[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hello authors.
[00:00:01] Speaker B: I'm Joanne Morrell, children's and young adult fiction writer and author of short nonfiction for Authors. Thanks for joining me for the Hybrid Author Podcast, sharing interviews from industry professionals to help you forge a career as a hybrid author both independently and traditionally publishing your books. You can get the show notes for.
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[00:00:22] Speaker B: Free Author pass over at the Hybrid Author website to discover your writing process, get tips on how to publish productively, and get comfortable promoting your books at www.
Let's crack on with the episode.
[00:00:42] Speaker C: Hello authors. I hope you're all keeping well in whatever part of the world you reside and listen to the podcast in Today's interview is with Peter Gunn on bringing epic Poetry back and his work the Amazons and we chat. Epic poetry defined what modern readers can gain from reconnecting with this ancient form, creative challenges working in such a historical style, discoveries of epic storytelling, and what excited Peter the most during the writing of the Amazons, Peter's advice for aspiring writers looking to write epic Poetry and much more.
So, in my continued author adventure this week, I wanted to share something really helpful that I came across the other day on social media. It was a video and it was a lady running, I think she was in the uk. I can't remember her name sadly, or what the whole context was, but she was running down the street talking about negative thoughts and unhelpful mindsets.
She said she dealt with it by naming her brain. I really wanted to share this because really works. I think it does. Anyway, so she has named her negative brain and I'll say negative brain rather than brain because she's talking about the self talk that you the negative self talk that you talk to yourself. So she's called this part of her brain Becky. And she says she wakes up in the morning and there's that voice that says, oh, this is going to be a really crappy day. She calls it out and says, becky Love, that's not really going to help me today. Like she actually has a word with herself, but it's not herself, it's her brain.
[00:02:24] Speaker A: It's her Becky.
[00:02:26] Speaker C: And that might sound crazy to some, but it's actually a really cool, unique trick because I thought, you know what, that's really cool. I'm someone who does have a lot of negative self talk and self doubt sometimes, and I've really overcome so much from when I first started out as a writer to now. But I still, I still have it. And whether that's a self confidence thing or a learned thing or habitual thing or just a human thing to be quite negative or talk down to yourself or not be kind. I'm not sure. But I'm definitely much better than I was. I thought, you know, I'm going to give this a go. So I have named my negative brain Jessica. For those of you who are avid listeners of the podcast, you know that I grew up reading Sweet Valley High, absolutely love the series and they were about the Wakefield twins, Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. The personalities were different in the fact that Elizabeth was the good student, the steady boyfriend, the well liked and respected sort of news good student, basically good girl. And Jessica, who was my favorite probably because I could connect with her the most. She was more wild and a bit out there and a bit naughty and a bit, you know, whatever else. Jessica is what I landed on and I cannot recall what the negative thought was that I had the other day. So I put it to the test. I just said Jessica, that is not very helpful and it's not actually particularly true, is it? And just sort of said it like that side my head which honestly speaking about it now, it might seem crazy but it just really worked. It made me feel like, like I'd banish that thought rather than felt it. Because thoughts do affect our physical beings, our mind, our mood and how we carry ourselves. Usually you'd have a thought like oh, it's going to be a really crap day, can't be bothered or start putting yourself or your work down. You could easily buy into that and not keep going with it, actually talking to it and giving it a name and saying well hang on, that's not particularly true. So I told my daughter about it this morning as well because I know that she can be quite harsh on herself and maybe she'll listen. Hopefully it helps any of you listening out there who deals with regular self doubt in terms of authorship, their work, publishing life, anything in general. It was an awesome, awesome tip and yeah, one that's going to I'm going to keep implementing. So who knows, maybe, maybe there'll be a few for different areas of my life. But I think Jessica for now is best. I have had a cold this week which is not the flu, so you're not completely bedridden and feeling so lethargic. Another positive thing about being an and a self publisher and just just being able to have an online business is being able to literally work anywhere from your laptop. It doesn't matter if you do fall ill, your laptop just goes with you to your bed. And I've pretty much just been Working, lying on my bed the last couple of days, constantly blowing my nose. I haven't really had any other symptoms. It's just been nasally. If you listen to the other episode at the start of the week, I was out in the country. It's probably just the country, fresh air when I got back, because I was absolutely fine beforehand. And, yeah, I have. I've also been feeling a lethargic for a while now. I had an iron transfusion a couple years ago, and it appears that the iron is back down to low level. So, you know, I need to go for one of these transfusions next week, and hopefully that just bounces me back into shape to have more energy. Everybody who's a working mother, you know, try to run their own business. Just getting through all the things of life in general. You need your energy. You need it. And, you know, I've been guzzling the coffee and guzzling the Red Bull just to sort of make it through, and that's not normal in my mind. So time for the injection. We'll see how that goes. Another thing I wanted to share was being on social media and stuff. I felt I had a little bit of homo, you know, fear of missing out, which is not something I usually deal with that much. Avid listeners of the podcast know that I was part of society of Children's book writers and illustrators for, you know, many years. About seven or eight years. Squibi and I went to their Rottnest writers retreat every year. Apart from like one or two times I was there last year, they were all gearing up to go. Could be this weekend actually, or next, I'm not sure.
