Meet author Natalie Murray on her journey to becoming a writer and her contemporary romance novel, Love, Just In. Natalie discusses how she's co-written novels, tips on how to work on characters and plot lines, and the benefits of doing courses at Australian Writers' Centre.
00:00 Introduction and personal updates 00:42 Special edition of romance writing course 05:27 Nat Newman on Post crossing: A unique writing activity 10:53 Book giveaway: Class by Stephanie Land 13:18 Word of the week: Dissemble 14:01 Interview with Natalie Murray 19:11 The birth of a time travel romance 19:54 The challenges of writing a trilogy 20:13 The art of plotting a series 20:57 The Tudor era: A deep dive into research 21:33 The journey to film and television 21:48 The adventure of co-writing 22:49 The process of co-writing: Division and collaboration 25:11 The transition to indie publishing 25:56 The challenges and rewards of promotion 27:15 The birth of Love, Just In 28:20 The process of writing Love, Just In 28:20 The role of the Australian Writers' Centre 29:17 The art of plotting a novel 31:14 The writing process: Efficiency and deadlines 35:17 The future: Next novel and goals
Natalie Murray has been writing to make people smile ever since her short story A Dog Story With a Happy Ending won first prize in a writing competition when she was eight (she didn’t quite understand titles and spoilers then!). Now slightly *cough* older, Natalie is irreversibly committed to writing romance novels with all the tension, heart flutters, and ‘it hurts so good' angst. Natalie’s debut adult contemporary romance, Love, Just In, was published by one of Australia’s leading publishers, Allen & Unwin, in January 2024. She also co-writes contemporary romance with US author Jenny Hickman (writing as Jenny Fyfe).
Also a self-confessed Tudorphile, Natalie is the award-winning author of Emmie and the Tudor King series, which has received acclaim from Foreword Reviews, InD’Tale Magazine, YA Books Central, and popular author Brigid Kemmerer (A Curse So Dark and Lonely), among others. The complete trilogy is currently in development for a television adaptation by Ambience Entertainment.
Natalie grew up in Sydney, Australia, and is the daughter of cookbook author Eva Stovern (The Caravan Chef) and the late Australian football icon Les Murray. When she’s not writing books, you can find Natalie clinging to her family (literally; she’s super affectionate), packing or unpacking a suitcase, making lists of things she'll never have time for because she's too busy making lists, or playing on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
