Amra Pajalic and I had so much more to chat about, so we continued our conversation!

Some of the larger topics we cover in this second part include:

Creating from passion rather than market pressure

A big throughline is choosing creative projects based on personal passion and integrity, not trends, algorithms, or sales expectations. We talk about following curiosity across genres, letting reading habits shape writing, and resisting the pressure to “write to market” in favour of work that feels meaningful and sustaining.

Midlife creativity: confidence, permission, and letting go

We also spend a significant time on how midlife brings less need for validation, more self-trust, and greater freedom to create without shame or apology. Amra shares about letting go of frantic energy, external approval, and the fear of judgment, and embracing creative work as self-expression rather than performance.

The long game of creative practice (process over outcome)

We repeatedly return to the idea that meaningful creative work requires time, repetition, patience, and release. We also highlight burnout, false starts, undercooked drafts, learning by doing, stepping away from projects, and trusting that clarity often comes through continuation rather than force.

Writing as learning, healing, and identity evolution

Another important concept we both speak to is writing as a vehicle for growth and transformation—from working through trauma, to shifting genres as life stages change, to reframing jealousy as a signal of unlived creativity. Writing is not just valued as output, but as a way of understanding oneself and one’s evolving voice.

Don't forget to follow the links below to connect with Amra and let her know what insights landed for you...

Discover more about Amra here:

Website - https://www.amrapajalic.com/

Instagram - ​https://www.instagram.com/amrapajalicauthor/

Substack - https://substack.com/@amrapajalic?

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amra-pajalic

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/author/amrapajalic

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Writers Talking 2026!!

I was thrilled to start the year with a fascinating conversation with author Amra Pajalic! In fact, we had so much to chat about that we decided to split it over 2 eps!!

In this first episode, we chatted about:

Writing fiction grounded in real historical trauma

We discuss the responsibility and ethical weight of fictionalising real events, particularly the Bosnian War and the Srebrenica genocide, and how to honour survivor experiences while still telling a compelling story.

Transforming academic research into a novel

A major thread is how the book emerged from a PhD project, the tension between historical research and storytelling, and the process of condensing vast research into an accessible narrative.

Blending crime fiction with historical reality

We explore why the crime genre was chosen as a framework, how a murder mystery can exist within a war setting, and how genre expectations allow readers to engage with darker material.

Identity, displacement, and inherited trauma

The conversation moves into personal and intergenerational experiences of migration, identity, ethnic division, and how political power fractures communities, both historically and in the present day.

So good!! We hope you got a lot out of our convo today...and hope you check back in for the second part of our convo tomorrow!

Discover more about Amra here:

Website - https://www.amrapajalic.com/

Instagram - ​https://www.instagram.com/amrapajalicauthor/

Substack - https://substack.com/@amrapajalic?

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amra-pajalic

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/author/amrapajalic

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our final episode of 2025 is one I have been waiting for... A conversation with two of my favourite Australian authors, Angie Faye Martin and Alli Parker!!

This episode gave us an opportunity (thanks to the fabulous suggestion from Angie) to dive into how each of their books was inspired by their culture and their family's stories. Though their novels are pretty different on the surface in terms of genre, they share some common motivations. Angie and Alli generously opened up about the challenge of balancing truth and fiction, especially when dealing with tough topics like racism and historical events. They discuss how they approached research, the editorial process, language choices, and how they try to keep their stories authentic without making them too heavy or sanitised. They even reveal some personal stuff about how they cope with the intense parts of writing. It was a brilliant reminder about why fiction is such a powerful way to connect and learn.

I hope you love this episode as much as I did!

Find out more about Angie and Alli (and pick up their books!!) here:

Angie Faye Martin, author of MELALEUCA (2025)

Website: https://angiefaye.net/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/angie_faye_martin

Alli Parker, author of AT THE FOOT OF THE CHERRY TREE (2023) and UNTIL THE RED LEAVES FALL (2025)

Website: https://www.alliparker.com/books/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/alliparkerwriter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.