Kate Forsyth

EPISODE SHOW NOTES

In this episode, Kate Forsyth takes us through the writing process for a selection of her works including The Crimson Thread, Bitter Greens, The Wild Girl, The Blue Rose and more.

Kate shared a veritable wealth of information about her writing process and philosophies; you’ll definitely want to take notes during this episode! She talked about:

- helping people find their own faith in themselves and their stories

- the constellation of ideas that combine to inspire a novel

- the two categories aspiring writers fall into

- how she overcomes the ‘paralysis of perfectionism’

- the importance of both thematic and narrative structure

- the elements of surprise and suspense

- using description to quicken pace instead of slowing things down

- the critical role of ‘emotional resonance’

- why she always writes in deep point of view

- how she writes a scene

- how she uses the phases of the moon to structure her writing schedule

Blog posts and articles referred to in the episode:

Kate’s Crimson Thread Diary, including image of Cretan women holding guns during WW2

Kate’s Writing Journal

Kate’s article about Marilyn Monroe ‘The m-m-m-m girl: Marilyn Monroe and I shared a secret struggle’ Sydney Morning Herald

Kate’s one-page plan from her notebook for her novel-in-progress Psykhe.

You’ll find links to buy both paperback and ebook versions of Kate’s books here.

ABOUT KATE FORSYTH

Dr Kate Forsyth is an award -winning author, poet, and storyteller. She has a Doctorate of Creative Arts in fairy tale studies which has led to an amazing body of novels inspired by fairy tales and myths. But definitely NOT as you know them. 

Her most recent novel is The Crimson Thread, a reimagining of ‘The Minotaur in the Labyrinth’ myth. It’s set in Crete during the Nazi invasion and occupation of World War II.

Her other historical novels include Beauty in Thorns, a reimagining of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ told in the voices of four women of the Pre-Raphaelite circle of artists and poets;  Then we have The Wild Girl, the story of the forbidden romance behind the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales which was named Most Memorable Love Story of 2013; and Bitter Greens, a reinvention of ‘Rapunzel’ which won the 2015 American Library Association award for Best Historical Fiction.

Kate has also written non-fiction books, books for middle-grade children and picture books, many of which have garnered awards. husband, three mostly-gorgeous heroes-in-training, two ravenous cats, a cantankerous bird and a very badly-behaved dog.

Website: https://kateforsyth.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate_forsyth_

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/kateforsythauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateForsyth

This podcast was recorded on the beautiful, unceded lands of both the Garigal people of the Eora nation and the lands of the Bundjalung people.

Full show notes available at writersbookclubpodcast.com