🍿Prologues: genius or garbage? episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 24, 2025 · 44 MIN

🍿Prologues: genius or garbage?

from Writers Behaving Badly Podcast · host Annie Bucknall

This week on Writers Behaving Badly: Lisa smashes through her word count goal and we all feel confident this book is going to get finished, Brooke unleashes the horniest ghost in literary history, and Annie gets lost in falconry research (spoiler: no actual falcon purchased…yet). We debate whether prologues are brilliant or pointless fluff, dive deeper on publishing pay, and hear how bestselling author Tess Woods once mistook a literary legend for a random dinner guest. Plus: Sweet pepper perfume, ball sweat chit-chat, and Brooke’s shocking “Footballer’s Baby” edit nearly gives Lisa a heart attack.What You'll Learn:* Why months of “failed” drafts can be the secret to writing momentum* The brutal truth about publishing advances and why most writers don’t earn a living wage* When to cut your precious prologue (and when to let it stay)Segments Inside:✍️ Sins & WinsLisa blitzes thousands of words, Brooke nails her 5k-a-week rewrite goal (horny ghost included), and Annie coins a new term: “swinning” (sinning + winning).🔥 Roast or ToastThe gang debates whether Annie’s moody prologue is a stroke of genius or just pretty words destined for the bin.📚 Curly QuestionWe tackle the money talk: advances, earning out, and why most Aussie authors can’t quit their day jobs. Lisa breaks down the numbers and the myths.🍵 Tea Time ConfessionBestselling author Tess Woods spills the tea on a time she embarrassed herself at a literary event…Our next Badly Behaved Write-Along is on Tuesday 26th August @ 7:30pm. Come and join us!Got a sin to confess?Tell us your worst writing sin of the week in the comments—did you out-bad us?Catch up on the last episode 👇Did you miss the last episode where Kylie Orr got real on publishing realities (and royalties)? Check it out... This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersbehavingbadly.substack.com/subscribe

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🍿Prologues: genius or garbage?

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This episode is 44 minutes long.

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This episode was published on August 24, 2025.

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This week on Writers Behaving Badly: Lisa smashes through her word count goal and we all feel confident this book is going to get finished, Brooke unleashes the horniest ghost in literary history, and Annie gets lost in falconry research (spoiler:...

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