And so that's great. And I know a bunch of people that are going. There's also Kid Litvik that happened over the weekend. So I was able, you know, I knew a lot of people that were actually across there. And I had a ticket booked to Kid Litvik in 2020 just before COVID hit. And then it got canceled and I ended up losing the flights, actually. I never rebooked. And it was a conference I always wanted to go to.
[00:06:54] Speaker A: And.
[00:06:55] Speaker C: And, you know, it's like our Western Australian authors, kids authors getting to meet, you know, the east side authors as well. So I felt a little bit like, oh, I probably would have really liked to go to that. And I knew a lot of people that. I'm sure the event looked very busy and fruitful. And again, it was a decision I made to step back from writing in the children's genre, but also feel like I'm not done there because I do still have the young adult fiction idea circulating. So, you know, they really grapple for my attention over the women's fiction. And again, I'm still back in the throngs of trying to carve out spaces to write. The podcast is going through lots of processes at the moment to try and free myself up from work, which, as you know, I've hired a couple of virtual assistants, they're helping. And now I've passed all that over. There's still so much to do and I do not know how I was doing it all, if I was even doing it all. It just feels like it's insane. I feel like once I get a handle on that process and scheduling in the podcast, I've also sat down to avid listeners of the podcast would know that I was getting some business mentoring coaching this last year and couple of sessions that I had were really great for me just to have a schedule that was like blocked out colored blocks of time and it wasn't a to do list. Like I seem to work off this running mad to do list and it's, it's really chaotic. I am a chaotic person in terms of how I work in the space I work in and you know, I clean out a space and it somehow I've just crapped it all up again. It's. It's quite insane. But yeah, so these, these schedules, with these blocks of time, there's now different jobs and more things that I need to implement like finances. Finances is something that should, you should be in touch with regularly. And I don't feel like I've been utilize it well, not utilizing it. I haven't been consistently doing that. So I wanted to carve out time to weekly review my finances from this book business. And I also made a sort of look at the finances because it was also the end of the financial years. Coming up Next, you know, 1st of June was a new financial year here in Australia. Obviously finances people will be looking at that. I made a note of the three elements that make up my business. Podcasting, speaking and books, the programs, the VA costs, all that sort of stuff. How many, how much do I have to make back off the podcast? Podcast? How much do I have to make back of the speaking? How much do I have to make back off the books to cover those costs and to make a profit? It was quite good to break down those figures and see and it wasn't bad actually. I was like, oh, that's doable. That's doable to make costs back because costs in this sort of business are relatively low. Not like a business with warehouses and running things. A home laptop business with free hired freelance help and stuff is relatively Costs are not too bad. So that was positive as well. But yeah, I wanted to carve out time for the finances. I've got VA scheduling that needs to go in there and and playing around with that sort of thing to try and get into a better working routine and get back to the book writing because I'm still not there yet and I'm really getting frustrated about it because this is why it all began in the beginning. People might say, well just do it. But there's things that need your attention and are quite important and then you end up getting sidetracked. I know I do. And kids are sick. I've got children. People who have got children know that things come up and you just have to deal with life. You just need to get on with it. You just have to keep on planning, plotting, reworking, revising, rescheduling, finding what works best for you. Not anybody else, you personally and your writing, your business and your publishing. How hybrid are you? A hybrid career is about flexibility and adaptability.
