Epidode 18: KidLitWest Interview with Artelle Lenthall and Dannielle Viera
In this episode we chat to Artelle Lenthall and Dannielle Viera, two of the founders of KidLitWest. Hear from them about what is unique about the Western Sydney writing scene for children, and about what happens in a KidLitWest meeting. They share all about the upcoming Write Out West festival and their relationship that has developed with Blacktown Libraries.
30 Sept 2026
Episode 17: How to finish your Novel
Episode 17: SEASON 2
In this episode we talk all about how to finish a novel. We discuss the book Finish: giving yourselt the gift of done by Jon Acutt who says that perfectionism is the enemy of finishing something. We discuss Sarah's young adult novel she is writing, how many words she needs to write it, and the deadline she has given herself.
3 Aug 2026
Episode 16: Play and Whimsy
Episode 16: Play and Whimsy
In this episode we talk all about play.
What is play? How can it benefit our writing? And how exactly can writers play?
Play helps with problem solving, sparking creativity and connecting with our inner child.
Sarah shares about how the recent Banksy Exhibition has had an effect on the YA novel she is writing.
We mention the Journal of Play in Adulthood, and also The Artists Way by Julia Cameron.
We also talk about whimsy, and how we can incorporate that into our writing lives.
11 Jul 2026
Episode 15: You Are Not Too Old, And It Is Not Too Late
Episode 15: You Are Not Too Old, And It Is Not Too Late
This week we interviewed author Pat Simmons and figure skater Pippi Eisner, two women who started pursuing their passions later in life.
We discussed the joy, the challenges and advice for those who are hesitant to chase their dreams.
3 Jul 2026
Episode 14: The Zine Scene (Beyond the Books Series)
Episode 14: The Zine Scene (Beyond the Books Series)
In this episode we chat to 3 Zine and Comic creators at the Ryde Zine Fair:
Estee Sarsfield
Annie Huang from TAKEON Publishing
Samuel McEwen
And we share some places where you can find out more about zines including:
Sydney Comics Arts Market Place: SCAMP
MCA
Northern Beaches Libraries
City of Sydney Libraries
https://zinemap.com
Head to our website to download The Society of Unpublished Authors Zine for free!
27 Jun 2026
Episode 13: Lauren Hackney Interview (Beyond The Books Series)
This is part 1 of our new series Beyond the Books, where we learn from creators of different mediums.
This week we speak to Australian author and international award-winning screenwriter Lauren Hackney. She shares about her journey from aviation into writing, and how all her success has come from being told ‘No’.
Lauren also shares about her upcoming picture book Panda coming soon from Daisy Lane Publishing.
18 Jun 2026
Episode 12: All The Feels
Episode 12: All The Feels
13 Jun 2026
Episode 11: The Best of The West
In this episode with have two interviews conducted at the recent Sydney Writers’ Festival.
The first is with popular and awarded Western Sydney writer Adam Byatt. Adam chats to us about his experience as a first time Writer’s Festival attendee, his love of verse novels, and what he learned from The Anatomy of a Verse Novel panel. He shares his thoughts about young adult writing and gives his unique perspective as a high school English teacher.
The second interview is with Phil Wilcox from The Story Factory, a not-for-profit creative writing organisation for young people. Phil talks about their Plant-a-Poem stall at the festival, what he and his Year of Poetry students were doing, and the marvellous reaction from the public. He also speaks about the power of poetry to tell us something that prose cannot. Hear more about what The Story Factory does and where to find them.
5 Jun 2026
Episode 10: Creating In The Cracks
Episode 10: Creating In The Cracks
This week's episode is all about writing in the cracks of time we have.
We talk about what works for us and hear from some fellow creatives about their ideas.
Sarah shares some thoughts from Holly Ringland about procrastination and shame.
We discuss creating versus consuming and challenge ourselves to track the data of our own creativity, thanks to a book by Jon Acuff called Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done.
28 May 2026
Episode 9: Dani Vee Interview! Pitching, Podcasting & Publishing
Episode 9: Dani Vee Interview! Pitching, Podcasting & Publishing
In this episode we speak to Dani Vee, host of the popular Words and Nerds Podcast, publisher at Larrikin House and author of multiple books for children. Dani shares her secret to managing such a busy and creative life. Spoiler: It’s doing what you love! She talks about finding the joy and the positives in neurodivergence, and her great desire for children to see themselves in books. Listen in for pointers about pitching and bio writing and hear Dani’s most important tip for the upcoming submission window at Larrikin House.
25 May 2026
Episode 8: Finding Your Tribe (The ins and outs of critique groups)
Episode 8: Finding Your Tribe (The ins and outs of critique groups)
This week’s episode is all about critique groups. We talk about what they are, how to find or start one, and even how to leave a critique group.
Sarah shares about how helpful mixed genre groups can be, and Jo explains how her very structured picture book group operates in the capable hands of Mo Davey.
We hear from children’s authors Liz Ledden and Kate Simpson about their experience of being in critique groups.
We dicuss whether jealously and comparison are helpful or harmful.
