Latest / The Book Deal / The importance of writing residencies, enjoying uninterrupted time to think and write, and eating ALL the cheese

Transcript

The importance of writing residencies, enjoying uninterrupted time to think and write, and eating ALL the cheese · The Book Deal

• 0:09
  Tina Strachan: This is the Book Deal podcast where you will discover the inspiring stories, the authors behind your favorite books.
• 0:15
  Tina Strachan: No matter what stage of writing you are at, we've got you covered.
• 0:19
  Tina Strachan: I'm Tina Strachan.
• 0:20
  Tina Strachan: And I'm Madeleine Cleary.
• 0:21
  Tina Strachan: And join us as we pull back the curtain of published authors one deal at a time.
• 0:29
  Madeleine Cleary: The book Deal podcast acknowledges the traditional owners, the land and waters, which it's recorded on.
• 0:35
  Madeleine Cleary: And pays respect to their elders past, present, and emerging.
• 0:42
  Natasha Rai: Hi Tina.
• 0:43
  Tina Strachan: Hi Natasha.
• 0:44
  Tina Strachan: How are you?
• 0:45
  Natasha Rai: I'm so, so fine, so fine.
• 0:49
  Tina Strachan: Why are we so fine today?
• 0:50
  Natasha Rai: Because we're up on Magnetic Island mm-hmm.
• 0:56
  Natasha Rai: For a week of sun.
• 0:57
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 0:57
  Natasha Rai: And writing and cheese and wine.
• 1:00
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 1:01
  Natasha Rai: Also mainly writing and, and mainly writing, but swimming.
• 1:04
  Tina Strachan: Swimming in the pool.
• 1:06
  Tina Strachan: Swimming in the beach.
• 1:08
  Tina Strachan: I know.
• 1:09
  Tina Strachan: Walking in the sand.
• 1:10
  Natasha Rai: Oh, it's idyllic.
• 1:12
  Natasha Rai: It's idyllic.
• 1:13
  Natasha Rai: It really is paradise.
• 1:14
  Natasha Rai: It is.
• 1:15
  Tina Strachan: So Magnetic Island is in Northern Queensland.
• 1:18
  Tina Strachan: Yep.
• 1:19
  Tina Strachan: Uh, which is fantastic'cause it's winter here at the moment, yet we are sitting here in shorts and a singlet and very much enjoying the sunshine.
• 1:26
  Natasha Rai: Yes.
• 1:27
  Natasha Rai: I've been for swim almost every day since we've been here.
• 1:30
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm.
• 1:30
  Tina Strachan: And I'm sitting here with wet hair.
• 1:32
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 1:32
  Tina Strachan: Even so.
• 1:34
  Tina Strachan: Now it does sound luxurious, doesn't it?
• 1:36
  Tina Strachan: And it's very, we feel very privileged Yes.
• 1:38
  Tina Strachan: To be here.
• 1:39
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 1:39
  Tina Strachan: But, um, we're not, it's not just us.
• 1:42
  Tina Strachan: We're here with some other writers as well.
• 1:44
  Tina Strachan: That's true.
• 1:44
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 1:44
  Tina Strachan: There's five of us.
• 1:45
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm.
• 1:46
  Tina Strachan: And it's all thanks to the Roderick Centre.
• 1:50
  Natasha Rai: Part of the James Cook University.
• 1:52
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm.
• 1:52
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm.
• 1:53
  Tina Strachan: And it's, and it's part of their Writers on the Reef Residency, which we were, not only were we super fortunate enough just in ourselves to be accepted onto the program, but I can't believe that we both got accepted in the same year.
• 2:09
  Natasha Rai: No, it was such a thrill when I saw your face on the shortlist.
• 2:12
  Natasha Rai: 'cause we hadn't even told each other, we'd applied.
• 2:15
  Natasha Rai: No.
• 2:15
  Natasha Rai: So I was like, what?
• 2:17
  Natasha Rai: And then the same day that we found out we were shortlisted, we got, we got the phone call.
• 2:22
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 2:22
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 2:22
  Natasha Rai: And that was hilarious because I was like, oh my, I know.
• 2:28
  Tina Strachan: If only Madeleine was here.
• 2:29
  Tina Strachan: I know.
• 2:29
  Tina Strachan: I do miss you Madeleine.
• 2:31
  Tina Strachan: Um, you would enjoy it very much too.
• 2:34
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 2:35
  Tina Strachan: So, um.
• 2:37
  Tina Strachan: So we both, so for this, have you done a residency before?
• 2:40
  Natasha Rai: No, it's my first one.
• 2:41
  Natasha Rai: Yeah.
• 2:42
  Natasha Rai: You too.
• 2:42
  Tina Strachan: No, this is my first as well.
• 2:44
  Tina Strachan: And I, I think it's gonna be a really hard one to beat, I have to say.
• 2:50
  Tina Strachan: And you can't beat this.
• 2:51
  Tina Strachan: I'm literally sitting here.
• 2:52
  Tina Strachan: We're sitting here beside the pool, um, that's at the beach house that we're in.
• 2:58
  Tina Strachan: And I'm looking out to the beautiful Horseshoe Bay.
• 3:02
  Tina Strachan: I know.
• 3:03
  Tina Strachan: Oh, I can't, we don't even really have words.
• 3:05
  Tina Strachan: We don't just.
• 3:06
  Tina Strachan: Just staring.
• 3:07
  Tina Strachan: I know we're just looking out.
• 3:10
  Tina Strachan: Um, but speaking of words, we have been getting the words down.
• 3:13
  Natasha Rai: Oh God yes.
• 3:14
  Natasha Rai: So I had a plan to work on a section of this new manuscript that I have, and I genuinely thought based on how productive I'm at home, because I just had a really, really, really realized, which is a stupid thing to say, how much time you get when you don't have to worry about cooking and laundry and chores and working like day job, working.
• 3:38
  Natasha Rai: Um, so I had planned to do these two new chapters over the co course the whole week and I've done them in three days.