It's blending creative outputs such as fiction and non fiction audio courses, collaborations. Not just one format but different formats. Expanding creative outlets writing across genres or categories. Novels, poetry, screenplays, nonfiction or short stories. Licensing your work or other media you know sell or option your IP for tv, film or translation rights. This is an area that not part of me yet, but definitely something I would like to be part of.
Collaborate on anthologies, co write to contribute to themed anthologies or multi author series. So it's being flexible and adaptable with your work. You can create one piece of work, whether it be a book, and put it out into different formats. You can turn it into a course, screenplay, a short play, short stories, spin off series, anything at all that expands your work into creative outlets is a hybrid approach to your career.
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[00:13:03] Speaker A: Peter Gann is a US Air Force vet, avid bodybuilder, coffee connoisseur, and poet who strives to bring epic poetry back from the past.
Peter reinvents this narrative style in his masterpiece, the Amazons.
[00:13:19] Speaker C: Welcome to the Hybrid Author Podcast.
[00:13:21] Speaker D: Peter I'm happy to be here. Duran It's a pleasure.
[00:13:23] Speaker A: We're absolutely honored and thrilled to have you. You seriously have achieved, but can you share with us and the audience?
[00:13:30] Speaker C: How did you come to be a writer?
[00:13:32] Speaker D: Well, when I had my daughter, I wanted to enroll her into my love of literature. Of course, I'm sure a lot of parents do. I went immediately to the local libraries and bookstores to get the elite, the Odyssey, et cetera, et cetera. I realized, wait a minute, there's really not much written for the feminine. I mean, it's represented in those books, but it's not really a good light. Let's just say that that's a good.
[00:13:57] Speaker A: Cause and a good reason to start, for sure. I'm not a poet myself. I'm a writer of nonfiction and fiction and things like that. So for many of our audience who maybe aren't sure what epic poetry is, are you able to elaborate on the definition of that?
[00:14:13] Speaker D: Well, it's basically a lengthened narrative poem, ordinarily decaring your deeds that fits into the hero's journey. And for the ones that know what the hero's journey is, the common narrative structure that describes the path the hero takes, often involving a separation from their ordinary world, initiation into a new realm and return, transform. It's widely recognized in pattern, mythology, storytelling, and film, where the protagonist faces challenges, overcomes adversity, and ultimately returns with a newfound understanding.
[00:14:44] Speaker A: Yeah, that's amazing. I have heard of the hero's journey before, and many of our listeners will as well, but I haven't really ever heard of it applied to poetry before. So that's really interesting. Do you have you read a lot of it yourself?
[00:14:55] Speaker C: Epic poetry?
[00:14:56] Speaker A: It's something that you enjoy.
[00:14:57] Speaker D: Joy oh yeah, I've read everything out there. You know, I'd be hard pressed to say there isn't the poet I haven't at least read some of his work.
[00:15:05] Speaker A: Amazing.
That's fantastic. Well, we're here to talk about your book the Amazons. It not only tells a really powerful story, but revives this tradition of epic poetry. What do you think modern readers can gain from reconnecting with this ancient form?
[00:15:21] Speaker D: A reconnection to our roots where we came from.
You know, perhaps a rekindling for the love of creative writing within themselves and feel inspired to take up creative writing on their own. I want to inspire the next generation coming up. So the Gen Z, Gen Alpha, amazing as well.
[00:15:36] Speaker A: And you said you got into this for your daughter's sake. It's to be for her as well. To inspire for writing and things.
[00:15:44] Speaker D: Yes, of course, of course. And I hope because she's doing very good in art that you can become an illustrator for my books in the future.
