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Tina Strachan on how to win a competition, secure a three-book-deal and release a debut novel · The Book Deal

• 0:09
  Tina Strachan: This is the Book Deal Podcast.
• 0:10
  Tina Strachan: Where you will discover the inspiring stories of the authors behind your favourite 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, and join us as we pull back the curtain of published authors.
• 0:25
  Tina Strachan: One deal at a time.
• 0:29
  Tina Strachan: The Book Deal Podcast acknowledges the traditional owners of the land and waters which it's recorded on.
• 0:35
  Tina Strachan: And pays respect to their elders, past, present, and emerging.
• 0:43
  Tina Strachan: Hi, Tina, welcome back to season two.
• 0:46
  Tina Strachan: I know.
• 0:47
  Tina Strachan: Well, thanks Madeleine.
• 0:48
  Tina Strachan: It's good to be back, isn't it?
• 0:49
  Tina Strachan: It is wonderful to be back and we're kicking our first episode of the year, um, and also our first episode of the season two.
• 0:58
  Tina Strachan: It's going to be a big one, a big season.
• 1:03
  Tina Strachan: It's going to be a big season, but this is, I think we're, we're kicking off season two with a bang as well.
• 1:09
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 1:10
  Tina Strachan (2): There's a lot happening in this season, isn't there?
• 1:12
  Madeleine Cleary (2): There is actually in this season, we'll both be releasing our debut novels, which is very exciting.
• 1:18
  Madeleine Cleary (2): And you're going first.
• 1:20
  Tina Strachan (2): I am.
• 1:21
  Tina Strachan (2): And very, very soon.
• 1:23
  Madeleine Cleary: Very soon.
• 1:24
  Madeleine Cleary: So we are recording this.
• 1:25
  Madeleine Cleary: It's about mid Jan and your book, your debut novel, Nika and the missing key book, one of the wild zoo series is coming out on what date Tina on the
• 1:37
  Tina Strachan (2): 29th of January, I know it's literally days away.
• 1:44
  Tina Strachan (2): So, um, yeah, that's pretty exciting.
• 1:47
  Tina Strachan (2): Are you counting down the sleeps?
• 1:50
  Tina Strachan (2): Sort of.
• 1:51
  Tina Strachan (2): I try not to.
• 1:53
  Tina Strachan (2): It is a bit of an odd feeling, you know, I think you don't know how you're gonna be.
• 1:58
  Tina Strachan (2): And I literally remember thinking a couple of years ago even, like, is that date ever gonna come?
• 2:04
  Tina Strachan (2): And like, how am I gonna feel in that?
• 2:06
  Tina Strachan (2): In that moment.
• 2:08
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, and I think I feel busy Madeleine is how I feel,
• 2:11
  Madeleine Cleary: which is probably good.
• 2:13
  Madeleine Cleary: It is good to be busy.
• 2:14
  Madeleine Cleary: Keeps your mind off all the things that are about to happen.
• 2:17
  Madeleine Cleary: And in this episode, we're going to go back in time a few years to Tina, back when you were writing Nico and the missing key and.
• 2:28
  Madeleine Cleary: Just before you got your deal.
• 2:29
  Madeleine Cleary: So we want to find out all the things cause we've been saving our stories for listeners until this moment.
• 2:36
  Madeleine Cleary: So I'm very, very excited to dig back.
• 2:38
  Madeleine Cleary: And I've also had the amazing opportunity to read your debut book.
• 2:43
  Madeleine Cleary: And it is just so beautiful, even though I am not.
• 2:47
  Madeleine Cleary: A middle grade reader, I loved it.
• 2:49
  Madeleine Cleary: And I am a 34, 33 year old woman.
• 2:54
  Tina Strachan (2): Well, thank you for reading it, Madeleine.
• 2:55
  Tina Strachan (2): And it's really exciting because I think you're the only other people that have read it outside of, you know, The, the publishers, um, is yeah, you're one of the only ones that have, have read it.
• 3:09
  Tina Strachan (2): So that was a really, yeah, a really, um, interesting moment, I guess, because no one else really read it.
• 3:15
  Tina Strachan (2): Oh, it was funny.
• 3:17
  Tina Strachan (2): I sent it to you.
• 3:17
  Tina Strachan (2): And that's why I, I messaged and said, I, it's probably been a really long time since you've read a middle grade book.
• 3:25
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, so it's definitely a lot shorter and very different to what you would normally read.
• 3:30
  Tina Strachan (2): I imagine.
• 3:30
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 3:31
  Madeleine Cleary: Oh, but it was just so wonderful.
• 3:32
  Madeleine Cleary: Like I was like laughing and then I was like almost crying and it was just so heartfelt and warm and wholesome and I just wanted, I want more of that in the world, I think.
• 3:43
  Madeleine Cleary: So you're bringing something very beautiful and special into the world and you're a brilliant writer, Tina.
• 3:47
  Madeleine Cleary: So I can't wait for so many more people to read it.
• 3:51
  Tina Strachan (2): Oh, thank you.
• 3:52
  Tina Strachan (2): I'm blushing.
• 3:53
  Tina Strachan (2): Lovely words.
• 3:55
  Tina Strachan (2): Yes.
• 3:55
  Tina Strachan (2): One, one thing I, um, need to do and I'm trying to do is take compliments.
• 4:02
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, just say thank you.
• 4:05
  Tina Strachan (2): Don't say, Oh, it was nothing.
• 4:08
  Tina Strachan (2): I only spent two years writing it.
• 4:10
  Tina Strachan (2): It was nothing.
• 4:12
  Madeleine Cleary: Just something I whipped up.
• 4:13
  Madeleine Cleary: Yeah, yeah,
• 4:14
  Tina Strachan (2): easy as.
• 4:15
  Tina Strachan (2): So thank you, Madeleine.
• 4:17
  Tina Strachan (2): That's
• 4:17
  Madeleine Cleary: really
• 4:18
  Tina Strachan (2): kind words.
• 4:19
  Madeleine Cleary: Well, very well deserved, Tina.
• 4:21
  Madeleine Cleary: Alright, so we're going to kick this off with something that you're going to be having a lot of practice with, I think, in the next few months to come.
• 4:30
  Madeleine Cleary: And you can practice it out on me here in a nice, safe environment on the Book Deal Podcast.
• 4:35
  Madeleine Cleary: Tina Strachan, will you give us the elevator pitch of Nika and the Missing Key?
• 4:40
  Tina Strachan (2): Okay, so this is something I feel like I should probably be more prepared for because I ask other authors for this all the time so I can share, you know, with everybody and also secretly I'm just trying to learn from them all.
• 4:53
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, but what I say for my one liner, Is, uh, so I talk about Wilder Zoo, the series, and it's about a girl called Nika Wilder who lives in a zoo with her family.
• 5:06
  Tina Strachan (2): It's all about fun and friendship and adventure, and of course, lots of animals.
• 5:12
  Tina Strachan (2): So it is a series.
• 5:13
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I said, so, um, yeah, book one in the series is called Nika and the Missing Key.
• 5:18
  Tina Strachan (2): And in that book, Nika is trying to win an award for the wildlife conservation videos that she creates with her two best friends.
• 5:27
  Tina Strachan (2): So they try to create one really awesome last video to help them win the award.
• 5:33
  Tina Strachan (2): They are trying to film one of the cheeky red pandas called Rebel and he won't cooperate.
• 5:39
  Tina Strachan (2): It's a very good name for him because he's very cheeky and he won't cooperate.
• 5:43
  Tina Strachan (2): And she loses her very important Zouki and then she gets grounded and for something else and it just feels like creating the awesome new video and time for the awards is impossible.
• 5:55
  Madeleine Cleary: It was such a good premise, I love it.
• 5:57
  Madeleine Cleary: Um, and Nika has the best friends, we were talking about friendship, she has the Best friends ever as well.
• 6:03
  Madeleine Cleary: They're just wonderful.
• 6:05
  Madeleine Cleary: Like I just, I just wanted to like wrap them up in a cuddle.
• 6:09
  Madeleine Cleary: Cause they're just so wonderful.
• 6:10
  Madeleine Cleary: You know, always supporting Nika.
• 6:12
  Madeleine Cleary: Is that something that you really wanted to write about friendship?
• 6:15
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, I think so.
• 6:18
  Tina Strachan (2): I think it just.
• 6:19
  Tina Strachan (2): It just comes naturally that she had these two best friends.
• 6:23
  Tina Strachan (2): So Rumi and Hudson, they're called and yeah, they just, their, their personalities and their character and everything just came to me and they just, yeah, they have a really nice bond.
• 6:33
  Tina Strachan (2): I
• 6:33
  Madeleine Cleary: think.
• 6:34
  Madeleine Cleary: And Rumi's dad
• 6:35
  Tina Strachan (2): owns a lolly shop and
• 6:36
  Tina Strachan: Nika's parents obviously live in the zoo.
• 6:39
  Tina Strachan: Like, isn't that the most amazing thing ever?
• 6:42
  Tina Strachan: Yes, you're right.
• 6:43
  Tina Strachan: She's, she's got it all really, hasn't she?
• 6:46
  Tina Strachan: What more could you want?
• 6:46
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 6:47
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 6:47
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 6:48
  Tina Strachan: Okay.
• 6:49
  Tina Strachan: So let's, let's, um, talk about, um, your writing path to this, Tina.
• 6:54
  Tina Strachan: Cause I think everyone's going to be really interested to know how you got your deal.
• 6:58
  Tina Strachan: Um, but let's, let's go back a bit further.
• 7:01
  Tina Strachan: So, um, I had to write this down cause I thought it was so cute, but Nico, Nico in the book, she says that caring for wildlife is basically her destiny, which I think is gorgeous.
• 7:10
  Tina Strachan: Has writing always been your destiny, Tina?
• 7:14
  Tina Strachan (2): I don't know if it's been my destiny.
• 7:16
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause Yeah, I guess, well, writing has always been part of what I have done.
• 7:21
  Tina Strachan (2): So I have just always done it.
• 7:24
  Tina Strachan (2): It's probably more, um, not my destiny in that, you know, one day I'll be a writer.
• 7:29
  Tina Strachan (2): It's just, it, it has just always been there and I've always written.
• 7:34
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, I think my earliest memories is sitting at a.
• 7:40
  Tina Strachan (2): One of the computers in, I think it was like, Oh, it would have been about eight or nine.
• 7:46
  Tina Strachan (2): And I remember it so clearly because the computers in my classroom, there was like four of them.
• 7:53
  Tina Strachan (2): And okay, so it was a while ago now, obviously that I was about eight.
• 7:57
  Tina Strachan (2): And so there was only about four of them.
• 7:59
  Tina Strachan (2): They're those massive big ones that you get.
• 8:02
  Tina Strachan (2): And it was really cool.
• 8:03
  Tina Strachan (2): Like it was really high tech to have these like four computers in the classroom, you know?
• 8:07
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, I, yeah, and the teacher had given us a writing prompt, you know, so it must have been for English or something like that.
• 8:17
  Tina Strachan (2): And I remember, I remember this prompt and it was, um, as the two moons rose.
• 8:25
  Tina Strachan (2): And you had to just go from that.
• 8:27
  Tina Strachan (2): I was really, and I remember just that just stuck in my head.
