Writing Podcast Episode 705: Sam Elliott and his debut crime/thriller novel, 'Haze'

We often talk about persistence in the journey of an aspiring author, and for podcaster Sam Elliott, his 20 years of working towards publication had many twists and turns. Now finally with his debut crime/thriller novel Haze under his belt, in this episode Sam shares the turning points that got him to this stage – including completing a particular AWC course – and the inspiration for telling this particular story. He also shares advice for other aspiring writers and the importance of a writing community. 00:00 Welcome 03:45 Writing tip: Check your Notes app 07:41 WIN!: The Violin Maker's Secret by Evie Woods 09:07 Word of the week: 'Ditheism' 10:41 Writer in residence: Sam Elliott 11:55 Sam describes his debut crime thriller, Haze 14:00 Sam's history of writing 16:45 The inspirations for the bushfire storyline 18:03 Creating and developing characters 19:02 Writing about cults 20:55 The experience of completing the AWC course 22:20 Finding a last writing community 24:29 Advice for aspiring writers 25:54 Making peace with the publishing journey 27:40 Writing the book and securing an agent 30:30 Getting the offer and how surreal it was 32:53 Research for this book 36:44 The best and worst part of writing the book 38:10 Being on the other side of interviews 39:55 Balancing writing with life 41:37 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 705: Sam Elliott and his debut crime/thriller novel, 'Haze' is an episode from So you want to be a writer by Australian Writers' Centre.

This episode is 44:11 long.

This episode was published on Feb 23, 2026.

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