[00:15:51] Speaker A: Yeah, fantastic. I've seen the illustrations, you know the COVID for the.
[00:15:55] Speaker D: Yes, yeah.
[00:15:56] Speaker C: What inspired that?
[00:15:57] Speaker A: Your cover is fantastic.
[00:15:59] Speaker D: Well, I looked at a lot of artists and their artwork, but I think nothing quite embodied the hero's journey more than comic artwork.
Okay. And I felt that it also opened up more to the younger generation, the ignore accepting of it. I mean, in my opinion, it's a triple genre book. You could put it in the poetry section, but you'd also put it in the comics or the manga section as well and it'd still be acceptable.
[00:16:25] Speaker A: Have you got it in these categories like in Amazon?
[00:16:28] Speaker D: I have it in those genres but of course, you know, if you. If it's. The physical copies are usually only in the poetry section.
[00:16:34] Speaker A: Can you tell us a bit about the book? Deep diving into your stories like how the Amazons.
[00:16:40] Speaker D: Well, it's going to be a trilogy, if not more so. It's only just the beginning. A 109 year old man on his deathbed tells a amazing story to his son about, you know, a time in his youth when he went into the Amazon behest of the Queen of England to find gold. This was in 1806 during the Napoleonic War.
I know they tried to cover it up, but they were bankrupt back then, so they were in dire straits for money. And there was also a lot of rumors going around that the King wasn't really running the show. Greenwood with Carolyn. Of course, one wife doesn't step in when their husband is down. They step in. But of course they had to do it incognito. So no one knew about this. It was all down on the down low and it was. It didn't turn out to be disaster. But they lost a lot of lives in the way. But then he asked his son to go back and deliver a letter to one of the Amazons called Ivy that he met and fell in love with. And then he found out he had a sister.
So it just starts from there.
[00:17:39] Speaker A: Yeah, it sounds fantastic. So the story will obviously expand over the next couple of books as well.
[00:17:44] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:17:45] Speaker A: And so you say this is just the beginning. How long has it taken for you to get this one out?
[00:17:50] Speaker D: Well, this one, because it's written in llp, like lyrical poetry, about two years.
Yeah. It's time to send me the right in that method. But it's also like tying one arm behind your back and then covering one eye in a way, because you can't necessarily write what you want.
[00:18:06] Speaker A: Oh, well, that's incredible. How do you feel you could make the form kind of resonate today with, you know, you said you want to inspire the next generation to, you know, take on this kind of writing. What would your advice be? What would you offer to writers interested in exploring this or reviving it? Because it's certainly the first time I've heard of it. But it sounds fantastic. It sounds up mastery, actually.
[00:18:29] Speaker D: It's not a lost art. If I walk to any bookstore, library, those books are there waiting for you guys. Okay. It's just no one has had the courage to take up the mantle and start writing a modern version because of its type. It's in nature. No publisher wants to hear that. I took two days to write a paragraph. Now I can't put out immediate content. He's like, no, I don't want it. So there's craftsmanship there. People will pay for craftsmanship when they see it. But publishers don't want craftsmanship. They want pages upon pages of content.
[00:19:01] Speaker A: And how has your publishing journey been with the Amazons?
[00:19:07] Speaker D: I had to let go of a lot of editors, and I actually got to arguments with one of the editors about the word unhearsed. Now, he was right. It's 100%. It's not a word, but you and me understand 100% what it means. And I used it to keep the rhyme scheme going.
And then we got into arguments about that, and then I had to let him go. I mean, he's about to first. So I finally did find an inter. I would willing to work with me, you know, but it's difficult. It's like standing behind, you know, like Leonardo da Vinci and then criticizing one of his brushstroke. Yeah, you don't like it, but it's a Leonardo da Vinci. It's the brushstroke is what poetry is. It's art. It's a brushstroke on a picture. That's what it is for all writing too.
[00:19:52] Speaker A: So have you secured a team now? You're quite happy with the editors you've got? Moving on to the next book?