• 8:32
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I ended up writing about, um, yeah, this guy that lived on this planet and it was, yeah, obviously there was two moons and, but I remember just spending so much time on it and writing and writing.
• 8:43
  Tina Strachan (2): And so.
• 8:43
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, and I think, I feel like that's kind of where it started from just the creativity of it.
• 8:50
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, you know, I remember being a, like me and my husband talk about this all the time.
• 8:55
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause I've got, I've got a, um, an 11 year old at the moment and a six year old.
• 9:01
  Tina Strachan (2): And we were always like, what did we used to do when we were their age?
• 9:05
  Tina Strachan (2): Can you remember?
• 9:05
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause now they've got unlimited access to.
• 9:08
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, television, unlimited shows and movies and stuff, just nonstop back, you know, but back in when I was their age, you had to walk down to Blockbuster to get a video, to rent a video.
• 9:18
  Tina Strachan (2): Right.
• 9:19
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, and I've also got, you know, we had, we had like game stations and stuff like that as well, but there's, it's just next level.
• 9:26
  Tina Strachan (2): Right.
• 9:27
  Tina Strachan (2): And so many devices.
• 9:28
  Tina Strachan (2): I'm like, well, what did we used to do?
• 9:30
  Tina Strachan (2): And I was thinking back, you know, we, you know, in the summer holidays, I'd go swimming in the pool and have some friends over.
• 9:36
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I'd spend all this time at the computer writing stories, you know, so I did, I've just always, always done it.
• 9:44
  Tina Strachan (2): So yes, I would guess being a, was being a published off a part of my destiny.
• 9:49
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, well, I guess it was, but I just never expected that writing to be published was never.
• 9:55
  Tina Strachan (2): The goal.
• 9:56
  Tina Strachan (2): So,
• 9:57
  Tina Strachan: um, did people know you were, because were you writing all your life then?
• 10:02
  Tina Strachan: Because you've always told me and said to the listeners that you're a everyday writer.
• 10:07
  Tina Strachan: Have you been writing every day since you wrote that first prompt to the moon story?
• 10:12
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 10:12
  Tina Strachan (2): No, I haven't.
• 10:14
  Tina Strachan (2): No.
• 10:14
  Tina Strachan (2): And it definitely ebbs and flows.
• 10:15
  Tina Strachan (2): ebbed and flowed.
• 10:17
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, when I, uh, you know, I think when I went to high school, you know, you know, teenage years, you kind of, that sort of thing kind of fell to the wayside a bit more.
• 10:30
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, um, uni, I was at uni, like, you know, and I studied, uh, Um, like science field, you know, and, um, very techie, uh, black and white.
• 10:40
  Tina Strachan (2): And I remember actually specifically making a move away from creativity, um, at that time, because I was just, Um, and I just, I don't know, I just wanted black and white and right or wrong.
• 10:50
  Tina Strachan (2): And I just wanted to learn it and I wanted to, yeah, sort of go down that path.
• 10:54
  Tina Strachan (2): And um, so uni, you know, it's so busy and you're doing so much reading and writing anyway with your assignments and stuff.
• 11:01
  Tina Strachan (2): I just, it kind of fell to the wayside then too.
• 11:04
  Tina Strachan (2): And you know, it's always in my head, it was always in my head though.
• 11:07
  Tina Strachan (2): Like all the stories were just always kind of there.
• 11:10
  Tina Strachan (2): So it almost be writing them.
• 11:12
  Tina Strachan (2): But like, not putting them down on paper.
• 11:14
  Tina Strachan (2): I know that sounds a bit strange, doesn't it?
• 11:16
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, and then it wasn't until, so I kept like dipping into it every now and then, um, I'd write and then it wasn't until, um, my youngest was born that, you know, there's this really There's a sweet spot when they're little where they have like about a three hour nap in the day and that I was just like, you know what, I'm just going to write.
• 11:39
  Tina Strachan (2): And I, um, set my, you know, I put him down for an afternoon nap.
• 11:45
  Tina Strachan (2): I'd set my alarm for an hour and I'd be like that out that whole hour.
• 11:49
  Tina Strachan (2): You just write, you do nothing more.
• 11:50
  Tina Strachan (2): I'd make a coffee, get a Chucky Bicky.
• 11:52
  Tina Strachan (2): Hour, like you just write and then the alarm will go off.
• 11:54
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I go, cool, do all the other mum things like, you know, cleaning and washing and cooking and getting ready for him to wake up, um, and have the whole, you know, afternoon session.
• 12:05
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, but I was like, no, just put aside that hour every day.
• 12:10
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, yeah.
• 12:12
  Tina Strachan (2): So I picked it back up.
• 12:13
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 12:15
  Tina Strachan: So, um, on, on sort of those ideas, like it sounds like you've always, even if you were dipping in and out of writing, it sounds like you've always had those ideas and we often talk and you're always telling me that you've got a new story.
• 12:30
  Tina Strachan: So do you want to talk a little bit about where that inspiration comes from for you?
• 12:35
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah, um, it comes from anywhere I find, like I'm always just thinking of, you know, something will pop into my head and I go, Oh, that's, that's good.
• 12:45
  Tina Strachan (2): And it could be a character.
• 12:47
  Tina Strachan (2): It could be just a trait even of a character, um, or a setting, or, you know, I think we spoke a few weeks back about the beauty of putting down your phone and not looking at a screen because I just looked out the window
• 13:01
  Madeleine Cleary: at this
• 13:02
  Tina Strachan (2): particular scene that was like right in the middle of the city and I was like, and then it just So I think literally just life, so it just life, I think you've just got to say, you know, go out there, be part of life and just, yeah, and observe.
• 13:24
  Tina Strachan: And obviously, so, so this story is set in a zoo and you've got quite a bit of experience working in zookeeping and conservation.
• 13:32
  Tina Strachan: Do you want to tell us a little bit about your background and how that's influenced the novel?
• 13:36
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 13:37
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, yeah.
• 13:38
  Tina Strachan (2): So like I said, I went to uni and I studied, uh, environmental science majoring in zoology and I've always loved animals.
• 13:46
  Tina Strachan (2): I used to always bring animals home for my mom, um, and dad, they, you know, and like Yeah, I would call especially dogs.
• 13:57
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, I was, I was very attached to, you know, anyone giving away a dog I'd bring home.
• 14:01
  Tina Strachan (2): I don't know how they put up with that.
• 14:03
  Tina Strachan (2): If my kid brought home a dog, I'd be,
• 14:05
  Tina Strachan: yeah.
• 14:07
  Tina Strachan: So this is not during your zoo keeping days.
• 14:09
  Tina Strachan: This is okay.
• 14:11
  Tina Strachan: But you know, there's
• 14:11
  Tina Strachan (2): a photo even of me with, um, and I reckon I was probably about six or seven.
• 14:15
  Tina Strachan (2): I'm holding like Mom and dad had this book, um, uh, it was like a vet book, like how to look after your pets kind of thing.
• 14:23
  Tina Strachan (2): And I just, I love that book.
• 14:24
  Tina Strachan (2): I just put, hold it and like read it and look at the pictures.
• 14:27
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, you know, so that sort of side of it, I loved, always loved animals and had that connection.
• 14:33
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, but yeah, so I studied zoology.
• 14:36
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, never really intended ever on working in the zoo, didn't know exactly what I wanted to do.
• 14:40
  Tina Strachan (2): So I just thought I'd study it and see how I go, loved all animal behavior and stuff like that.
• 14:44
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, um, a eventually job came up in a zoo that, and I thought, Oh, that's a good, you know, it's aligned with what I wanted to do, which by that stage was kind of a wildlife conservation, you know, um, and that was aligned with it because it was.
• 15:03
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, and, you know, they ran a lot of conservation projects as well through the zoo, and I thought that's good.
• 15:08
  Tina Strachan (2): It's good stepping stone.
• 15:10
  Tina Strachan (2): And yeah, just really, really loved it, really enjoyed it and ended up being a zookeeper, um, for over 10 years.
• 15:19
  Tina Strachan (2): Training as a vet nurse as well.
• 15:21
  Tina Strachan (2): I always wanted to do the vet nursing side of it.
• 15:23
  Tina Strachan (2): And I did that when I was heavily pregnant, heavily pregnant.
• 15:27
  Tina Strachan (2): I remember cleaning enclosures and stuff on my hands and knees with like, like this big belly plus him in the ground and, um, you know, and then, um, Yeah.
• 15:37
  Tina Strachan (2): Going back when, um, my son was only three months old, going back for like half a day and just, um, you know, in the vet hospital, which was amazing.
• 15:46
  Tina Strachan (2): And um, yeah.
• 15:48
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I ended up working, yeah, with wildlife conservation.
• 15:52
  Tina Strachan (2): So, you
• 15:53
  Madeleine Cleary: know,
• 15:53
  Tina Strachan (2): out in the field, doing a lot of field work and, um, yeah, a lot of, you know, a lot of desk work as well, but just a lot of research and a lot of data.
• 16:01
  Tina Strachan (2): And that sort of stuff is balances nicely off my creativity.
• 16:06
  Tina Strachan (2): So a lot of technical writing, which is very different to, to creative writing.
• 16:10
  Tina Strachan (2): So using both sides of my brain.
• 16:12
  Tina Strachan (2): So yeah, obviously all of that does just provided that, you know, inspiration and background.
• 16:20
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, this book has a lot of behind the scenes in the zoo.
• 16:22
  Tina Strachan (2): You probably noticed that.
• 16:24
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, I don't know how you would write it if you didn't have that experience.
• 16:29
  Tina Strachan (2): It just couldn't.
• 16:30
  Tina Strachan (2): happen.
• 16:31
  Tina Strachan (2): You just, I mean, you could probably just, just maybe, um, you know, a little bit more surface level, but really getting into the behind the scenes stuff was what I loved writing.
• 16:42
  Tina Strachan (2): And I really wanted, I think the kids, cause kids love zoos and they love animals.
• 16:46
  Tina Strachan (2): And imagine
• 16:47
  Tina Strachan: growing up living in one.
• 16:48
  Tina Strachan: It's just amazing.
• 16:50
  Tina Strachan (2): Yes.
• 16:51
  Tina Strachan (2): Well, I actually, I worked at, um, I worked at Australia Zoo a thousand years ago, um, when Bindiya was really little and she would, um, come in and just like jump in the You know, jump on in the waterfalls and the bird aviaries and, um, you know, run around with snakes and just, you know, she just, it was her playground
• 17:14
  Madeleine Cleary: and, um,
• 17:14
  Tina Strachan (2): yeah, so I definitely have a lot of that, you know, behind it when I was writing is just that experience and, um, you know, working in the zoo as a zookeeper, the kids constantly come up to you and they always want to know what you're doing and how did you be a zookeeper and, and adults as well saying, how did you get this job always?
• 17:29
  Tina Strachan (2): Thanks.
• 17:29
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, it was a daily thing and, um, you know, so people really want to know what, what goes on behind the scenes and what happens at a zoo.
• 17:36
  Tina Strachan (2): So, yeah, that's all I tried to, um, weave a lot of that into the story.
• 17:41
  Tina Strachan: No, well, it definitely shines through.
