Writing Podcast Episode 716: Sarah Barrie invites you into her 'Dark Sanctuary'

Australian bestselling crime author Sarah Barrie has a dozen books to her name, with her latest standalone thriller Dark Sanctuary , exploring the nuanced world of mental health support, prisons and more. In this episode, Sarah shares the serendipitous inspiration for this novel, the research process and POV choices she made, as well as turning back the clock to give insights into her equally serendipitous start into the world of writing! 00:00 Welcome 07:35 Writing tip: Put your writing out there! 10:20 WIN!: The Couples Retreat by Mercedes Mercier 13:06 Word of the week: 'Crepuscular' 13:38 Writer in residence: Sarah Barrie 14:49 Dark Sanctuary overview 15:46 Inspiration and themes 17:59 Three POV structure 19:11 Podcast character angle 20:49 Setting and research 21:45 Prisons – psychology and programs 24:34 Research and the findings 25:30 Writing the detective character 27:47 Editing and deadlines 28:20 Farm life writing 30:07 Mental health themes 32:59 Sarah's origin story 34:56 Publishing breakthrough 38:50 Advice for writers 40:16 What's next? 41:29 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com

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Writing Podcast Episode 716: Sarah Barrie invites you into her 'Dark Sanctuary' is an episode from So You Want To Be A Writer with Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait: Australian Writers' Centre podcast by Australian Writers' Centre.

This episode is 43:57 long.

This episode was published on May 11, 2026.

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