Two Words with Taku: Recent Episodes

Taku Mbudzi

Hi, I'm Taku Mbudzi and I love to tell stories — give me a pen, a microphone or a camera and I’ll have something to say. For Season 3, I'm featuring people in my personal writing community whose words inspire, humble and challenge me to create and live better.

Two Words with Taku is a show about writing, but unlike other shows about writing, only we are the pit stop for writers you’ve never heard of, giving them rest when they’re about to give up on their words and extra fuel for when they’re ready to keep writing.

Podcast recorded in Melbourne, Australia.

My special guest for this episode is Selene Dudley-Bateman, the Chief Executive Officer of Auspicious Arts Projects (AAP), a not-for-profit creative community management organisation. They provide independent artists with a secure and accessible framework to assist them with creative developments and producing work.

AAP were fantastic last year when I wanted to apply for some funding through my local council. I was so impressed by them and thought other artists I know might wanna know more about them, so I invited Selene to chat with me.

I hope you find her insights useful too!

About Selene Bateman

Selene Bateman is a highly regarded arts administrator, producer and project manager who has worked in the creative sector for nearly 20 years. She has produced animated tv series, queer cabarets and comedy shows for children.

As the CEO and Senior Client Manager at Auspicious, she has worked with hundreds of artists across art forms and career stages, helping them navigate the funding landscape, get budgets into shape, and manage their projects. She is also an experienced grant writer, workshop facilitator, and financial manager.

Connect with Selene on LinkedIn.

About Auspicious Arts Projects

Auspicious Arts Project Inc. was established in 1993 to assist artists undertaking projects within the arts. The intention was to provide artists with all the protection and advantages of working with a larger organisation while still remaining independent and in control of their work.

Auspicious Arts Projects offers financial and administrative management for individuals and small art organisations. This includes assistance with the day-to-day financial aspects of the project.

In addition Auspicious offers advice and guidance to artists to the most likely sources of funding, as well assistance preparing budgets for funding applications. Auspicious Arts Projects work with artists from across the spectrum of the arts, and has watched many of its artists grow into fully fledged companies of their own right.

This Two Words with Taku podcast episode was recorded virtually in December 2023 in Melbourne.

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Today's Two Words: YOUNG FIRE

In this episode, hear our first ever guest host Adongwot Manyoul in a conversation with Devon Lewis. He’s a pioneering IT professional and the Chapter Lead for Blacks in Technology Australia, a non-for-profit championing diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, providing invaluable resources, and a safe space for black professionals to connect.

Recorded in late November as an ode to World Youth Day, these two special people share their insights on leadership on their terms. They discuss everything from managing workplace friendships to curating your own social media algorithms to navigating fear when starting new challenges to how running 43km marathons can help instil you with professional discipline…and much more.

Our audience included writers, performers, filmmakers, a lawyer and a few Shout Out public speakers from the Centre for Multicultural Youth.

About Adongwot Manyoul

Adongwot Manyuol is an experienced communications professional, youth advocate, and thought leader. As a bi-cultural consultant, public speaker, radio host, and MC, her passions lie in supporting the community to achieve social cohesion through the elimination of racism and discrimination and promoting intergenerational dialogue.

As a South Sudanese-Australian woman, Adongwot speaks from a combination of experience navigating traditional and Western culture in Australia and her academic standing in Communications and Journalism. In 2019, Adongwot was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to travel the world investigating ways in which other Western Societies have successfully achieved social cohesion- the African Diaspora as the focal point to further bolster her contribution to the Australian fabric.

Adongwot now shares her stories and experiences to inspire and empower. She spends her time mentoring the youth, hosts a radio show that provokes conversation on a range of social justice issues, provides consultancy services to government and community organisations dedicated to change, and sits on a number of advisory and steering committees.

In 2022, Adongwot started a disruptive social enterprise, which aims to radically change the approach to racism/ diversity and inclusion training. Providing a series of workshops, seminars, and keynotes aimed at diverse age groups and divergent backgrounds, she explores the concepts of race and prejudice by walking in each other’s shoes through interactive activities and conversations that challenge young people to critically assess their identity.

About Devon Lewis

Devon Lewis, a resilient individual, has carved an extraordinary path from Guyana to Australia at the age of 17, making Melbourne his cherished home for nearly two decades. With a background in Telco as a Data/Geospatial analyst, he has transitioned his career towards two key pillars.

Firstly, Devon is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, currently serving as the Chapter Lead for Blacks In Technology Australia, a non-profit. His leadership extends far beyond authority, emphasising empowerment and support.

Secondly, as an Implementation Lead at Coles Group, he skilfully manages IT projects, striving for optimal results and continuous improvement. His commitment to professional growth is evident through his pursuit of a Diploma in Project Management.

Beyond his professional endeavours, Devon's adventurous spirit is showcased in his love for challenging activities like hiking, camping, bush survival training, and marathon running. He firmly believes in the transformative power of venturing into the unknown, both in his personal and professional life.

Devon Lewis is a true testament to the rewards of embracing uncharted territories and unwavering growth.

This Two Words with Taku live podcast event was recorded in November 2023 in Melbourne. Thanks to the crew: Kishani, Rizky, and Ali from 24 Moons for hosting us.

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twowordswithtaku/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twowordswithtaku

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Today's Two Words: FUNNY BUSINESS

In this episode, I’m joined by Janet McLeod, the Fairy Godmother of Melbourne Comedy. Janet runs Local Laughs, which at 20 years, is the longest running comedy room in Australia with a sole operator/programmer...and one of my fave spots to perform.

We discuss comedy in all its glory — what is comedy, really? What makes a great comedian? How do you filter out the a**holes to make comedy rooms safe workplaces? Janet shares all her magical insights and wisdom, much to our audience’s delight.

A special note: this episode was recorded a week before beautiful and kind Cal Wilson suddenly passed away. Cal is one of my comedy heroines and she introduced me to Janet after we met through The Moth storytelling community in Melbourne.

One of my favourite Cal memories is performing with her at Local Laughs in 2018 and she gave me the biggest hug after I got off the stage. So special!

In this episode, Janet and I speak of Cal’s kindness. I’m grateful to have met and worked with her and she’ll always be one of my faves.

ABOUT JANET MCLEOD

With over 25 years' experience producing and programming live shows, Janet's curatorial skills are frequently called upon by organisations and arts festivals across Australia and in the UK including Edinburgh Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Glen Eira Storytelling Festival, Soho Theatre, Melbourne Fringe, and Fringe World in Perth.

She has managed over 60 separate projects in her professional career, including long-standing weekly comedy events Planet Comedy and Local Laughs. (Image credit: Alan Moyle — Local Laugh's 20th birthday celebration, June 2023)

An active champion of women in comedy, Janet was one of the originators of Upfront Comedy - now a hallmark event at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival - and has since produced all-women comedy show like Miss (you) and Frockin' Hilarious in Melbourne.

This Two Words with Taku live podcast event was recorded in October 2023 in Melbourne. Thanks to the crew: Jan, Oscar, and Ali from 24 Moons for hosting us.

Join our community at twowordswithtaku.substack.com and follow Two Words with Taku at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwoWordswithTaku/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twowordswithtaku/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twowordswithtaku

MY 2024 COMEDY SHOW

Shine My Light is my debut one-woman solo comedy show, presented in the week of International Women’s Day 2024. In my show, I’ll tackle motherhood, entrepreneurship, societal norms, and everything in between. All are welcome to my unique celebration of womanhood.

Dates: Mar 6 – Mar 10 AT La Mama Theatre, Melbourne

Buy tickets: https://lamama.com.au/whats-on/summer-2024/shine-my-light/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's Two Words: MADE IT

In this episode, hear Esther Fwati and Ratidzo Mambo share about their careers as actors, producers and writers based in Australia. We discuss story ownership, collaborating with an abundance mindset and how being an actor influences their approach to writing their own stories.