• 17:43
  Tina Strachan: I feel like I learned so much about.
• 17:45
  Tina Strachan: Um, pregnant giraffes.
• 17:47
  Tina Strachan: I think you would, you'd go through an elephant as well.
• 17:50
  Tina Strachan: And then the period of pregnancy, which is a lot longer than a human 22 months.
• 17:55
  Tina Strachan: I think for an elephant, wasn't it?
• 17:56
  Tina Strachan (2): Oh, I know.
• 17:58
  Tina Strachan (2): Could you imagine?
• 17:59
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 17:59
  Tina Strachan (2): And I tried to.
• 18:01
  Tina Strachan (2): I tried to, um, I ran a lot of stuff past a lot of the keepers that I know and the vets and the vet nurses with those sorts of things.
• 18:08
  Tina Strachan (2): So I tried to be as accurate as possible, but, um, hopefully, hopefully it's all
• 18:16
  Tina Strachan: accurate.
• 18:17
  Tina Strachan: So there's a super cute and you'd mentioned before rebel, the super cute red panda is rebel based on a, on a real red panda.
• 18:25
  Tina Strachan: Cause he's just the most adorable thing.
• 18:26
  Tina Strachan: He's a little dancing
• 18:28
  Tina Strachan (2): red panda.
• 18:29
  Tina Strachan (2): Unfortunately I've never had.
• 18:31
  Tina Strachan (2): The opportunity to work with the Red Pandas.
• 18:34
  Tina Strachan (2): Oh! I know, but you know, we wanted to really make sure that.
• 18:41
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah, like he, he adds a lot.
• 18:43
  Tina Strachan (2): He's a character in himself.
• 18:44
  Tina Strachan (2): He adds a lot to the story.
• 18:46
  Tina Strachan: That's the thing.
• 18:47
  Tina Strachan: The animals do bring their sort of own sense of characters.
• 18:50
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 18:51
  Tina Strachan: Amazing.
• 18:52
  Tina Strachan: Um, okay.
• 18:53
  Tina Strachan: So let's go back to when, so your, your, your son's been born, you're putting a son down for a long nap and you've got your one hour every day.
• 19:01
  Tina Strachan: Is the story you're writing is, is it actually Nika Is this the origin of this story or were you working on something different?
• 19:09
  Tina Strachan (2): No, I was working on something different, which had been a, and again, we've spoken about this before, haven't we?
• 19:15
  Tina Strachan (2): Where how ideas.
• 19:17
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, and it's, you know, come to everybody differently.
• 19:19
  Tina Strachan (2): And for me, it's basically like a movie that I can see in my head.
• 19:22
  Tina Strachan (2): And so it was there, like it's always just been there and it was just about getting the words out.
• 19:27
  Tina Strachan (2): So it was just about having the time to get them out.
• 19:29
  Tina Strachan (2): And that, that was a YA.
• 19:32
  Madeleine Cleary: Book,
• 19:33
  Tina Strachan (2): uh, why a story, um, very different to Nika in the, in the missing key.
• 19:38
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, but that's the one that in the end got me, um, it, it, it actually still got me the publishing deal in the end.
• 19:46
  Tina Strachan (2): Okay.
• 19:46
  Tina Strachan (2): So
• 19:47
  Tina Strachan: let's, let's just talk about this.
• 19:49
  Tina Strachan: We are the book deal podcast.
• 19:50
  Tina Strachan: So we're all about book deals here.
• 19:52
  Tina Strachan: So let's give us the detail.
• 19:54
  Tina Strachan: Tell us.
• 19:55
  Tina Strachan: So you you've obviously, you've got this draft of a YA novel, which is totally different to Nika.
• 20:03
  Tina Strachan: What, what helped you write initial draft and then
• 20:07
  Tina Strachan (2): what did you do with it?
• 20:08
  Tina Strachan (2): So I, I just, like I said, it was a, I still, still at that point was never like I'm a writer.
• 20:17
  Tina Strachan (2): I'm an author.
• 20:18
  Tina Strachan (2): I'm working towards publishing.
• 20:19
  Tina Strachan (2): That that ever could happen.
• 20:20
  Tina Strachan (2): It just for something.
• 20:22
  Tina Strachan (2): It must have
• 20:22
  Tina Strachan: surely a little something in your mind was going, well, I'm putting a lot of
• 20:27
  Tina Strachan (2): time.
• 20:27
  Tina Strachan: I just enjoyed
• 20:28
  Tina Strachan (2): it.
• 20:28
  Tina Strachan (2): I just enjoyed it.
• 20:30
  Tina Strachan (2): It's like, it'd be like someone who paints every day.
• 20:32
  Tina Strachan (2): They enjoy it.
• 20:33
  Tina Strachan (2): They're trying to, um, improve their craft, but they're not necessarily trying to be a famous artist that can sell their work and hang it in galleries.
• 20:40
  Tina Strachan (2): If that makes sense.
• 20:41
  Tina Strachan (2): I just loved it.
• 20:42
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I just.
• 20:44
  Tina Strachan (2): I got, uh, more into learning about the craft of it because I didn't know that there was a craft.
• 20:52
  Tina Strachan (2): You just like write, you know, and the craft, craft is different for everyone.
• 20:56
  Tina Strachan (2): Some people just innately, and especially if you read a lot, you innately kind of know where things are supposed to go and how a story is supposed to flow.
• 21:04
  Tina Strachan (2): But you know, that's when I started diving into, um, You know, the save the cat method and the story grid method and listening to, and I got those ideas from listening to podcasts.
• 21:15
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I, you know, I started listening to a podcast, um, called, um, I should be writing.
• 21:24
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause I thought that was just really, I don't even know how I came across that one.
• 21:27
  Tina Strachan (2): It's American, um, uh, Murr Lafferty is the host as being probably the longest running podcast.
• 21:35
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, for writing, like she literally has been doing it for like 20 years and, um, it's it's ebbs and flows and it's, but you know, that's where I got all these kinds of ideas is where I found out about NaNoWriMo, like all those kinds of, um, things was my first, first exposure to it.
• 21:51
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, yeah, so then I started going to the craft and just love the craft.
• 21:56
  Tina Strachan (2): And so then I was just kind of polishing it up and I think I was just like, what do I do with this?
• 22:00
  Tina Strachan (2): Now I was like, I wonder if it's any good.
• 22:02
  Tina Strachan (2): I mean, I enjoyed it.
• 22:03
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I still enjoy it and I still want to finish it one day and, um, and try and publish it.
• 22:07
  Tina Strachan (2): But I, um, Oh, that's good to know.
• 22:09
  Tina Strachan (2): Okay.
• 22:10
  Tina Strachan: For any publishers listening, you know, Strachan has a, she has a manuscript.
• 22:19
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 22:19
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, so just one night, I don't even know how I came across.
• 22:23
  Tina Strachan (2): I think it came up on Facebook or Instagram or something.
• 22:26
  Tina Strachan (2): I was caravanning with the family, just doing my edits.
• 22:29
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause I'd put the kids to bed and then just like edit away and play around with it.
• 22:33
  Tina Strachan (2): Just didn't know where else to go with it.
• 22:35
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, um, that's when I found out about the CYA conference,
• 22:41
  Tina Strachan: the famous CYA
• 22:44
  Tina Strachan (2): conference.
• 22:45
  Tina Strachan (2): And I entered it because You know, I think it was like 25 bucks to enter and you get feedback from the judges.
• 22:54
  Tina Strachan (2): And so that's what I wanted.
• 22:56
  Tina Strachan (2): I was like, Oh, 25 bucks for feedback.
• 22:59
  Tina Strachan (2): Like that's the cheapest.
• 23:00
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause I was looking at.
• 23:02
  Tina Strachan (2): Like getting a, you know, formal reviewers or like beta readers or something like that to read it.
• 23:08
  Tina Strachan (2): I just wanted to know, like, is, is this, am I completely off the mark?
• 23:13
  Tina Strachan (2): Like, can I even write, like, what do I do with this now?
• 23:17
  Tina Strachan (2): Like, should I just give up?
• 23:18
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, so I entered that competition with literally hours to spare, like it, it was about to close and, um.
• 23:27
  Tina Strachan (2): I don't know what happened, but something happened with the formatting of it when, so when they were opening it up, um, like the judges were opening it up, it's something was completely unformatted from it.
• 23:38
  Tina Strachan (2): And both judges, Um, comments were something about it was hard to read, like, I know, so I'd completely stuff something up somehow.
• 23:46
  Tina Strachan (2): I don't know how I did it.
• 23:48
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, and it's just horrifying.
• 23:50
  Tina Strachan: Well, that can be a complete no, can't it?
• 23:53
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 23:53
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 23:54
  Tina Strachan: I mean, I don't know
• 23:55
  Tina Strachan (2): how I did it.
• 23:55
  Tina Strachan (2): I just, I don't even know what they meant because it looked okay on my side, but something happened over on that side.
• 24:00
  Tina Strachan (2): So yeah, but it could be just like a too hard basket and you don't want anything to be too hard.
• 24:04
  Tina Strachan (2): So.
• 24:05
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, yeah, so I entered that competition in the, um, unpublished young adult section and won it.
• 24:15
  Tina Strachan (2): So that was just, we'll talk about validation for your writing when you're going, Oh
• 24:20
  Tina Strachan: no, if this is new, should I do it?
• 24:22
  Tina Strachan: Am I doing this right?
• 24:23
  Tina Strachan: And then winning it.
• 24:25
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 24:25
  Tina Strachan: So I got first
• 24:26
  Tina Strachan (2): go Tina.
• 24:27
  Tina Strachan (2): First go.
• 24:28
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 24:28
  Tina Strachan (2): Well, look, look, I had been working on it for a very long time.
• 24:31
  Tina Strachan (2): So.
• 24:31
  Tina Strachan: Um,
• 24:35
  Tina Strachan (2): you know, the story had been in my head for at least 10 years.
• 24:40
  Tina Strachan (2): Wow.
• 24:41
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 24:41
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I used the actual writing story and the writing of it probably started about 10 years ago as well.
• 24:49
  Tina Strachan: Wow.
• 24:49
  Tina Strachan: Okay.
• 24:49
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 24:50
  Tina Strachan: So this is a story that's.
• 24:51
  Tina Strachan: Been around with you for a long time.
• 24:53
  Tina Strachan: So it's a special one.
• 24:54
  Tina Strachan: Yeah, it's a yes.
• 24:56
  Tina Strachan (2): Yep.
• 24:56
  Tina Strachan (2): So, um, yeah.
• 24:59
  Tina Strachan (2): So I got that email to say that I was shortlisted, which I was just
• 25:03
  Tina Strachan: like, was that the first time that absolutely shocking?
• 25:06
  Tina Strachan: What was it the first time when you felt validated
• 25:09
  Tina Strachan (2): your, your own writing?
• 25:10
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 25:11
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah, absolutely.
• 25:12
  Tina Strachan (2): And it's the first time I'd shared my writing.
• 25:14
  Tina Strachan (2): No one had read my writing, you know, and that just get getting there.
• 25:18
  Tina Strachan (2): So at first I, yeah, I got the.
• 25:20
  Tina Strachan (2): Shortlisted email.
