Writing Podcast Episode 722: Anna Johnston dishes up her latest novel, 'When Lemons Give You Life' episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 22, 2026 · 52 MIN

Writing Podcast Episode 722: Anna Johnston dishes up her latest novel, 'When Lemons Give You Life'

from So You Want to be a Writer · host Australian Writers' Centre

Is food your love language? It certainly is for bestselling author and AWC graduate Anna Johnston – brought to life through her new novel, When Lemons Give You Life. In this episode, Anna dishes up the inspiration and character creation for this latest book and the challenges, strategies and superpowers of being an author with ADHD. She also shares how she deals with writing tough scenes, her writing workflow, and advice for writers. 00:00 Welcome11:18 Writing tip: Cut the Starting Scene13:24 Writers in the wild14:51 WIN: The Bookshop of Buried Pasts by Sarah Clutton16:42 Word of the week: Jakes17:14 Writer in residence: Anna Johnston18:16 Anna explains new book, When Lemons Give You Life20:21 Story themes and origins24:02 Research and authenticity27:10 POV structure and flashbacks29:22 Editing and deadlines32:45 What she learned from AWC courses35:20 ADHD writing strategies38:06 Letting characters go41:34 Organising notes and workflow43:25 Balancing writing life44:39 Publicity and events46:40 Next book plans47:26 Anna’s advice for writers49:28 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 22, 2026

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Writing Podcast Episode 722: Anna Johnston dishes up her latest novel, 'When Lemons Give You Life'

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