Writing Podcast Episode 721: Christine Gregory uncovers her new novel, ‘The Informant’

Australia is experiencing a golden age of crime and thriller writing right now and Christine Gregory is a part of that. Her latest novel, The Informant, explores the world of bikie gangs, and in this episode, Christine discusses how she went about researching this subject, and how she balances dark themes as an author. And we love that she is an AWC graduate!

You can listen to the episode below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or add the podcast RSS feed manually to your favourite podcast app.  

00:00 Welcome
04:25 Writers in the wild
05:52 Writing tip: Cut the first paragraph!
07:14 WIN!: Out of the Blue by Penelope Janu
09:15 Word of the week ‘Plicate’
10:02 Writer in residence: Christine Gregory
10:53 Plot of new book, The Informant
12:28 Why bikey gangs fascinate
14:28 On-location research
16:20 Standalone sequels and balancing story
18:39 Writing process and deadlines
20:06 Why Australia suits crime
23:46 Challenges writing the book
24:02 Taming story rabbit holes
24:51 Choosing the right POV
25:29 How she became an author
27:17 Courses that improved her skills|
29:13 A realistic writing routine
31:14 Day job and dark themes
33:16 Writing without lecturing
35:55 Practical advice for writers
37:57 Book recommendations
39:33 What‘s next?
40:28 Final thoughts

Links mentioned in this episode

Writer in residence: Christine Gregory

Christine was born in Queensland and now calls Melbourne home. She has taught English in Japan, worked for an international aid organisation in Vietnam and travelled to more than thirty countries.

When she isn’t writing, she is head of the Innovation lab at the national violence prevention organisation, Our Watch.

In 2020, Christine was accepted into the Curtis Brown Creative selective novel writing program. That encouraged her to take her writing seriously.

Her work-in-progress became The Community, which was shortlisted for the Banjo Prize in 2022 and published by Ultimo Press in 2024. Her follow-up, The Informant, is out now.

Christine lives in the inner west with her husband, their two children and labrador, Dusty.

Follow Christine on Instagram.

Follow Ultimo Press on Instagram and Twitter.

This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre and our course Creative Writing Stage 1.

 

Find out more about your host, Valerie Khoo (@valeriekhoo on Twitter and @valeriekhoo on Instagram).

Browse posts by category
Picture of Australian Writers’ Centre Team

Australian Writers’ Centre Team

Stay up to date with posts from the AWC blog. You can sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook. Our carrier pigeon service is currently unavailable.

You might also like:

Browse posts by category
AWC 21st birthday blog sidebar

Start Writing Fiction

Creative Writing Stage 1

Our most popular writing course. Learn characters, scenes, dialogue and storytelling fundamentals in just five weeks.

Find out more 

Follow a Clear Path

AWC Creative Writing Program

From your first story idea to a polished manuscript, our five-course pathway shows you what to do next.

Explore the program

Build Specific Skills

Fiction Essentials

Strengthen characterisation, dialogue, point of view, scenes, structure, grammar and punctuation with focused short courses.

See all Fiction Essentials

Write for Young Readers

Writing for Children of different ages

Picture books, chapter books, middle grade or YA – discover the course that matches the stories you want to write.

 View children’s writing courses