• 3:47
  Tina Strachan: That's incredible.
• 3:48
  Tina Strachan: Is amazing.
• 3:48
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 3:49
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 3:50
  Tina Strachan: Is it the vibe as well and just Yeah.
• 3:53
  Tina Strachan: Being relaxed and the ideas can just flow and, you know, going for a beautiful walk on the beach is always helpful, yes.
• 3:58
  Tina Strachan: To sort out any plot problems.
• 4:00
  Natasha Rai: Yes.
• 4:01
  Natasha Rai: And'cause I,'cause the, my, um, setting is on an island.
• 4:05
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 4:06
  Natasha Rai: In the future.
• 4:07
  Natasha Rai: Um, and just walking along the beach, getting a sense of tides.
• 4:12
  Natasha Rai: Mm.
• 4:12
  Natasha Rai: Getting a sense of who the type of person I might live in a, in an island.
• 4:18
  Natasha Rai: I don't know.
• 4:18
  Natasha Rai: It is just done wonders.
• 4:20
  Natasha Rai: Like, um, you'll hear from Nicole Crowe in a minute.
• 4:24
  Natasha Rai: Uh, we, we had, we had a chat to her about, um, the program and she talks about this importance of place.
• 4:30
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 4:31
  Natasha Rai: And I've heard other writers talk about going to somewhere where they are working and writing and how place influences their work.
• 4:39
  Natasha Rai: And I knew that theoretically, but being here has just really brought it home.
• 4:43
  Natasha Rai: Just the smells, the sights, the sounds, it's, it's incredible.
• 4:47
  Natasha Rai: Mm mm mm-hmm.
• 4:48
  Natasha Rai: Yeah, I feel very fortunate.
• 4:50
  Tina Strachan: Mm.
• 4:50
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 4:50
  Tina Strachan: It was good having a chat to Nicole'cause she could tell us all about the, you know, sort of ins and outs of the residency and what they're looking for.
• 4:58
  Tina Strachan: Um, so yeah, it's a really important episode, I think.
• 5:01
  Tina Strachan: For all, um, writers who would like to apply for the residency.
• 5:05
  Tina Strachan: 'cause it's truly, it is truly amazing.
• 5:08
  Tina Strachan: Um, but yeah, talking about place and just making, sort of trying to involve that in your story.
• 5:14
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 5:14
  Tina Strachan: Which is something that they do.
• 5:16
  Tina Strachan: Um, or part of the requirements, I guess is if the manuscript that you're working on while you're here or the work that you're working on while you're here, does involve a sense of place.
• 5:26
  Tina Strachan: And mine didn't originally have.
• 5:29
  Tina Strachan: An island involved in it at all.
• 5:31
  Tina Strachan: The manuscript that I'm working on while I'm here.
• 5:33
  Tina Strachan: But now I've decided just to shift the whole thing to an island.
• 5:37
  Tina Strachan: Excellent.
• 5:37
  Tina Strachan: Because it actually, it actually really serves the manuscript better and plus I just love islands as well, so that's gonna be, yeah.
• 5:44
  Tina Strachan: And it gives it another kind of twist, which would be great.
• 5:47
  Tina Strachan: So yeah, so I've had lots of good writing time as well, and a lot of plotting.
• 5:52
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm.
• 5:53
  Tina Strachan: Plotting, I don't know.
• 5:54
  Tina Strachan: It is not really plotting, I think it's more just getting the story out.
• 5:58
  Tina Strachan: Of my mind and, and onto the page in a very vomit draft.
• 6:03
  Tina Strachan: Okay.
• 6:04
  Tina Strachan: Yep.
• 6:04
  Natasha Rai: So you're actually writing, putting words down.
• 6:06
  Tina Strachan: It's words down.
• 6:07
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 6:07
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 6:07
  Tina Strachan: But they, they need a lot of, um.
• 6:11
  Tina Strachan: They need a lot of, yeah.
• 6:12
  Tina Strachan: Building up and, and expansion.
• 6:15
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm.
• 6:15
  Tina Strachan: But that's fine.
• 6:16
  Tina Strachan: It's all part of it and yeah, it's all part of the process.
• 6:18
  Natasha Rai: And was that your plan for the week?
• 6:20
  Natasha Rai: Like you wanted to try and get some words in?
• 6:22
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 6:23
  Tina Strachan: Yes, definitely.
• 6:24
  Tina Strachan: Because, um, you know, we're talking about this earlier.
• 6:27
  Tina Strachan: I think my ideas are sort.
• 6:30
  Tina Strachan: Quite well formed in my mind before I start putting them down.
• 6:33
  Tina Strachan: So it's literally, it's all just there.
• 6:34
  Tina Strachan: I just need to, to find the time to write it all down and, well, you know, we've got half a week left on this beautiful island, so I'm excited to see how far I get.
• 6:44
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 6:47
  Tina Strachan: So why did you apply for the residency, Natasha?
• 6:50
  Natasha Rai: A a couple of reasons.
• 6:51
  Natasha Rai: Firstly, I have never been on one, like I've been away with friends, like writer friends and paid for retreats, and I just really like the idea that of going somewhere I've never been before.
• 7:03
  Natasha Rai: Mm.
• 7:04
  Natasha Rai: Having this beautiful uninterrupted time and having some of it funded.
• 7:10
  Natasha Rai: Mm mm by somebody else.
• 7:12
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 7:12
  Natasha Rai: In a way that there's no, like, I couldn't come here to this specific property that we're on No.
• 7:17
  Natasha Rai: And pay for it outta my own pocket.
• 7:19
  Natasha Rai: There's just.
• 7:20
  Natasha Rai: I couldn't do it.
• 7:20
  Natasha Rai: Mm.
• 7:21
  Natasha Rai: For the amount of time that we're here.
• 7:22
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 7:23
  Natasha Rai: So those were all the reasons, and I've just heard now quite a few friends who have been on residencies and just hearing the benefit of A, the writing time, B, the thinking time, and also the sheer wonder and joy of being with other writers.
