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Conversations about media, culture and the art of writing

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Hell Hath No Furry Like a Woman’s P*rn
Hell Hath No Furry Like a Woman’s P*rn

It’s hot (and a little unhinged) in herre this episode, as Ed and Amanda plumb the depths of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace.

But first: Monster Sex! Why does this billion-dollar industry have the women screaming “More!”?

For the flash fiction enthusiasts, we’ll unpack genre fiction and why it’s hard to pull off in 500 words.

Plus, stick around after the credits for a behind-the-scenes taste of the cancellable conversation that usually makes the cutting room floor. It’ll even have Nelly singing, “Good gracious!”

Daredevil Critique – ‘Jesus, et al. Hereby Demand Ms. Paula Green to Cease and Desist All Invocations of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and “Big Daddy God”’ by Holly Sadowski
Daredevil Critique – ‘Jesus, et al. Hereby Demand Ms. Paula Green to Cease and Desist All Invocations of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and “Big Daddy God”’ by Holly Sadowski

Listen in as the judges of the Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction deliver an unfiltered critique of Jesus, et al. Hereby Demand Ms. Paula Green to Cease and Desist All Invocations of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and “Big Daddy God” by Holly Sadowski.

This story appeared in the January 2025 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction, which featured the anti-prompt: Break the rule “write what you know”.

Daredevil Critique – ‘Covid ’28 – Case-study (LS0977/B) – The impact of The Open Door programme on infected females displaying hysteria’ by Dez Veares
Daredevil Critique – ‘Covid ’28 – Case-study (LS0977/B) – The impact of The Open Door programme on infected females displaying hysteria’ by Dez Veares

Listen in as the judges of the Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction deliver an unfiltered critique of Covid ’28 – Case-study (LS0977/B) – The impact of The Open Door programme on infected females displaying hysteria by Dez Veares.

This story appeared in the January 2025 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction, which featured the anti-prompt: Break the rule “write what you know”.

Winner and Shortlist – January 2025 Not Quite Write Prize
Winner and Shortlist – January 2025 Not Quite Write Prize

Ed and Amanda reveal the wildcards, shortlist and winner of the January 2025 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction featuring the anti-prompt: Break the rule, “Write what you know.”

Sit back and enjoy as we read the 6 a-door-able shortlisted stories that will feature in our annual print anthology.

Who will take home the AU$1,500 first prize and see their name emblazoned on the coveted Not Quite Write Prize trophy?

Longlist – January 2025 Not Quite Write Prize
Longlist – January 2025 Not Quite Write Prize

Ed and Amanda reveal the 40 members of the January 2025 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction longlist, featuring the anti-prompt: Break the rule, “Write what you know.”

First, we kick off with a deep dive into key competition stats. Then stay tuned as we answer listener questions. We’ll shoutout the best takes on the prompts, and some of our favourite titles and lines.

… brrring it on!

#19 – The Next Big Thing
#19 – The Next Big Thing

Capitalism and art don’t mix… unless you’re Taylor Swift! We start with a look at Self-publishing (Taylor’s Version) following the news that the Pop artist’s self-published Eras Tour book sold nearly a million copies in its first week. From there, we explore Ed’s hidden agenda to lure more men into the literary world (whether they like it or not!) Finally, in Get Rec’d, Amanda has once again neglected to check herself before she rec’d herself, so we shine an uncomfortable spotlight on her own middle grade adventure story, ‘Go Big or Go Home’. Read the New York Times article ‘The […]

#18 – Can’t Touch That
#18 – Can’t Touch That

We indulge in a little self-Daredevil action with dramatised readings of Ed and Amanda’s own stories and a little one-on-one tough love, before talk turns to the NanoWriMo A.I. controversy and our cancellable thoughts on the matter.

In Get Rec’d we turn the microscope on the film, ‘May December’, and its ties to the true story of convicted pedophile, May Kay Letourneau.