[00:19:57] Speaker C: Oh, yes.
[00:19:57] Speaker D: And I've actually gone into music writing as well and I have bands and I have discovered quite surprisingly that the LLP format makes beautiful music. So when I bring that into the music format, it's, wow, the song just pops and it stands out.
And so I've had to teach myself how to write music as well.
[00:20:18] Speaker A: Yeah, that's fantastic. And our listeners will be treated to a piece of your music through your advert. What was the inspiration behind creating that? How did that come about? Was it the Amazons first and then you created the music piece? So did it come before which was first?
[00:20:31] Speaker D: Well, when you're looking to advertise your book, especially like on TikTok, you could pick from pre formatted things. You also are at risk of getting sued if you go too far with it by the creator. So then you got to come up with something unique that's all yours.
So I sat down and I just started to write my own songs, but then use the MLP and had to teach myself basic music notes. I got with a band out of Germany called Battleborn.
They're very talented. Actually, a couple weeks ago I sung my first song with them and that's going to be in my graphic novel.
[00:21:06] Speaker A: Fantastic. And a graphic novel, is that something obviously completely different to.
[00:21:12] Speaker D: Yes, yes.
[00:21:13] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:21:14] Speaker D: I have many things going on at the same time, so I'm juggling.
[00:21:18] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:21:19] Speaker A: And even from your bio, you're. You're into a lot of different things.
[00:21:23] Speaker D: I mean, I'm a firm believer in a man is what he makes of himself. You know, I'm not going to sit there and watch the game all day and just drink beer.
[00:21:30] Speaker A: No, just coffee.
[00:21:33] Speaker D: Yeah, exactly.
[00:21:35] Speaker A: So what was the biggest creative challenge you faced while working with epic poetry? And what discoveries about the storytelling excite you the most?
[00:21:46] Speaker D: Well, once you read it, you discover that I created my own poetic language. Basically. A lot of people are amazed at that. I have about 30 voice actors that I've hired so far for the revamp of the Amazon's book.
One of them, immediately after introduction on the Zoom meeting said, how the F did you write this? He said he got on the page too and he's amazed. He doesn't understand it because it's a different language.
And that was one of the biggest challenges.
[00:22:14] Speaker A: And is that being quite well received, like being in a different language?
[00:22:17] Speaker D: Yeah, basically people saying it sounds like you're reading rap music. Yeah, because I've had to get rid of the rhyming pentameter that, you know, akb. Akb. But I've had to keep the rhymes flowing throughout the entire novel.
[00:22:32] Speaker A: Yeah. Amazing. And how has your marketing journey been with the book? Have you gone out and done many in person events and things like that?
[00:22:39] Speaker D: Yeah, for the most part I've gone locally here in South Carolina and done speaking engagements. I do plan on starting online classes for LLP and creative writing in the near future.
[00:22:50] Speaker A: Can you elaborate? What is llp? Just so anybody that's listening.
[00:22:53] Speaker D: Okay, okay. It's. It's the, the form that the Amazon has written is linked. Lyrical poetry.
[00:23:00] Speaker A: Right.
[00:23:00] Speaker D: Is what I call it my unique poetic language.
[00:23:03] Speaker A: That's really clever because I'm sure people out there are going to be interested in. In that, especially if they read it. It sounds like something very unique and different. I haven't heard much of it either. Yeah, no, that's really special.
[00:23:14] Speaker D: Well, it's one of those things where if people see craftsmanship, they'll buy it and put it on their shelf because it's unique. You know, no one else has done this. Whereas they don't put Harry Potter on their shelves because it's a great book, you know. But is there craftsmanship? There isn't any different than Tobin's books. Is it any different than some of the other science fiction ones? So it's unique. I will say it's very unique.
[00:23:38] Speaker A: And because you're doing graphic novels, it sounds like you're quite a visual person as well. Have you been able to visualize it all in your mind or a graphic novel?
