a prolific career as a children's author – publishing more than 40 books in the past decade as ‘Zanni Louise’. In this episode, Zanni discusses how she got into writing children's books and her first YA novel, A Guide to Falling Off the Map. She also shares the differences between different age range stories, juggling multiple projects, plus provides insights and advice for aspiring authors. 00:00 Welcome00:28 How a setting can become a character07:53 Writing tip: Learn to love grammar and punctuation13:42 WIN!: Reacher by Lee Child17:14 Word of the week: ‘Headwork’17:48 Writer in Residence: Zanni L. Arnot18:46 An overview of her new book21:03 Why a YA novel?23:43 How Zanni got into writing26:52 Discovering a passion for writing27:30 Building a writing community28:16 On creating 41 books in ten years!30:47 Crafting stories for different age groups32:57 Balancing writing with a busy life34:15 Navigating the multiple projects35:33 The process of writing the story39:42 Is adult fiction next?41:11 Advice for managing your time43:30 Zanni’s approach to social media45:44 Keeping track of ideas and choosing the next one48:19 Promoting books from overseas50:15 Advice for authors looking to try YA53:16 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-------- Â
55:52
--------
55:52
Writing Podcast Episode 688: Ben Macintyre shares insights on his latest book, 'The Siege'
The Iranian Embassy siege that unfolded in the UK in 1980 was a huge world event at the time, although perhaps lost in the fog of history today. Prolific British author Ben Macintyre brings it back into focus in his latest book, The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama and he joins us to discuss his writerly beginnings, turning real-world espionage into captivating reads and how he balances the personal and factual details in his stories. 00:00 Welcome00:48 The power of constraints in writing11:30 Writing tip: The iceberg theory13:52 WIN!: Torn by Nicole Madigan15:26 Word of the week: ‘Nonpareil’16:11 Writer in residence: Ben Macintyre17:05 Ben gives an overview of The Siege21:00 His personal experience with the events25:43 Ben’s background in writing28:33 Exploring the SAS archive32:05 The TV series Rogue Heroes33:20 Character depth and authenticity35:20 Challenges of taking an oral history37:40 Pacing and structuring the book40:15 Real life being stranger than fiction42:18 Research and writing process45:27 From book to screen51:05 Advice for aspiring writers54:22 Balancing sensory and factual details57:12 Ben’s upcoming project58:13 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-------- Â
1:00:41
--------
1:00:41
Writing Podcast Episode 687: Moreno Giovannoni discusses his new novel 'The Immigrants'
The search for ‘a better life’ is the classic motivation for immigrants arriving in a new country and so often we hear about the success stories. But author Moreno Giovannoni wanted to tell the more overlooked migrant stories for his latest novel, The Immigrants – drawing on his family’s own experiences in Australia. Giovannoni shares his approach to writing, his thoughts on translating, as well as past and future projects. 00:00 Welcome04:47 Writing tip: Creative Mottos07:46 WIN!: The Watervale Ladies’ Writing and Firefighting Society by Mette Menzies10:20 Word of the week: ‘Gibbous’11:46 Writer in residence: Moreno Giovannoni12:20 What his new book The Immigrants is about16:30 Fiction versus the real life inspirations20:10 Bringing his style to the Australian setting23:25 The research and notetaking26:20 Structuring the book29:31 Fitting the seven key events into the story31:35 The publishing journey33:22 The writing process and challenges34:56 A typical writing day37:40 Balancing writing and translating41:33 Publicising the book43:33 Future writing plans and pure fiction50:32 Moreno Giovannoni’s writing tip52:48 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-------- Â
56:26
--------
56:26
Writing Podcast Episode 686: Amy Hutton and her saucy, spooky new book, 'Ghosted'
Halloween is just around the corner, so what better way to mark the occasion than by celebrating AWC grad Amy Hutton’s latest book – a paranormal romance novel, Ghosted! In this episode, Amy shares her writing process, how she wound up writing paranormal romance, afterworld-building and much more! 00:00 Welcome06:39 Writing tip: Work with teachers and mentors10:06 WIN!: Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan12:29 Word of the week: ‘Bodacious’13:52 Writer in residence: Amy Hutton15:09 What her latest book Ghosted is about16:30 What inspired this topic of paranormal romance?19:48 Edits to the story21:05 Amy’s approach to (after) world building23:13 Pacing the story and unravelling the mystery24:16 Writing short stories as a writer’s block strategy28:10 Amy’s first break29:22 The thing she didn’t know when she started32:45 The one thing you can control33:38 Amy’s average writing day and how it has differed over time37:25 Freaking herself out in her own writing39:54 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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.
New Zealand