Magic & Mayhem: Discover the secrets to creating magnificent books for kids and teens.
Welcome to Magic and Mayhem – the podcast series that explores the wonderful and wacky world of writing for kids and teens. Join us as we take a peek behind the picture book pages, discover pirate ships and publishing tips, delve into addictively readable YA novels and find oodles of inspiration in every treehouse corner. But above all, it’s where we learn from the authors who tell these very stories – what sparks their book ideas and how their creativity captures the attention of kids, teens and adults alike.
Episodes
Meet Suzanne O’Sullivan, commissioning editor for Lothian Children’s Books and the Associate Publisher of Children’s Books for Hachette Australia. Suzanne is looking for authors with strong and fresh voices who tell unique stories. Learn what else Suzanne looks out for when considering a new author, including social media presence, school visits, and more middle grade, please!
Meet Marisa Pintado, YA publisher for Hardie Grant Egmont in Melbourne. Marisa is also the author of award-winning middle grade and YA fiction and manages the Ampersand Prize for debut novelists. As a publisher, Marisa knows exactly what she wants from YA authors: a sense of fun, an understanding of the market, and a willingness to collaborate.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more a...
Meet Kimberly McCreight, best selling author of the Outliers YA trilogy. When Kimberly missed out on a job, she took it as a sign that she had to publish her next manuscript. Fortunately, her book Reconstructing Amelia was picked up and she has gone on to forge a successful career as a YA author. Learn why you should treat writing like a job, how to tolerate a messy manuscript, and why it’s okay to lower your standards.
Find out how Rachael Craw turned a dream into a bestselling YA trilogy. After dreaming the prologue for her Spark series, Rachael carefully worked through important questions about plot, motivation and character. Writing is 99% sweat, after all! Learn how to stay sane between stories, the benefits of hiring a manuscript assessor, and why you should respect your readers.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers&rsqu...
How Ellie Marney discovered her crime-writing superpower. Ellie had written in many genres, but after winning the Sisters in Crime award, decided to focus on crime writing for young adults. Learn how much you need to watch your language for a YA audience, why an author should be like a plumber, and why a writer doesn’t need to know who dunnit until the end.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Cent...
Meet Nicole Hayes, award-winning author, podcaster, and writing teacher. Nicole has written three YA novels and writes and podcasts about Australian Rules football. It’s all about writing what you love, as she says. Learn how point of view can radically change a story, how to push through a tough manuscript, and how you can learn from teaching.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out ...
How Gabrielle Tozer uses her marketing knowledge to promote her books. Gabrielle always knew she wanted to be a writer, and worked in magazines for many years before turning her hand to fiction. She has now published three YA novels and a picture book. Learn why you really should write what you know, why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket, and why it’s important to look after yourself.
Learn how Allison Rushby has found success in both traditional and self-publishing. Allison has published more than 20 books for middle grade, YA and adults, but recently she began self-publishing her backlist. Learn why volume is more important than social media, the importance of good design, and why you don’t really have to write every day.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out m...
How Fleur Ferris traded in her police uniform for an award-winning publishing career. Fleur writes popular YA crime thrillers, and she is able to draw on her experience as a former police officer and paramedic. Learn about the value of an online critiquing group, and why you should write every chapter as though it’s for a competition.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and g...
Carole Wilkinson found publishing success after 40. Carole heartily believes in saying yes to every opportunity, no matter how small, and that’s how she has built a successful career as a writer of fiction for kids and young adults. Learn how to find the story in nonfiction books, why plotting is a waste of time, and how it’s never too late to start.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centr...
Kim Wilkins balances a successful writing career with a fulltime job. Kim is one busy lady, publishing as both Kim Wilkins and Kimberley Freeman, all while having a family, and a career as a university professor. Learn how Kim makes time to write, how reading nonfiction helps her fiction writing, and why she is definitely a plotter.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the f...
Meet internationally best selling writer Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series. While Veronica’s success came as a surprise to her, she thinks that YA will always have a broad appeal. Learn how success has changed her writing style, how to balance accepting and rejecting feedback, and why fanfiction is a great writing sandbox.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and g...
Belinda Murrell quit journalism for a successful fiction writing career. Belinda is the author of more than 20 books, including The Sun Sword fantasy trilogy and the Lulu Bell series for younger readers. Learn how much historical detail is just enough, why you need talent, technique and tenacity, and exactly what year egg beaters were invented.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more a...
How Emily Gale went from editing kids books to writing her own. Emily was nervous about taking the plunge into writing after establishing a successful career in publishing. But she jumped bravely in and has now published six books for kids and young adults. Learn why you shouldn’t try to copy your own work, how setting little goals leads to big achievements, and how making it doesn’t always mean success.
Meet Wendy Orr, author of many books including Nim’s Island, which was made into a film starring Jodie Foster. Wendy has published more than 40 books for children and adults and has won many prestigious awards. Learn how to deal with the ups and downs of the publishing process, how to have a collaborative relationship with your editor, and why you shouldn’t quit your day job.
Listen to Alexa Moses’s journey to writing action-packed kids fiction. Alexa knows that kids books have to full of action, just like in television, and she keeps her stories rollicking along. Learn how serious plotting can cut back on revisions, how to find an angle that publishers like, and why it always pays to be a bit funny.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the...
How Judith Rossell went from being a scientist, to illustrating and writing children’s fiction. Judith has illustrated more than 80 books and written 13 of her own in a career that spans every type and genre of kids book. Learn how pictures and text work together, how to create compelling characters, and why Judith will never write for adults.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out m...
Discover how Meg McKinlay found her strangest self - and publishing success! Meg started off writing poetry, and doesn’t consider herself a natural plotter, but that hasn’t stopped her from publishing 20 books for kids and adults. Learn how to connect random ideas, why you can always fix a plot, and why you shouldn’t be afraid of boredom.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Fin...
Meet Jacqueline Harvey, author of the successful Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series. Jacqueline started her publishing career after winning a picture book competition, and is now a bestselling junior fiction writer. Learn the questions you need to ask yourself as a writer, how to find your point of difference, and why kids are still the best inspiration for stories.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers&rs...
How Catherine Pelosi aimed for the stars and landed a book deal. Catherine was initially skeptical of joining a critique group, but by finding a supportive creative community, she has thrived and published three books for kids. Learn how to find your tribe, and why you don’t need to have kids to make it as a kids author.
This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Centre. Find out more and get the free eb...
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