[00:23:45] Speaker D: Oh, yeah, definitely. I found it actually quite easy to write a graphic novel, being a writer myself, because as writers we visualize the entire book going scene by scene, did we not? So that basically you're writing the narration, but you're also writing what's going on in your head at the time. Yeah, well, I mean. And of course I can't do everything on my own. I've done some of the artwork for the graphic novel. I'd say by the time it's done about 25% of it. I've had to hire a team of artists to help me. So it would take forever to do because I'm plotting at least 150 to 200 pages.
[00:24:21] Speaker A: By the time it's done, it seems quite daunting. Graphic novels and yeah, I think every writer works differently. I guess there are scenes and stuff, but some people can't visualize and especially like that.
[00:24:31] Speaker D: I'm sorry for them.
[00:24:34] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:24:34] Speaker A: And obviously the imagery says a lot, sometimes more than what the words do it for.
[00:24:40] Speaker D: People that don't visualize or are less apt to pick up a book without pictures. There's information they need to know in books without pictures. So I'm going to bring information they need to know in a book with pictures.
[00:24:53] Speaker A: Yeah. So the graphic novel, is that for adults as well?
[00:24:56] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, It's.
[00:24:58] Speaker D: It's definitely not for children because it deals with very taboo issues that are going on behind the scenes as we speak in the government around the world. It's basically different from the Amazon than that. I took it from ancient gnostic text like the Pixel Sophia, if you know what I'm talking about. And there are beings they talk about in those texts called aeons A, E, O, N S that are basically angels split in half. One male, one female. Okay.
And then, then are put down to earth to do the work of God. Okay.
So they are down on earth right now at this time during revelations, and then they directed to then hunt down and take out the members of the Deep State.
Okay, so they're basically assassins for God.
[00:25:45] Speaker A: Yeah, it was different.
[00:25:49] Speaker D: Oh, yeah, yeah, it's very different.
[00:25:50] Speaker A: And so with the trilogy of the Amazons, have you. Have you like almost, I guess, plotted out?
[00:25:56] Speaker D: Do you. Which did my mind. Yeah.
[00:25:58] Speaker A: Do you plot?
[00:25:59] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:26:00] Speaker A: Okay.
Sorry.
[00:26:02] Speaker C: It's poetry.
[00:26:03] Speaker A: So I just wondered whether you plot. So are those books good to go? The next set in the Amazons?
[00:26:10] Speaker D: Well, I'm hoping I'll be able to get the Amazons to finish by next year, hopefully, you know, knock on wood.
[00:26:17] Speaker A: Amazing. And do you publish? Who are you publishing through? Are you publishing through Amazon as well or just using that as a yes?
[00:26:23] Speaker D: Yeah, right now. Because I stress to anybody out there that's an author, read the 5 print. You will get lots of contracts put in front of you. But read that fine print because this is your baby, basically, and they're asking for ownership of your child. Okay. You have to think about that a lot because you lose control. They could put it in a light or represent it in a way you don't like or agree with. Think about that.
[00:26:50] Speaker A: Yeah, no, the great thing about stock.
[00:26:52] Speaker D: Publishing is it allows us to have control.
[00:26:55] Speaker A: It sounds like you know what you want and how it's supposed to be and. And what you want to include in that.
[00:27:00] Speaker D: Like that.
[00:27:01] Speaker A: And yeah, I think with traditional publishing, they've got their own agenda or their own idea. I was writing children's fiction for many years and I used to go a writer's retreat and it's. It's across on a little island here in Perth, Western Australia. Actually, it's happening next week through Squibia Society.
[00:27:16] Speaker C: Children's writers, they're wrote global.
[00:27:17] Speaker A: The chapter here, one of the perks is that you get your work critiqued by a traditional publication. I used to get it critiqued and I remember one publisher said one thing and then I took that on board. I was quite new to writing and spent the next year kind of rewriting this and how they said. And then took that story again back to Rottnest the following year to have critiqued by a different publisher and they said something different and then the penny dropped and I thought, oh, hang on, you're gonna publish it one way and this person's gonna just do it another way. And I could change my work, change my work a million times. They're gonna do it how they want at the end of the day. So. So no, I completely get what you're saying. There was a self publishing and staying in control and if you've got a vision and putting out your work as well. And Amazon's great, you know, the quality is fantastic. I've found with their print on demand as well. So.