• 25:21
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, and then what did you feel like when you got shortlisted?
• 25:26
  Tina Strachan (2): Even just that would have been amazing away.
• 25:28
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 25:29
  Tina Strachan (2): Like blown away.
• 25:30
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I had actually even forgotten that I'd sent it.
• 25:33
  Tina Strachan (2): I was just waiting for the judge's feedback to come through.
• 25:35
  Tina Strachan (2): Like, it wasn't even like, Oh, well, any day now I'll find out if I made it.
• 25:40
  Tina Strachan (2): That wasn't even, that was not even a thought.
• 25:42
  Tina Strachan (2): The thought was.
• 25:43
  Tina Strachan (2): I can't wait to get the judge's feedback
• 25:45
  Madeleine Cleary: back so
• 25:45
  Tina Strachan (2): I can, you know, improve on whatever their comments were.
• 25:49
  Tina Strachan (2): And so when I got the shortlisting email, yeah, I just remember saying to my husband, I got this like, I've been shortlisted.
• 25:56
  Tina Strachan (2): How about that?
• 25:57
  Tina Strachan (2): And that was, so that was just after COVID.
• 25:59
  Tina Strachan (2): So normally there's a conference for the CYA conference, but it was all online.
• 26:05
  Tina Strachan (2): So, um, I frantically bought a ticket because I didn't even buy a ticket to the conference because I didn't like think that I would be going for like any reason, but they do, they did do the like announcement of who won online.
• 26:18
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, again, just like listening in just to see, you know, Oh, cool.
• 26:23
  Tina Strachan (2): They might mention my name at some point.
• 26:25
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, Then I don't know then then oh yeah and then they said um if you if you're being shortlisted can you turn your camera on um because it's all on zoom or whatever and I was like oh hang on what and so I'm in the bathroom like whacking on some makeup and trying to like straighten down my hair and Quickly like put a, you know, I think I was in gym gear trying to put a shirt on, like, just like, Oh my God, are you kidding me?
• 26:52
  Tina Strachan (2): And so I turned the camera on and I didn't even know where they were at with what category are they in?
• 26:57
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I recognized one of the names of the people who'd been shortlisted.
• 27:00
  Tina Strachan (2): I was like, Oh, okay, this must be my category.
• 27:03
  Tina Strachan (2): And so I was like holding the camera, like my computer trying to get like a decent light and good angles.
• 27:09
  Tina Strachan (2): So I sat in the toilet with the toilet lid down.
• 27:14
  Tina Strachan (2): I, just to clarify.
• 27:16
  Tina Strachan (2): So I sat on the toilet looking at the, um, Wait, camera pretending like you couldn't see the toilet.
• 27:22
  Tina Strachan (2): And that was the best lighting in your entire house on the toilet?
• 27:26
  Tina Strachan (2): Well, I had, I was, it was like, I had seconds to spare cause I was like doing makeup and then I'm like, Oh my God, this is my category.
• 27:32
  Tina Strachan (2): Turn on the camera, sit down quickly.
• 27:36
  Tina Strachan (2): And yeah.
• 27:37
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I'm, so I'm sitting on the toilet when they're like, The winner first place goes to Tina Straughan and it was
• 27:48
  Tina Strachan: a
• 27:48
  Tina Strachan (2): glamorous moment.
• 27:51
  Tina Strachan: Oh, that is the best story ever.
• 27:53
  Tina Strachan: Oh, I can't.
• 27:53
  Tina Strachan: Oh my gosh.
• 28:04
  Kate Horan: Hello listeners.
• 28:05
  Kate Horan: I'm Kate Horan, a member of the 2025 Debut Crew and author of The Inheritance, which was released on the 1st of January through HQ.
• 28:13
  Kate Horan: The story was inspired when I received a DNA test for Christmas and I thought to myself, I wonder how often people discover scandalous secrets when they do tests like these, and so that led to the idea for this story.
• 28:26
  Kate Horan: The Inheritance is about two women and the dark secret that connects them.
• 28:30
  Kate Horan: 29 year old journalist Meg Hunter arrives in the exclusive town of Hartwell to investigate suspected corruption by Ashworth Property.
• 28:38
  Kate Horan: She's also seeking answers to the mystery surrounding why her mother fled the town 30 years before, leaving them without any family at all.
• 28:46
  Kate Horan: Meanwhile, 30 year old heiress Isabel Ashworth is sent to Hartwell by her mogul father to prove her commitment to the family business.
• 28:54
  Kate Horan: When her path crosses with Meg's, the carefully guarded secrets of the past start to unravel with the help of three DNA test kits, which mysteriously appear under the Ashworth Christmas tree.
• 29:04
  Kate Horan: As Isabel starts to question everything she knows about her family, she's drawn to Meg and her pursuit of the truth.
• 29:10
  Kate Horan: But someone will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden.
• 29:13
  Kate Horan: The Inheritance is a fast paced story full of mystery, intrigue and plenty of twists to keep readers guessing right to the final page.
• 29:20
  Kate Horan: I've been absolutely thrilled with the feedback I've had from readers so far, which has been above and beyond anything I imagined.
• 29:27
  Kate Horan: I'd like to say a big thank you to Madeleine and Tina for letting me pop onto the podcast and talk about my book, The Inheritance, out now in all good bookstores.
• 29:39
  Tina Strachan: I think so many people have those, um, those zoom COVID stories.
• 29:43
  Tina Strachan: That is a great one, Tina.
• 29:45
  Tina Strachan: That is wonderful.
• 29:46
  Tina Strachan: On the toilet.
• 29:47
  Tina Strachan: You, oh, oh my gosh.
• 29:49
  Madeleine Cleary: Yeah.
• 29:49
  Madeleine Cleary: I was going to say, like, how did
• 29:50
  Tina Strachan: you feel?
• 29:51
  Tina Strachan: Like, did you have to do a speech?
• 29:53
  Tina Strachan (2): No, no.
• 29:54
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause it was like.
• 29:56
  Tina Strachan: Cause there's always an echo in the
• 29:58
  Tina Strachan (2): bathroom.
• 29:59
  Tina Strachan (2): I might've made more of an effort to, but yeah, I had no mic.
• 30:02
  Tina Strachan (2): I had nothing.
• 30:02
  Tina Strachan (2): It was, and it was just like, they're running through all the names of, you know, all the shortlisted and, you know, then the winners and then the next category.
• 30:09
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause there's quite a lot of categories and
• 30:11
  Tina Strachan: yeah.
• 30:12
  Tina Strachan: So, and then I was like in a bit of.
• 30:14
  Tina Strachan: Like shock.
• 30:16
  Tina Strachan: So what did it mean?
• 30:16
  Tina Strachan: So you, okay, you've won this competition.
• 30:19
  Tina Strachan: Mm-hmm So what, what hap what happened then?
• 30:21
  Tina Strachan (2): So then the prize, which I didn't even really know what it was, because again, I'm not thinking I'm winning, I'm just waiting for my judge's feedback.
• 30:28
  Tina Strachan (2): And so then I was like, oh, okay, so 15 minutes with.
• 30:34
  Tina Strachan (2): The judge, like the, so there's judges speech category, and then there's a, a publisher judges, the final, like the short list.
• 30:44
  Tina Strachan (2): Wow.
• 30:45
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 30:46
  Tina Strachan (2): So.
• 30:47
  Tina Strachan (2): I was like, Oh, great publisher has read it.
• 30:50
  Tina Strachan (2): And I was like, Oh my God, a publishers read it and said that it's the best one out of that category.
• 30:56
  Tina Strachan (2): Oh my gosh.
• 30:58
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I find out it's Lisa Berryman from Harper Collins.
• 31:01
  Tina Strachan (2): And I'm like, I was literally like, okay, I can just rest on that now.
• 31:08
  Tina Strachan (2): That is it.
• 31:08
  Tina Strachan (2): That is the pinnacle.
• 31:11
  Tina Strachan (2): Publisher from Harper Collins thinks that my entry.
• 31:16
  Tina Strachan (2): Was better than the others.
• 31:18
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, that I, yeah, cool.
• 31:20
  Tina Strachan (2): That's it.
• 31:20
  Tina Strachan (2): Done.
• 31:20
  Tina Strachan (2): I was just like happy.
• 31:21
  Tina Strachan (2): I can just be happy for the rest of my life now.
• 31:23
  Tina Strachan (2): Just cause just absolutely blown away by it.
• 31:26
  Tina Strachan (2): So, but then the prize is so prices 15 minutes with the publisher, which is like gold, you know, like that is absolutely gold.
• 31:36
  Tina Strachan (2): 15 minutes with a publisher, um, who's read your work and it's just, yeah, amazing.
• 31:42
  Tina Strachan (2): So I not only read it, but also judged it as the best.
• 31:45
  Tina Strachan (2): So that's huge.
• 31:47
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 31:48
  Tina Strachan (2): And I, so I had my 15 minutes.
• 31:50
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, were you nervous?
• 31:51
  Tina Strachan (2): Booked in with Lisa?
• 31:52
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah, I, I was, but I still was like, I think I would, I think it was kind of good cause I was naive, really naive.
• 32:00
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I had no, no idea.
• 32:02
  Tina Strachan (2): Did you think at that point, Oh, well it's going to get published
• 32:05
  Tina Strachan: now?
• 32:05
  Tina Strachan: No, not at all.
• 32:07
  Tina Strachan: Not even like an inkling going, okay, well this is a good opportunity.
• 32:11
  Tina Strachan: Like,
• 32:12
  Tina Strachan (2): no, I don't think so because I don't like.
• 32:15
  Tina Strachan (2): Like, if it happened now, if I won now, I would, because I know how it works, I would be like, you're meeting with them, they judged it as the winner, maybe.
• 32:23
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, and you've heard those, I've heard those stories now of people being offered, you know, they go, we judged it, you won.
• 32:29
  Tina Strachan (2): And hey, also, we'd like to, we'd like to contract this contract.
• 32:32
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah, yeah.
• 32:33
  Tina Strachan (2): I know that that can happen.
• 32:34
  Tina Strachan (2): I didn't know that that could happen.
• 32:35
  Tina Strachan (2): Then.
• 32:36
  Tina Strachan (2): I didn't know what the process was, so it was just like a, just, you know, sitting there with a pen and, um, my notepad just ready to write down everything that she could give me.
• 32:46
  Tina Strachan (2): I was just like, tell me everything.
• 32:47
  Tina Strachan (2): How do I make it better?
• 32:48
  Tina Strachan (2): What's, you know?
• 32:49
  Tina Strachan (2): And it was just, it was really, yeah.
• 32:52
  Tina Strachan (2): Really, really interesting.
• 32:54
  Tina Strachan (2): And yeah, I just remember sucking up all the information and just my biggest question, like the conversation was coming to an end and I was just kind of like, so should I keep doing this?
• 33:05
  Tina Strachan (2): Like, can I like, like, I just, I'm just like, what, like really tell me what do you think?
• 33:10
  Tina Strachan (2): I just was like, I was like, can I even write?
• 33:13
  Tina Strachan (2): And she was like, Oh, you can write.
• 33:15
  Tina Strachan (2): And I was like, Oh my God, really?
• 33:17
  Tina Strachan (2): And you know, just thinking also in my head, she's just being polite.
