Writers Behaving Badly Podcast

This week on Writers Behaving Badly: We welcome New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth! She joins us to chat about her incredible career, from the book that changed everything (The Mother-in-Law) to billboard moments in Bourke Street Mall, optioned screen adaptations, and why resilience beats luck every time. She also confesses to once dictating Lisa’s plotting process with a stack of index cards (but she might have won that argument in the end 👀)Plus: Sally and Brooke bond over ‘town water’…This week’s write-along winners 🏆👏KylieCaseyErinCath PCath GLindaLucindaSue AnnAthenaWhat You'll Learn:How to write (and survive) through personal upheaval.The role of consistency in building a career and a brand.How it’s okay to experiment with process.How to handle bad reviews, awkward encounters, and emails from Estelle in Wisconsin.Segments Inside:✍️ Sins & WinsLisa smugly climbs back on the podium with scene cards in hand, Brooke battles the corporate commute, Annie claims ‘it’s all sinny in Philadelphia’ and our community of writers bring their A-game to the page.📚 Author Interview – Sally Hepworth Part OneFrom resilience to screen adaptations and The Mother-in-Law changing everything—Sally tells us the truth about publishing highs and lows, her flexible process, and why the most successful authors often struggle the most to give writing advice…Our next Badly Behaved Write-Along is on Tuesday 23rd September @ 7:30pm. Come and join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Writers Behaving Badly: The hosts sin in varying degrees (and one of them blames it on their husband 👀). Brooke dusts off her shiny flirtation of a manuscript, Bad Boy Lessons and is given Lisa’s toughest roast yet. We tackle a curly question on story complexity versus depth and spill the tea on a Bookstagrammer who admitted to pirating books…Plus: Hotel hijinks, write-along confessions, and Lisa pushes the GCM…again 😉What You'll Learn:How to tell if your story is truly complex, or just unnecessarily complicatedWhy depth (not endless subplots) is what keeps readers hookedPractical ways to strengthen character voice so readers fall in love with your heroSegments Inside:✍️ Sins & WinsBrooke confesses to a zero-word week (saved only by a memoir client), Lisa manages a chaotic small number of words (and blames her husband), and Annie keeps her manuscript alive thanks to write-alongs.🔥 Roast or ToastBrooke dusts off “Bad Boy Lessons” for Lisa’s critique. Cue hair plugs, gold teeth, and a neighbour with a ficus—and a whole lot of banter.📚 Curly QuestionIs your novel too complicated—or not deep enough? We unpack Michael Hauge’s advice and revisit Pride and Prejudice to explore why simple stories endure.🍵 Tea Time A bookstagrammer recently confessed to pirating books she reviews…we spill the tea.Our next Badly Behaved Write-Along is on Tuesday 9th September @ 7:30pm. Come and join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Writers Behaving Badly: Lisa smashes through her word count goal and we all feel confident this book is going to get finished, Brooke unleashes the horniest ghost in literary history, and Annie gets lost in falconry research (spoiler: no actual falcon purchased…yet). We debate whether prologues are brilliant or pointless fluff, dive deeper on publishing pay, and hear how bestselling author Tess Woods once mistook a literary legend for a random dinner guest. Plus: Sweet pepper perfume, ball sweat chit-chat, and Brooke’s shocking “Footballer’s Baby” edit nearly gives Lisa a heart attack.What You'll Learn:Why months of “failed” drafts can be the secret to writing momentumThe brutal truth about publishing advances and why most writers don’t earn a living wageWhen to cut your precious prologue (and when to let it stay)Segments Inside:✍️ Sins & WinsLisa blitzes thousands of words, Brooke nails her 5k-a-week rewrite goal (horny ghost included), and Annie coins a new term: “swinning” (sinning + winning).🔥 Roast or ToastThe gang debates whether Annie’s moody prologue is a stroke of genius or just pretty words destined for the bin.📚 Curly QuestionWe tackle the money talk: advances, earning out, and why most Aussie authors can’t quit their day jobs. Lisa breaks down the numbers and the myths.