Writer On The Road

Episode 1 Meet Graeme Kemlo, Australasian President of the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association and broadcaster of the Travel Writers Radio Show in Australia. Listen in while Graeme talks us through his journey from Canberra Press Journalist to travel writer to broadcaster of his own travel radio show. Read Full Transcript Episode 1: Graeme Kemlo Duration: [00:46:17] Melinda: Alright, welcome to Writer on the Road where telling stories matter, writing them down is even better, and publishing them is the greatest goal of all. But it's important to remember through all the toilities and testing times (and there'll be plenty of those), it's the journey that matters and it's the journey that we're here to talk about. The who, where, what and why and how of storytelling. During these podcasts I'll be sharing my journey of building and monetizing my writing business as well as inviting others from all stages of the [00:00:30] writing journey to share their stories. For this, my first podcast, officially titled "Podcast Number 1," I've invited the master reencounter himself, Graeme Kemlo travel writer extraordinaire, Australasian president of the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association, host to the ever-popular travel writers radio show, intellect, business writer, singer, and grandfather. Welcome Graeme, have I missed anything? Graeme Kemlo: Well, thanks. How do I live to that intro? I thought you were talking about someone else. Melinda: No, it's how I've come to know you and how I've come to think of you. As you and I were discussing earlier you are my go-to person whenever I need a little piece of advice or I guess, moral support. So I thank you for coming on and being my very first interviewee. Graeme Kemlo: Well, it's been a pleasure to watch you develop as a writer and a [00:01:30] storyteller Melinda. So I'm flattered that you should ask me to be your first guest. Melinda: Well, look Graeme I've got to tell you in six months’ time if you're still saying that I'll be really, really pleased. But I promise I'll try not to... Graeme Kemlo: Of course, yeah, I'm sure I will be. I'm sure I will be. Melinda: Alright. Over to our first question. As I've said the purpose of my podcast is to follow people's [00:02:00] journeys, follow people's stories. Now, I know what you do know, I know what you've been up to lately. But I'd like to take you right back to the very beginning. Everyone has a story to tell and I'd like to know what your story is and what your journey is been. Graeme Kemlo: Well, I'm a journalist, I've been doing that for more than four decades and I actually consider myself to be very lucky. I've found myself in many [00:02:30] instances in the right place in the right time. I was just talking to, someone else interviewed me the other day on Jay Air, the radio station that we do Travel Writer's radio from, and I had forgotten some of this, but I was reminded that I was very lucky to be a journalist in Canberra on the very day that Gough got sacked. So I stood, I stood in front of him, you don't see me in pictures [00:03:00] because I'm where all the photographers were, I'm holding up a recorder, a little tape recorder to take down what he was saying to the assembled crowd and maintain the rage and all the rest of it and at the time I was working for the Melbourne Harold, which was an afternoon newspaper. We were in fact we were the afternoon paper for, not only for Melbourne, but Canberra and also for Tasmania. So we kept reporting into the afternoon as [00:03:30] the crowd built outside parliament house and Gough got sort of red with rage and all that. But earlier in the day I'd watched the governor general's private secretary David Smith stuff some bits of paper into the pigeon holes at parliament house. This is the old parliament house. I just picked it up pretty casually and sort of looked at it and wandered back to the office. And as I read it, as I was walking...

Episode 2 – Campfire Tales with Australian Romance Author, Victoria Black If you’re into feisty heroines and handsome heroes then this is a podcast for you. Victoria is not only living the travelling dream with her own handsome hero, she is generous in her advice to aspiring writers following along behind. And what a setting she has to weave her tales. Join Victoria as she travels across the top end of Australia, through the remote Kimberley region and beyond, and shares her experiences with the rest of us. Every writer needs great settings and there’s nothing more inspiring than the Australian outback. Welcome to one writer’s travels as she pens stories for her anthology, Campfire Tales. But if you like to know what goes on behind closed doors then Victoria is not the kiss-and-tell type. For that, you have to buy her books. Read Full Transcript Episode 2: Victoria Black Duration: [00:26:22] Melinda: This is a podcast about telling stories and the journeys we take on the way to making out stories. It's about beginnings, middles, and endings and where each of us is on in our writing journey. My guest today is Victoria Black, she has the wonderful job about writing about lusty heroes and their feisty heroines. I've been having a fussic [00:00:24] [?] around on your Facebook page Victoria and having a lovely time. I can't wait to read some of your stuff. But to start, [00:00:30] like any good story we always start with our orientation. We start with where we're at the moment, and I was wondering if you'd like to share with us your current journey. Victoria Black: Well hi Melinda. My current journey is really very much tied up with what I'm doing at the moment which is being a writer on the road. So whenever we're driving along, for a long, long trip, I'll get [00:01:00] my notepad and pen out, because I'm a notepad and pen gal, I don't type the first draft on a keyboard. I write my story and it's all based on everything I'm experiencing on the road. So I'm writing a series of little short stories called Campfire Tales and they're all based on this my lovely, lovely couple Ellie and Michael who are a newly-wed couple and just their [00:01:30] experiences on their way to Darwin. I went to Nitbit [00:01:33] [?], that's where they're going. Melinda: Yeah, just for a bit of background for our listeners, Victoria started her journey in Brisbane with her husband and I don't even know your husband's name Victoria. Victoria Black: Darrel. Melinda: Darrel, so Victoria and Darrel are traveling in their caravan. I was supposed to catch up with them in Long Reach and because I'm new at this, so I had [00:02:00] technical troubles so we decided we'd catch up as Victoria and Darrel headed to Darwin. But they've moved so very, very quickly that they're now in Western Australia over at Rainbow Beach which I'm guessing is in the Northwest somewhere, south of Broom maybe? Victoria Black: Yeah, 80 mile beach it is and yes it is, it's just south of Broom. Melinda: Which is a magic part of the world. But, right from Long Reach through to Mount Isa and the Queensland [00:02:30] northern territory boarder, then through up to Darwin, through Catherine Gorge, and back down down across Kununurra all the way through the, oh what are the called, the Gibb River Road. Victoria Black: I haven't done that. We went to the Bungle Bungle [00:02:51] [?] so on a helicopter ride and then up to, was it Wyndham and [00:03:00] Derby and Broome. So we're now in Pilbara officially now. Melinda: For those of us who don't know Australia really that well, Broome is famous and infamous for it's camel rides along the beach. It's famous for it's pearl divers and it's famous for it's magic, magic sunsets. Victoria being a romance writer obviously has a wealth of stories to draw on for her Campfire Tales [00:03:30] and I'm just wondering Victoria, and this is something that will come up time and time again as I chat to writers as they make...