Amy Hutton, author of Love From Scratch and Sit, Stay, Love. Amy discusses her journey from TV producer to successful romance novelist, the importance of social media presence for authors, and practical tips for aspiring writers. Host Valerie Khoo also chats to author Nat Newman who shares her experience with the Meisner acting technique, and provides valuable advice on dealing with rejection as a writer.
You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite podcast app.
00:46 Deep dive into chapter structure
02:43 Nat Newman’s writing tips
03:01 Drama workshop insights
07:45 Dealing with rejection
11:55 Book giveaway: The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins
14:56 Word of the week: cynosure
16:25 Interview with Amy Hutton, author of Love From Scratch and Sit, Stay, Love
27:19 Pitching through virtual literary speed dating
27:58 Romance Writers of Australia conference experience
29:32 The chaotic offer moment
31:06 Working on multiple projects
34:31 Developing ‘Love From Scratch'
39:35 Daily writing routine and discipline
42:17 Engaging with social media as an author
47:14 Courses and continuous learning
51:37 Future plans and traditional publishing
53:56 Top tips for aspiring writers
56:33 Conclusion and fun fact
Links mentioned in this episode
- FOCUS ON… Chapters
- WIN The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins
- Buy So You Want to be a Writer – the book!
- Facebook group for So You Want to be a Writer
Writer in residence: Amy Hutton
Amy Hutton is an award-winning television producer and writer of contemporary romance, living on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with a rescue dog named Buffy. Her short stories, ‘Love is the Icing' and ‘Hot Like Chocolate', feature in the 2020 and 2021 Romance Writers of Australia Sweet Treats anthologies. When not plotting delicious romantic trials for her characters, Amy is an enthusiastic traveller, an animal advocate, a Disneyland aficionado, and a lover of tattoos.
Follow Amy on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow Simon & Schuster AU on Twitter and Instagram.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre and our course Creative Writing Stage 1.
Find out more about your host, Valerie Khoo (@valeriekhoo on Twitter and @valeriekhoo on Instagram).