00:00 Introduction 01:15 Literary competitions and overcoming fear 02:58 Nat Newman writing tip: Taking your character on a date 10:24 Book giveaway: Two Daughters by Alison Edwards 11:52 Word of the week: Desuetude 13:23 Interview with author Anna Johnston 20:33 The importance of a writing group 21:00 Forming and maintaining a writing group 22:20 Balancing writing with life 23:02 Getting serious about writing 24:21 The book deal journey 25:42 Pitching at virtual speed dating 29:31 The role of an agent 31:49 Writing process and character development 34:09 Challenges and inspirations 41:10 Future plans and advice for aspiring writers 45:11 Fun fact: The world’s oldest library
Anna Johnston is a former baby, aspiring octogenarian and emerging Australian author with a love for the heartfelt and hilarious. She grew up in country Victoria before moving to Melbourne where she lives joyously with her husband and daughters by the beach. Anna left an imminent career in medicine to follow her heart into her grandfather’s nursing home where she became the social support coordinator, taking great delight in shaking up the usual program. When injury left her unable to continue working in aged care, she began to write about it, channelling her love for older people onto the page. Anna has enjoyed a lifelong passion for theatre, screenplay, travel, and creative writing.