• 7:37
  Natasha Rai: Mm.
• 7:37
  Natasha Rai: And you all just get it.
• 7:38
  Natasha Rai: And you don't have to explain yourself.
• 7:40
  Natasha Rai: You don't have to ask for time or.
• 7:44
  Natasha Rai: I don't know.
• 7:44
  Natasha Rai: It's just very different to when you are with family or friends or civilians.
• 7:49
  Natasha Rai: Yes.
• 7:49
  Natasha Rai: Who don't get it in way, who don't quite understand that.
• 7:53
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 7:53
  Tina Strachan: That you could, if you're sitting at the table with your computer in front of you, you could be deep in another world.
• 7:58
  Tina Strachan: So it's best just to quietly.
• 8:02
  Natasha Rai: Exactly.
• 8:03
  Natasha Rai: Why did you apply Tina?
• 8:04
  Tina Strachan: Um, I saw it coming up on social media.
• 8:07
  Tina Strachan: It must have been from last year.
• 8:09
  Tina Strachan: And I remember just thinking, wow, like that's incredible.
• 8:13
  Tina Strachan: Look at these lucky, lucky people that go on these.
• 8:17
  Tina Strachan: Residencies and I thought, well, maybe that could be me, you know?
• 8:20
  Tina Strachan: And then it came around this year and I thought, you know, because the, uh, residency that do, you know, we're talking about place.
• 8:28
  Tina Strachan: So they do like, um, the requirements for what you're working on.
• 8:33
  Tina Strachan: To be heavily involved in place and also, um, you know, all islands, uh, specifically'cause it is on an island or, um, environmental themes.
• 8:42
  Tina Strachan: And most of my books are set with environmental themes, uh, in them or kind of at their core.
• 8:48
  Tina Strachan: And well, I thought, well, that's perfect because I can, I've got something that I can submit.
• 8:53
  Tina Strachan: Um, I'll see how I go with the applications.
• 8:56
  Tina Strachan: So I was truly, yeah, really surprised.
• 8:59
  Tina Strachan: But, um, really, yeah, really happy to, to, um.
• 9:02
  Tina Strachan: Yeah, to, to receive the residency.
• 9:04
  Tina Strachan: But yeah, I applied for it, I think because, um, also like, just the thought of a week.
• 9:11
  Tina Strachan: Away.
• 9:12
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 9:13
  Tina Strachan: To write.
• 9:13
  Tina Strachan: Exactly.
• 9:14
  Tina Strachan: It almost gives you, it gives you permission because you know, you always, like you were saying before, there's always stuff to do at home.
• 9:20
  Tina Strachan: Like you're always, you know, and I've got kids as, as well, so there's, you know, your day is just so full and so just have that uninterrupted time is is literally like a dream.
• 9:32
  Natasha Rai: Exactly.
• 9:33
  Natasha Rai: Because, you know, even I assume with your.
• 9:35
  Natasha Rai: Kind of commitments.
• 9:36
  Natasha Rai: Even when you have a block of time, you still have to stop to maybe go pick up children.
• 9:40
  Natasha Rai: Or, yeah.
• 9:41
  Natasha Rai: You know, drop them off somewhere.
• 9:44
  Natasha Rai: Yeah.
• 9:44
  Natasha Rai: Yeah.
• 9:44
  Natasha Rai: So it's, it's never the kind of stretch of time that you.
• 9:48
  Natasha Rai: That you hope for.
• 9:49
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 9:49
  Tina Strachan: No, that's right.
• 9:50
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 9:50
  Tina Strachan: And you're always thinking, there's always other things to think about.
• 9:53
  Tina Strachan: Exactly.
• 9:53
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 9:54
  Tina Strachan: And sometimes sitting down and writing feels a so self-indulgent when you should be doing all these other things, feeling a little bit of guilt sometimes.
• 10:02
  Tina Strachan: So, um, so yeah, this is definitely permission to, you know, write.
• 10:09
  Tina Strachan: Think Yes.
• 10:10
  Tina Strachan: Stare at the wall and think about your plot point.
• 10:12
  Tina Strachan: Go for a walk and think about your plot point.
• 10:14
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 10:14
  Tina Strachan: It's incredible.
• 10:15
  Natasha Rai: Yeah.
• 10:16
  Natasha Rai: And as part of the residency, one of the commitments that we had, uh, was to do an event.
• 10:20
  Natasha Rai: So we did an event on Thursday night, so it was the second night we were here at Mary Who Books in Townsville.
• 10:28
  Natasha Rai: It's a gorgeous little bookshop.
• 10:30
  Natasha Rai: Amazing.
• 10:30
  Natasha Rai: So if you are in the Townsville area, please go and check it out.
• 10:34
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 10:35
  Natasha Rai: Um, Katie.
• 10:36
  Natasha Rai: Is the owner and manager of um, Mary Who, so we did a little event, the five of us, and we have such an amazingly, wonderfully engaged audience, don't you think?
• 10:47
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 10:47
  Tina Strachan: Yes, I agree.
• 10:48
  Natasha Rai: And it just felt really good for me personally to hear Tina and the other writers talk about their work, because we've got three poets here as well.
• 10:57
  Natasha Rai: Mm.
• 10:58
  Natasha Rai: And hearing us or just hearing them talk about the different forms and different genres.
• 11:03
  Natasha Rai: I dunno.
• 11:04
  Natasha Rai: It just enriched my understanding of mm-hmm.
• 11:06
  Natasha Rai: How to approach writing.
• 11:08
  Natasha Rai: And some of the things that were said were just downright profound.
• 11:11
  Natasha Rai: Oh, profound.
• 11:12
  Tina Strachan: So profound.
• 11:13
  Tina Strachan: I know, I know.
• 11:15
  Tina Strachan: So, yeah, I think you learn a lot them as well.
• 11:17
  Tina Strachan: But you know what I thought afterwards is, although we write so.
• 11:22
  Tina Strachan: Such different styles.