• 33:20
  Tina Strachan (2): She's just being nice.
• 33:21
  Tina Strachan: So many writers do this, don't they?
• 33:24
  Tina Strachan: Even when the validation is like literally shaking them, literally in front of them saying, yes, you can write.
• 33:30
  Tina Strachan: You're like, but can I?
• 33:32
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah,
• 33:32
  Tina Strachan: will I?
• 33:34
  Tina Strachan (2): We just started talking about some other stuff, you know, um, and I mentioned that I had Um, in the zoo industry, because I think Lisa was sort of talking about being so busy, you know, as a publisher and lots of people having ideas of what it's like to be a publisher or saying, Oh, I'd love to do that job.
• 33:55
  Tina Strachan (2): How do you get there?
• 33:56
  Tina Strachan (2): And I was like, yeah, it sounds, I used to be a zookeeper, so I know it's kind of what you mean there.
• 34:00
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I used to get, people just used to ask all the time, how did you get that job?
• 34:04
  Tina Strachan (2): What's such a great job.
• 34:05
  Tina Strachan (2): And you're kind of like, I know it is such a great job and then you think I just scrubbed poo for three hours but sure you know like parts of it are really good parts of it are scrubbing poo and she was like well you know what you need to do then mate you need to write about a zoo based book like as we've spoken about I have lots of ideas and I used to just write them down or dump them down and I was like yep that Great.
• 34:31
  Tina Strachan (2): I mean, it was on my, I was on my ideas list, but it definitely wasn't something that I would have probably been at the top of my list to write.
• 34:39
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, yeah.
• 34:40
  Tina Strachan (2): And, you know, Lisa was like, you know, I think middle grade is the perfect fit for it and it's really popular right now.
• 34:46
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, that would be a really good, you know, you need to write.
• 34:53
  Tina Strachan (2): I was like, yeah, that's sounds like so much fun, you know, giving a reason for me to write that.
• 34:59
  Tina Strachan (2): And she said, okay, cool.
• 35:01
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, just write me some sample chapters and, and, you know, send them to me.
• 35:06
  Tina Strachan (2): And I was like, just remember, like, and then we got off the phone and I was just like, oh, yeah.
• 35:13
  Tina Strachan (2): Okay.
• 35:13
  Tina Strachan (2): Well, I'll just Write some sample chapters and that doesn't really happen.
• 35:18
  Tina Strachan: That doesn't happen that often, does it?
• 35:19
  Tina Strachan: When a publisher just says, Oh, like you, you sort of talk about an idea and then the publisher requests a few sample chapters because normally you would have something in the back drawer.
• 35:33
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 35:34
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 35:34
  Tina Strachan: So that's incredible.
• 35:35
  Tina Strachan: So she must've thought your writing was really good.
• 35:38
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah, I guess so.
• 35:41
  Tina Strachan (2): So I mean, I guess, like I said, you know, we've got the, she's seen my writing and then we've made connection and we're having this conversation.
• 35:47
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, um, I guess the next step from there, because there's a lot of things that go towards someone getting a deal.
• 35:57
  Tina Strachan (2): Right.
• 35:57
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I think that really talks to, um, right.
• 36:02
  Tina Strachan (2): right time, right place, uh, right person.
• 36:05
  Tina Strachan (2): What's good in the market.
• 36:06
  Tina Strachan (2): What's going to work.
• 36:08
  Tina Strachan (2): And what the publisher is looking for.
• 36:11
  Madeleine Cleary: And I
• 36:11
  Tina Strachan (2): just had that opportunity to be in front of her and.
• 36:16
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, you know, she's, she's had, you know, just had this idea that like, that would be a really good book.
• 36:23
  Tina Strachan (2): She could, she, you know, she obviously already knows that maybe there's probably a market for that or that that's what's needed right now.
• 36:29
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause they know what they know everything about.
• 36:31
  Tina Strachan (2): What the trend, not really trends, but what's selling, what's needed, what's overdone, what would be a nice little gap, what's novel.
• 36:41
  Tina Strachan: It's a business, isn't it?
• 36:42
  Tina Strachan: Writing is a business and their job, our job is to be creative, but their job is to be able to sell it.
• 36:49
  Tina Strachan: So that makes sense.
• 36:51
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 36:51
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 36:51
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 36:52
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause you hear all the time of publishers just saying love to the book, love to writing, love the story.
• 36:57
  Tina Strachan (2): I just can't sell that right now.
• 36:59
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 36:59
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, and it doesn't mean no, never, but it just means right now.
• 37:02
  Tina Strachan (2): I just know that it's not going to get picked up and because of the market or the media or the way that everything's, um, working at the moment, like out in society.
• 37:12
  Tina Strachan (2): And I just, so, and what the kids are reading and yeah.
• 37:16
  Tina Strachan (2): So, so I think there's three really important things.
• 37:19
  Tina Strachan (2): There's my top tips, everybody.
• 37:20
  Tina Strachan (2): Oh my goodness.
• 37:23
  Tina Strachan (2): Wearing your writing, um, connecting.
• 37:27
  Tina Strachan (2): Making connections is so important and, um, just remember that it is like right time, right place, um, right people, you know, at that time.
• 37:40
  Tina Strachan (2): So, um, yeah, so that all went toward it.
• 37:43
  Tina Strachan (2): So yeah, then I, you know, I wrote my sample chapters, just how quickly did you write them, how, you know, I should have looked this up before I spoke to you because I.
• 37:51
  Tina Strachan (2): I keep it, I feels like a blur, but I remember saying to myself, okay, I'll give myself like three months to, to write.
• 37:58
  Tina Strachan (2): I didn't know how long, like it would, I've never sat down and with a goal like that before.
• 38:03
  Tina Strachan (2): And I thought this is 2021, right?
• 38:05
  Tina Strachan (2): This
• 38:05
  Tina Strachan: isn't
• 38:05
  Tina Strachan (2): 2021.
• 38:08
  Tina Strachan (2): Gosh.
• 38:09
  Tina Strachan (2): Well, 22, no, 2021.
• 38:12
  Tina Strachan (2): No, it was 2021.
• 38:13
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, yeah, just thinking I'll give myself three months, which is actually quite a lot of time, but, um, you know, I hadn't done it before and I wanted it to be at a level that I could.
• 38:22
  Tina Strachan (2): Give it to a publisher, right?
• 38:24
  Madeleine Cleary: Like,
• 38:25
  Tina Strachan (2): so I think it was like, you know, a month or so in, and Lisa emailed me to say, Hey, really interested on seeing those sample chapters.
• 38:38
  Tina Strachan (2): And, and I was like, okay, cause you know, I'd had, I already had, I was just tinkering.
• 38:43
  Tina Strachan (2): I was nonstop tinkering with this and that and changing this.
• 38:47
  Tina Strachan (2): And I was like, okay, I like, I can send them, but please know, like, it's not as perfect as I would want it to be.
• 38:52
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I, you know, I'm just tinkering.
• 38:54
  Tina Strachan (2): And she was like, you can tinker forever.
• 38:56
  Tina Strachan (2): Like that will never, like there was, there's no end to tinkering, which I've learned is very true.
• 38:59
  Tina Strachan (2): And you have to, it has to just be a point when you finish.
• 39:02
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, yeah, so I sent them through and I just remember Lisa saying, um, that she loved it, that she loved them and just, how quickly did she respond to you?
• 39:15
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, I think it was like maybe a week to maybe a week.
• 39:21
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 39:21
  Tina Strachan (2): So she was very keen.
• 39:22
  Tina Strachan (2): A week or so.
• 39:23
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um.
• 39:24
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 39:25
  Tina Strachan (2): And I mean, we're talking like, so I did the first third.
• 39:28
  Tina Strachan (2): So just what came up to a natural conclusion for the first act sort of thing.
• 39:31
  Tina Strachan (2): And that's, that was about 10, 000 words.
• 39:33
  Tina Strachan (2): So, you know, it wasn't a lot, but, um, yeah, I think, yeah, it was, I just.
• 39:41
  Tina Strachan (2): It's just like, what does this even mean?
• 39:42
  Tina Strachan (2): This, am I dreaming?
• 39:43
  Tina Strachan (2): This whole process has just been a big dream.
• 39:47
  Tina Strachan (2): So yeah, that was pretty incredible.
• 39:49
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 39:49
  Tina Strachan (2): And I, and she said, I want to take it to acquisitions and I was like, I don't know what that is, but that sounds great.
• 39:54
  Tina Strachan: So, okay.
• 39:56
  Tina Strachan: So she took your 10, 000 words, did you have to do like a chapter summary for the
• 40:02
  Tina Strachan (2): rest of the
• 40:03
  Tina Strachan: book?
• 40:04
  Tina Strachan (2): No, I just sent the 10, 000 words.
• 40:06
  Tina Strachan (2): And I sent, um, a whole page of.
• 40:11
  Tina Strachan (2): one liners with, there's probably like 21 liners on there of ideas that I could, I had.
• 40:18
  Tina Strachan (2): So I think I did the, like a little, like a little pitch, probably like a paragraph on what it was going to be.
• 40:24
  Tina Strachan (2): So, you know, probably almost similar to probably what's on the back of the book now and sent my sample chapters and then.
• 40:30
  Tina Strachan (2): Sent a document that had about 20 dot points of, um, all these other ideas for about 20 other books.
• 40:37
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I was like, I could, I mean, it's, I could just come up with a thousand ideas of adventures for Nika in a, in the zoo, you know, like it just had so many and I was just like, and here's all these ideas for any other books that you might want about Nika, like any other Nika books and, um, Yeah.
• 40:51
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 40:52
  Tina Strachan (2): Yes.
• 40:53
  Tina Strachan (2): And you're like a publisher's dream,
• 40:55
  Tina Strachan: Tina.
• 40:57
  Tina Strachan (2): Well, I didn't even know I was just like, well, these ideas kept popping up.
• 41:00
  Tina Strachan (2): And so here they are.
• 41:01
  Tina Strachan (2): If you want some ideas and, um, and then.
• 41:05
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 41:05
  Tina Strachan (2): So she just took the 10, 000 words to acquisitions and, uh, yeah, I, I knew when acquisitions was going to be, which was, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing.
• 41:18
  Tina Strachan (2): I literally spent the whole day just, you know, refresh, refresh, refresh on your emails, just constantly checking constantly and thinking about it, but then also being like, well, I don't know.
• 41:28
  Tina Strachan (2): Like maybe you don't find out for three weeks after, so no idea about the acquisitions process.
• 41:33
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, yeah.
• 41:34
  Tina Strachan (2): And then Lisa sent me an email saying, you know, everyone loved it and they, you know, it's the, it's a great story and you're the perfect person to write it.
• 41:43
  Tina Strachan (2): And um, yeah, cause actually that's right.
• 41:46
  Tina Strachan (2): I also sent in a couple of photos of some of the cool things that I had done.
• 41:51
  Tina Strachan (2): So like in action with, sorry, there's one of me like holding a fluid bag above a, um, rhino in this rhino.
• 41:59
  Tina Strachan (2): Sanctuary that I was at in South Africa.
• 42:02
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, uh, what else?
