Sara Foster chats to fellow crime writer Alexander Thorpe about how life as an editor prepared and failed her for life as an author on this episode of Love to Read Local Radio with Fremantle Press

Sara Foster and Alexander Thorpe have never met, but this podcast feels like the meeting of kindred spirits. From the classic mysteries of Agatha Christie and Josephine Tey to the police procedurals of Val McDermid and the atmospheric psychological thrillers of Nicci French, their discussion of their favourite books is a masterclass in international crime reads.

 

The pair discuss how Sara’s work as an editor, first for HarperCollins in the UK and then as a freelancer, held her in good stead when it came to the editorial process. As an editor, Sara learned that when pacing your thriller, you need ebb and flow – that without pauses between the peak moments of suspense, you deaden the overall impact, so quiet moments where the readers can breathe are essential. What Sara’s editorial work didn’t show her was the extent of post-publication marketing or just what it takes to get a book out into the world. She says it’s important to allow creative joy to flourish even while the business of being a writer is taking up time and energy.

 

Alex and Sara have a fascinating chat about her PhD thesis on maternal relationships in dystopian fiction, how to plot, audio books and true crime podcasts before ending with a big bunch of recommended local reads from Nadine Brown, Rachael Johns, Natasha Lester, Dervla McTiernan, Mihaela Nicolescu, Kim Scott, David Whish-Wilson and Tess Woods.

 

The complete show notes are available on our website www.fremantlepress.com.au

 

Music: ‘Letter to a Daughter of St George’, from the Meat Lunch EP: Songs from Floaters. Written by Alan Fyfe. Performed by Trevor Bentley (guitar and vocals – @trevormb) and Chris Parkinson (harmonica). Produced by Blake Carnaby of Nuglife studios with impresario work by Benjamin P. Newton.

Producer: Claire Miller

Mastered and edited by: Aidan d’Adhemar

Sponsor: This show was made possible with a grant from the Copyright Agency's Cultural Fund