Writing Podcast Episode 727: Petronella McGovern relives her latest thriller, 'Every Time She Wakes'

Every day we experience ‘sliding doors moments’ – those decisions we make that unwittingly affect the future. In this episode, bestselling author Petronella McGovern explores this concept through her own life and via the plot of her latest novel, Every Time She Wakes. As well as sharing the inspiration and research into this story, she also shares the evolution of her life as a writer and advice for writers wanting to grow their wordcount. 00:00 Welcome09:04 Writing tip: Stop thinking, start writing11:20 Writers in the wild14:26 WIN: When the Party’s Over by Katie Hoskins15:56 Word of the Week: ‘Futz’16:51 Interview with: Petronella McGovern18:57 Elevator pitch for Every Time She Wakes20:44 Inspiration for the novel22:54 Bushfire setting 26:45 Structure and research29:38 The mind-bending rules of time travel30:37 Suze’s identity34:54 Editing a time loop story36:01 Evolving as a writer38:58 Personal sliding doors moments41:48 Early reading and writing influences44:41 Petronella’s writing routine47:08 Craft tip to beat perfectionism49:01 Book recommendations and one last question52:14 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.