• 42:05
  Tina Strachan (2): I think like, you know, one with a koala and, uh, yeah, I can't even remember all the other ones now, but they were doing fun stuff.
• 42:12
  Tina Strachan (2): Oh, giraffe in South Africa as well.
• 42:14
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 42:15
  Tina Strachan (2): Just doing lots of fun stuff with lots of cool animals.
• 42:17
  Tina Strachan (2): Just, I don't know.
• 42:18
  Tina Strachan (2): I just wanted them to see that, you know, if I'm writing this, so about what.
• 42:22
  Tina Strachan (2): Uh, this book about working in a zoo, it's coming from a really natural place for me.
• 42:27
  Tina Strachan (2): And I've got lots of ideas.
• 42:29
  Tina Strachan: How did it, how did it, so when that email came through, so, so Lisa emailed you to say, yes, everyone loved it.
• 42:38
  Tina Strachan: Tell us about that moment.
• 42:39
  Tina Strachan: Cause that is a very amazing moment in a, in a writer's career.
• 42:43
  Tina Strachan (2): Yep.
• 42:44
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 42:45
  Tina Strachan (2): Actually, that's really funny.
• 42:46
  Tina Strachan (2): I, um, I was on the toilet where I wasn't, but I was in a meeting at work and I was checking my emails.
• 42:54
  Tina Strachan (2): Sorry, work.
• 42:55
  Tina Strachan (2): I love you.
• 42:56
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, and I was focusing in that meeting, I promise.
• 42:58
  Tina Strachan (2): But after that I was not because yeah, when I got that email, I was just like, Oh my God.
• 43:03
  Tina Strachan (2): And you know, it was, yeah, I was one with one of my close teammates and I, um, yeah, waited for the meeting to end and I was like, I'm sorry, but I just have to tell you that, that, you know, I've written a book and the publishers want to publish it.
• 43:16
  Tina Strachan (2): It's just crazy.
• 43:18
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, yeah, I remember sending, you know, at least her email back saying, Oh my God, that's incredible.
• 43:24
  Tina Strachan (2): And then that I was kind of filled with this, like, Well, hang on.
• 43:29
  Tina Strachan (2): So she said it went through acquisitions and I was like, is there some other process that I don't know about now?
• 43:34
  Tina Strachan (2): Is this actually, and I was like, hang on, can I get excited?
• 43:37
  Tina Strachan (2): Is this the point where I get excited?
• 43:39
  Tina Strachan (2): Where's the point where I like, is that now do I get super excited about it?
• 43:42
  Tina Strachan (2): And do I buy a bottle of champagne?
• 43:43
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, and that's what I actually emailed her back.
• 43:46
  Tina Strachan (2): I was like, Oh, just checking.
• 43:47
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, so who acquisitions, so like, does that mean I can buy a bottle of champagne and celebrate now?
• 43:55
  Tina Strachan (2): you know, or is this something else that's meant to happen?
• 43:57
  Tina Strachan (2): And she got back to me and said something like, actually, I think she rang me.
• 44:02
  Tina Strachan (2): And she was like, look, yes, it's very exciting.
• 44:05
  Tina Strachan (2): It's, you know, it's, it means that we want to publish it.
• 44:08
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, you know, you haven't got your, you know, your contract and everything yet hasn't been signed.
• 44:11
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, there's a few things that we've got to go through admin wise, but so you can buy a bottle of champagne and celebrate, just don't make it like the, you know, the, um, or anything like that.
• 44:22
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, just a bottle of, I was like, hey, just like a bottle of yellow then is that good enough?
• 44:25
  Tina Strachan (2): She's like, yeah, save the good stuff for when you sign the contract.
• 44:28
  Tina Strachan (2): What
• 44:29
  Tina Strachan: was it like when you told your family, cause you've got kids and you're writing middle grade, so what was it like telling them?
• 44:39
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 44:39
  Tina Strachan (2): Well, you know, it, It's, they knew that, well, they knew that I won the competition, which was a bit of like for them, you know, I think they, well, they knew that I wrote, cause I used to do when I was younger, but I don't think they, so I didn't tell, I don't tell people about my writing.
• 44:54
  Tina Strachan (2): I didn't tell people it was just something that I just did.
• 44:56
  Tina Strachan (2): And um, I don't think they knew that I was even writing again.
• 45:01
  Tina Strachan (2): So they were like, Oh, you want a competition?
• 45:04
  Tina Strachan (2): Like a little bit shocked.
• 45:05
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, so then they came along, you know, for that journey of like.
• 45:09
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, it's going, you know, I'm writing this other thing now and she's taking, you know, it's, you know, probably they're taking it to acquisitions and yeah, so it was, yeah, they were still, I think, yeah, gobsmacked, but, you know, I think I know now the gravity, obviously it was really important and it was really huge.
• 45:28
  Tina Strachan (2): And like I said, like, I think I just felt like I was in a dream.
• 45:31
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, now I was.
• 45:33
  Tina Strachan (2): It's almost like I know how much what the gravity of that is as well, like even more now, because I was kind of just super naive to it and none of it ever felt like it would ever happen.
• 45:47
  Tina Strachan (2): But it's funny, my boss at work was, you know, When I was in the middle of writing Nika, I took some time off of work, not time off, but, you know, drop my hours a little bit just to focus.
• 45:57
  Tina Strachan (2): And, you know, I had some stuff on it home and that, where I just wanted to be home a bit more.
• 46:02
  Tina Strachan (2): And, you know, I was like, Oh, you know, thanks for being so flexible.
• 46:04
  Tina Strachan (2): I really appreciate it.
• 46:05
  Tina Strachan (2): And he's like, you know, who can't stand in the way of someone's dream, you know?
• 46:10
  Tina Strachan (2): And I was like, you know what, it's so funny.
• 46:12
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause it wasn't a dream.
• 46:13
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 46:14
  Tina Strachan (2): It was never a dream to be published.
• 46:16
  Tina Strachan (2): I just never thought it would happen.
• 46:18
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, so obviously it is like a dream
• 46:21
  Madeleine Cleary: come
• 46:21
  Tina Strachan (2): true, but I just, it wasn't even something that I had on my radar.
• 46:24
  Tina Strachan (2): I just didn't think it would happen.
• 46:27
  Tina Strachan: So, so that was in 20.
• 46:29
  Tina Strachan: So, okay.
• 46:30
  Tina Strachan: So eventually you sign your contract.
• 46:32
  Tina Strachan: You have your fancy champagne.
• 46:36
  Tina Strachan: Then what happened?
• 46:37
  Tina Strachan: So that's what end of 2021.
• 46:40
  Tina Strachan: And it's now we're looking into 2025.
• 46:42
  Tina Strachan: So the.
• 46:43
  Tina Strachan: The road to publication does take a lot of time, even after you've signed the deal.
• 46:47
  Tina Strachan (2): It takes a really long time.
• 46:49
  Tina Strachan (2): And that is one thing that I'd heard of, you know, and I remember just thinking two or three years or like even one year, but two years publication.
• 46:59
  Tina Strachan (2): That's it.
• 46:59
  Tina Strachan (2): That's like out of control.
• 47:01
  Tina Strachan (2): That's so long.
• 47:02
  Tina Strachan (2): It's like when you start uni and you're like, Oh my God, three years.
• 47:05
  Tina Strachan (2): That's.
• 47:06
  Tina Strachan (2): That's my whole life.
• 47:07
  Tina Strachan (2): And then three years just goes super fast.
• 47:09
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, you know, I think the competition was awarded in like June, July, my meeting with.
• 47:17
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, Lisa, for some reason I feel like was November for some reason.
• 47:21
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I feel like, yeah, acquisitions was early the next year.
• 47:25
  Tina Strachan (2): So early 2022 and then signing the contract, that deadline on that very first one was actually super tight.
• 47:32
  Tina Strachan (2): I think it was like going to be a year to publication.
• 47:35
  Tina Strachan (2): So Nika and the missing key is heavily illustrated.
• 47:38
  Tina Strachan (2): And that was something that, you know, they always wanted and.
• 47:42
  Tina Strachan (2): And it's incredibly illustrated.
• 47:44
  Tina Strachan (2): It's so gorgeous, yes.
• 47:46
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah, so, so lucky to have Max Hamilton as my illustrator.
• 47:50
  Tina Strachan (2): If anyone knows her work, like, it's just incredible.
• 47:53
  Tina Strachan (2): Really adds to the story, I think.
• 47:56
  Madeleine Cleary: Mm hmm.
• 47:56
  Tina Strachan (2): And that took a bit of time trying to find someone who had the right style.
• 48:01
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, of course, we got, we found Max, and she's just Perfect.
• 48:06
  Tina Strachan (2): And it's just been the absolute best.
• 48:07
  Tina Strachan (2): Well worth the wait.
• 48:08
  Tina Strachan (2): I think.
• 48:09
  Tina Strachan (2): Absolutely.
• 48:09
  Tina Strachan (2): Absolutely.
• 48:10
  Tina Strachan (2): So, you know, I think it was a year and then there was a bit, you know, another in the end, it ended up being like another year, but we look back now and go, that was probably very undoable to, to do it in that year to the, to the level that, you know, um, HarperCollins wanted it to be.
• 48:25
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, yeah, so it would've been a lot of pressure hitting those deadlines.
• 48:29
  Tina Strachan (2): So
• 48:31
  Tina Strachan: there's,
• 48:31
  Tina Strachan (2): um, there's three books in the series, so, you know, it just feels.
• 48:35
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 48:35
  Tina Strachan (2): There's a lot of, there's a lot of deadlines and due dates.
• 48:37
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 48:38
  Tina Strachan: And then how, I don't actually know how you do it.
• 48:40
  Tina Strachan: Well, maybe I do.
• 48:42
  Tina Strachan: Maybe it is you getting up at a ridiculous hour in the, in the day to, to, to, to do all of this.
• 48:47
  Tina Strachan: Cause having three books coming out in one year is significant, especially when you, when you signed the contract as well, you'd only written that those first 10, 000 words.
• 48:56
  Tina Strachan: So you didn't even have like full drafts of each and three books that you're working towards as well.
• 49:01
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 49:01
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 49:02
  Tina Strachan: And you obviously have a busy, busy job as well, a day job.
• 49:06
  Tina Strachan: Um, you've got family.
• 49:08
  Tina Strachan: How, how do you balance everything, Tina?
• 49:11
  Tina Strachan (2): Hmm.
• 49:13
  Tina Strachan (2): How do I balance it or juggle it or cram it in?
• 49:17
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, I think.
• 49:18
  Tina Strachan (2): I think there's a few things, I guess, that, I mean, there's practical things.
• 49:22
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I do wake up at four 30 in the morning and I started doing that when, you know, I was talking about those lovely three hour naps, you know, that my son was having.
• 49:32
  Tina Strachan (2): And that's when I was doing my writing and you know, those naps eventually disappear.
• 49:36
  Tina Strachan (2): Yes.
• 49:37
  Tina Strachan (2): Unfortunately,
• 49:38
  Tina Strachan: like, just, can you please go down just to have a three hour nap
• 49:43
  Tina Strachan (2): as a six year old.
• 49:44
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, and.
• 49:46
  Tina Strachan (2): And I went back to work when he was about 18 months old as well.