• 11:25
  Tina Strachan: Um, fundamentally, everybody is coming from a similar place almost, and speaks about writing and how it feels to write.
• 11:34
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 11:35
  Tina Strachan: Uh, very similarly Yeah.
• 11:36
  Tina Strachan: As well.
• 11:36
  Tina Strachan: And those feelings.
• 11:37
  Tina Strachan: So that was really interesting too.
• 11:39
  Tina Strachan: But yeah, it was a beautiful bookstore.
• 11:41
  Tina Strachan: It's, yeah.
• 11:42
  Tina Strachan: Um, yeah.
• 11:43
  Tina Strachan: We chatted to Tenille, um, who from the bookstore as well.
• 11:47
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 11:48
  Tina Strachan: Um, and so that was, that was, yeah.
• 11:50
  Natasha Rai: Who was our host.
• 11:51
  Natasha Rai: Yeah.
• 11:51
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 11:52
  Natasha Rai: So Tina, once you go home and once you get back into life and every day, you know, work, et cetera, family, what ha, what will you be doing differently or how has this week helped you maybe get momentum back or get back into your manuscript?
• 12:07
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm.
• 12:07
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 12:07
  Tina Strachan: Well, this manuscript I'm working on was, is brand new words.
• 12:11
  Tina Strachan: So I hadn't even started, I mean, I'd done like a.
• 12:16
  Tina Strachan: Sort of a, a pitch in a sono, a really high level synopsis of, um, the whole story.
• 12:22
  Tina Strachan: So this was new words, which was super exciting, you know, super exciting and a little bit scary to get those new words down.
• 12:28
  Tina Strachan: So that has this week means that I'll be a good way into it and feeling comfortable with where I am.
• 12:37
  Tina Strachan: Um, and so when I get back, I can just keep rolling with that.
• 12:41
  Tina Strachan: Um, it is a little bit harder.
• 12:43
  Tina Strachan: To get started or get to that point when you've only got like an hour a day.
• 12:48
  Tina Strachan: Right.
• 12:48
  Tina Strachan: So that would've taken me so long, months and months and you know, who knows what comes up in that time, you know, getting around to finishing it, so, so yeah, I've been in a good place and I can just keep rolling with it.
• 12:58
  Natasha Rai: Yeah.
• 12:59
  Natasha Rai: Nice.
• 12:59
  Natasha Rai: I love it.
• 12:59
  Tina Strachan: What about you?
• 13:00
  Natasha Rai: I feel like I've fallen back in love with my manuscript because I've been taking a break from it for a while.
• 13:07
  Natasha Rai: Given how much work I will have done by the time we leave, I feel like it's reinvigorated me and renewed my enthusiasm for it, which is great.
• 13:16
  Natasha Rai: It is great.
• 13:17
  Natasha Rai: It's beautiful.
• 13:18
  Natasha Rai: Okay, so I think it's time for me to go have a swim.
• 13:20
  Natasha Rai: Mm.
• 13:21
  Natasha Rai: Yeah.
• 13:21
  Tina Strachan: I might go, are you gonna go beach or pool?
• 13:23
  Natasha Rai: Beach, yeah.
• 13:24
  Tina Strachan: And then it's surely gotta be cheese and cocktail time.
• 13:27
  Natasha Rai: Of course.
• 13:28
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 13:28
  Tina Strachan: Okay.
• 13:33
  A Zaykova: Hi, I'm A Zaykova, author of Galaxy Grifter, a snarky high stake space opera, published by Orbit in June this year.
• 13:41
  A Zaykova: The story centers on Levi, an interstellar con artist, old charm, no conscience.
• 13:47
  A Zaykova: His only real love is his spaceship, Kairos, his symbol of status and freedom, which his forced to surrender as lone collateral to the most dangerous gang in his quadrant.
• 13:58
  A Zaykova: Desperate to get his ship back by any means necessary, Levi swindles a valuable anti-tech blueprint from an alien diplomat, which he plans to sell for millions of credits to the highest bidder.
• 14:09
  A Zaykova: To decode the document he hires Vera, a programmer whose inherited debt.
• 14:14
  A Zaykova: Keeps her trapped on an asteroid in the galactic backwaters, certain that Levi is merely using her.
• 14:19
  A Zaykova: She plans to steal the blueprint for her creditors and finally gain her freedom.
• 14:24
  A Zaykova: Their alliance is plagued by fiery tension, betrayals, and an impossible choice.
• 14:28
  A Zaykova: When they learn that an alien government intends to use the stolen technology to plan humanity's genocide, and that they will stop at nothing to retrieve their plans.
• 14:37
  A Zaykova: Galaxy Grifter is the first book in the blackjack Intertel universe.
• 14:41
  A Zaykova: It's available as an ebook, a paperback, and an audiobook read by Dan Bitner, an award-winning narrator who does a fantastic job.
• 14:49
  A Zaykova: It often gets compared to Star Wars and Firefly, and readers love to hate the protagonist.
• 14:55
  A Zaykova: Read to find Out Why.
• 14:56
  A Zaykova: Thank you.
• 15:01
  Tina Strachan: Hi, Nicole Crowe.
• 15:03
  Tina Strachan: Welcome to the Book Deal Podcast.
• 15:05
  Nicole Crowe: Thank you.
• 15:06
  Nicole Crowe: Thanks for having me.
• 15:07
  Tina Strachan: Oh no.
• 15:07
  Tina Strachan: It's our absolute pleasure, isn't it, Natasha?
• 15:10
  Natasha Rai: It is.
• 15:11
  Natasha Rai: It's a very special episode because Tina and I are here together, um, today from Magnetic Island.
• 15:15
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
• 15:17
  Natasha Rai: Yes.
• 15:17
  Tina Strachan: Doing some, doing lots of writing.
• 15:19
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 15:19
  Tina Strachan: Doing lots of beachy stuff as well, which is incredible.
• 15:22
  Tina Strachan: But that's what we've got you here to talk to us about today, Nicole, because we are here on, at the Writers on the Reef Residency, which is part of the Roderick Center, uh, for Australian literature and creative writing.
