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Conversations about media, culture and the art of writing

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Listen on Amazon Music

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  • #23 – Show Us Your Clips! (100th Episode Celebration)

    Somebody call Mathemachicken: the math ain’t mathin’!

    That’s right, Ed and Amanda have called it early, prematurely celebrating 100 combined episodes and “bonus” episodes of the Not Quite Write Podcast and Not Quite Write Interviews in “regular” episode #23!

    We’ll start by dredging up the distant past to reveal how and where we first met, and how the podcast came to be. From there, we hope you’ll indulge us as we revisit some of our favourite moments from the first three years of the Not Quite Write Podcast. It’s been a wild ride!

    A huge thanks to our devoted listeners for being there with us through the highest of highs and lowest of… brows.

  • #22 – Adolescent Behaviour

    What do James Joyce, Adolescence, and ‘vajankles’ have in common? This episode of the Not Quite Write podcast, of course!

    In this episode, we fully embrace our own juvenile tendencies as we indulge in some highly literary toilet humour.

    We also open the mailbag to answer your burning questions and share our erotic fiction and TV show recommendations, before elevating the brow in our discussion of the TV series Adolescence.

    But the real question is: who let these guys have wine? Listen as Ed and Amanda crack open the bottles a little too early and race to the bottom in the most entertaining way possible.

  • #21 – [Blank] the Cat

    Blake Snyder told writers to ‘Save the Cat,’ but is this advice credible, or was Blake Snyder just a talented salesman? In Get Rec’d, Ed and Amanda examine his 1994 kid’s film, ‘Blank Check,’ for the answer.

    For the flash enthusiasts, we also delve into how Blake Snyder’s screenwriting advice can be applied to the short fiction format.

    Also in this episode, we touch on the line between plagiarism and homage, and deliver an important update for Not Quite Prize entrants.

  • #20 – Hell Hath No Furry Like a Woman’s P*rn

    It’s hot (and a little unhinged) in herre this episode, as Ed and Amanda plumb the depths of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace.

    But first: Monster Sex! Why does this billion-dollar industry have the women screaming “More!”?

    For the flash fiction enthusiasts, we’ll unpack genre fiction and why it’s hard to pull off in 500 words.

    Plus, stick around after the credits for a behind-the-scenes taste of the cancellable conversation that usually makes the cutting room floor. It’ll even have Nelly singing, “Good gracious!”

  • #19 – The Next Big Thing

    Capitalism and art don’t mix… unless you’re Taylor Swift! We start with a look at Self-publishing (Taylor’s Version) following the news that the Pop artist’s self-published Eras Tour book sold nearly a million copies in its first week. From there, we explore Ed’s hidden agenda to lure more men into the literary world (whether they like it or not!) Finally, in Get Rec’d, Amanda has once again neglected to check herself before she rec’d herself, so we shine an uncomfortable spotlight on her own middle grade adventure story, ‘Go Big or Go Home’. Read the New York Times article ‘The […]

  • #18 – Can’t Touch That

    We indulge in a little self-Daredevil action with dramatised readings of Ed and Amanda’s own stories and a little one-on-one tough love, before talk turns to the NanoWriMo A.I. controversy and our cancellable thoughts on the matter.

    In Get Rec’d we turn the microscope on the film, ‘May December’, and its ties to the true story of convicted pedophile, May Kay Letourneau.

  • #17 – Into the Tingleverse

    In this STRICTLY ADULTS ONLY episode, Ed and Amanda venture into the world of erotic fiction only to be “slammed in the niche” by Chuck Tingle.

    Ed reveals the seminal event that sparked his interest in spicy fiction, and we ask, what motivates people to read erotica? Does it tickle their fancy or just their funny bone?

    Keeping it classy, we round out our discussion with a look at the statistics from Elle Griffin’s viral article, ‘No One Buys Books,’ and lament the current state of “venture capitalist” publishing.

  • #16 – Poor(n) Things

    Ed and Amanda are confronted with Frankenstein’s P*rnstar as we grapple with the Oscar-winning movie ‘Poor Things’. Is it a feminist masterpiece, or is it simply yet another vehicle for the male gaze?

    We also tackle book-to-film adaptations and why book lovers sometimes struggle to appreciate the onscreen version of their beloved novels.

    Plus, Amanda shares why she doesn’t want a bar of Timothée’s “Chalami”, and Ed invites ChatGPT to solve the TV writing crisis (with hilarious results).