• 49:50
  Tina Strachan (2): So that took that nap time and writing time away and I just thought, well, like, when can I do it?
• 49:59
  Tina Strachan (2): And I thought, well, maybe I'll just set my alarm for five and get up before the kids get up because you know how your day can just, just go away and just disappear or just turn to, you know, turn to poo and you just run out of time for whatever reason the kids can wake up and be sick.
• 50:13
  Tina Strachan (2): And then that's it.
• 50:13
  Tina Strachan (2): Your whole day's gone or, or whatever.
• 50:16
  Tina Strachan (2): So I was like, if I just wake up at five and do an hour, then, then it's done.
• 50:20
  Tina Strachan (2): Like tick the box done for the day.
• 50:21
  Tina Strachan (2): And that's what I was doing.
• 50:24
  Tina Strachan (2): And it seems like an hour works well for you like that.
• 50:26
  Tina Strachan (2): Is that your goal?
• 50:28
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 50:29
  Tina Strachan (2): I mean, some people cannot do early mornings.
• 50:31
  Tina Strachan (2): I can't do late nights.
• 50:32
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I'm not, it's probably cause I do wake up at 4 30 in the morning.
• 50:36
  Tina Strachan (2): Maybe I should get up later and see if I can do a late night, but even when I was studying at uni, like I could never pull an all nighter, but I could go to bed and set my alarm for like 2 and be fresh as a daisy, like my brain just like, yep, okay, I've had my little nap and I'm, and I'm, you know, clear just, but I know some people need that time to.
• 50:53
  Madeleine Cleary: For their
• 50:54
  Tina Strachan (2): brain to wake up, but not for me, I just like do it first thing and I literally push every single other thing out.
• 51:00
  Tina Strachan (2): Like nothing else.
• 51:01
  Tina Strachan (2): Like, don't think about anything else.
• 51:02
  Tina Strachan (2): Just do that.
• 51:03
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, and yeah, so just get it done.
• 51:06
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, you know, after a bit of time, I was like, I should probably fit, you know, exercising back into my routine now as well.
• 51:12
  Tina Strachan (2): And that's when I was like, I'll just get up at 4 30 so I can fit my exercise in that like.
• 51:16
  Tina Strachan (2): six o'clock.
• 51:17
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, um,
• 51:19
  Tina Strachan: that's like,
• 51:20
  Tina Strachan (2): you know, so that's why how it became 4.
• 51:21
  Tina Strachan (2): 30.
• 51:21
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, yeah.
• 51:23
  Tina Strachan (2): So there's a little bit of practical stuff like that.
• 51:25
  Tina Strachan (2): Cause honestly, I don't know if there's books and things out there about getting up at 5.
• 51:29
  Tina Strachan (2): 00 AM.
• 51:30
  Tina Strachan (2): There's even like, there are like hashtag 5.
• 51:31
  Tina Strachan (2): 00 AM writers club as well.
• 51:35
  Tina Strachan (2): Poor people.
• 51:36
  Tina Strachan (2): Because it really like it is.
• 51:38
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, like you can get so much done in that it's a whole extra hour in your day, basically.
• 51:44
  Tina Strachan (2): And had I not gotten up early and had that time, like I would not have books now.
• 51:48
  Madeleine Cleary: Yeah.
• 51:48
  Madeleine Cleary: There's no other time
• 51:49
  Tina Strachan (2): when you're a young mom, uh, and with young kids, there is no other time in the day, you know, I would be better with it now.
• 51:55
  Tina Strachan (2): I can kind of write when the kids are up and being disrupted and stuff, but at the time it had to be.
• 52:00
  Tina Strachan (2): Nothing else disrupting me.
• 52:02
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, yeah, there's a lot of compartmentalization.
• 52:05
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I said, it's like, this is my writing time.
• 52:07
  Tina Strachan (2): It's an hour.
• 52:07
  Tina Strachan (2): Anytime I thought of anything popped in my head, like, Hmm, what am I going to cook for dinner?
• 52:11
  Tina Strachan (2): Like, just put it out of your head.
• 52:12
  Tina Strachan (2): Don't do it even for a second.
• 52:14
  Tina Strachan (2): Just don't check your socials.
• 52:15
  Tina Strachan (2): Don't do anything.
• 52:16
  Tina Strachan (2): Just.
• 52:17
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I just like, you know, my hours up, I put it down, move on to exercise that's over.
• 52:21
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I just all day long, it's just compartmentalized.
• 52:25
  Tina Strachan (2): And that works.
• 52:26
  Tina Strachan (2): That just works for me.
• 52:27
  Tina Strachan (2): I mean, everyone's brain's different and that's how mine likes to do it.
• 52:30
  Tina Strachan (2): I've took me a long time to realize that that's what I needed to be productive, but I think whatever works right.
• 52:37
  Tina Strachan (2): Like
• 52:38
  Madeleine Cleary: for
• 52:38
  Tina Strachan (2): you, um, it's
• 52:39
  Tina Strachan: so good that you found that routine.
• 52:41
  Tina Strachan: That's amazing.
• 52:42
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 52:44
  Tina Strachan: Okay.
• 52:44
  Tina Strachan: So it's been three years then I've just counted because it's 2025 since the competition, since you've signed your books coming out in a matter of days into the world.
• 52:59
  Tina Strachan: How do you feel?
• 53:00
  Tina Strachan: Are you excited or anxious or what, or what's the thing that you're most looking forward to about it?
• 53:09
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 53:09
  Tina Strachan (2): I mean, I think I'm just looking forward to sharing it with.
• 53:13
  Tina Strachan (2): people and people enjoying it, you know, it's so nice hearing, you know, um, yeah, just like your comments even on it.
• 53:22
  Tina Strachan (2): And, you know, um, it's at that point where we can share a little bit of it on, um, social media now.
• 53:28
  Tina Strachan (2): So people are starting to see some of Max's amazing illustrations and just seeing how excited people are to see that and,
• 53:37
  Madeleine Cleary: and
• 53:37
  Tina Strachan (2): then read the story around it.
• 53:39
  Tina Strachan (2): I think that's just really nice.
• 53:40
  Tina Strachan (2): Just all that work and being able to.
• 53:43
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, paying off and, um, being able to provide people with, yeah, something fun to, you know, to, to read and to, to look at, cause I can't stop looking at it.
• 53:55
  Tina Strachan (2): So I think that's, yeah, mostly just like sharing it, I think.
• 53:58
  Tina Strachan (2): And having it out in the world and having, you know, I had so much fun writing it.
• 54:02
  Tina Strachan (2): And so I hope people find it fun to read as well.
• 54:04
  Tina Strachan: It was super fun to read.
• 54:05
  Tina Strachan: I read it in less than a day.
• 54:07
  Tina Strachan: I just, I spent a whole morning just absorbed by it.
• 54:12
  Tina Strachan (2): Oh, that's so cool.
• 54:13
  Tina Strachan (2): I loved it.
• 54:14
  Tina Strachan (2): Because you always, you always, okay, look, I know it's published and I know it's signed and everything, right?
• 54:17
  Tina Strachan (2): But you still go.
• 54:20
  Tina Strachan (2): But is it any, you know, am I any good at writing?
• 54:24
  Tina Strachan: Tina, I can categorically say you are very good at writing.
• 54:28
  Tina Strachan: I can't wait to buy this for my nieces as well.
• 54:31
  Tina Strachan: I think they're just going to love it.
• 54:33
  Tina Strachan: So what are you doing to mark the occasion when, when your book comes out into the world?
• 54:37
  Tina Strachan: What are your plans?
• 54:38
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah, it's so funny.
• 54:39
  Tina Strachan (2): I've been so focused on the book launch because I'm having a launch on the 8th of February.
• 54:43
  Tina Strachan (2): So like about a week afterwards.
• 54:45
  Tina Strachan (2): And I've been kind of focused on, on that almost like.
• 54:49
  Tina Strachan (2): So, um, the actual day, yeah, I don't know.
• 54:54
  Tina Strachan (2): I think it very much should be honored with a dinner out, right?
• 55:00
  Tina Strachan (2): Like I should be treating myself to a big old dinner.
• 55:03
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 55:04
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, I, you know, I'm not working that day, so.
• 55:08
  Tina Strachan (2): Maybe let's make plans, Madeleine.
• 55:10
  Tina Strachan (2): What should I do?
• 55:10
  Tina Strachan (2): Maybe I should go for, you know what I should do?
• 55:13
  Tina Strachan (2): Go for a soak or a massage.
• 55:15
  Tina Strachan (2): Just something like that.
• 55:19
  Tina Strachan: Yes, I'd love a class.
• 55:20
  Tina Strachan: Do something really just good for you, I think.
• 55:23
  Tina Strachan: I think it's a great plan because a lot of people, when their book comes out, I've read, They go to a bookshop first thing, but often they don't have the copies.
• 55:31
  Tina Strachan: I know.
• 55:32
  Tina Strachan: And that's what I'm scared of.
• 55:33
  Tina Strachan: So I
• 55:34
  Tina Strachan (2): actually don't think I'm going to do that.
• 55:35
  Tina Strachan: No, no, instead you have a Tina day.
• 55:38
  Tina Strachan: I think that's
• 55:39
  Tina Strachan (2): wonderful.
• 55:40
  Tina Strachan (2): And then I might send someone else to check.
• 55:42
  Tina Strachan (2): I'll send mom out.
• 55:43
  Tina Strachan (2): I'll be mom because she loves the shops.
• 55:45
  Tina Strachan (2): Go to the shops, go, go and have a look in all the bookstores that say that they've got the book and let me know if it's there and then maybe I'll come in.
• 55:53
  Tina Strachan (2): She can be my scout.
• 55:54
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 55:54
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 55:55
  Tina Strachan: It's so, so exciting.
• 55:57
  Tina Strachan: Um, I just, I saw on Instagram to Kylie or answer her unsolicited tip to, to daily cruise, which we very appreciate.
• 56:08
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 56:08
  Tina Strachan: Um, so if anyone else has other tips for us, we, we, uh, we are open to them, but I loved her idea, which was.
• 56:14
  Tina Strachan: Um, you take a book around your book around to all your events and people can write a message.
• 56:20
  Tina Strachan: And I just think that's so beautiful.
• 56:21
  Tina Strachan: Are you going to do that?
• 56:22
  Tina Strachan: Do you think
• 56:23
  Tina Strachan (2): I saw that too?
• 56:23
  Tina Strachan (2): And I had heard of that before and I was like, Oh, that's a really nice idea.
• 56:27
  Tina Strachan (2): What a nice idea.
• 56:28
  Tina Strachan (2): So yeah, I think I will do that.
• 56:30
  Tina Strachan (2): Thanks Kylie.
• 56:31
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 56:31
  Tina Strachan (2): Thanks Kylie.
• 56:33
  Tina Strachan (2): She's a friend of the podcast.
• 56:34
  Tina Strachan (2): So yeah, it'd be lovely.
• 56:36
  Tina Strachan (2): It'd be so nice to just.
• 56:38
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah.
• 56:38
  Tina Strachan (2): See
• 56:39
  Tina Strachan: what people would write.
• 56:41
  Tina Strachan: Okay.
• 56:41
  Tina Strachan: So you've given us all three top tips already.