Daredevil Critique – ‘Talking Heads: The Tale of Johnson & Johnson’ by Holly Sadowski
Daredevil Critique – ‘Talking Heads: The Tale of Johnson & Johnson’ by Holly Sadowski

Listen in as the judges of the Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction deliver an unfiltered critique of Talking Heads: The Tale of Johnson & Johnson by Holly Sadowski.

This story appeared in the October 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction, which featured the anti-prompt: Break the rule “avoid head-hopping”.

Daredevil Critique – ‘A Non-Consensual Truth’ by Sarah Kennedy
Daredevil Critique – ‘A Non-Consensual Truth’ by Sarah Kennedy

Listen in as the judges of the Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction deliver an unfiltered critique of Bonus: Daredevil Critique – ‘A non-consensual truth’ by Sarah Kennedy by Sarah Kennedy.

This story appeared in the October 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction, which featured the anti-prompt: Break the rule “avoid head-hopping”.

Daredevil Critique – ‘The Three Lies and One Lifetime of Rucha Shah’ by Nina Miller
Daredevil Critique – ‘The Three Lies and One Lifetime of Rucha Shah’ by Nina Miller

Listen in as the judges of the Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction deliver an unfiltered critique of The Three Lies and One Lifetime of Rucha Shah by Nina Miller.

This story appeared in the October 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction, which featured the anti-prompt: Break the rule “avoid head-hopping”.

Winner and Shortlist – October 2024 Not Quite Write Prize
Winner and Shortlist – October 2024 Not Quite Write Prize

Join us as we reveal the shortlist and winner of the October 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction featuring the anti-prompt: Break the rule “avoid head-hopping.”

We’ll lie-ven up the countdown by reading the shortlisted stories from number six all the way to the top spot.

Who will take home the AU$1,000 first prize and see their name emblazoned on the coveted Not Quite Write Prize trophy?

Longlist – October 2024 Not Quite Write Prize
Longlist – October 2024 Not Quite Write Prize

In this special bonus episode, Ed and Amanda reveal the 40 members of the October 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction longlist, featuring the anti-prompt: Break the rule “head-hopping.”

First, we kick off with a deep dive into key competition stats. Then stay tuned as we answer listener questions. We’ll shoutout the best takes on the prompts, and some of our favourite titles and lines.

It’s gonna be lots of fun, and that’s no LIE!

Daredevil Critique – ‘Dazzling Diamonds, Heroic Horses and Pink Panties’ by Dez Veares
Daredevil Critique – ‘Dazzling Diamonds, Heroic Horses and Pink Panties’ by Dez Veares

Listen in as the judges of the Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction deliver an unfiltered critique of Dazzling Diamonds, Heroic Horses and Pink Panties by Dez Veares.

This story appeared in the July 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction, which featured the anti-prompt: Break the rule “avoid purple prose”.

Daredevil Critique – ‘Who Do I Have to Speak to About a Redo on the Prophecy’ by Holly Sadowski
Daredevil Critique – ‘Who Do I Have to Speak to About a Redo on the Prophecy’ by Holly Sadowski

Listen in as the judges of the Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction deliver an unfiltered critique of Who Do I Have to Speak to About a Redo on the Prophecy by Holly Sadowski.

This story appeared in the July 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction, which featured the anti-prompt: Break the rule “avoid purple prose”.

#17 – Into the Tingleverse
#17 – Into the Tingleverse

In this STRICTLY ADULTS ONLY episode, Ed and Amanda venture into the world of erotic fiction only to be “slammed in the niche” by Chuck Tingle.

Ed reveals the seminal event that sparked his interest in spicy fiction, and we ask, what motivates people to read erotica? Does it tickle their fancy or just their funny bone?

Keeping it classy, we round out our discussion with a look at the statistics from Elle Griffin’s viral article, ‘No One Buys Books,’ and lament the current state of “venture capitalist” publishing.