• 15:36
  Tina Strachan: Which is part of James Cook University and run out of James Cook University.
• 15:40
  Tina Strachan: And so that's your job, isn't it?
• 15:42
  Tina Strachan: That's your main role is to run this program?
• 15:46
  Nicole Crowe: Yes.
• 15:46
  Nicole Crowe: Yes.
• 15:47
  Nicole Crowe: So we've, uh, this is our second year in a row running this, uh, this, this competitive residency.
• 15:54
  Nicole Crowe: Um, and it's just been a real privilege and honor to be able to.
• 15:58
  Nicole Crowe: Put this on every year so far for, um, authors to come up north.
• 16:03
  Nicole Crowe: 'cause uh, people don't often make it up north very often, so it, and it's, it's fabulous up here.
• 16:08
  Nicole Crowe: And we've got a beautiful beach house on Magnetic Island, so we have five authors staying in the beach house for a week, um, with, uh, food and everything provided.
• 16:21
  Nicole Crowe: And so it's a really special opportunity, I think for writers to come up and experience.
• 16:26
  Nicole Crowe: You know, north and far North Queensland and, um, to have that sacred, you know, really important time away from the real world and the day-to-day slog of life and work and family commitments, et cetera.
• 16:39
  Nicole Crowe: Um, and really get away and knuckle down and focus on their creative projects.
• 16:43
  Nicole Crowe: So yes, it's a, it's a fabulous opportunity for authors and I really enjoy running it every year and meeting the authors and sharing ideas and, um, it's just a really special experience.
• 16:55
  Tina Strachan: It sure is.
• 16:56
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm.
• 16:57
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 16:57
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 16:57
  Tina Strachan: It's been very special for us.
• 16:59
  Tina Strachan: Definitely, definitely.
• 17:00
  Tina Strachan: We've got lots of writing done so far.
• 17:02
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 17:02
  Tina Strachan: It's been amazing.
• 17:03
  Natasha Rai: Yes.
• 17:03
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 17:04
  Natasha Rai: Um, so as you said, Nicole, it's a competitive process.
• 17:08
  Natasha Rai: Um, so can you go over how writers can apply and what you are looking for or the adjudicators looking for in the applications?
• 17:18
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah.
• 17:19
  Nicole Crowe: So, um, the, uh, our, uh, writers' center has a sort of a, a, a, uh, one of our focuses is very place-based.
• 17:26
  Nicole Crowe: Um, so for anybody who is interested in applying next year, um, that's, uh, kind of a strong element that we look for in applications writers who are, who are interested in, um, conservation, uh, writing, um.
• 17:41
  Nicole Crowe: Uh, or islands the Great Barrier Reef,'cause Magnetic Island is, uh, situated in the Great Barrier Reef World, heritage area.
• 17:47
  Nicole Crowe: So projects that focus on that sort of real, kind of strong element of the place of, of, um, climate change and islands, et cetera.
• 17:56
  Nicole Crowe: Um, we look for that.
• 17:57
  Nicole Crowe: Um, and we also look for, uh, a really strong idea of, um, the current project that they intend to work on while they're up here for this seven day period.
• 18:07
  Nicole Crowe: Um, so we like a, a good, solid sort of, um.
• 18:11
  Nicole Crowe: Um, yeah, idea of the project.
• 18:13
  Nicole Crowe: Like, so because, so it, it's not, so try and be specific if you'd like to apply for next year, um, because that will be really helpful.
• 18:21
  Nicole Crowe: 'cause we want, we want, um, authors to have a strong direction, uh, for their, for their time up here so that they're maximizing their time and writing as much as, as they they're capable of during that week.
• 18:32
  Nicole Crowe: Um, and uh, yeah, that's kind of it.
• 18:35
  Nicole Crowe: We don't have any particular genres in mind.
• 18:38
  Nicole Crowe: It's, um, anybody.
• 18:40
  Nicole Crowe: Writing a, a sort of a substantial piece of work or a collection.
• 18:44
  Nicole Crowe: That's all, all welcome poets, genre lit, fiction, speculative, uh, yeah, we're not fussy on, on, um, on genre.
• 18:54
  Nicole Crowe: Um, as long as they, if you've got a reasonably strong publication record, whether it be sort of journals or novels or traditional publication or even self-publishing.
• 19:05
  Nicole Crowe: Um, we look at that too.
• 19:06
  Tina Strachan: Oh my god.
• 19:07
  Tina Strachan: Sorry.
• 19:07
  Tina Strachan: There's a hummingbird at our, literally at our door.
• 19:11
  Tina Strachan: Oh.
• 19:11
  Tina Strachan: Oh, oh my God.
• 19:12
  Tina Strachan: There's so awesome.
• 19:13
  Nicole Crowe: Oh, are they humming?
• 19:13
  Nicole Crowe: Are they, are they not?
• 19:15
  Nicole Crowe: Are they bright?
• 19:15
  Nicole Crowe: Kind of yellow?
• 19:16
  Nicole Crowe: Yes.
• 19:16
  Nicole Crowe: Yellow and blue.
• 19:17
  Nicole Crowe: Yes.
• 19:19
  Nicole Crowe: They're sunbirds.
• 19:20
  Nicole Crowe: Ah.
• 19:21
  Nicole Crowe: They're sunbirds.
• 19:22
  Natasha Rai: Oh my gosh.
• 19:24
  Natasha Rai: They're beautiful in the window.
• 19:26
  Nicole Crowe: They're looking for somewhere to build a nest.
• 19:28
  Nicole Crowe: Oh yeah.
• 19:30
  Nicole Crowe: Okay.
• 19:30
  Nicole Crowe: They build this funny little funny little hanging.
• 19:32
  Nicole Crowe: They find a, like a piece of string or an eave or something, and they ha they, they connect the top of their nest to that, and it hangs down like a teardrop shape, and they have this little hole that they that, so they go into this little teardrop nest.
• 19:44
  Nicole Crowe: It's very tiny, and they, they're so cute.