About Esther Fwati

Esther Fwati is an actor, writer and producer based in Melbourne, Australia.

In 2022 her Web Series NO ORDINARY LOVE, presented by Screen Australia was released to an international audience with great reception. Esther acted as Producer, Marketing, Strategist, Writer & Actor on the Series.

In 2023 the series won BEST WEB SERIES at the LA SUN FILM FEST and Esther was awarded BEST ACTRESS in a Series/Pilot/Web for her role as series lead - Beck.

Esther is inspired by the work of strong black creators such as Issa Rae and Quinta Brunson who created pathways for themselves as actors, and created opportunities for so many others in the process.

Follow Esther: https://www.instagram.com/estherfwati/

About Ratidzo Mambo

Zimbabwean-born actor, producer, writer and former distribution consultant, Ratidzo Mambo has extensive experience as a sales agent and consultant for distributors including Vision Films, Switch International, Looking Glass International and Big Media TV where she managed film and TV content rights working with broadcasters across free-to-air, subscription TV, digital, mobile and inflight platforms.

In her career, Ratidzo has acted in dozens of productions across screen, stage and radio. Her screen credits include Yellow Card, Stan drama series The Gloaming and feature film Escape from Pretoria with Daniel Radcliffe.

She was the winner of the 2016 Best Actor Award for the Hollywood Short + Sweet Festival, was awarded the 2018 16th Street Actors Studios Larry Moss Scholarship, was a 2017 Heath Ledger Scholarship finalist and selected to participate in Screen Australia and Equity Foundation’s first diversity workshop in 2018.

Follow Ratidzo Mambo: https://www.instagram.com/ratidzomambo/

This is the first ever live podcast event for Two Words with Taku, recorded in February 2023 in Melbourne. Thanks to comedian Jasmine Francis for audience warm-up, tech crew Toby, Dale, and Kristina, and Tim at LongPlay for hosting us.

Join our community at twowordswithtaku.substack.com and follow Two Words with Taku at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwoWordswithTaku/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twowordswithtaku/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twowordswithtaku

See you soon!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, I'm Taku and welcome to Season 5 of Two Words with Taku. Whether you're a seasoned listener or stumbled upon this podcast for the first time, I'm genuinely thrilled to have you here.

The podcast Two Words with Taku is a safe space for writers and storytellers navigating the labyrinth of creativity, from books and films to plays and podcasts and even stand-up comedy - all works-in-progress waiting to be written and shared.

Since 2017, Two Words with Taku has been my platform to unpack the uncharted territories of my life as a writer.

But this podcast is your home too. In this welcome episode, I give you a quick tour of the seasons so far — so you can familiarise yourself and get comfy.

And I’m right here at twowordswithtaku.substack.com if you have any questions.

Season 1 - Go Deep (Episodes 1-87)

A candid reflection on the journey of a new writer finding her voice in a new city.

Season 2 - Take Two (Episodes 88-100)

Interviews, insights and wisdom from screen industry professionals in Australia.

Season 3 - Keep Writing (Episodes 101-105)

Reflections on what it means to be a writer, inspired by an intimate life-affirming writing group formed during the COVID pandemic.

Season 4 - My Film (Episodes 106-110)

Get the behind-the-scenes lowdown of how I made my first kids film for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Season 5 - We're Live

New inspiring conversations, deep community connection and encouragement from live in-person and virtual podcast recordings with our community of writers and storytellers.

Join our community at twowordswithtaku.substack.com and follow Two Words with Taku at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwoWordswithTaku/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twowordswithtaku/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twowordswithtaku

See you soon!

Podcast produced and recorded on the traditional country of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, Australia. We pay respect to their elders past and present.

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Today’s Two Words: Blast Off!

Thanks to everyone who's watched my film Gugu naGogo and shared their lovely messages of support. I'm so pleased you're enjoying it! Here are a few fun bloopers for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26wnTc3wcJU

It was also pretty magical celebrating our film launch at Melbourne Planetarium. Gugu naGogo played on the large dome, surrounded by twinkly stars in a dark night sky. It was wonderful hearing people’s different reactions as it played and I was so emotional afterwards.

After our speeches, as a special treat, we were transported across the universe in a night sky tour. We saw stars and planets, galaxies and constellations - our collective oohs and aahs were glorious! ✨

Special thanks to astronomer Dr Tanya Hill, Kate Barnard, Sophie Oakes and Catriona Nguyen-Robertson from Scienceworks for making our first screening so special.

Our community is over the moon! ⭐️👏🏾🌔

More photos coming soon.

Watch Gugu naGogo in Australia on iview at https://iview.abc.net.au/show/gugu-nagogo.

Music by Audius Mtwararia

Vox Pop interviews at start of podcast by Amanda Mudege-Fleischer from It's Layered Podcast.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's Two Words: Film Community

What does the future of community-led content creation look like in Australia? My filmmaker friends and I discuss the Kaleidoscope Project, our films and much more.

Watch all our films Viv’s Silly Mango, Gugu naGogo, Namaste Yoga, and Yaz Queens on ABC iview: linktr.ee/kaleidoscopeproject and our video chat here.

Our Collective

Viv's Silly Mango

Mary Duong (Writer/Producer)
Rae Choi (Writer/Producer)
Rachel Maxine Anderson (Director)

Gugu naGogo

Taku Mbudzi (Writer/Director/Producer)

Namaste Yoga

Ravi Chand (Writer/Producer/Director)

Yaz Queens

Lara Köse (Writer/Director)
William Duan (Producer)

More at https://taku.com.au/film-community/

Music by Audius Mtawarira

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Today's two words: Safe Space

In this episode I discuss how I handled creative, business, emotional and cultural safety during the making of my film Gugu naGogo. I also give special thanks to some of the black and African women who have supported me and my project along the way.

Karine Larché – costume designer
Ratidzo Mambo – actor, producer
Portia Jamu – set nurse
Rufaro Ndoro – actor
Aunty Emily Chifadza – community elder, actor
Aunty Vongai Nzenza – community elder, actor
Dorcas Maphakela – creative producer, writer, stylist
Judith Mari – actor, makeup artist, stylist
Mars Williamson – colourist, editor
Jacqui Kairu – singer
Karena Bravo – visual artist, graphic designer
Vimbai Nenzou – actor, writer, producer
Amanda Mudege-Fleischer – podcaster, stylist
Florence Matemadombo – voice actor
Thembi Brooking – community advocate, entrepreneur
Molinda Dzangare – fashion stylist
Hawanatu Bangura – filmmaker
Albertina Ncube – filmmaker, photographer
Rumbi Mutezo – actor, artist
Tariro Mukando – social media and marketing consultant
Tewabech Tesfay – community member, actor
Yandisa Xundu – community advocate, social worker
Tendai Mhasho – community advocate
Audrey – my therapist
Maria Mbudzi – my mother

More at https://taku.com.au/safe-space

Watch Gugu naGogo on ABC ME and iview from 20 November 2022.

Music by Audius Mtawarira

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Escape velocity requires an object to propel itself with enough speed and thrust to break through a barrier. — NASA

Today's Two Words: Escape Velocity

In Season 4, I'm going behind the scenes to break down how I made my first short film Gugu naGogo, premiering on ABC ME and iview on World Children’s Day, 20 November 2022.

More at https://taku.com.au/escape-velocity

Original music composed by Audius Mtawarira.

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Today's Two Words: Casting Call

I'm joined by guest co-host Tariro Mukando to share the casting call for my short film Gugu naGogo. We discuss the film synopsis, what we're looking for and how you can apply for the roles. Shoot date: September 2021 in Melbourne, Australia.

More information at https://tsvaga.com/gugunagogo/.

Timestamps: 3:26 — How to apply 4:30 — About our project and team 5:33 — Gugu character breakdown (12) 6:06 — Mama character breakdown (36) 6:36 — Gogo character breakdown (60s)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's two words are: Access Granted and in this episode I'm answering your question, "How do I find the money to write my story?"

More at https://taku.com.au/access-granted/

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Today’s two words are: Canon Eyes and in this episode I ponder, “Where do we want our stories to sit amongst others like them?”

More at https://taku.com.au/canon-eyes.

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Today’s two words are: Same Same and in this episode we explore, “How do we know when a story’s dead and it’s time to write a new one?”

More at https://taku.com.au/same-same/.

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Today’s two words are: About Face and in this episode I ask, “What do we want the world to know about us?”

More at https://taku.com.au/about-face/.

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So, you call yourself a writer, huh?

Where’ve you been published? Can we watch your films? What’s on your IMDB profile? Oh... you’ve self-published… on your blog? Oh, you’re just, sort of starting out? Oh, so are you even a real writer?

Ignore all that. You are a writer. You love words. You find them delicious and eat them for breakfast. You love putting them together and tearing them apart. You love testing and teasing them. You. Love. Words.

Except sometimes your own words terrify you. What do you actually do with them?

This might be you. Seeing those other writers, crowding your timelines with their awards and ...and... joy, because they’ve finished something and shared it with the world. The whole world. Now you’re looking at your writing, thinking, “Screw it! It’s too hard to get these words out to the whole world!”

You’re right. It is hard.

Hi, I’m Taku Mbudzi, a writer like you. If I have to describe this podcast in two words, I’d say PIT STOP. Two Words with Taku is a show about writing, but unlike other shows about writing, only we are the pit stop for writers you’ve never heard of, giving them rest when they’re about to give up on their words and extra fuel for when they’re ready to keep writing.

And why?

The doors are slowly starting to open for unknown writers like you and me. Competitions, writer call outs, guest spots, magazine submissions — OMG so many new places to throw our words. But now we’re overwhelmed by how to write, package or present our writing in the best way, especially if we haven’t studied the industry, inherited legacy within the industry or just gone ‘viral’ around the world.

I say come and rest your mind. It’s okay. The truth is our writing will need good time to make it good. We’re going to write a lot of shitty first drafts, but we’ll keep writing. We’re going to pitch here, and pitch there and hear back from nowhere, but we’ll keep writing. We’re even going to get tired of our own unfinished stories, but I don’t know about you, mine sit on my heart till they’re out. They come out eventually and the best feeling is when I can put my pen down.

But beyond ‘keep writing’ is more work until you can finally put your pen down. What that looks like and who you collaborate with will look different – for me that’s TV producers, film directors and my book publisher. My stories are taking time. Your stories are going to take time. And that’s perfectly fine.

Every word you write means something to you and you know it’s good not just for yourself but for the people in your world. Yes, in your world, not the whole world.

And that changes everything. Now imagine writing from that perspective.

Of course, you’re going to shout, “Screw it — I’ll keep writing!” because you’re just excited to write for your people.

And that’s what this show is about.

I’m a writer and I’ve got some other writers here with me. We see you, we hear you and we’re in this together.

For more stories, subscribe to Two Words with Taku in your fave podcast app or visit https://taku.com.au.

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Episode 100! I finally took to Instagram LIVE to answer your burning questions about podcasting. Watch the whole video, complete with show-and-tell of my recording gear at https://www.instagram.com/takumbudzi.

Thank you for listening and supporting Two Words with Taku since 2017 — here's to 100 more episodes!

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I've finally made it to Episode 99 of this podcast! Here's a quick update on what's happening with my TV stuff and what I'm planning for my 100th podcast episode. Thanks for listening and stay safe! x

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"Pitching is a verbal way of selling your story, and I like to leave something visual so they remember my pitch." — Sher-Li Tan

I thought I was the Queen of Pitch Preparation until I met producer and filmmaker Sher-Li Tan. We first met at YouTube conference VidCon and she blew me away with how passionately she spruiked her projects. In this episode we talk about how she prepares for pitching her shows — everything from the documents she creates to how she researches her audience and the people she's pitching to.

We also discuss how pitching can be a way to test the market for your ideas, and different ways to measure the success of your pitches. Sher-Li's full of great insights and stresses the importance of nurturing relationships with the people you pitch to along the way.

Podcast Guest Profile

Sher-Li Tan is an early-career producer with an interest in storytelling and production excellence. She strongly believes in the power of the film to connect and engage.

Raised in both Mauritius and Singapore, she aspires to use her exposure to different cultures and backgrounds to inform her filmmaking. She is also a trained speech pathologist and hence a vocal advocate for communities from various under-represented populations.

Time Stamps

0:53 | How I've approached pitching my TV ideas

5:45 | Interview with Sher-Li Tan

Interesting Links Sher-Li's website https://www.passport-productions.com/ Sher-Li's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherlitan/ VidCon Australia https://vidconaustralia.com/ Screen Forever Conference https://www.screenforever.org.au/

Say Hello!

I'm at taku.com.au, Instagram/Twitter: @takuspeaks or Facebook: @TakuTV.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Children's television is wonderful for people starting out in the industry because there tends to be more opportunity for people who don't have a long list of credits." — Wendy Gray

I've fast-tracked a few skills after discovering the short courses offered by the Australian Film Television Radio School (AFTRS). In this episode, I chat to Wendy Gray from AFTRS about their courses and who they're designed for. We also chat about Wendy's career in the screen industry, including her extensive experience working in children's television.

Friendly manners: this is not a paid endorsement.

Podcast Guest Profile

Wendy Gray currently runs the short course and industry certificate programs at the Australian Film Television Radio School (AFTRS). Over the last seven years she has been Head of the Open Program, Head of the TV Unit and began life at AFTRS as the Industry Program Manager. In her current role she liaises with Industry through the Industry Advisory Panels, runs industry-related events and oversees the development and delivery of industry short courses and industry certificates.

Wendy started her career in the media at ABC TV, where she worked for twelve years in a wide variety of production roles, across all genres. Her final years at the ABC saw her devising, producing and directing a number of children’s television series including AFI-award winning series The Ferals and forty episodes of Play School.

Subsequently as a freelance producer Wendy worked on a wide range of television productions, including documentary series Greatest Cities of the World with Griff Rhys-Jones, and The Upside Down Show, an award-winning children’s series with The Umbilical Brothers, Nickelodeon US and the Children’s Television Workshop. She returned to the ABC joining the (then) New Media Division to work on the launch of ABC2, designing and executing channel branding and program development and production.

Wendy has also worked on a number of online projects including working as Online Content Producer in the marketing department for Southern Cross and as a senior website producer for Gadfly Media, supervising website content for clients such as SOCOG and NRMA. She also worked for the Australian Film Commission (now Screen Australia) on a major online content project Australian Screen Online and taught production at SAE Byron Bay.

She has a BA (Communications) from Macquarie University and a Grad Dip in Interactive Multimedia from UTS.

Time Stamps

0:53 | Why I've been doing short courses through AFTRS

8:01 | Interview with Wendy Gray

Interesting Links Australian Film Television Radio School https://www.aftrs.edu.au/; Telephone (Australia): 1300065 281 Australian Writers' Guild https://www.awg.com.au/ Film Victoria https://www.film.vic.gov.au/

Say Hello!

I'm at taku.com.au, Instagram/Twitter: @takuspeaks or Facebook: @TakuTV.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"…without the proper documentation proving the ownership of the work, there’s no protection from legal action."

The world of television is full of great ideas and magic...and contracts and legal agreements that underpin how all that magic comes together. In this episode, lawyer Dee Mbugua explains what 'chain of title' means and why it's so important in the media industry. She also gives useful tips for seeking legal advice, especially when it comes to the fineprint. If in doubt, don't make a wild guess and definitely don't sign anything!

Podcast Guest Profile

Dee Mbugua is the Deputy Director, Industrial, Advice and Advocacy at Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance. She’s an experienced lawyer and writer with a demonstrated history of working in the alternative dispute resolution industry. Dee enjoys sharing her stories via social media, radio broadcasting, digital media, public speaking, and writing.

Time Stamps

0:53 | Why I needed to find a lawyer

3:07 | Interview with Dee Mbugua

Interesting Links Dee's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thingsdeesays/ Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance https://www.meaa.org/ Arts Law Centre of Australia https://www.artslaw.com.au/

Say Hello!

I'm at taku.com.au, Instagram/Twitter: @takuspeaks or Facebook: @TakuTV.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The way that we can tell stories if we use audio, specifically fiction, is so interesting and diverse. Audio is such a freeing medium."

I joined the Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) so I could meet inspiring young screenwriters like Evrim Şen. We met at an Animation Writing Workshop and hit it off instantly — we're both fired up about stories for and about young people. In this episode, Evrim shares how joining the AWG is helping her writing career and how things are different in real-life writers' rooms vs what she learnt at film school.

We also chat about her fun podcast Script Roulette, where in each episode, she and her team produce an audio drama based on a random prompt, written by an emerging writer.

Podcast Guest Profile

Evrim Şen is a podcast producer and screenwriter, working in creative and youth sector non-for-profits with a focus on social enterprise and social impact.

She has a Masters in Screenwriting from the Victorian College of the Arts, and her passion is representing the perspectives of and writing for young people and children.

She’s been part of the production of numerous podcasts including, the fiction / talked-based podcast Script Roulette, and radio play series Troll Foods.

Time Stamps

0:53 | Why I joined the Australian Writers' Guild

8:08 | Interview with Evrim Şen

Interesting Links Australian Writers' Guild https://www.awg.com.au/ Evrim's website https://www.evrimsen.com.au/ Script Roulette Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/script-roulette-podcast Script Roulette Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scriptroulettepodcast/ Troll Foods Podcast http://syn.org.au/show/troll-foods/

Say Hello!

I'm at taku.com.au, Instagram/Twitter: @takuspeaks or Facebook: @TakuTV.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"I love that this younger generation is being more expressive and feeling their emotions, instead of trying to not feel things. "

We keep hearing that we need more authentic voices telling their own stories. But what does that look like when you’re creating a TV show with different characters? How do you, as a writer, make their stories feel authentic, if you haven’t personally lived those experiences? In this episode, I chat candidly with YouTuber and content creator AJ Clementine about why she started sharing her stories online. We also discuss how young people in the LGBTQI+ community are representing themselves and supporting each other online.

Podcast Guest Profile

AJ Clementine is an Australian creator known for being an LGBTQI+ advocate for the community. She is also a vlogger who often shares life experiences about being transgender, while also covering lifestyle and fashion content. This year AJ was featured on the 'Barcroft TV' YouTube channel for the 'My Trans Life' series, and walked the Mardi Gras parade with Instagram in Sydney. She has been a Featured Creator at VidCon AU in 2017, 2018 and now 2019.

Time Stamps

0:53 | Why I want to include authentic voices in my show

5:29 | Interview with AJ Clementine

Interesting Links AJ Clementine LinkedIn https://au.linkedin.com/in/ajclementine AJ Clementine YouTube, Instagram Minus 18 https://www.minus18.org.au/ Kids Helpline https://kidshelpline.com.au/ Fazed web series https://www.instagram.com/fazed.series/ Euphoria starring Zendaya https://www.hbo.com/euphoria

Say Hello!

I'm at taku.com.au, Instagram/Twitter: @takuspeaks or Facebook: @TakuTV.

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"Read scripts from the shows you like and shows you don't like. Have a good look at how they lay things out. "

Wendy Hanna's episode is full of great tips about writing, finding other writers, growing your community of writers and even entering writing competitions. Hear how we first met at an Animation Writing Workshop and how the mock writers' room she created inspired me to re-think how I'd find writers for my show.

Podcast Guest Profile

Wendy Hanna is an AWGie nominated screenwriter and creative development consultant with a passion for people, characters and big ideas.

Her credits include iconic serial Neighbours, popular drama Love Child and docu-drama Dating the H-Bomb, as well as numerous children’s programs including Giggle & Hoot, Dumbotz and Sydney Sailboat. She is also is co-creator of factual teen format MY:24. A former Development Executive for Essential Media & Entertainment, she has extensive development experience across genres including kids, drama, animation and factual, and regularly works with creative teams to help concepts find their best form. In 2017, Wendy was nominated for an AWGie for her work on ABC’s Hoot Hoot Go!

Time Stamps

0:53 | How I've set up my writers' room...so far

7:20 | Interview with Wendy Hanna

Interesting Links Wendy's website https://wendylikesstories.com/ Wendy's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wendylikesstories/ Australian Writers Guild https://www.awg.com.au/ Women In Film and TV Australia https://wiftaustralia.org.au/ NYC Midnight Competition http://www.nycmidnight.com/

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I'm at taku.com.au, Instagram/Twitter: @takuspeaks or Facebook: @TakuTV.

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"The key thing is, these funding bodies want you to contact them. They'll give you the time to explain what's required because they want people to succeed as well. "

How can you fund your creative projects whilst working a day job? Who do you need on your team to make your funding applications more competitive? How important is it to create a proof of concept to get more funding? In this episode I chat to filmmaker Hawanatu about how she's managed to get her films and web series made.

We also discuss the importance of valuing time and talent — yours and that of the people you're working with. The numbers start to add up and that's when you can look at applying to screen agencies for support. Hawanatu's latest project Afro Sistahs recently received funding from Screen Australia's Generate initiative.

Podcast Guest Profile

Hawanatu Bangura is an Afro-Australian writer, director and producer. Born in Sierra Leone, she migrated to Australia in 2002 and as a teenager discovered her interest in filmmaking when she was involved in a youth film project.

Since then, she has written and directed six short films in various genres including dance, experimental, drama, documentary and animation. Her films have been screened both in Australia and internationally at film festivals including the Legacy Film Festival (United Kingdom), Shaan-E-Awadh International Film Festival (India), Adelaide Kids Film Festival, African Film festival Australia and International Pan African Film Festival (Cannes), Toronto International Film Festival Kids. Her short animation film, ‘Money Tree’, about a boy who wants to become rich by planting a stolen coin was nominated for best animation at Montreal International Black Film Festival (Canada).

Recently, she joined forces with a group of Afro-Australian female filmmakers to create a web series titled Afro Sistahs a short form narrative comedy/drama that explores the complex nature in which culture, gender, race, love and of course, hair, intersect.

Hawanatu’s films are driven by her personal values – so themes of social justice, empowerment, identity, peace, hope and wisdom are strong in her work. The stories in her films are universal, resonating with audiences far and wide. Hawanatu is passionate about using her films as a platform to raise consciousness about social issues and social injustices. She was part of the prestigious Screen Producers Australia: One to Watch program in 2017.

Time Stamps

0:53 | How I've sought funding for my project

4:45 | Interview with Hawanatu Bangura

Interesting Links Hawanatu’s website https://www.hawanatu.com/ Afro Sistahs website https://www.afrosistahs.com Screen Australia funding page https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/funding-and-support

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"Don't settle for a relationship with your accountant or bookkeeper that isn't working for you. "

I know too many artists and creative people who don't feel comfortable talking about money — how much to charge, how to get more of it, how to manage it, how to grow it etc. I've finally had to confront my own fears and insecurities about money because my creative projects need proper funding to happen.

In this episode I share how I manage the finances in my production company and how I unexpectedly scored my first investor. I've also invited Amanda Newton from Xero Australia to explain the difference between an accountant and a bookkeeper, and how to know which one is best for you. Amanda's very friendly and also shares tips about working with people who can handle your finances and tax obligations.

Friendly manners: I've been using Xero for a couple of years and genuinely find that it helps me in my business. This episode is not a paid endorsement for Xero; I invited Amanda on the show because I wanted to interview an expert about accounting.

Podcast Guest Profile

Amanda Newton is Xero Australia’s Head of Community where she works closely alongside their valued community of bookkeepers and accountants on a daily basis to create, foster and nurture safe and engaging spaces for these partners to meaningfully connect.

In addition to serving as a liaison for Xero's accountant and bookkeeping partners, Amanda is a passionate advocate for the industry - presenting at industry conferences and events, and maintaining an active voice on social media.

Combining a Masters of Accounting with undergraduate studies in Marketing and Communications, Amanda's career currently spans two decades and has included leadership roles in small business, politics, large enterprise and non-profit sectors.

Amanda featured in the Top 50 Women in Accounting in 2018.

Time Stamps

0:53 | Managing money in my business and how I got my first investor

14:06 | Interview with Amanda Newton

Interesting Links Amanda on LinkedIn https://au.linkedin.com/in/amandajnewton Xero website https://www.xero.com/au and Xero's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/xero/ Xero Advisor Directory https://www.xero.com/au/advisors/ Small Business Mentoring Services Victoria https://www.business.gov.au/advisory-services/small-business-mentoring-service-sbms-victoria Small Business Development Corporation Western Australia https://www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/

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"You keep the ship afloat by making sure everyone feels heard and happy."

I met Meg O'Connell last year at Screen Forever, a conference hosted by Screen Producers Australia. When I found out she'd worked on Doodles, a kids' show I'd been following, I asked if I could pick her brain about 'producer stuff'. She agreed!

In this episode, Meg shares how she went from studying law to working in the screen industry. We also discuss what it's really like being a TV producer and her fun experiences working with young actors.

Podcast Guest Profile

Meg O’Connell is an International Emmy® Award award winning producer. In the past year she produced two digital series: Robbie Hood for SBS On Demand and Content for ABC iview; both series have been nominated for AACTA® Awards. Content is a digital series set entirely on a mobile phone and is the first of its kind to be made in Australia.

Meg also produced the International Emmy® Award, SPA Award winning and AACTA® nominated ABC ME show Doodles for Ludo Studio, and was the development manager on Ludo’s series Bluey.

Time Stamps

0:53 | Why I decided to become a producer

6:37 | Interview with Meg O'Connell

Interesting Links Meg on Twitter https://twitter.com/megmegmehg Australian Writers' Guild https://www.awg.com.au/ Screen Forever Conference https://www.screenforever.org.au/ Content Series https://iview.abc.net.au/show/content #contenttvshow Robbie Hood Series https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/robbie-hood #robbiehoodshow

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‘You’re selling the sizzle, not the steak.”

My first guest in Season 2 of the podcast is screenwriter, script producer and script editor John Armstrong. We first met at a screenwriters’ pitch event in Sydney in 2017 and have since co-created a teen drama series which is in early stage development.

In this episode we discuss what goes into different story bibles from the pitch ones used to sell a television show, to the more detailed series or writers’ bible used to help writers before and during production.

We also discuss the US showrunner model of creating shows versus Australia’s producer-created model and how that informs how TV pitch/series bibles are compiled.

Podcast Guest Profile

John Armstrong is a screenwriter, script editor and script producer with over 20 years’ experience in creating television for younger audiences.

Most recently he was the script producer and writer for the Netflix animated series Beat Bugs (featuring the music of The Beatles) which won the 2017 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in Preschool Animation, and the 2016 AACTA Award for Best Children’s Series.

John has also won three Australian Writers’ Guild Awards (AWGIES) and been nominated seven times.

Time Stamps

0:51 | Why I’m making a kids’ TV show in Australia

9:11 | Interview with John Armstrong

Interesting Links Australian Writers' Guild https://www.awg.com.au/ Examples of successful TV series bibles on Carol Kirschner’s website https://www.carolekirschner.com/blog/series-bible Stranger Things Series Bible http://www.zen134237.zen.co.uk/Stranger_Things/Stranger_Things_-_Bible.pdf Beat Bugs on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80057611 Motown Magic on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80134440

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Last November I applied for PRX‘s Google Podcasts Creator program, pitching the second season of Two Words with Taku. My pitch made it to the semi-finalist round out of 1000s of applications from around the world (OMG!), but I didn’t end up getting in. This trailer’s the audio sample I submitted to them and LOTS has happened since then. You’ll have to tune in this September to find out!

Excerpts from my Google Podcasts creator application I’ve talked about pitching podcasts before, and I really love PRX’S heart for helping people learn about podcasting. You can also sign up for PRX’s Podcasting 101 videos which are dropping soon at https://googlecp.prx.org/.

In the meantime, I don’t know if it’ll help you in any way with your own writing and pitching, but here’s some of what I wrote in my submission.

My podcast elevator pitch The step-by-step story of how, against the odds, I’m making my first live action kids’ TV show in Australia.

Extended podcast pitch Four years after publishing my first kids’ picture book, I’m finally developing it into a live action teenage drama series about six fast and fresh characters who just want to tell their stories.

I’ll break down exactly why and how I went from quitting my high-paying engineering job to starting my own independent production company to then receiving development funding and support from The Australian Children’s Television Foundation for my show.

I’ll be podcasting behind the scenes throughout the whole production process – (including but not limited to screenwriting, pitching, legal stuff, casting, crew – so many topics!) until the kids’ show is live on TV screens.

The key to my successes so far has been my love of writing, learning how to write well and being willing to share what I’m learning and to help others. I’ve been podcasting about writing for the last year or so, and now it’s time to move onto the next chapter – making TV!

Intended podcast audience Primarily writers and storytellers who want to do more with their words and potentially see them on TV and film. People who may not have gone to film school but still feel they have great stories to tell. People from under-represented communities who want to learn the more practical and technical requirements for getting through some of the barriers in the [Australian] media landscape. Definitely keen to target young creative people who have stories to tell and aren’t yet exposed to podcasting and video production opportunities.

Ultimately I’m targeting people willing to explore unconventional ways of creating ownership and agency for the projects and issues they are passionate about, no matter where they are.

Audio sample description After 87 self-produced and self-edited episodes on my podcast, I was getting sick of my old theme tune so I asked my friend P-Major to compose a funky new one for me. This is my first very rough take with the new tune playing underneath and I’m ad-libbing the description of my show idea.

I recorded this way before I decided to apply for this program, and it feels weird to re-record something new because this is how I’m currently feeling about what I’d like to do and this is my real voice and vibe as I normally speak.

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So you’ve got an idea for a killer article you’d like to see in your favourite magazine? Sophie Kalagas, editor at frankie magazine shares some simple tips about how to get your submissions noticed. We recorded this episode in her lovely home and Woody, her friendly puppy, is the happy addition you’ll sometimes hear in the background.

Find frankie’s contributor guidelines at https://www.frankie.com.au/submissions and see Sophie’s world at https://www.instagram.com/skalagas.

And lastly, a big thank you to amazing musician P-Major for composing the theme tune in this episode.

Things to consider before you submit to magazines Do you read the magazine and do you know what they’re really about? Write a strong subject heading that invites them to open your email. It should be more enticing than just “Submission” or “I want to write for your magazine”. Show your personality in the body of the email. Don’t be too formal when introducing yourself, unless that publication has that vibe already. Consider sending through a succinct pitch or outline of your story rather than the whole thing. You’re still welcome to submit the whole thing but if it’s about grabbing attention quickly, then a short summary might do the trick. Be clear about the tone and format of your article and think about where you imagine it sits within the publication. Be aware of the magazine’s lead times so you can submit in time if you’re aiming for a particular season or important date. Think about how your article will invite the reader in. Is your topic broader, universal and/or relatable? You can definitely infuse your personal experience and perspective, but try not to make it a rant. Don’t be afraid to submit articles and ideas you shelved a long time ago – just edit them with fresh eyes and make sure they flow well. Stick to the word count limits if you can e.g. frankie’s single page articles are generally 650 words and the double page spreads are about 1400. Keep the story tight! Always check the contributor rates because you could get paid if your article is published. FYI, some publications pay per word and others just have set fees. Just stick to writing as yourself and write about the things that you’re interested in, rather than writing what you think the publication wants to see.

Don't despair if you don’t hear back straight away – sometimes your submission is great but it’s not quite the right time for it. If it’s good though, they will call you, even if it’s a few months later.

P.s. Why not enter the frankie Good Stuff Awards? Enter at https://www.frankie.com.au/goodstuff

Another podcast episode you might enjoy… Episode 69 – frankie, do you remember the good stuff?

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Facing fear. Writing. More fear. Standup comedy. Zimbo politics. Aussie politics. Jokes about my Mama. Feminism. Typos in sexts. Working with kids. Developing TV characters. Running a company. Story. Creative freedom. And laughter…lots of laughter! Yep, this and more in my hearty chat with Claire for her podcast Just Make the Thing.

The original episode first aired on Just Make the Thing on 28 August. It’s played in its entirety in this episode and I’d like to thank Claire for generously sharing the audio files with me. Thank you to RAW Collings for his great editing skills too! For more of her podcasts visit www.planetbroadcasting.com and you can follow her on Instagram @clairetonti or on Twitter @mrssundaymovies.

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Look Ma – I’m producing!

The Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia (YACWA) invited me to train 15 young people in public speaking and I suggested we also make a podcast with their short speeches. In this episode I share what I learnt from creating the Shout Out Youth Speakers podcast.

I’d like to thank all the young speakers, YACWA, audio engineer Percy Kalino and sound editor Josh Martin for all their magic. Special note: I play Habiba’s speech at the end of this episode. You’ll also hear vocal cameos from Cody, Margaret, Patrick and Collin. More stories coming soon!

9 Lessons Learnt… 1. Clearly define your role as the producer —Whoever you’re working with needs to know what creative and technical role you’ll play to make the idea come to life.

Listen to a podcast with them — If they don’t even know what a podcast is, ask them to listen to episodes that are similar to what you have in mind. (It’s even better if you can be there listening with them so you can watch their reactions!)
Invite them to write their own stories, not yours. Enough said.
Give them time to hear themselves — Most people don’t like the sound of their own voice when they first hear it. Be playful with the microphones and record some fun stuff before you record the final pieces. Definitely helps everyone feel more comfortable.
Aim for one-take wonders — Everyone brings their A-game if they know there’s only one take. And most importantly, this saves you from editing hundreds of files in post-production!
Ease their minds about the technical stuff – The speakers can focus on writing and performing when they know you’re taking care of recording, editing, software and website stuff.
Streamline production and editing
Be realistic with editing deadlines for your audio engineers and editors
Have your graphic design assets e.g. cover art, audio file images ready and good to go
Have your top and tail scripts ready
Thank your collaborators and crew — it’s only manners.
Listen and learn for the next time — Enjoy the whole process and let go of too much perfectionism!

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Dear Tomi, this is the most biased book review I’ve ever given.

But I absolutely loved reading Children of Blood and Bone! In this episode I share why I’m excited by the magical words woven into this African-inspired fantasy novel. I also share a snippet from Tomi’s Good Morning America interview with Robin Roberts which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-r2g_UQ1Ak.

Follow Tomi’s words and fun writing advice at http://www.tomiadeyemi.com or follow @tadeyemibooks on Instagram. And please vote for her book to be picked by Jimmy Fallon for his Summer Book Club! Vote at https://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/exclusives/summer-reads/video/3750197.

Brother and sister dynamics are a key part of the book, so there’s a shout out to her brother tobi lou whose illustrations and videos are pretty fab too. Watch the full TROOP video at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ckAgAc8paKo.

You might also like the Unfiltered Black Panther Movie Review episode Six of us filmmaker, arty and creative types sat in a Melbourne radio studio and reviewed the Black Panther movie, when it first came out. http://taku.com.au/black-panther-review-australia/.

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Finding and growing your tribe is a two-way street. Yes, I know that doesn’t make grammatical sense, but hear me out as I explain how this podcast is connecting me to people I’m excited about…and people who are excited about me too. I go through 13 questions that might help you suss out where your tribespeople are hiding too. A special thank you to Yumi Stynes, Kelly Glover, Lilly Wang and Rajesh Bhardwaj who shared a few thoughts after the VIVID Sydney event, “How to Make a Hit Podcast.”

The tribe is listening… * What topic/idea/practice/thing do you really love? * What’s your gift? (What are you good at?) * What do you REALLY want to do? * What’s a new/interesting way you can experiment with Q1. and Q2. together? * What other things excite you? * Who else loves what you do? (The thing in Q1.) * Where do these people who love that thing hang out? * Where DON’T they hang out? (Go exploring there too!) * What can you learn from experimenting with Q4. that could help towards making Q3. possible/better? * What can you teach through what you are learning about Q4.? * Who would you like to start calling you unexpectedly? * What things/bad habits/relationships do you need to let go of? * Where might your tribespeople unexpectedly come from?

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The book based on my radio play is coming soon!

JoYOLO by Taku and Peo. Omg I’m dying! I recorded this impromptu episode in a park the other day. Disclaimer: it’s raw and unedited! Then I made this quick little video – sorry the music is so loud and dramatic but I was in ridic feeeeeels after a meeting with illustrator Peo Michie and our publisher. https://youtu.be/4LurzLhVmgI

I’m also planning to make a little doco series of how Peo and I are going to make this killer book about two girls navigating friendship, family and community expectations in Australia. (Definitely say hello if you’re a keen doco filmmaker, l’m still looking for someone). A huuuuuge thank you to everyone who’s supported the radio play so far – actors and listeners. Honestly, I’m so grateful! And now the fun begins…I have to finish writing the full novel – 60 000+ words…at some point in time. Laaaawd, give me strength!

Haven’t heard the play yet? Just head over to http://taku.com.au/joyolo/ to listen to the episodes and read more about the people who helped bring it to life.

You can also listen to Chapter 1, which is Episode 40 on the podcast http://taku.com.au/joyolo-chapter-1-different-dance/.

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Youth Marketing Australia was simply eye-opening! I went to the YMA conference to learn about marketing to young people, but I learnt a whole lot more from watching the different speakers and how they represented their own [media] brands. Disclaimer: these two-word summaries are my own and not necessarily what each speaker spoke about.

Two-Word Branding Lessons 1. Stay Woke – Junkee Media These two words stand out as the summary of my experience at YMA. They stirred up some interesting reactions when I posted a slide from Junkee’s presentation. As I started recording this episode I was exploring things like who owns the expression ‘woke‘? The two ‘woke’ songs in this episode:

Master Teacher by Erykah Badu https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/master-teacher/274231990?i=274232023
Redbone by Childish Gambino https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/redbone/1173655524?i=1173655934
Go Deep – Contiki Ha-a this one was a surprising epiphany! I had no idea how deeply I support what the travel company is all about. After hearing their Marketing Head describe their Travel Project blog, I was inspired to submit an article about my 2013 Contiki trip to Europe. (I’ll let you know if they like/publish it).
Prove it – MTV; We Are Social Just show you have the street cred. and numbers to back up what you’re saying. Suzie Shaw from We Are Social shared lots of interesting insights and here’s the link to their 2018 Digital Report: http://bit.ly/digitalin2018.
Teach #IRL – Step Change These guys were pretty awesome with their ‘Stump the Strategist’ session. They showed us in real life (IRL) how to unpack and resolve our marketing challenges. Here’s their little show reel: https://youtu.be/6ez-J9P7Cdk.
Surprise Us – Zumbo Patisserie Honestly, no words for this. Just look at this cake! Many more here: https://www.instagram.com/zumbopatisserie
Embrace Small – 5Why
Do You – Pedestrian.tv I liked how Chris Wirasinha from pedestrian.tv talked so specifically about the ‘Australian-ness’ in the content they make and the young people they engage with.
Be Human – Lake Wanaka Tourism (NZ); Arts Centre Melbourne The marketing gurus from these two organisations were not presenting, but they were both lovely people and who got me excited about their work. Check out Lake Wanaka’s instagram page for inspo; https://www.instagram.com/lakewanakanz and suss out the Arts Centre’s latest shows at https://www.instagram.com/artscentremelbourne.
Be Specific – VICE

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I highly recommend Lynda.com for learning Photoshop, Word and other software.

Lynda.com is an online learning site with over 3,000 courses on topics like business, design, web development and multimedia skills, and software (Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite and open source applications) that can help you pursue personal and professional goals. The courses are delivered by expert instructors and feature searchable transcripts that make it easy to find quick answers to questions. They also feature Certificates of Completion that can be uploaded to a LinkedIn profile. I hope it helps you as much as it helps me!

Ask your Local Library for Free Lynda.com Access I don’t know how they’ve worked the magic, but some libraries have access to the Lynda site. I’m able to access the site and lessons with my local library card and pin number. If you can’t manage the subscription fee, maybe go and chat to your librarian!

Other Audio in this Episode I’ve included a short snippet about matching colours from the course “Nondestructive Exposure and Color Correction with Photoshop CC”, by lynda.com author Richard Harrington. At the very start you’ll also hear 3-year-old Mateo bargaining with his mum for cupcakes. His “Listen Linda’ video went viral a few years ago.

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My Mama taught me how to mind map 20+ years ago. And now I do it all the time. For almost everything! Yesterday, I helped 19 young documentary makers generate ideas to shoot for Youthworx‘s Our Voices film project. The mind-mapping definitely sparked their creative juices and I can’t wait to see their docos later in the year!

Ideas I asked the young filmmakers to mind map * What makes you angry? What do you want to change? * What are you good at? What do people say you’re good at? * Who else does the problem in Q1 affect? * How can you use what you’re good at to solve problem in Q1? * What do you want to learn along the way? * Who really needs to see your film? * What’s the best way to spread your idea beyond your film? * What can you do so that your film’s not boring or predictable? * Who/what are you if you remove all the usual cultural/ethnic/diverse references and descriptors?

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An overdue update on my mad writing adventures. I’ve recently written pitches for my kids’ TV show, an investor in my production company and for a book publisher. Also, my MC hat’s back on again, tying together speeches at government-funded symposiums to The Moth story slams in Melbourne. Lastly, I reflect on lessons learnt since leaving Perth over a year ago, and how being at the Australian Podcast Awards makes me grateful for finally finding my [sound-making] tribe. Find my latest photos at https://instagram.com/takuspeaks/.

Life is full of pitches My main focus right now is developing and pitching my kids’ TV series – it’s definitely keeping me on my toes! The kids at Balcatta Primary School in Perth completely recharged me with their love and excitement when I told them what I’m doing. Onwards I go…

I pitched a new book idea to a publisher after winning frankie magazine’s Writing+ Podcast prize in the 2018 Good Stuff Awards. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes with the book stuff! (Find me in Issue 83. of frakie magazine here) Stop, collaborate and listen

I’m super-chuffed to be hosting my first Moth Story Slam event at The Melba Spiegeltent in Collingwood on 15 May. Come on down and listen to some incredible stories. (You might also like to listen to Episode 77 – Manners made me a Moth StorySLAM Champion in Melbourne).

The [podcasting] tribe has spoken Congratulations to all the winners, finalists, judges and organisers from the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards! So many amazing people, stories and audio delights! I was asked to present the Lifestyle & Health Category Award – special congrats to Yumi Stynes and her team for their winning podcast ‘Ladies, We Need To Talk’.

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Our Moth StorySLAM theme was simply…Manners.

Seriously, out of that whole Moth experience of discussing former in-laws on stage, having an amazing audience that responded to every beat of my story, to having my friends in the crowd cheering for me, to jumping off stage and dancing, to being with other phenomenal storytellers…the ONE thing I was freaking out about when I got to bed, was…”OMG I might’ve impolitely fangirl-hugged Cal Wilson too hard when she announced I’d won.” #epicfail Important note: Cal Wilson is a comedian, writer, screenwriter and performer who inspires me to smithereens.

Other Moth-related episodes you might like Episode 59 – Behind The Moth Melbourne with Local Producer Merrilee McCoy Episode 36 – Podcasts I Love: S-Town, Serial, The Moth and More

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It just sounds like a probability nightmare! Look, I completely support the heart and intent of the campaign. I used to be on Tinder, I’m currently in an interracial relationship* and I loooove using emoji^. BUT I just don’t understand how Unicode can make it easy for us to trawl through 10 000+ more possibilities – it’s hard enough as it is! Anyhow, I couldn’t resist bleating about this because I’m all for making the writing process easier…even when it’s for online dating.

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We recorded for an hour and it feels like we didn’t even scratch the surface! Last Sunday, I sat in a Melbourne studio with four creative storytellers to review Marvel’s Black Panther movie. Between the five of us, individually, we make films, write stories, write poems, take photos, create visual art, draw, record podcasts, perform on stage and organise African film festivals in Melbourne, Australia.

So yes, we had plenty to say about Black Panther‘s characters, story lines, political relevance, ‘African-ness’ and overall technical execution. We also chat about the stories we want to tell and see in the future, and how we want to do so. The fabulous guests in this episode are Felicity Mashuro, Tanya Hodza, Christopher White and Ez Eldin Deng, who joins us halfway through. Our final average score for Black Panther: 85.3 /100

Music snippet credit: ‘Pray for Me’ by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar from the Black Panther movie album.
Official trailer: Marvel Studios; film directed by Ryan Coogler, starring Chadwick Boseman, Micheal B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira.

Ez Eldin Deng – Filmmaker, Producer, Director https://ezeldindeng.com/

Felicity Mashuro – Human Rights Lawyer, Filmmaker, Blogger https://www.instagram.com/serious_meerkat/

Christopher White – Filmmaker, Visual Artist, Poet https://www.instagram.com/citizensomething/

Tanya Hodza – Founder of Africa on Screen Film Festival Australia https://www.africaonscreen.com/

Other Black Panther reviews from Australia * ABC Australia Review http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-14/black-panther-review-this-is-the-film-the-world-needs-right-now/9423328 * ABC Article from Melbourne Premiere http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-21/what-black-panther-means-to-africans-in-australia/9464720 * ABC Radio National Podcast Episode

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Today’s Two Words: Be Kind. “I’ve got 99 ideas and can’t pick one”. Yep, story of my life! In this episode I share how I’m kind to myself in my (creative) life. Everything from time out, napping and going out for a burger and wine. Kindness to myself is letting myself play, try, make and create. It’s also letting myself make mistakes which I can assess and analyse for myself at my own time and at my own pace.

When do I need to be kind to myself? 1. Creative overwhelm: I’m juggling too many ideas I listen to the cues that focus me on one main one e.g. if the meetings keep getting cancelled for one project, I’ll leave it for a while and do something else.