Longlist – July 2024 Not Quite Write Prize
Longlist – July 2024 Not Quite Write Prize

In this special bonus episode, Ed and Amanda reveal the 40 members of the July 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction longlist, featuring the anti-prompt: Break the rule “avoid purple prose.”

First, we kick off with a deep dive into key competition stats. Then stay tuned as we answer listener questions and turn the spotlight on common flash fiction tropes. We’ll shoutout the best takes on the prompts, and some of our favourite titles and lines.

It’s a vertiTABLE smorgasbord of flash fiction goodness!

#16 – Poor(n) Things
#16 – Poor(n) Things

Ed and Amanda are confronted with Frankenstein’s P*rnstar as we grapple with the Oscar-winning movie ‘Poor Things’. Is it a feminist masterpiece, or is it simply yet another vehicle for the male gaze?

We also tackle book-to-film adaptations and why book lovers sometimes struggle to appreciate the onscreen version of their beloved novels.

Plus, Amanda shares why she doesn’t want a bar of Timothée’s “Chalami”, and Ed invites ChatGPT to solve the TV writing crisis (with hilarious results).

Episode image for the April 2024 Longlist announcement episode, depicting a trophy cup and text identifying the episode number B6.
Longlist Announcement – Not Quite Write Prize April 2024

In this special bonus episode, Ed and Amanda reveal the 40 members of the April 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction longlist!

First, we’ll cover all the stats from the comp and shout-out some standout entries. We’ll also answer your questions about what goes on behind the scenes of a flash fiction competition. We’ll do a deep-dive on the prompts and showcase the work of some of our brave daredevils, dissecting their stories in detail for all to hear. Suffice it to say, this episode will be a doozy.

Join us, yes? It’s a date!

Episode 15 thumbnail featuring Disney's Alice in Wonderland.
#15 – Literary Nonce-ense

“Off with his head!” Lewis Carroll has been cancelled!

Ed and Amanda chase the White Rabbit down a tunnel of less-than “Wonder-ful” allegations, before turning the looking glass towards his poetry.

And from the oldest literary genre to the newest, we grapple with the news that a 5% ChatGPT-generated novel won a prestigious literary prize.

Episode image for the January 2024 Longlist episode, depicting a trophy cup and text identifying the episode number B4.
Longlist Announcement – Not Quite Write Prize January 2024

In this special bonus episode, Ed and Amanda reveal the 40 members of the January 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction longlist!

We’ll share interesting stats about the competition and shout out some of our favourite takes on the prompts.

Along the way, we’ll offer plenty of advice about what to do to win the competition (and what not to do!) before dishing out some tough love to our daredevils.

So, grab a beverage of choice (take care not to spill!) and kick back and relax as we put the long in longlist!

Episode 14 thumbnail featuring a zombified hand reaching out of the soil clutching a golden trophy cup.
#14 – Midlife Crisis: The Musical

You are cordially invited to attend a Not Quite Write dinner party, and short stories are on the menu! Gather ‘round the table as we feast upon James Joyce’s ‘The Dead’, served with a generous side of religion, politics, past loves, and Joycean epiphanies.

Plus, with the January 2024 Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction almost at hand, your judges serve up their advice for how to claim the cash. If Ed can get a word in edgewise, he’ll explain why the anti-prompt is “a challenge, not a licence”, and as for dessert? Well, that’s a “grey matter”.

Bon appétit!

Episode 13 thumbnail featuring Taylor, Isaac and Zac Hanson in their teenage years, posing for the camera. Taylor is wearing a grey tank top and gold chain, and he has an unsettling rosiness to his cheeks. Nobody cares what the other two are wearing, but they are wearing boring collared shirts. Zac is wearing a white shirt underneath. Yawn. Lol.
#13 – High Doses of Obsession

Oh no, Amanda forgot to check herself before she rec’d herself! Listen in as Ed roasts her teenage Hanson fanfic, ‘High Doses of Obsession’. Is Amanda as aloof as she claims, or is she still sweating on the chance to join (Eye)saac in “meatspace”?