• 19:46
  Nicole Crowe: They even have like a little visor.
• 19:48
  Nicole Crowe: They build a little visor.
• 19:50
  Nicole Crowe: On top of their little entry hole into their teardrop nest.
• 19:53
  Nicole Crowe: Aw.
• 19:54
  Nicole Crowe: And they make their, they make their nest out of, um, uh, twigs and leaves and spiderwebs.
• 20:00
  Nicole Crowe: They glue it all together with spiderwebs.
• 20:03
  Natasha Rai: So clever.
• 20:04
  Nicole Crowe: They're very cute.
• 20:06
  Tina Strachan: We are just completely, I know.
• 20:08
  Tina Strachan: Mesmerized, mesmerized by that.
• 20:10
  Tina Strachan: Oh, they're beautiful and hanging around
• 20:11
  Nicole Crowe: just the taste of what you can get when you're lucky enough to receive a, a spot at writers on the reef.
• 20:17
  Natasha Rai: I just had a follow up question on what you said, Nicole.
• 20:19
  Natasha Rai: So when you said that, um, it helps for writers to be specific, you mean spec specificity around how it links to the themes that you're looking for.
• 20:30
  Nicole Crowe: Yes.
• 20:30
  Nicole Crowe: And a strong idea for a project, like being able to express the, all the, the, um, the scope of the project and the, the goals of the project as well.
• 20:40
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah.
• 20:40
  Nicole Crowe: And its links to the natural environment or islands, ecology, climate change, the reef, et cetera.
• 20:47
  Tina Strachan: Yep.
• 20:47
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 20:48
  Tina Strachan: Good tips, good pointers, and yes, I highly recommend everyone, uh, apply for this, uh, for next year.
• 20:53
  Tina Strachan: When does it open?
• 20:54
  Tina Strachan: When, when we start advertising for next year.
• 20:58
  Nicole Crowe: Um, probably, um, early half, early part of next year I would say.
• 21:04
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 21:04
  Tina Strachan: Okay.
• 21:05
  Nicole Crowe: Um, yeah, we'll put, we'll put the call out for applications and we'll have the application window open for probably six to eight weeks, um, for people to get their applications in.
• 21:16
  Nicole Crowe: And, uh, yeah, then we go from there.
• 21:18
  Nicole Crowe: Mm-hmm.
• 21:19
  Tina Strachan: So the best way for everybody to, um, keep on top of when it opens is maybe to follow the Roderick Centre on social media.
• 21:27
  Nicole Crowe: Absolutely.
• 21:28
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah.
• 21:28
  Nicole Crowe: Um, visit our website, follow our Instagram and Facebook accounts, and, um, all of that information will be available across those platforms when, um, when we, we have firm dates locked in.
• 21:42
  Natasha Rai: Perfect.
• 21:43
  Natasha Rai: So, so given that this is the second year running, and so next year you'll, you know, it'll be the third year of applications, what are some common mistakes that you see that kind of go works against writers to be successful?
• 21:55
  Nicole Crowe: Oh.
• 21:57
  Nicole Crowe: Um, some of them are quite random.
• 22:00
  Nicole Crowe: Like there was one, um, applicant that we received, um, amongst the group that was talking about their project was they described their project as, um, like sci-fi and about how it was gonna be set on Magnetic Island.
• 22:18
  Nicole Crowe: Um, and I thought, oh, that's interesting.
• 22:21
  Nicole Crowe: Um, but then when I got into more of the application.
• 22:26
  Nicole Crowe: There was nothing to suggest that the applicant had ever even been to Magnetic Island or knew anything at all about it and what actually another applicant said I would.
• 22:38
  Nicole Crowe: I love the Magnetic Islands.
• 22:41
  Nicole Crowe: And I thought that's pretty obvious that they did not really do any sort of research into the, uh, residency that they're applying for or where it was located.
• 22:52
  Nicole Crowe: And there was another applicant that said that they're really interested in the history of.
• 22:57
  Nicole Crowe: Of like copper mining on Magnetic Island, and there's never been any copper mining on Magnetic Island.
• 23:03
  Nicole Crowe: So just stuff like that.
• 23:04
  Nicole Crowe: If you don't know anything about the place, don't pretend that you do because, um, it'll be really obvious very, very quickly that you just pulling it outta your bum.
• 23:14
  Nicole Crowe: Mm-hmm.
• 23:15
  Nicole Crowe: So don't do that
• 23:16
  Tina Strachan: and do your research first.
• 23:18
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah.
• 23:19
  Nicole Crowe: I mean, if you wanna talk about.
• 23:20
  Nicole Crowe: Magnetic Island or where, wherever you're applying for residency.
• 23:24
  Nicole Crowe: If, if it's got a place, um, Strachan place based element to it, um, it's, it's fine that for you to say that you've never been there and you dunno anything about it because that's really nice.
• 23:34
  Nicole Crowe: We wanna, we wanna bring people here, we want people to experience the place.
• 23:37
  Nicole Crowe: Um, so just be really honest and authentic in your applica, in your application materials and that'll put you in good step.
• 23:43
  Nicole Crowe: Mm.
• 23:44
  Tina Strachan: Very good tip.
• 23:45
  Natasha Rai: Yeah, that's an excellent tip because, you know, people, I guess, do apply for multiple residencies and it, it, you can fall into the trap of using an application for something else, but with, but not checking it properly and making sure the details match what you are looking for.
• 24:00
  Nicole Crowe: Yes, exactly.
• 24:01
  Nicole Crowe: Yes.
• 24:02
  Nicole Crowe: Because we do read them all.
• 24:03
  Nicole Crowe: We don't have, like AI doing its first pass on applicants.
• 24:08
  Nicole Crowe: Uh, we as a, as a small team read every single application.
• 24:12
  Nicole Crowe: So your, your application is gonna be read by a human.
• 24:15
  Nicole Crowe: So, um, you don't have to worry about, um, getting.
