September 9, 202521 min
An Almost Merry Christmas Mashup in 2025 With Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell
We've hit 199 episodes of The HYBRID Author Podcast! And to celebrate, here's a mashup of all the guests who have appeared since June this year.
Episodes
199
Latest episode
Sep 2025
Language
EN
About the show
What is a HYBRID Author you ask. It's not conforming to uniform in your writing and publishing endeavours. It's writing across genres, mixing writing styles, publishing all ways and getting comfortable pushing boundaries promoting you and your books. Join host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors for weekly episodes campaigning to encourage authors to have a hybrid author career — because life truly is too short to wait.
Listen to episodes
September 9, 202530 min
Giving Stories Many Lives, Bel Vidal on Writing Bipolar Type 2 into Fiction
Bel Vidal is the pen name of an Australian-Bolivian writer based in Sydney. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been published in English and Spanish under her pen name, her real name and other pseudonyms. Soon after arriving in Sydney, she received an Australia Council (now Creative Australia) grant to publish a bilingual collection of poems and stories, Arcoiris de Sueños / 'Rainbow of Dreams'. An earlier draft of her novel ‘Exuberance’ was short-listed for the Varuna-Harper Collins Award for manuscript development and awarded the Varuna Residential Masterclass. It was independently published in 2023, followed by her story collection 'Tales of Suburban Castaways' in 2024. Bel holds a BA in Communications, majoring in Creative Writing (UTS), and a Masters in Writing for the Media (Macquarie University). She works in the not-for-profit sector as a communications and media professional, and is also a mental health advocate, book lover, bush walking enthusiast, traveller, blogger and firm believer it is never too late to start something new. In the 198th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Bel on: blending lived experience with fiction Mental Health month, promoting awareness and reducing stigma, particularly about bipolar type 2 in her novel 'Exuberance' ways to give a book several “lives” over time Bel’s advice for authors who want to translate their own mental health journeys into fiction in a way that resonates while still protecting their own wellbeing and much more.
September 9, 202536 min
Writing Pulse-Pounding Thrillers With Michael Wendroff
Michael Wendroff is a marketing consultant, and now a debut author with his thriller, ‘What Goes Around.’ It was published by Bloomsbury in the Uk, USA, and Australia, and foreign translation rights were sold in Japanese, Hungarian, and Italian. It is available in hardcover, audiobook, and ebook, and the paperback edition launches this month. In the 197th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors, chats to Michael on: the inspiration for his debut thriller 'What Goes Around' technical aspects to keep readers turning the page surprises, challenges and wins publishing his novel michael's advice to aspiring authors looking to stand out in a crowded market and much more.
September 9, 2025Episode 19628 min
Kindness Begins Within, Annie Kwan on Writing 'The Finch Who Lost Her Wing'
Annie Kwan is a lawyer who runs a construction company with her husband. She is passionate about teaching kids and volunteers at her daughter’s Primary Ethics Program. Annie believes that being kind to others can only start when one is kind to themself first. The Finch Who Lost her Wing is her first children’s book. She is working on more children’s books and is also writing a novel. Annie lives in Sydney with her girls, husband and two cats. In the 196th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Annie about: ‘The Finch Who Lost Her Wing’ and her belief kindness starts with being kind to ourselves practicing kindness to onself managing parenting, volunteering, running a business and living life surprises and challenges of publishing as a debut children's author writing across different forms and much more.
September 8, 202529 min
Searching for Home, Writing Untold Stories with Debut Author Rose Lane
Rose Lane’s writing is inspired by the untold stories of people and places. She has travelled to both London and Nepal as a nurse and has written for multiple publications on topics ranging from anti-war activism to music and disability awareness. 'The Last Tibetan Kingdom' is Rose’s first book and was selected for the 2017 Hardcopy Manuscript Development Program at the Australian Writers’ Centre in Canberra. In the 195th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Rose about: her travel memoir ''The Last Tibetan Kingdom' grown out of her travels and nursing work in Nepal balancing diverse professional and writing experiences, research, voice and cultural sensitivity in the book being selected for the Australian Writers' Centre hardcopy program her overall writing advice to authors and much more.
September 8, 202535 min
From Idea to Book Bible in Minutes, Visual Story Planning with Cameron Sutter of Plottr
Cameron Sutter is a YA sci-fi/fantasy author, software developer and the inventor of Plottr – the popular visual planning software for books and stories of all kinds. An avid reader who is endlessly learning how things work, his life’s mission is to help writers write more powerful stories (and to encourage everyone else to read the classics). He lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, six kids and several furry friends. In the 194th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors, chats to Cameron on: practical use of Plottr from initial idea to completed outline Storysnap an exciting new AI-powered addition to Plottr, creating visual book bibles in minutes and instantly organising author information how AI tools like Storysnap complement, not replace, an author’s creativity and Cameron's advice to writers about integrating these tools into their process and much more.