Plus, find out why all writers should, like, totally take a leaf out of every teenage girl’s book.

Episode 12 thumbnail featuring a young Britney Spears with her hands held to her lips in "prayer" position.
#12 – Dear Diary

Diaries don’t get much attention these days, Anne Frankly, we’re not happy about it! In this episode we delve into the pros and cons of epistolary novels and unlock the mysteries of ‘Piranesi’ by Susanna Clarke.

Plus, Amanda exposes her own ancient secrets when she hands over the keys to her childhood diaries. Has she evolved since age twelve? And what the hell is a ‘Snust?’

Episode 11 thumbnail featuring a young Kate Bush with permed hair.
#11 – More Moors

We venture out into the wily, windy moors to find out what makes the bad guys tick.

Is Heathcliff the quintessential incel? Did he pull a Ted Bundy, or was it all one big “mist” opportunity?

Plus, Amanda opens up about her own writing flaws, and “Doctor Ed” prescribes a very bitter pill.

Episode 10 thumbnail featuring actors, Julie Delpy with her head in Ethan Hawke's lap, looking up at him in a scene from the movie 'Before Sunrise'.
#10 – A National Geographic for People with Bad Hair

Join intrepid hosts Ed and Amanda as they traverse the rocky terrain of critique in a quest to uncover the delicate balance that sustains the giving and receiving of critical feedback.

As the expedition unfolds, they’ll venture further into the heart of the jungle and encounter the rarest of creatures: a Get Rec’d submission they both enjoyed. Will our heroes make it through the desolate wasteland of Ethan Hawke’s hair before sunrise, or will they still be arguing like an old German couple by midnight?

Episode 9 thumbnail featuring the cover art from the Barenaked Ladies Album 'Detour de Force'. Two old-fashioned children are cycling their bikes around a road that has been styled to resembles the rings around a planet.
#9 – Detour de Fromage

In this episode, we take a slight “detour” into the world of Mom Rock to find out what fiction writers can learn from the songwriting greats.

In Get Rec’d, Amanda lays bare her greatest lyrical love, the Barenaked Ladies, only to be eviscerated by Ed’s scathing response. Turns out although people don’t usually complain when you bring cheese… they will if the crackers start rapping.

#0 – Not Quite Write Podcast Trailer
#0 – Not Quite Write Podcast Trailer

Hosted by Ed and Amanda, the Not Quite Write podcast explores the intricacies of fiction writing, media and current events from a writer’s perspective.

Four times a year, the Not Quite Write Prize for Flash Fiction challenges writers from around the world to break a specific “rule” of writing while still telling a great story. Participants have 60 hours to submit a 500-word story for a chance to win a share of AU$4,000 in cash prizes. A flash fiction competition with a twist.

Meet the Hosts

A caricature of Ed, one of the hosts of the Not Quite Write Podcast

Ever since he placed second in a high school short-story competition, Ed has fancied himself as something of a writer.

He is a self-confessed literary masochist, whose disdain of happy endings and preference for arduous and harrowing literature have earned him the title, “Case-hardened Wowser.”

Aside from being a serial writing-competition enterer, his hobbies include: avoiding Vegemite, abhorring ellipses, and obsessively rewriting opening sentences. In the future, Ed aspires to become as handsome as his AI-enhanced avatar.

Ed posts prolifically on Goodreads under the cunning pseudonym, Ed.

A caricature of Amanda, one of the hosts of the Not Quite Write Podcast

Amanda was first published in The Sydney Morning Herald at the tender age of seven with a charming poem about the joy of Christmas.

Since then, Amanda has gone on to enjoy wider publication, including opinion pieces and feature articles across major Australian mastheads and industry magazines.

Amanda’s competitive spirit extends from the page to the small screen, having won prizes for both her fiction and her quiz show prowess.

Amanda identifies as a “plotter” and sprinkles commas like salt. She is currently procrastinating on her third middle-grade novel, set in an abandoned theme park.