The story behind the bench - with Sarah Dolan

When Sarah Dolan was asked to create a podcast about the Supreme Court of Victoria, first she said yes. Then she googled, “What is a podcast?” From these inauspicious beginnings came Gertie's Law, the breakthrough podcast that shone a light on Victoria’s justice system. In spite of her inexperience, Sarah was able to turn Gertie’s Law into a runaway success. (“Better than Serial,” is how one critic put it.) But how?In the second episode of StoryCraft, Sarah explains how she managed to pull it off. She discusses the storytelling secrets that helped her convince microphone-averse judges to open up, why she wanted to avoid making another true-crime podcast, and how her past life in glossy magazines helped her to tell a different kind of story – one involving a 169-year-old building and the intricacies of commercial law.Looking for more on the art, craft and science of storytelling? Check out our sister magazine The Story, launching Thurday November 11. Follow The Story on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. StoryCraft is powered by Fireside, a communications agency for those doing good in the world.