We’re using royalty-free music by Geoff Harvey—be sure to check out his full catalogue on his YouTube channel @GeoffHarveyMusic
16 May 2026
Episode 7: Better Together- Kate Temple Interview
Episode 7: Better Together- Kate Temple Interview
This week's episode is all about co-writing. We discuss well known Kidlit collaborators Emily Gale and Nova Weetman, Amy Kaufiman, Megan Spooner and Jay Kristoff. Also Maddy Mara and Christina Lauren.
We welcome very special guest Kate Temple, co-author of many popular and award winning books for children. She shares all about the experience of writing with her husband Jol and gives plenty of great advice for aspiring co-writers.
We discuss our own experiments in co-writing and challenge ourselves to finish our picture book
We’re using royalty-free music by Geoff Harvey—be sure to check out his full catalogue on his YouTube channel @GeoffHarveyMusic
7 May 2026
Episode 6: Windows and Mirrors and Doors Oh My!
Episode 6: Windows, and Mirrors, and Doors Oh My!
In this episode we talk about books being windows, mirrors and sliding doors, an idea that comes from researcher Rudine Sims Bishop. Windows into other people’s lives, mirrors that reflect our own experiences, and sliding glass doors into new possibilities.
Sarah shares how she has had to go seeking books with Latina stories for her children who are being raised within a Peruvian-Australian family.
Jo talks about the childhood books that helped her cope with living in two households after her parents divorced.
We discuss books as a way to grow empathy, and the popularity and importance of biographies.
We also talk about how being a parent can influence our writing.
25 Apr 2026
Episode 5: Rejection in Publishing
On this episode we talk about why rejection feels so hard, and what we can do after we get rejected.
We learn from poet Maggie Smith in her book 'Dear Writer' that YOU are not being rejected, your work is.
We talk about 4 big reasons picture books are rejected from the Picture Book Summit Podcast
Our big takeaway is not to send your work out too early. Take your time and make it the best it can be.
Also, do your research and send your manuscript to the right kind of publisher.
Thinking about rejection rituals, we love Western Sydney author Adam Byatt and his Pigeon of Proclamation, and his 24hrs of eating cheese. Jo also shares some helpful tips from Dani Vee.
We're using royalty-free music by Geoff Harvey
—be sure to check out his full catalogue on his YouTube channel @GeoffHarveyMusic
17 Apr 2026
Episode 4: Money Money Money
Episode 4: Money, Money, Money
This episode is all about how much money you should/could spend chasing your dream of being a published author, and what you can do if you have none.
We discuss creative writing courses, manuscript assessments, competitions and other paid avenues to publication.
We also share our favourite free resources such as podcasts, online videos, critique groups and libraries. We encourage everyone to attend book launches, even if you don't know the author or illustrator.
We hear from some other creatives about their ideas for the best paid and unpaid resources for writers. Big thanks to Amanda Lieber, Liz Ledden, Zoe Gaetjens, Artelle Lenthall, and Melissa Kelly.
Finally, we talk about reframing the term
'chasing your dream' into something more tangible.
We’re using royalty-free music by Geoff Harvey—be sure to check out his full catalogue on his YouTube channel @GeoffHarveyMusic
9 Apr 2026
Episode 3: Nothing New Under the Sun
We share the experience of having our book ideas come into the world, not written by us.
We discuss whether there is anything truly original? Where do ideas come from, and how to capture them. What is a unique voice, and how can we find ours?
We talk about the books Steal Like an Artist, Use Your Words, Big Magic and The Seven Basic Plots.
We compare the way we write our first drafts, and how ideas are fun to get, but stories can be hard to write.
Intro and outro music is royalty-free music by Geoff Harvey—be sure to check out his catalogue on his YouTube channel @GeoffHarveyMusic
5 Apr 2026
Episode 2: Even if it’s cringe!
This episode is all about cringe. What does it mean, where does it come from, and how much should we care about it? Also, what role does social media play in cringe culture?
We discuss actor Austin Butler’s thoughts that ‘embarrassment is an underexplored emotion,’ Erica Mallet’s ‘Cringe Mountain’ theory, and Amie McNee’s notion that cringe is the gateway to magic and letting go of what others think of us.
We talk about author/poet/novelist Ocean Vuong and how he sees the fear of being cringe affecting young writers. We also find wisdom in Holly Ringland’s book, The House That Joy Built.
We share some of our experiences of feeling cringe over our lifetime, and what happens when we get to the other side.
Also, hear what some of our friends think about cringe culture.
Intro and outro music is royalty-free music by Geoff Harvey—be sure to check out his catalogue on his YouTube channel @GeoffHarveyMusic
27 Mar 2026
Episode 1: NO DEAD GRANNIES
This episode is all about what on earth publishers are looking for and whether knowing or not knowing can affect our writing. We discuss whether Rick Rubin's theory that 'the audience comes last (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R60zREmd6uw&t=7s)' is a good one for writers, and we also talk about country singer Luke Combs and his song Doin This (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YSqaI3IBpo).
We talk about young children and the way they make things for the joy of it, not the finished product.
We share our experience of attending a WestWords Creative Writing workshop for the WestWords Living Stories (https://www.westwords.com.au/living-stories/) competition.
We challenge ourselves to find our most unpublishable idea or manuscript and show it some love and joy.
Intro and outro music is royalty-free music by Geoff Harvey—be sure to check out his catalogue on his YouTube channel @GeoffHarveyMusic
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