• 56:44
  Tina Strachan: Three tips.
• 56:45
  Tina Strachan: Um, I'm not, if you might have another tip, but I also want to know what, what do you, what do you, Tina Strachan wish you had known when you were.
• 56:57
  Tina Strachan: Back before you submitted to the CYA conference, when you just finished that draft, when you, just before you're about to come into this world, you said you described yourself as naive and you didn't really know much about the industry.
• 57:10
  Tina Strachan: So you've had now three years to get to know this industry.
• 57:14
  Tina Strachan: You've interviewed lots of different authors.
• 57:16
  Tina Strachan: You're part of both 2024 and 2025 debut crew.
• 57:19
  Tina Strachan: So, you know, you know, a lot about the industry now.
• 57:22
  Tina Strachan: So what is your.
• 57:24
  Tina Strachan: Tip that you're going to leave here for aspiring writers.
• 57:29
  Tina Strachan (2): And this is, this is a tricky one.
• 57:31
  Tina Strachan (2): Uh, and that, and that's probably, I don't know if there's just one answer, but what do I wish I knew beforehand?
• 57:37
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, I think how coming the writing community is like, honestly, I just, like I said, didn't tell people about my writing for some reason in my mind.
• 57:51
  Tina Strachan (2): If I wasn't published, I didn't know that I could actually do it.
• 57:54
  Tina Strachan (2): And therefore I wasn't confident enough.
• 57:57
  Tina Strachan (2): Or validated enough to be part of a writing community, which is so silly, isn't it?
• 58:02
  Tina Strachan (2): Like there's art, people do art and they do art groups.
• 58:05
  Tina Strachan (2): There's people who run and they do running groups, but they're not, you know, like gold medalist runners.
• 58:09
  Tina Strachan (2): Right.
• 58:10
  Tina Strachan: So you don't have to have a contract.
• 58:11
  Tina Strachan: Yeah.
• 58:13
  Tina Strachan: It
• 58:13
  Tina Strachan (2): was just such a, I don't know, it's such a private thing.
• 58:15
  Tina Strachan (2): I've done it forever.
• 58:16
  Tina Strachan (2): I remember.
• 58:16
  Tina Strachan (2): So I just like never thought it just felt so foreign and strange.
• 58:20
  Tina Strachan (2): And um.
• 58:21
  Tina Strachan (2): Thank you.
• 58:22
  Tina Strachan (2): I, yeah, but honestly I've, so I probably only just started joining groups after I signed or when in the midst of, even like after the competition, I was like, Oh, I can actually do that.
• 58:35
  Tina Strachan (2): And, um, I had someone reach out to me who also had shortlisted in the illustration, uh, in CYA, um, Kristen Willis, who's now also published her books and.
• 58:47
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, I just reached out to me.
• 58:48
  Tina Strachan (2): Didn't know me from a bar or so, but was like, Oh, I, you know, congratulations.
• 58:53
  Tina Strachan (2): And it's so exciting.
• 58:54
  Tina Strachan (2): And, you know, I could see her online at the same time when we were doing the CYA conference.
• 58:58
  Tina Strachan (2): And just being like, wow, this is incredible.
• 59:00
  Tina Strachan (2): I don't know this person it's, this is, but they're, they're so supportive.
• 59:03
  Tina Strachan (2): And then, you know, just started joining on with the groups from there.
• 59:06
  Tina Strachan (2): Like the Gold Coast Riders.
• 59:08
  Tina Strachan (2): you know, um, center and the Queensland writer's center and just, you know, really just started kind of dipping my toes into it.
• 59:16
  Tina Strachan (2): And just honestly, I've made like a full huge circle and a wide circle of, um, friends, um, and yeah, friends now that are in the writing community.
• 59:28
  Tina Strachan (2): And some of them I've not even met yet.
• 59:30
  Tina Strachan (2): And they're all just in real, in real life.
• 59:33
  Madeleine Cleary: It's
• 59:33
  Tina Strachan (2): just on.
• 59:34
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, socials or things, which I'd heard of that happening and how supportive people are on social media.
• 59:39
  Tina Strachan (2): They've never met anyone.
• 59:40
  Tina Strachan (2): And I just never like in the writer community.
• 59:43
  Tina Strachan (2): And I never really thought that that could happen, but it's true everybody, if you haven't joined your writing community yet and it's inspiring.
• 59:51
  Tina Strachan (2): And I think being published can also be a little bit contagious.
• 59:53
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, um, it, you know, it does seem to, you know, hang out if you hang around.
• 59:58
  Tina Strachan (2): You know, publish authors, a little bit of that magic dust is gonna, you know, spread onto you.
• 1:00:04
  Tina Strachan (2): Hopefully that's the hope anyway.
• 1:00:05
  Tina Strachan: That's right.
• 1:00:06
  Tina Strachan: I think that's beautiful.
• 1:00:08
  Tina Strachan: Well, Tina, the next time we talk, you're going to have a book out in the world.
• 1:00:13
  Tina Strachan: It's very exciting, isn't
• 1:00:15
  Tina Strachan (2): it?
• 1:00:16
  Tina Strachan (2): We're here.
• 1:00:17
  Tina Strachan (2): We're finally here, Madeleine.
• 1:00:18
  Tina Strachan (2): You're not long after me.
• 1:00:20
  Tina Strachan (2): I can't wait to interview you about your book.
• 1:00:24
  Tina Strachan: Well, I've still got a few months, so, um, yes, I am just going to be eagerly watching you and learning from your experience as you go out and do it.
• 1:00:33
  Tina Strachan: So it's very exciting.
• 1:00:34
  Tina Strachan (2): I have to say, I didn't realize, um, I'm not the first, so I'm also part of, um, The debut kid lit crew as well 2025.
• 1:00:42
  Tina Strachan (2): So many crews.
• 1:00:44
  Tina Strachan (2): So because it is like, and we were just talking about this before we press record that the kid lit, um, publishing sort of world can be quite, and processes can be quite different to, you know, the rest of the, uh, publishing Industry and, um, yeah, so it so sometimes there are these like breakout groups because, you know, but there's chat about illustrators and, you know, all those sorts of things and what, you know, school visits and stuff like that, or, um, you know, story times that people do.
• 1:01:14
  Tina Strachan (2): At libraries and things like obviously there's it's that's different to and things that may not happen as much.
• 1:01:19
  Tina Strachan (2): I mean,
• 1:01:19
  Tina Strachan: an adult story time actually sounds quite fun.
• 1:01:21
  Tina Strachan: Maybe that should be something we should champion.
• 1:01:23
  Tina Strachan (2): Oh, adult story time has to have wine though, right?
• 1:01:26
  Tina Strachan (2): Yeah, that's right.
• 1:01:26
  Tina Strachan (2): And cheese.
• 1:01:27
  Tina Strachan (2): Cheese.
• 1:01:28
  Tina Strachan (2): Okay.
• 1:01:29
  Tina Strachan (2): Uh, yes, I'd be, I'd be there for that.
• 1:01:32
  Tina Strachan (2): So I'm not the first to be published from our 2025 debut crew, but I am the first to be published in the kid lit crew.
• 1:01:41
  Tina Strachan (2): And I think there's actually only been.
• 1:01:43
  Tina Strachan (2): There'll be like three, you know, that have gone before us.
• 1:01:45
  Tina Strachan (2): So I'm actually really glad that I got that extra time and I got pushed, you know, bumped to like another year because I got to be part of the 2024 crew and watch every single one of them go through.
• 1:01:56
  Tina Strachan (2): And that's like 80 people Strachan now and watch them all go through.
• 1:02:00
  Tina Strachan (2): And it's honestly been.
• 1:02:01
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, you cannot pay for that wealth of knowledge, you know, I'll have a question cause I'm essentially the last of them.
• 1:02:08
  Tina Strachan (2): Oh no.
• 1:02:09
  Tina Strachan (2): Marion Taff, I think is going to be cause she's now 25 as well, but I can literally just tap into that resource and ask a question and just have all these now experienced published authors.
• 1:02:19
  Tina Strachan: Yes.
• 1:02:19
  Tina Strachan (2): Um, give me some advice.
• 1:02:21
  Tina Strachan (2): And
• 1:02:22
  Tina Strachan: you've beckoned call for free.
• 1:02:24
  Tina Strachan: It's amazing.
• 1:02:27
  Tina Strachan: Okay.
• 1:02:29
  Tina Strachan: Well, I don't want to end this interview because I just keep talking to you all day, Tina.
• 1:02:34
  Tina Strachan: As everyone, all our listeners know, I
• 1:02:37
  Tina Strachan (2): think we broke our rule of like aiming for 45 minutes, which by now I feel like the listeners know that we can't stick to an agenda.
• 1:02:44
  Tina Strachan (2): Can we?
• 1:02:44
  Tina Strachan (2): No, no, we're terrible.
• 1:02:46
  Tina Strachan (2): We're terrible.
• 1:02:46
  Tina Strachan: But, um, yeah, it was a great.
• 1:02:48
  Tina Strachan: Great to hear that story in full.
• 1:02:50
  Tina Strachan: And I think that's the first time I've heard the full story with all the details as well.
• 1:02:54
  Tina Strachan: So I think that's the first time I've told it fully like that as well.
• 1:02:57
  Tina Strachan: So for listening.
• 1:02:59
  Tina Strachan: Thank you for asking about it.
• 1:03:01
  Tina Strachan: I think you might be telling it a few more times.
• 1:03:04
  Tina Strachan: I might need a
• 1:03:04
  Tina Strachan (2): shorter version.
• 1:03:07
  Tina Strachan: All right.
• 1:03:07
  Tina Strachan: Well.
• 1:03:08
  Tina Strachan: And good luck, Tina! Thank you!
• 1:03:13
  Tina Strachan (2): Thanks everyone for listening to that episode.
• 1:03:15
  Tina Strachan (2): It was really fun to record, but now Madeleine and I are just jumping in because we have some extra special news, a bit of a surprise for this season of The Book Deal.
• 1:03:25
  Tina Strachan: That's right, Tina.
• 1:03:25
  Tina Strachan: We're really excited to introduce To all our listeners, a wonderful debut author for this year.
• 1:03:32
  Tina Strachan: Her name is Natasha Rai, and she's going to be featured in, uh, our episodes once a month.
• 1:03:39
  Tina Strachan: And she's going to be interviewing some amazing writers.
• 1:03:42
  Tina Strachan: And that's, uh, we thought we'd shake things up a little bit this season and introduce Natasha to you all.
• 1:03:47
  Tina Strachan: She's, um, a very experienced and wonderful interviewer, and we think she's going to add great value to our podcast.
• 1:03:54
  Tina Strachan (2): So we're super excited for this season and Natasha is going to bring a nice fresh vibe to the show and her interviews are most definitely still going to be extremely helpful to all the aspiring authors out there.
• 1:04:08
  Tina Strachan: That's right.
• 1:04:08
  Tina Strachan: And so we will catch up still, uh, you and I, Tina, once per month.
• 1:04:13
  Tina Strachan: Um, so you won't get us every fortnight, but you will hear us once per month and that will give us a little bit of extra time while we are also launching our books into the world.
• 1:04:23
  Tina Strachan: Thanks everyone.