• WRITER 647: Sophie Clark on writing and pitching her ‘romantasy’ novel, 'Cruel is the Light'

  • Jan 20 2025
  • Length: 53 mins
  • Podcast

WRITER 647: Sophie Clark on writing and pitching her ‘romantasy’ novel, 'Cruel is the Light'

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  • Summary

  • From the halls of Australia’s Parliament House to the dark corners of the Vatican! In this episode, author Sophie Clark talks about her writing process and how she pitched her debut ‘romantasy’ novel, Cruel is the Light. She chats about her political background and how walking the ‘halls of power’ influenced her writing, as well as offering tips for aspiring writers.

    00:00 Introduction
    03:06 Nat Newman's writing tip: systematic editing
    09:02 WIN! Death in the Arctic by Tom Hindle
    10:47 Word of the week: ‘disputation’
    12:29 Writer in residence: Sophie Clark
    14:25 Defining ‘romantasy’
    15:49 Inspiration for her book
    18:35 Researching on location
    22:29 Writing action and fight scenes
    24:28 Drafting and experience in Pitch Wars
    26:24 Mentorship and guidance
    27:38 Securing an agent
    30:11 Sophie’s writing process and challenges
    34:30 Political influence in writing
    36:31 Building a writing community
    39:13 Publicity and promotion
    41:17 Asking “who’s my audience?”
    45:38 Sophie’s top tips for aspiring writers
    48:04 Final thoughts

    Read the show notes

    Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook
    Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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