🍵 Tea Time ConfessionBestselling author Tess Woods spills the tea on a time she embarrassed herself at a literary event…Our next Badly Behaved Write-Along is on Tuesday 26th August @ 7:30pm. Come and join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Writers Behaving Badly: We wrap our very first Badly Behaved Write-Along with zero sinners and a podium full of winners. Brooke hypes strangers for cash (yes, really), Lisa steam-trains past 50k words, and Annie survives strict homework and a new fringe. We’re also joined by bestselling author Kylie Orr who spills on the seven-year slog to her debut and why “show, don’t tell” is terrible advice. Finally, Tea Time serves up an AI-authored publishing disaster and one man’s pitch to turn his marriage into a threesome—with a chatbot.What You'll Learn:How write-alongs and accountability partners can supercharge your writing progressWhy “hope and grit” often matter more than talent in publishingThe truth about money in the book biz (and managing your expectations)When to ignore “show, don’t tellSegments Inside:✍️ Sins & WinsWrite-Along champs smashing word counts, rediscovering the stories they love, and nailing second drafts.SHOUTOUT TO: Catherine, Simone, Kylie, Erin, Catherine and all our wonderful paid supporters. Thank you!📚 Author Interview - Kylie OrrKylie on rejections, two-book deals, and learning to let go of a manuscript. Plus the best and worst writing advice she’s ever had.🍵 Tea Time RantAI prompts left in the published book and the saga of the man who wanted his chatbot to be the other woman. Also, we send some love to Victoria Aveyard- go follow her for another author standing up for writing rights.Our next Badly Behaved Write-Along is on Tuesday 26th August @ 7:30pm. Come and join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Writers Behaving Badly: Season Two kicks off with triple wins! Brooke discovers the power of horny ghosts, Lisa finds her character voice (and an accountability partner who doesn't mess around), and Annie reclaims her historical heroine's agency. Plus, we debut Brooke's very first novel—complete with mysterious football jerseys and a dubious hall-of-fame.What You'll Learn:How to move past "am I saying anything important?" by focusing on what you do well—fun genres matter too!How accountability partners can transform your writing momentumWhy research matters even in contemporary fiction (looking at you, football scenes)The truth about first chapter "rules" and why most of them are nonsenseSegments Inside:✍️ Sins & WinsFor once, we're all winning! Creative breakthroughs, voice discoveries, and 30,000 words in a month.🔥 Roast or ToastBrooke reads from The Footballer's Baby—her genre-bending debut featuring NRL/soccer/gridiron confusion and generic farms. Lisa delivers the ultimate writing lesson: great storytelling transcends factual accuracy, but research still matters.📚 Curly QuestionWe tackle the TikTok writing advice rabbit hole and why those endless "must-have" lists might be killing your creativity.🍵 Tea Time RantThe ethics of true crime publishing—why the rush to capitalise on tragedy raises serious questions about victim-centred storytelling and responsible journalism.Our first Badly Behaved Write-Along is on Tuesday 12th August @ 7:30pm. Come and join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s bonus episode of Writers Behaving Badly: It’s the full, un-cut interview with Rachael Johns covering the highs and lows of the publishing industry, imposter syndrome and so much more. Whether you’re a reader or a writer, there is so much to take away from this chat with Rach!Season Two of Writers Behaving Badly returns on 9th August 2025. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Writers Behaving Badly: Annie cries into her keyboard and calls it kink, Brooke rewrites her way out of despair, Lisa almost writes (Word is open!), and we all lose our minds over a listener’s first page. Also: AI in publishing—is it the end of craft as we know it?What You'll Learn:How to craft a first page that grips and devastatesThe emotional tools to write through chaosWhy great writing doesn’t need connections—just humanityWhether AI is a shortcut or creative death spiralSegments Inside:✍️ Sins & WinsRewrites, rage, and resilience—plus a reminder that “almost writing” still counts.🔥 Roast or ToastA listener delivers a mangy dog metaphor we won’t shut up about. Submission tip: raw truth + character voice = gold.🙋‍♀️ Curly QuestionCan you get published without connections? Lisa shares the only “networking” that actually matters.