AustLit

'A.J. Betts had the idea for Hive eight years before she commenced writing it and 13 years before it was released. In between, she published three books, won an Emmy Award and did a PhD in the topic of wonder. A.J. said the idea for Hive came to her while she was on the Graham Farmer Freeway in Perth: ‘The traffic was really slow and I noticed the drip in the tunnel and I thought, that’s weird … In what situation would a drip be a problem or a danger?’

'By contrast, Holden Sheppard wrote the first draft of Invisible Boys in two months and within six months had completed and polished a third draft ready for submission into the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award, which he won. Holden said his novel was a tribute to his home town, Geraldton, and he was careful not to write it like a tourist ad, but rather to portray it as he saw it, focusing on its urban landscape rather than its typical portrayal of stunning nature.

'The road to publication might have varied, but both authors agree the success of their books has created a conundrum. How do you juggle day jobs and book promotion while nurturing ideas and writing?

'Holden says, as a debut writer, he feels he can’t say no to anything because he’s afraid that he may never get the same opportunities again, but A.J., with five book tours under her belt, says at some point writers have to get back to what the point is – writing. She says, ‘Writing or presenting and doing interviews all takes from the same basket of energy and it really is one or the other … There are seasons where you are either in promotion or in writing.’' (Production summary)