S07 E10 Busisekile Khumalo
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Busisekile Khumalo is the bestselling author of the Harvard Wife series of novels, as well as the standalone book, Nomaswazi, and a new series published by Jonathan Ball Publishers, including Rubies & Rain and Sunshine & Shadows.
Busisekile joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how she walked away from a career in law to pursue her passion for storytelling. She shares her insights into self-publishing vs traditional publishing and tells us how she juggles the demands of her fan base. Listeners can explore Busisekile's website for information about her mentoring programme.
For more details about the books, movies, series, and podcasts that are discussed on the show, sign up here for our weekly newsletter:
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Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:
Email: hiddenlivesofwriters@gmail.com
Instagram: @thehiddenlivesofwriterspod
Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod
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Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters
Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers
Busisekile joins Fiona Snyckers and Gail Schimmel to talk about how she walked away from a career in law to pursue her passion for storytelling. She shares her insights into self-publishing vs traditional publishing and tells us how she juggles the demands of her fan base. Listeners can explore Busisekile's website for information about her mentoring programme.
For more details about the books, movies, series, and podcasts that are discussed on the show, sign up here for our weekly newsletter:
https://mailchi.mp/icon/the-hidden-lives-of-writers-newsletter-signup
Ask your writing-related questions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8i1_vFmUwsd7E_nvPgQOtqEscvZIircT0imdHm_qYJK5eXA/viewform
Fiona and Gail would love to hear from you. Please join the conversation here:
Email: hiddenlivesofwriters@gmail.com
Instagram: @thehiddenlivesofwriterspod
Twitter: @hiddenwriterpod
YouTube: The Hidden Lives of Writers
Threads: @thehiddenlivesofwriters
Facebook discussion group: The Hidden Lives of Writers
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Writing Week
- 02:59 Trusting Writer's Instincts vs Editorial Feedback
- 05:11 Recent Reading: Arundhati Roy and the Dublin Literary Prize
- 09:42 Guest Introduction: Busi Khumalo and Her Writing Slump
- 12:26 The Midnight Writing Routine
- 15:09 Writing on a Phone with Thumbs: Origins in Facebook Serialisation
- 20:16 How the Harvard Wife Began on a Taxi Ride
- 23:42 2,000 Followers Overnight: Facebook Success and Self-Publishing
- 27:17 Selling 100 Copies in a Week and Learning Hard Lessons
- 28:02 Unoma Swazi and the Shift to Writing as a Calling
- 31:17 Duty vs Personal Happiness for Black Women
- 34:42 Complex Characters and Undiagnosed Mental Health
- 36:06 Moving to Traditional Publishing with Quela Books
- 39:44 Defending Graphic Scenes: Castration, Abortion, and Artistic Vision
- 41:45 Losing Sales Breakdowns and Control Issues
- 44:47 Writing Dark Themes and Protecting Your Mental Health
- 47:07 Chinese Short Dramas as Therapeutic Escapism
- 48:54 Research Methods: Dark Search Histories and Social Media
- 53:32 Portraying Men: Villains, Heroes, and Accountability
- 57:21 Being a Feminist vs Writing as a Feminist
- 59:37 The Writing Consultancy: How It Started and What It Costs
- 01:02:53 Consultancy Frustrations and the Doctor Who Wrote Like a Thesis
- 01:05:53 Current Reading and Trash TV: Mafia Romance and Reality Shows
- 01:08:12 Closing Reflections and Goodreads Ratings