🍵 Tea Time RantGenerative AI in writing: we talk about it. Lisa would rather chew on a teabag than let a robot write her sentences, and honestly, fair.Like the pod? Leave us a review so we can keep reminding you that imposter syndrome ain't worth your time! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Kelly Rimmer joins the pod to chat imposter syndrome and drops some truth bombs for aspiring writers, Brooke and Annie face off over trigger warnings, Annie reads her words and Lisa recommends a cozy cat game.Got a sin to confess?Tell us your worst writing sin of the week in the comments—did you out-bad us?Leave a commentWhat’s inside this episode?🔥 Sins & Wins – Sinners and winners are all around!✍️ Roast or Toast – Annie reads the latest from her WIP and Lisa gives her a gold star for improvement🙋‍♀️ Author Interview – Kelly Rimmer shares her thoughts on imposter syndrome, bad writing advice and the one thing all aspiring novelists must do.🍵 Tea Time Rant – Brooke and Annie face off over trigger warnings. And Lisa sits on the fence.🎙️ Want us to roast (or toast) your manuscript? Submit your first page via Substack.🌟 Leave us a five-star review or tell Lisa she’s a saint for mentoring us. Either one fuels our egos.Catch up on the last episode 👇Why is my manuscript being mean to me? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Lisa fesses up to making her debut (pics below), Brooke wants to know why her manuscript hates her then proceeds to read a breathtaking passage, Lisa answers a curly question and Kylie Orr fesses up!Did we all just…win??? You’ll have to listen to find out. Brooke has a very relatable editing moment but then proceeds to knock it out of the park with her feedback. Lisa explains how to know if you have a story or a situation and Kylie Orr admits to getting busted in a library.It’s chaotic. It’s unhinged. It’s exactly the kind of writing therapy you didn’t know you needed.Got a sin to confess?Tell us your worst writing sin of the week in the comments—did you out-bad us?Leave a commentWhat’s inside this episode?🔥 Sins & Wins – We win! Kinda! So why does it feel like this?✍️ Roast or Toast – Brooke reads the latest from her WIP and Annie needs tissues. 🙋‍♀️ Curly Question – Lisa explains (so well!) how to tell if what you have is a situation or a story.🍵 Tea Time Rant – Kylie Orr spills the tea on the time she was busted being a little naughty in the library. Authors—have you ever committed this sin? We bet you have!Writers, dreamers, and literary mischief-makers—subscribe for your weekly fix of craft, comedy, and confessions.🎙️ Want us to roast (or toast) your manuscript? Submit your first page via Substack.🌟 Leave us a five-star review or tell Lisa she’s a saint for mentoring us. Either one fuels our egos.Catch up on the last episode 👇"Just Admit You're Bad in Bed..."Thanks for reading Writers Behaving Badly! Subscribe to be notified when a new episode drops. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Lisa gives you a free pass to watch TV, Brooke gets tongue-tied interviewing our guest Ella Ward and has a pre-prepared tea rant that SLAPS.Two of us are in the sin bin, one of us delivers words while the other two hype her up like she’s famous, one of us has her dreams come true by becoming an Ella Ward and Lisa Ireland sandwich and delivers a pre-prepared tea rant that scolds genre snobs.It’s chaotic. It’s unhinged. It’s exactly the kind of writing therapy you didn’t know you needed.Got a sin to confess?Tell us your worst writing sin of the week in the comments—did you out-bad us?Leave a commentWhat’s inside this episode?🔥 Sins & Wins – We win, we lose, we try to correct our errors by teaching you useful writing techniques but two of us are in the sin bin (again!)✍️ Roast or Toast – Annie reads the latest from her WIP and stuns Brooke into a face that resembles buffering internet.🙋‍♀️ Author Interview – Ella Ward as a good sport when Brooke (again) mentions her shrine and talks about cicada shape-shifting and shares with us a brilliant example of ‘before and after’ the edits! 🍵 Tea Time Rant – The kettle gets hot as we talk about genre snobbery and why smut has a place. Don’t yuck someone’s yum!Writers, dreamers, and literary mischief-makers—subscribe for your weekly fix of craft, comedy, and confessions.🎙️ Want us to roast (or toast) your manuscript? Submit your first page via Substack.🌟 Leave us a five-star review or tell Lisa she’s a saint for mentoring us. Either one fuels our egos. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to Writers Behaving Badly, the podcast where the manuscripts are dusty, the ideas are questionable, and the clients are—well, if you ask Lisa, one of them is a real handful the rest are delightful (Annie, this is about you). This week, we’re diving into the emotional chaos of writing when you’d rather be doing literally anything else (like inventing erotic Wordle-based Substacks), and Lisa tries to stay professional while her co-hosts spiral into sentient-object romance and questionable life choices.Got a sin to confess?Tell us your worst writing sin of the week in the comments—did you out-bad us?What’s inside this episode?🔥 Sins & Wins – Lisa is laser-focused, Brooke solves a plot riddle, and Annie… well, Annie’s manuscript is quietly sobbing in the corner while she flirts with new ideas and ponders publishing “Dirty Wordle.”✍️ Roast or Toast – We critique a beautiful scene from a listener submission, unpacking the nuances of narrative distance, child POV, and why “extricates” is not exactly playground vocabulary.🧠 Curly Questions – Brooke corners Lisa with the dreaded “Show, don’t tell” dilemma, and Lisa delivers a masterclass on filter words, narrative technique, and why your first draft doesn’t have to be perfect (but your second one better try).🍵 Tea Time Rant – Publishing house mergers are shaking up the Aussie lit scene. Lisa shares her spicy take on what this means for authors, small presses, and the ever-shrinking list of places to pitch your masterpiece.😂 Chaotic Sign-Offs – Annie and Brooke admit to corrupting their algorithms with object romance, Lisa tries to bring some order (again), and we end on a high note of monks, nuns, and carnival rides. You just had to be there.Writers, readers, and lovers of literary drama—subscribe for your dose of craft, chaos, and occasionally useful advice.🎙️ Want your manuscript critiqued live on air? Submit your first page on Substack—we promise we’ll be gentle!🚨 Leave us a five-star review Leave us a five-star review… or tell Lisa how brave she is for mentoring Annie. Either works.Lisa’s full critique of Brooke’s workWe’re sharing the original submission and Lisa’s edits on Substack. It’s a masterclass in turning good writing into great—and a perfect example of how to bring childlike perspective to life on the page. Big toast energy. 🥂Catch up on the last episode 👇Thanks for reading Writers Behaving Badly! Subscribe to be notified when a new episode drops. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to Writers Behaving Badly, the podcast where writing sins are confessed, manuscripts get a little crispy, and literary chaos reigns supreme. This week, we’re serving up fresh mischief with special guest Kerryn Mayne, who joins Lisa, Brooke, and Annie to spill all the tea on publishing, manuscript meltdowns, and the questionable choices that got us here.Got a sin to confess?Tell us your worst writing sin of the week in the comments—did you out-bad us?What’s inside this episode?🔥 Sins & Wins – Who’s been productive, who’s been procrastinating, and who’s drowning in a shiny new idea instead of finishing the old one? (Brooke, we’re looking at you 👀).✍️ Roast or Toast – Lisa takes a very close look at Brooke’s latest manuscript draft. Will she make it out unscathed?📖 Editing is Painful – Kerryn Mayne shares how her debut novel Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder changed from first draft to final book—and why sometimes, losing a character (or two) is necessary.🍵 Tea Time Rant – Are male authors really being discriminated against in publishing? 🤡 Or are women just writing better books? The WBB crew spills their most scalding takes yet.😂 Chaotic Sign-Offs – Who’s getting roasted next? How can you submit your manuscript for a light (read: brutal) critique? And why is Lisa pretending she has control over this podcast?If you’re a writer, an aspiring author, or just here for the absolute shenanigans, hit subscribe and join us every week for more literary mayhem.🎙️ Want your manuscript critiqued live on air? Submit your first page on Substack—we promise we’ll be gentle(ish).🚨 Leave us a five-star review or roast us. We really don’t mind.Lisa’s full critique of Brooke’s workIf you’d like to read Brooke’s full extract (including Lisa’s comments), you can access a Google Docs version below.Brooke should be deep in edits for her current book… but The Shiny ✨ (aka a tempting new idea) is making that very difficult. Hopefully this critique will get her back on track! Lisa loved the atmosphere of Brooke’s opening pages but had thoughts on clarity and flow. You can hear the full critique—and Brooke’s reaction—on the podcast!To read our brave guest, Kerryn Mayne’s latest book JOY MOODY IS OUT OF TIME click the button below! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Writers Behaving Badly podcast—where writing sins are confessed, manuscripts get lightly roasted, and mayhem is inevitable.In our very first episode, Lisa Ireland, Brooke Turnbull, and Annie Bucknall launch this chaos-fueled podcast with a toast 🍷, some questionable life choices, and a whole lot of literary hot takes.Got a sin to confess?Make Brooke and Lisa feel better and let us know where it all went wrong (or right!) this week.What’s inside this episode?🔥 Sins & Wins – Confession time! Who wrote, who didn’t, and who’s getting assigned penance? (Spoiler: Lisa is drunk on power.)✍️ Roast or Toast – Annie’s Till We Are Ghosts gets its first live critique—will she survive the feedback?🎤 Meet Lisa Ireland – Our in-house mentor, eight-time published author, and former stalker-victim (thanks, Brooke).🍵 Tea Time – Embarrassing publishing moments, featuring Kerryn Mayne and a networking disaster at Penguin HQ.😂 Chaotic Sign-Offs – Who’s getting their manuscript roasted next? How can you submit your work? And why is Lisa overthinking taking us on?If you’re a writer, aspiring author, or just here for the literary mischief, hit subscribe and join us every Saturday for a brand-new episode!Lisa’s full critique of Annie’s workIf you’d like to read Annie’s full extract (including Lisa’s comments), you can access a Google Docs version below.This is a brand new project and Annie is writing her way into it. Lisa was excited by the opening pages but still had a few words of advice. You can hear Lisa’s thoughts on the podcast.To read our brilliant first guest, Kerryn Mayne’s latest book JOY MOODY IS OUT OF TIME click the button below! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Writers Behaving Badly, where Lisa Ireland, Brooke Turnbull, and Annie Bucknall take you behind the scenes of the writing world—spilling industry secrets, mentoring writers live, and embracing the chaos of creativity.📅 Our first episode drops this Saturday, February 22!Here’s what’s coming up:🔥 Roast or Toast – our live mentoring segment (Annie’s up first!)🔥 Lisa Ireland in the hot seat – We turn the tables and grill her on imposter syndrome, writing advice, and how to write worse to write better.🔥 Bestselling author Kerryn Mayne spills the tea on an embarrassing Penguin HQ moment.🔥 And more publishing fails, craft chats, and mischief!📩 Want your writing critiqued? Submit via our Substack.📲 Follow us on Instagram: @writersbehavingbadly🎧 Subscribe now so you don’t miss our launch episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Writers Behaving Badly: We interview the incredible and hilarious Tess Woods about her publishing journey (and why she almost quit for good…). Seriously she wrote her first novel in three days! The collective writing vibes were buzzing at write-along and we delivered a room full of winners and Tess spills part two of her embarrassing publishing encounters…This week’s write-along winners 🏆👏Casey, Sue Ann, Belinda, Tanya, Helen, Erin, Simone, Lucinda, Athena, KyliePlus: Brooke’s questionable Googles, ghosts in the podcast and Tess Woods is keeping ACTUAL receipts.What You'll Learn:Why rejection doesn’t mean your writing career is overHow to spot feedback worth taking on (and what to ignore)Why “overnight success” can take a long timeThe brutal highs and lows of publishing (and why resilience is everything)Segments Inside:✍️ Sins & Wins Lisa has been smited…smit…smut? by the gods for bragging about her manuscript, Annie is only getting words down during write-alongs but still keeping the wheels turning and Brooke typed so fast her keyboard was smoking…also, do Irishmen stomp?📚 Author Interview - Tess Woods Tess on rejections, burnout, and clawing her way back to bestseller lists. Plus, the truth about publishing competition and why resilience beats talent every time.🍵 Tea Time Confession Tess Woods spills the tea part two! Another awkward encounter to help you realise you’re not alone mortifying yourself in the publishing industry.Our next Badly Behaved Write-Along is on Tuesday 9th September @ 7:30pm. Come and join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe