36-Inspiration Finds Us Working: Forget the Rules, Write the Next Book, interviewing Jim Shomos31/8/2026 Show notes Jim Shomos spent twenty years breaking format as a screenwriter and producer—his 2005 series Forget the Rules was the world's first to broadcast every episode across TV, web and mobile at once—before pivoting to indie fiction. He and Amra trace that reinvention: how a screenplay that couldn't get financed became his debut novel Up Here, why he chose indie publishing after COVID lockdown made the decision for him, and what changed when he swapped studio notes and gatekeepers for total creative control. They dig into the discipline behind the craft—Jim's answer to "what's your greatest talent" isn't story or voice, it's showing up—along with the pull of romance versus thrillers, where AI actually earns its keep for an indie author (and where it doesn't), and how grief and upheaval reshaped both their writing lives. A candid look at what it costs, and what it's worth, to keep chipping away at the work. Takeaways
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Jim Shomos spent over twenty years as a screenwriter and producer before reinventing himself as an indie novelist. Jim Shomos created ‘forget the rules’—the world's first comedy-drama series to broadcast every episode on TV, web and mobile at once—picked up wins and nominations at Cannes and the Australian Writers' Guild, and was once ranked in Australia's Film & TV Power-50. A few years ago, he turned that screenwriting instinct toward the page. Today he's the indie-published author of three contemporary romance novels, and Up Here, Three Women in November, and More Text Than Sex. Website: https://jimshomos.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jim_shomos/
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New on the Substack: how Fiona Tarr went from writing biblical fantasy as a form of therapy to building a full-time career as a bestselling indie crime author — outback setting, worldwide readership, and all. 📚 We talk about treating your books like a product, why she stopped writing for six months to figure out her market, the audiobook deal that left her "high and dry," and her blunt rule for knowing when a series is done: watch the pre-orders. If you're an indie author (or thinking about becoming one), this one's full of hard-won lessons. https://amrasarmchairanecdotes.substack.com/p/when-pre-orders-drop-so-does-the?r=i0jxk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true  I've been self-publishing for four years now and have done a few things: my short story collection, a young adult series of three books, and re-publishing my romance novels. Finally, I developed a plan — I wanted to write crime. I wrote the first three books of the Seka Torlak series and sat on them. Then I realised I wanted this to be a long series, and planned six books total. 📚 Book 1: Time Kneels Between Mountains, 01/11/25 📚 Book 2: Ghosts Among Gumtrees, 01/02/26 📚 Book 3: Mad Dawn Winter, 01/05/26 📚 Book 4: Echoes Among Wattle Pines 01/08/26 📚 Book 5: Whispers Behind the Wire, 01/11/26 📚 Book 6: Shadows Beneath the Crescent, 01/02/27 www.amrapajalic.com/seka-torlak-series.html I published the first three books every three months, then started writing the next three, which I put up for pre-order once the concepts and stories clarified. I published book 4 on 1 August. For the last few months I've been frantically drafting book 6 — and I finally did it. It's a rough draft that needs work, but it's there. Now I'm turning my attention to editing book 5, due for publication 1 November (with a 30-day extension up my sleeve if I need it). Writing to deadlines has been pressure, but it's done exactly what I needed — my sales are building, my promotion is more consistent, and I'm seeing real gains. More importantly, I'm planning further series in this world to keep growing my readership. So happy today. 🖤  So excited to be on the 2026 Assessment Panel for the Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship offered to Australian Society of Authors members. I'm in such great company with Amal Awad and Ellen van Neerven. So excited to see what amazing applications we will see. Having a great time judging this year. This is my second gig after being a panel assessor for Creative Brimbank's poetry book project, Under the Brimbank Sky. Having a great year with exciting opportunities.   Someone did me a favour I never asked for. I said no — three times. They did it anyway. A year later they'd written a memoir, and somehow I owed them for it: free formatting, a free edit, hours of my time. Every time I thought the account was closed, they'd thrust more at me — $200, a card, a voucher — insisting that refusing money was somehow going to cost us the friendship. It took me three mistakes to figure out how to actually say no. This is that story. → A Not So Simple Simple Favour https://amrasarmchairanecdotes.substack.com/p/a-not-so-simple-favour?r=i0jxk   Show notes
Fiona Tarr discusses her transition from writing fantasy to crime fiction, the process of building a community of readers, and the strategies for exploiting her intellectual property. She shares insights into genre planning, community engagement, and the challenges and opportunities of self-publishing. The conversation covers the challenges and strategies of being an indie author, including the balance between writing and business, the use of Kickstarter and special editions, engagement with library events and public lending rights, challenges with Kindle Unlimited and wide distribution, navigating industry challenges, advice for emerging indie authors, and series completion and reader engagement. www.amrapajalic.com/fiona-tarr.html Takeaways
Connect with Fiona TarrFiona Tarr is a number-one bestselling Amazon author who has built a devoted, worldwide readership from her home in Noosa, Queensland. In 2023 she launched the Opal Fields series, following Constable Jenny Williams through a remote opal-mining town inspired by Coober Pedy, and it changed everything. She has written full-time ever since. Since then, Fiona has built two ongoing crime series — Opal Fields and Dawn Grave — alongside the Foxy Mysteries spin-off, racking up tens of thousands of reader ratings. Website & Social Handles Website: fionatarr.com Instagram: @fionatarr Facebook: Fiona Tarr – Author (facebook.com/fionatarr.atime2write) YouTube: Fiona Tarr on YouTube So happy to have been involved as a panelist in this project by Creative Brimbank in developing a poetry collection celebrating Brimbank. Under the Brimbank Sky is a collection of poems written by local writers with a connection to Brimbank. Poets, writers and artists are asked to submit written works centring around the theme: Brimbank. The selected written works will be published in a not-for-profit tangible booklet curated and produced by Creative Brimbank and available for free for the community to enjoy. The booklet will be distributed around the Brimbank municipality including Brimbank City Council venues such as Civic Centre, Brimbank Libraries, Community Centres, Neighbourhood Houses, as well as local cafes, stores and businesses. https://creativebrimbank.com.au/under-the-brimbank-sky     I sat down to interview a guest for the podcast while I was quietly circling burnout—asking myself what's the point of any of this?—and walked away lighter than I'd felt in weeks. 🤍
So I wrote about it. My new essay pulls together five lessons from my conversation with @MirelaCufurovichandle]—a historian, writer, and founder building beautiful things in her own corner of the internet with no funding and no guarantees. Lessons like: 📌 The people "doing the thing" are simply the ones who tried 📌 You can never predict where a small idea will lead 📌 Lead with intention, not with the sale 📌 There's more than one way to build a creative life 📌 Own where you've come from — even before you feel "official" If you've been waiting until you feel ready to start a creative project, this one's for you. Start messy. Start anyway. 🔗 Read the full essay on my Substack — link in bio. 🎧 And the full episode of Amra's Armchair Anecdotes is out now too. https://amrasarmchairanecdotes.substack.com/p/the-lessons-i-needed-to-hear-when?r=i0jxk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true I started my podcast Amra's Armchair Anecdotes because I wanted to have deep conversations and learn from people. I never could have imagined how it would grow into such a powerhouse. I've published 34 episodes, have 36 scheduled, and interviews lined up through episode 42. I was planning to end season two at 40 episodes, but I'm connecting with so many interesting people with fascinating stories and insights that I just have to keep going. I'm now at the point where people are approaching me, and I'm in awe of the calibre of guests I'm connecting with. I think it shows there's a real need for a podcast that goes deep into craft and lessons. I've got quite a few international guests booked, and I'm nervous and excited for this new challenge. When I first started, I recorded 10 episodes just talking to myself. Then I had to interview friends to build my confidence. Then transition to interviewing virtually, then people I'd never met, then complete strangers. Whenever I take on a new skill, I have to go slow and build my confidence for each new challenge—and that's exactly what this podcast has been: slow growth, and building. I've got more plans for how to grow Amra's Armchair Anecdotes and life lessons and build more of a community—but again, I need to ease into it. Thank you to everyone who's been part of the journey: for liking my posts, resharing, commenting, reaching out, and telling me what's resonated with you. You can listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on YouTube/Substack. https://www.amrapajalic.com/podcast.html    Book 4 in the Seka Torlak Mysteries has landed — and to celebrate, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 gets the complete set: 𝐚𝐥𝐥 five 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 in the series — Time Kneels Between Mountains, Ghosts Among the Gumtrees, Mad Dawn Winter, and Echoes Among Wattle Pines, and the prequel The Tree That Stood Still. Four cases. One journalist who won't stop digging. Every book on your shelf, ready to go. Link in bio or below 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://kingsumo.com/g/m2derd3/seka-torlak-paperback-pack 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 15/08/2026. Good luck!  |
AuthorAmra Pajalić is an award-winning author, an editor and teacher who draws on her Bosnian cultural heritage to write own voices stories for young people, who like her, are searching to mediate their identity and take pride in their diverse culture. She writes memoir, young adult and romance under the pen name Mae Archer. newsletterSign up and receive free books.
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