[00:28:05] Speaker D: Yeah, it's great.
[00:28:06] Speaker C: Yeah, I love it.
[00:28:07] Speaker A: Your audio production, with how many people did you say? 30 narrators so far?
[00:28:12] Speaker D: We had 30. It might be more. We're adding sound effects and a soundtrack at the end.
So I think the listeners would be very pleased with the end result once we're finished with that.
[00:28:22] Speaker A: Wow. And how long has that taken, that whole process?
That sounds like a headache.
[00:28:30] Speaker D: Like I said, I have a lot of projects at the same time, but I have a very talented director producer called Andrea Giordani and she's also a very good voice actress and she's helped me immensely to get through all of the ins and outs of of the business. And I think that's important as authors to get people on your team like that, you know, that not only believe in your work, but they're willing to.
[00:28:54] Speaker A: Help you give advice and direction. That's great advice. Take it. The 30 voice narrators that record their parts and then the producers just mixing it all together or something like that with the sound effects.
[00:29:04] Speaker D: As a director, you want to look at the context of the book, they need to be yelling it, they need to be angry, if they need to be happy, you know, that's what the director is there for and that's what you need. Because unless you're going to do that all yourself as well. I mean, you're putting a lot of things on your shoulders as an author and there's a point to where you have to say, okay, I need help.
[00:29:25] Speaker A: Definitely concur with that, that's for sure.
So you shared some good advice already, but do you have any, you know, other burning advice for aspiring authors or any authors looking to write, you know, epic poetry or just self publishing or anything in general?
[00:29:40] Speaker D: I'm always reminded of that old saying, hard eat an elephant. And the answer to it is one bite at a time. Everyone sees the elephant, gets discouraged and just walks away. But all you have to do is take one bite right now, and that's one paragraph of your book or one page of your book. You don't have to write the entire book right now. And you have to take that attitude, get the daily discipline and just do a little bit every day if you can.
[00:30:05] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, no, I like that. That's really good. I think I've heard of that one time, but not much. But yeah, no, it makes absolutely sense. And I think it is. People can get overwhelmed by the task at hand and then it's almost a procrastination, isn't it?
[00:30:18] Speaker D: They get discouraged. They. I can't do that. But you stop using that C word. Yeah, you know, and you.
Yeah, you can do it.
[00:30:27] Speaker A: Oh, no. Well, that's amazing. Thank you so much, Peter, for your time and expertise here. Our listeners would love to know where can they find the Amazon and everything you do on and offline?
[00:30:37] Speaker D: You can go to my
[email protected] and you could also go to Amazon Kindle and type in Peter Gunn to Amazon.
[00:30:44] Speaker A: Fantastic. Well, that's.
Thank you so much for joining us.
[00:30:48] Speaker D: Thank you, Joanne.
[00:30:55] Speaker C: So there you have it, folks, the exceptional Peter Gunn. Next time on the Hybrid Author Podcast, we have Alejandra Martinez on Finding youg Voice. Blending culture, community and heart in contemporary fiction. Alejandra Martinez is an Australian Uruguayan writer based in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. She migrated to Australia at the age of seven with her family as a military dictatorship was about to take over the country. Her stories have been published in a range of anthologies and magazines, including Best Australian Stories, Black Ink, Girls Talk, and Puente's Review. She has also written short plays, one of which was performed at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta. An extract from her debut novel, Salsa in the Suburbs, was the winner of the 2022 Newcastle Writers Festival Fresh Inc. Emerging Writer Prize. But that's coming up next week. I wish you well in your author adventure. That's it from me. Bye for now.
[00:31:45] Speaker B: That's the end for now.
[00:31:46] Speaker A: Authors.
[00:31:47] Speaker B: I hope you're further forward in your author adventure after listening now, and I hope you'll listen next time. Remember to head on over to the Hybrid Author website at www.hybridauthor.com au to get your free Author pass. It's bye for.