• 24:20
  Nicole Crowe: Um, getting culled in the first round by some sort of bot, because that's not the way we operate.
• 24:24
  Nicole Crowe: So that could be a double-edged sword because we will spot things that are like weird and inaccurate.
• 24:31
  Nicole Crowe: Um, and if you're pretending that you know all about the place, we're gonna spot that immediately.
• 24:36
  Nicole Crowe: And, um, it's probably gonna put you at the bottom of the list.
• 24:39
  Nicole Crowe: Mm-hmm.
• 24:40
  Nicole Crowe: But yeah, we, we, we, we, we, uh, we appre we appreciate authenticity in, um, our applications.
• 24:46
  Nicole Crowe: Yep.
• 24:48
  Tina Strachan: Um, so Nicole, your job at the Roderick Centre and the residency is all about helping other authors, um, helping them to get the, the writing done.
• 24:58
  Tina Strachan: Um, and you know, if you know publication is on their, you know, their list of, you know, their wishlist, then, you know, it's certainly helping them get there.
• 25:07
  Tina Strachan: Um, but you yourself are a very soon to be published author with your debut book coming out in just under two weeks.
• 25:16
  Nicole Crowe: Yes.
• 25:17
  Nicole Crowe: Yes.
• 25:17
  Nicole Crowe: I think it's the 26th of August, so it is coming up really, really fast.
• 25:21
  Nicole Crowe: Um, so that's all very exciting.
• 25:23
  Nicole Crowe: Can you tell us a little bit about your book?
• 25:25
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah, so it's called The Washup, and it's coming out through Pantera Publishing.
• 25:31
  Nicole Crowe: Um, it will hit the bookshops on the 26th, I believe.
• 25:34
  Nicole Crowe: Um, it's also available in audiobook and ebook form.
• 25:38
  Nicole Crowe: Um.
• 25:40
  Nicole Crowe: So it's, it's set on Magnetic Island and in Townsville, which is the closest mainland, um, city to Magnetic Island.
• 25:47
  Nicole Crowe: And, uh.
• 25:48
  Nicole Crowe: The, the tag, the tagline for it is, um, a tragic accident in Paradise or a calculated crime called
• 25:57
  Natasha Rai: Love It.
• 25:57
  Nicole Crowe: So it's about, it's about a, um, it's about a young woman.
• 26:00
  Nicole Crowe: She's 30, her name is Eve, and she's just recovering from, still recovering from the death of her parents in a car crash two years earlier.
• 26:09
  Nicole Crowe: And then I, um, so she's just ticking along, leaving her life, drinking too much.
• 26:14
  Nicole Crowe: Having real trouble getting out of our own way.
• 26:16
  Nicole Crowe: All that fun stuff, um, that we do when we're 30 and kind of at a bit of a loose end.
• 26:23
  Nicole Crowe: Uh, and then there's a, a, a terrible, um, soon after the novel begins, it's a terrible skydiving crash.
• 26:31
  Nicole Crowe: And so Eve is, um, convinced that it's not an accident.
• 26:36
  Nicole Crowe: And so this is kind of the, the rest, the, the rest of the book is her trying to figure out what happened.
• 26:42
  Nicole Crowe: Um, in this awful crash and who was to blame or was it an accident?
• 26:46
  Nicole Crowe: And she kind of loses the plot quite a few times through the novel, makes some really bad personal decisions.
• 26:54
  Nicole Crowe: Um, yeah.
• 26:55
  Nicole Crowe: And so it's about her trying to figure out that sort of central mystery while trying to also maintain her own sanity, which is tough.
• 27:03
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm.
• 27:04
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm.
• 27:05
  Tina Strachan: Sounds exciting.
• 27:05
  Tina Strachan: I can't wait to read it.
• 27:07
  Tina Strachan: Congratulations.
• 27:08
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah, thank you.
• 27:09
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah, it is exciting.
• 27:10
  Nicole Crowe: I hope, I hope readers love it.
• 27:12
  Nicole Crowe: It's all, it's very terrifying having something that you've spent such a long time on and put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into, see it go out in the world and just hope that it does well.
• 27:21
  Nicole Crowe: So, um, I hope that everybody, I hope that everybody gets a real kick outta reading it.
• 27:25
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah.
• 27:26
  Natasha Rai: And, um, how long did you work on your manuscript before you started submitting it?
• 27:31
  Nicole Crowe: Probably about 18 months, I think, sort of.
• 27:36
  Nicole Crowe: Part-time.
• 27:37
  Nicole Crowe: I was a couple of days a week working on it when I, I was kind of on maternity leave too, so I started doing that on my maternity leave.
• 27:44
  Nicole Crowe: Um, yeah, so it took a while and then it took about 18 months after that to find a home in publishing.
• 27:51
  Nicole Crowe: So yeah, it's a, it's a long process as you guys know, so, but it's all very, um, it's all very worth it at the end of the line and all of those edits and drafts, oh my god, they go on and on and on.
• 28:01
  Nicole Crowe: But then eventually you have something.
• 28:03
  Nicole Crowe: Worthwhile in your hand, which is, um, a really great feeling.
• 28:07
  Natasha Rai: Has there been any elements or aspects of this publishing journey that you've gone through so far that's really surprised you?
• 28:14
  Nicole Crowe: Everything.
• 28:17
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah, everything.
• 28:18
  Nicole Crowe: And I guess the biggest surprise, um, as somebody who is new to publishing, I think when you're, when you're writing, um, when you're in the middle of writing your book, you think that.
• 28:32
  Nicole Crowe: You don't know what you're doing and that the people in publishing know what they're doing.
• 28:37
  Nicole Crowe: And then you get your foot through the door, and then you have this team around you, and then you quickly realize that they, I mean, they know what they're doing, but it's really hard.
• 28:49
  Nicole Crowe: It's impossible for anybody, even publishing veterans to predict the next big thing or to create the next big thing, right?
• 28:58
  Nicole Crowe: I was, I mean, before I had anything to do with formal publishing, I just assumed that everybody was smarter than me and better than me.