August 24, 202529 min
'Finding Lady Baltimore’ Family, Resilience and Weaving Narratives with Mila Maxwell
Mila Maxwell is an author from Clare, Nova Scotia, Canada, with a deep-rooted passion for storytelling and a love of the outdoors. A proud French Acadian, Mila draws inspiration from both her cultural heritage and her adventurous lifestyle, which includes being a volunteer firefighter. She lives in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada with her husband Jeremy, son Bennett, and two French Bulldogs. When not writing, you can find Mila out in nature, at the gym, or helping others through her work in the community. In episode 193 of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors, chats to Canadian author Mila on: how her love of the outdoors and French Acadian heritage shaped both the setting and the emotional tone of 'Finding Lady Baltimore' the inspiration and conversations hoped to spark from her novel exploring the complexities of growing up alongside a sibling with disabilities how Mila's background as a volunteer firefighter and active community member real-life experiences found their way into her characters and storytelling what Mila's publishing adventure looks like so far, and her advice to writers balancing deeply personal themes with universal resonance and miuch more.
August 24, 202529 min
Awards, Substack, Storytelling and a Hybrid Career With Julia Lawrinson
Julia Lawrinson has published more than fifteen books for children and young people, from a picture book to books for older teenagers, and in 2024 published a memoir called How to Avoid a Happy Life. Her books have been recognised in the Children’s Book Council Awards, the WA Premier’s Book Awards and the Queensland Literary Awards, and she has presented to schools across Australia, in Singapore and in Bali. She is an enthusiastic adult learner of Indonesian, yoga and the cello. Her favourite place on earth is the dog park. In episode 192 of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Julia about: shortlisting for the 2025 WA Premier's Literary Awards blogging on Substack and how this process differs from more traditional publishing or social media how Julia's lengthy hybrid career writing for different audiences and in different forms have challenged and inspired her as a storyteller Julia's sought after advice for writers navigating their own hybrid careers, balancing traditional recognition, digital platforms, personal creative goals and much more. https://www.writersdigest.com/my-first-ideas-arent-my-best-and-ai-only-makes-them-worse?utm_medium=email&utm_source=WDG+-+NL+-+Newsletter&oly_enc_id=0273D2156645J6O
August 20, 202517 min
Self-Publishing Burnout, How to Stay in the Game Without Losing Your Spark With Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell
Burnout. It’s the word no self-published author wants to say out loud, but almost every one of us has felt it. Maybe you’ve been there: staring at your manuscript, feeling resentful instead of inspired. Or pushing out content on social media, but dreading every post. Or just wondering if this author dream is worth the grind. In episode 191 of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats honestly about: what burnout is why it’s so common in self-publishing mindset shifts that might change the game practical, energy-saving strategies creative recovery practices and reframing the writing life.
July 27, 202530 min
'There Is Always Love' Writing Through Adversity and Building Purpose-Driven Work with Vanessa Maiorano
Vanessa Maiorano is a passionate children’s author, a mum of two, and a fierce advocate for families navigating hard times. After her own experience facing cancer as a young mother, she was inspired to create gentle, supportive books that help children understand the big feelings that come with life’s challenges. Her mission is simple: to remind children that no matter what happens, there is always love. After years of working in office management, Vanessa started her own Virtual Assistant company. This business began while she was going through cancer. Vanessa needed to keep working to manage medical bills and everyday expenses, so started offering administration and business consulting services remotely. As it grew, she was supporting businesses with revenue growth and operational systems while undergoing treatment, healing from surgery, and raising two small children. Vanessa now consults for a number of companies and helps stay-at-home mums, some who are going through illness and others who are raising children, find flexible virtual work they can do from home. She says, “It’s something that came from a really difficult season but has turned into a purpose-driven part of my life that I’m proud of.” In the 190th episode of The HYBRID Author Podcast host Joanne Zara Ellen Morrell, author of young adult fiction, women's fiction and short non-fiction for authors chats to Vanessa on: her powerful message 'There is Always Love' and the turning pointe to share her story her publishing and marketing author adventure of 16+ books from office management to running her own virtual assistant business while undergoing treatment and raising children, how this journey shaped Vanessa's identity, not just as an author, but as a businesswoman and advocate Vanessa's advice to those trying to create or grow purpose-driven work while navigating tough periods in life and much more. https://www.writersdigest.com/mindfulness-and-meditation-for-writers-7-easy-ways-to-stay-present-and-boost-creativity?utm_medium=email&utm_source=WDG+-+NL+-+Newsletter&oly_enc_id=3246I9700301H2H
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