Two questions: Where do new mothers meet new people? And ‘What Rhymes with Murder?’ – the latter being the title of author Penny Tangey’s cosy crime novel, inspired by her own experiences as a new mother at her local library’s story time! In this episode, Penny shares insights on making the switch from YA to adult stories, her writing routine and whether you need to know who did it before writing the end of the book!

00:00 Welcome
04:26 Writing tip: Listen to your characters
08:00 WIN!: The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
10:37 Word of the week: ‘Weltschmerz’
11:30 Writer in residence: Penny Tangey
12:07 Penny describes the book What Rhymes with Murder?
12:52 Real-life inspirations for the book
14:39 The quirky title
15:32 The decision to write her first adult book
17:36 The writing process and plotting
18:38 Librarian life in the novel
20:31 Building a cosy cast
21:07 The timeline of writing the book
21:50 Penny’s writing routine
22:30 The biggest challenge
23:41 Having for researching the book
24:16 Finding an agent and new publisher
27:58 Editing and sprinkling clues
29:39 The overall themes of the book
31:29 Next projects ahead
32:02 Genre switching advice
33:33 Cosy crime specific advice
34:28 Librarian book pick
35:58 Final thoughts

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Australian noir has become a huge sub-genre in the world of fiction and UK-based author Emma Styles brings it to the beaches of Western Australia in her latest novel, The Shark. In this episode, Emma shares her inspiration for writing the book, the pressure of completing her latest adult novel and the process of putting the dual (sometimes unreliable, sometimes unlikeable) narratives together. She also explores the publishing journey and shares a top tip for writers.

00:00 Welcome
05:33 Writing tip: Don’t put off your writing dream
08:28 WIN!: The Writers Retreat by Victoria Brownlee
11:15 Word of the week: ‘Shallop’
13:04 Writer in residence: Emma Styles
14:42 Inspiration for the book
18:00 Crafting characters
21:21 Writing unlikable women
24:30 Complex crime characters
25:19 Why two young women?
28:02 Alternating POV method
29:22 Planning vs pantsing
32:22 Adult crime not YA
34:18 Landing The Shark book deal
36:11 The supportive publishing world
37:39 Writing about Australia from UK
40:38 The setting for her next book
43:10 Trusting your instincts
44:16 Final thoughts

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With 20 books now to her name and a slew of accolades and bestseller titles under her belt, crime author Candice Fox has gone with something a little different for her latest novel, Redbelly Crossing. Inspired by a real-life family reminiscence, she has reimagined elements of two actual Sydney cold-case murders – and in this episode, Candice discusses how she balanced the sensitivity of a real case (including speaking with the victim’s husbands) with her creative storytelling instincts and a genuine desire to solve the case.

00:00 Welcome
06:56 Writing tip: Set an Intention
09:51 WIN!: Astral Library by Kate Quinn
11:49 Word of the week: ‘Ylem’
13:52 Writer in residence: Candice Fox
14:41 Crossing the line into a true-crime inspired novel
16:25 Candice’s mum’s encounter with a possible killer
20:30 Rabbit Holes and why she didn’t make a true-crime podcast
26:07 Similarities in the cold cases: one killer or two?
26:44 Writing real tragedy into fiction: meeting the husbands & making hard edits
28:50 Pitching the project to her agent
32:23 The novel’s elevator pitch
34:22 Ending a fictional case when the real one is unsolved
37:02 What readers should take away
39:55 Career reflections – 20 books in 12 years
42:19 Candice’s writing routine and finding ideas
45:25 Top tips for crime writers
47:39 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.