  • #15 – Literary Nonce-ense

    “Off with his head!” Lewis Carroll has been cancelled!

    Ed and Amanda chase the White Rabbit down a tunnel of less-than “Wonder-ful” allegations, before turning the looking glass towards his poetry.

    And from the oldest literary genre to the newest, we grapple with the news that a 5% ChatGPT-generated novel won a prestigious literary prize.

  • #14 – Midlife Crisis: The Musical

    You are cordially invited to attend a Not Quite Write dinner party, and short stories are on the menu! Gather ‘round the table as we feast upon James Joyce’s ‘The Dead’, served with a generous side of religion, politics, past loves, and Joycean epiphanies.

    Plus, with the January 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction almost at hand, your judges serve up their advice for how to claim the cash. If Ed can get a word in edgewise, he’ll explain why the anti-prompt is “a challenge, not a licence”, and as for dessert? Well, that’s a “grey matter”.

    Bon appétit!

  • #13 – High Doses of Obsession

    Oh no, Amanda forgot to check herself before she rec’d herself! Listen in as Ed roasts her teenage Hanson fanfic, ‘High Doses of Obsession’. Is Amanda as aloof as she claims, or is she still sweating on the chance to join (Eye)saac in “meatspace”?

    Plus, find out why all writers should, like, totally take a leaf out of every teenage girl’s book.

  • #12 – Dear Diary

    Diaries don’t get much attention these days, Anne Frankly, we’re not happy about it! In this episode we delve into the pros and cons of epistolary novels and unlock the mysteries of ‘Piranesi’ by Susanna Clarke.

    Plus, Amanda exposes her own ancient secrets when she hands over the keys to her childhood diaries. Has she evolved since age twelve? And what the hell is a ‘Snust?’

  • #11 – More Moors

    We venture out into the wily, windy moors to find out what makes the bad guys tick.

    Is Heathcliff the quintessential incel? Did he pull a Ted Bundy, or was it all one big “mist” opportunity?

    Plus, Amanda opens up about her own writing flaws, and “Doctor Ed” prescribes a very bitter pill.

  • #10 – A National Geographic for People with Bad Hair

    Join intrepid hosts Ed and Amanda as they traverse the rocky terrain of critique in a quest to uncover the delicate balance that sustains the giving and receiving of critical feedback.

    As the expedition unfolds, they’ll venture further into the heart of the jungle and encounter the rarest of creatures: a Get Rec’d submission they both enjoyed. Will our heroes make it through the desolate wasteland of Ethan Hawke’s hair before sunrise, or will they still be arguing like an old German couple by midnight?

  • #9 – Detour de Fromage

    In this episode, we take a slight “detour” into the world of Mom Rock to find out what fiction writers can learn from the songwriting greats.

    In Get Rec’d, Amanda lays bare her greatest lyrical love, the Barenaked Ladies, only to be eviscerated by Ed’s scathing response. Turns out although people don’t usually complain when you bring cheese… they will if the crackers start rapping.

  • #0 – Not Quite Write Podcast Trailer

    Hosted by Ed and Amanda, the Not Quite Write podcast explores the intricacies of fiction writing, media and current events from a writer’s perspective.

    Four times a year, the Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction challenges writers from around the world to break a specific “rule” of writing while still telling a great story. Participants have 60 hours to submit a 500-word story for a chance to win a share of AU$4,000 in cash prizes. A flash fiction competition with a twist.

Meet the Hosts

Ever since he placed second in a high school short-story competition, Ed has fancied himself as something of a writer.

He is a self-confessed literary masochist, whose disdain of happy endings and preference for arduous and harrowing literature have earned him the title, “Case-hardened Wowser.”

Aside from being a serial writing-competition enterer, his hobbies include: avoiding Vegemite, abhorring ellipses, and obsessively rewriting opening sentences.

Ed posts prolifically on Goodreads under the cunning pseudonym, Ed.

Amanda was first published in The Sydney Morning Herald at the tender age of seven with a charming poem about the joy of Christmas.

Since then, Amanda has gone on to enjoy wider publication, including opinion pieces and feature articles across major Australian mastheads and industry magazines.

Amanda’s competitive spirit extends from the page to the small screen, having won prizes for both her fiction and her quiz show prowess.

Amanda identifies as a “plotter” and sprinkles commas like salt. She is currently procrastinating on her third middle-grade novel, set in an abandoned theme park.