• 29:05
  Nicole Crowe: And, and that's not the case.
• 29:07
  Nicole Crowe: Everybody's just doing the best that they can.
• 29:10
  Nicole Crowe: And some things take off and go gangbusters and other things that a publisher or people in publishing will think it'll do really well, does it.
• 29:18
  Nicole Crowe: And nobody can really explain why.
• 29:19
  Nicole Crowe: 'cause that's just culture.
• 29:21
  Natasha Rai: Mm-hmm.
• 29:21
  Nicole Crowe: Culture and zeitgeist is a total mystery to even people at the centre of it.
• 29:24
  Nicole Crowe: So.
• 29:25
  Nicole Crowe: That was quite illuminating, and everybody's doing their damnedest to get you the, the best sort of, um, awareness and profile that they can, but it's so unpredictable.
• 29:37
  Nicole Crowe: So I, I kind of didn't realize that level of unpredictability until really just very recently.
• 29:43
  Nicole Crowe: So that's, um, that was a learning curve.
• 29:46
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah.
• 29:48
  Natasha Rai: Yeah.
• 29:48
  Natasha Rai: And it feels like the way you've described that, that it would both take the pressure off and on at the same time, like,'cause then you can focus on things that you can control, like making it the best version of the work and collaborating with the publisher and the publicist and you know, doing everything you can to get the book out there.
• 30:04
  Nicole Crowe: Or making it, as I said, as good as it can.
• 30:07
  Nicole Crowe: And then the other stuff like the culture, the zeitgeist, what's hot, what's not like, yeah.
• 30:12
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah.
• 30:14
  Nicole Crowe: I think there was a, I think it was Andy Warhol who said, like, somebody asked him a similar question, like something about, you know, how is he so popular?
• 30:22
  Nicole Crowe: Or whatever.
• 30:23
  Nicole Crowe: And his answer to that was, oh, you know, I just make stuff.
• 30:26
  Nicole Crowe: Other people decide if it's art, and while they're deciding whether or not it's art, I just keep making stuff.
• 30:32
  Nicole Crowe: So that's, I think, the best that we can all do.
• 30:34
  Nicole Crowe: We just keep doing what we, what we can do.
• 30:36
  Nicole Crowe: We, you know, write what you know, all of those old adages.
• 30:39
  Nicole Crowe: Just keep pushing with them, keep running with them.
• 30:42
  Nicole Crowe: Try not to listen too much to the noise because you can't control any of that.
• 30:47
  Nicole Crowe: All you can control is your own sort of work and your own ideas and your own output.
• 30:52
  Nicole Crowe: And then just all you can do is fit cross your fingers.
• 30:56
  Nicole Crowe: So, yeah, just keep going.
• 30:58
  Nicole Crowe: Keep going.
• 30:59
  Tina Strachan: That's such good advice, and I love that quote that Andy Warhol said.
• 31:04
  Natasha Rai: Yeah, I, haven't heard that before, so I I really like it too.
• 31:06
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah, it's good.
• 31:07
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah, it's great.
• 31:08
  Nicole Crowe: I always remember it when I'm sort of stuck.
• 31:10
  Nicole Crowe: I'm like, oh, well I'm just gonna do what I can.
• 31:12
  Nicole Crowe: And then it's up to the universe, culture, zeitgeist, all the rest of it.
• 31:17
  Tina Strachan: That's perfect.
• 31:17
  Tina Strachan: I like it.
• 31:19
  Tina Strachan: Thank you Nicole.
• 31:20
  Tina Strachan: Thanks for looking after us, um, this week and
• 31:22
  Nicole Crowe: Oh my pleasure.
• 31:24
  Tina Strachan: Very welcome and, um, catering to our chocolate and cheese requests.
• 31:29
  Natasha Rai: A special, special thanks with the chocolate and cheese.
• 31:34
  Tina Strachan: It's what fuels writers, I think.
• 31:35
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 31:36
  Tina Strachan: It's the secret formula.
• 31:38
  Nicole Crowe: Absolutely.
• 31:39
  Nicole Crowe: Chocolate, cheese, and a bit of sneaky wine.
• 31:41
  Nicole Crowe: And that's kind of, that's the secret ingredient to the, to the good work in the absolutely perfect weather.
• 31:47
  Natasha Rai: Oh gosh, yes.
• 31:49
  Natasha Rai: It is like paradise.
• 31:51
  Nicole Crowe: Yes, it's the perfect time of year to have, um, to have residencies up here.
• 31:56
  Nicole Crowe: 'cause it is lovely.
• 31:57
  Nicole Crowe: The bugs aren't too bad.
• 31:58
  Nicole Crowe: The, the, the, the animals are going a little bit mental though because it's, um, breeding season.
• 32:03
  Nicole Crowe: But, um, that's always very entertaining.
• 32:04
  Nicole Crowe: I love it.
• 32:05
  Nicole Crowe: And the sunbirds come to your window and try and build a nest in your front doorway.
• 32:11
  Nicole Crowe: Yeah.
• 32:13
  Tina Strachan: Oh well, it's a very special residency and I think we feel very grateful to, um, have be part of it on this second year that it's been like, oh, been here for.
• 32:21
  Tina Strachan: So thank you.
• 32:22
  Tina Strachan: Thank you so much.
• 32:23
  Tina Strachan: And to the Roderick Centre.
• 32:24
  Nicole Crowe: My pleasure.
• 32:25
  Nicole Crowe: Thank you.
• 32:26
  Nicole Crowe: Thanks guys.
• 32:27
  Nicole Crowe: Go forth.
• 32:28
  Nicole Crowe: Do fabulous work.
• 32:29
  Nicole Crowe: Eat the cheese.
• 32:34
  Tina Strachan: Thank you for listening to the Book Deal podcast.
• 32:37
  Tina Strachan: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the pod so you can receive updates as soon as our new S drop and to keep up to date with what the pod is doing.
• 32:46
  Tina Strachan: You can also find us on Instagram.