Inspiration overload: absorbing magic from EVERYTHING I make time to process all the information I’ve gathered from people, books, articles and podcasts. If it gets too much, I nap!
Family drama: the reality of tragedy, sadness and homesickness I put things in perspective and keep living my life so I’m better, stronger and wiser in how I’m there for my family.
So much to learn: I don’t know everything I ask for and pay for expert advice and support, so I don’t have to stress my brain out. I have some amazing mentors. You might also like Episode 73 – Which Mentors are holding Your Hand?
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): Should-have, could-have, would-have I reach out to my friends! I also acknowledge that it’s okay that I can’t do everything or be everywhere.
So many tasks: not sure where to start I am learning to let the project pace itself. Patience is actually making my ideas better.
Being nice to everyone I politely say “No, thank you” when I need to.
Can’t be bothered cooking: especially after creative activities I go out for a burger and glass of wine. I’ll often sit alone and listen to a podcast episode. So good for my soul!
Identity crisis: questioning my place and voice in the world I let myself feeeeeeeeeeel everything – the uncomfy feelings, the doubts, the fears. Then I step back, assess everything then RECALIBRATE what I’m really about. #rebuild #refresh #remind
Hurry or catch up: feeling like my projects are so far away from being seen Kindness: Yes they are and that’s okay! Also see Point 6 above.

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Officer Jason Dixon is human after all. Spoiler and profanity alert for this episode. Watching the evolving character of Jason Dixon in Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri challenged how I want to write baddies for my own stories. The Martin McDonagh movie stars Sam Rockwell as Officer Dixon, Frances McDormand as Mildred Hayes and Woody Harrelson as Chief Willoughby. This episode also contains audio of FoxSearchLight’s official trailer for the movie.

Sam Rockwell on playing Jason Dixon I came across Sam’s interesting interview with Vanity Fair whilst looking for photos for this post. Image credit: Vanity Fair c/o FoxSearchLight.

In the episode, I also mention The Hollywood Reporter Actor Roundtable discussion with Sam Rockwell, John Boyega, Tom Hanks, James Franco and more.

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Katharina Keil’s a script supervisor with 20+ years’ experience. She’s read 1000+ film and TV scripts in her career, so I nervously asked her to read one of mine. We discuss everything including characters, synopses, continuity, timing, production to life on set. Everything! We also chat about using voiceovers in scripts, which can sometimes be considered “lazy writing” if not done well. Honestly, Katharina’s insights are for you if you’re interested in writing for TV or film. I learnt heaps and had fun recording in her home with cameos from Mufasa the cat and her washing machine – don’t ask! Find Katharina Keil’s work on IMDB at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1057476/. *Correction from Katharina: a commercial TV hour in Australia is 42-46 minutes.

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A Spontaneous Poem: Co-founder Wanted

Dear Self, Who’re you kidding, thinking you can do it all alone? This stuff is getting bigger than you and it’s time to ask for help. In fact, why not just free flow into your phone what help you’re really looking for? Oh wow. That’s some truth. You know what, why not put that on your podcast and see what happens? No. No? There’s that ego again. #checkyourself Seriously, post it. You never know who’s listening.

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My screenwriting mentors are so kind to me. They’re also quick to give reality checks and sometimes say things I don’t want to hear. But I love them for that – they’re helping me tell better stories every day. (Important note: I also have my loved ones on speed dial for those moments when I need to cry or celebrate). But for real, who’s holding your hand as you try your ideas? Do you ask for help when you need it?

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Yay! I’m a writing + podcasts finalist in frankie magazine’s awards.

Here’s my Good Stuff Awards entry…Two Words with Taku is a podcast exploring the process of writing and storytelling in five main categories: technical writing, business writing, comedy, speech writing and creative writing. I originally started it as a creative development project, to air my thoughts around my screenwriting and TV-producing journey. My excerpt is a teaser of JoYOLO, a short story I sat on for a long time before I unexpectedly met AMAZING sound people who helped me turn it into a radio play.

Support my fellow writing + podcast finalists too! There’s a people’s choice award as well. Honestly, suss out all the finalists at http://www.frankie.com.au/goodstuff-finalists#writing-podcasts then vote for the one you love – it doesn’t have to be me. The other finalists are incredible! Categories include photography, small business, video, music and more! Onwards and upwards for us all!

Special shout out to Sister Sledge I play their song ‘Frankie’ at the start of this episode. Don’t remember them from the 80s? Here’s their video to jog your memory.

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Daina Reid is an award-winning Australian TV and Film Director. And she’s just lovely! In this interview, she shares how a Tropfest short film led her to leave acting and become a director. She talks about her recent work on SBS’s Sunshine TV drama and what she learnt working with the South-Sudanese community in Melbourne. Later in the interview, Daina explains some of her directorial and technical decisions for filming comedy shows. Less is more! It was also interesting to hear her thoughts on casting and what it’s like working with non-actors compared to established actors like Asher Keddie (Offspring; Paper Giants).

I met Daina when I attended her Directing Masterclass a few weeks ago. Learning more about directing is really changing how I write my stories. In this episode, you may hear my fellow classmate Kylie in the background who came to film the interview with me.

Find more about Daina Reid on her IMDB profile: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0717225/<

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (ABC TV) Fledgling detective Phryne Fisher is known for her sharp wit and pearl-handled pistol, which she uses to fight injustice in Melbourne during the 1920s. The glamorous sleuth makes her way through the city’s alleyways and jazz clubs while she fights crime as part of a larger mission — making sure that Murdoch Foyle, who she believes is responsible for the disappearance of her younger sister, stays behind bars. She fights for justice for people who can’t help themselves, including exploited workers and missing girls.

Sunshine (SBS) Sunshine is based in Melbourne’s outer-western suburb of Sunshine and its surrounds. The story follows Jacob Garang, a young, aspiring South Sudanese-Australian basketballer who is on the cusp of being picked up by scouts for the US College league. He gets caught up in a police investigation involving a teenage girl from one of Melbourne’s affluent suburbs.

The Wrong Girl (Network 10) The series follows Lily Woodward, a producer on a morning television show, and what happens when life, love and friendships collide. Longing for a life rich in romance, a dynamic career and a happy family, Lily is constantly thrown off course. As her journey continues, Lily discovers that sometimes the right choices can lead to the wrong places and the wrong choices can turn out to be the right ones.

The Secret River (ABC TV) This two-part miniseries is based on the novel of the same name written by Kate Grenville. It follows the story of young couple, William and Sal Thornhill, who are transported to the new colony of New South Wales in 1805, giving a look into the colonisation of Australia and the escalating conflict between the original Indigenous inhabitants and the newly arrived white convicts and settlers.

Romper Stomper (Stan) Romper Stomper is an Australian television series sequel to the 1992 film Romper Stomper movie and and set 25 years after the events in the film. The six-part series follows a new generation of far-right activists and their anti-fascist counterparts, with the story focussing on a fictional far-right group led by Blake Farrand known as Patriot Blue.

References: Wikipedia and IMDB

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Today’s [confronting] two words: So What? So what if I write and I speak? Who cares? Who should care? Who do I care about? Why do I care? So what?

I really believe we will only see the stories that are different on our TV screens and on our radios if we write them. And if we don’t know how to write them or how to tell them, then we’re stuck.

So what now? I have a few ideas I want to try this year, and my focus is going to be helping us ALL write and speak better. As I live that out in my own life, I’ll keep sharing what I’m learning.

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My Slightly Biased Review of A Melbourne Rapper’s Secret Show. Tenda McFly is a local rapper/poet who agreed to voice a character in my radio play. He recently held a secret show to share his poetry, rhymes and reason. I couldn’t miss it and in this episode, I share what I loved about Memoirs of a Decent Man. I also share my thoughts on how producing small (and sometimes secretive) shows can deeply impact and grow your unique audience organically. Congrats to Tenda, his Creative Director Felicity Mashuro and all the other performers. Here’s to more sacred magic!

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Know your story, know your brand and don’t think about the money.

Here’s what I’ve learnt from applying for Nova + Acast’s Podquest, So You Think You Can Pod by The Wheeler Centre, and from NOT applying for the ABC’s One Million Dollar Podcast Fund. P.s. You might also like Episode 45 from the archives – Pitch Your Podcast to Nova + Acast’s Podquest Competition.

Things to know before you enter a podcast competition

They will see you I mean the competition organisers/broadcasters/organisations. It’s essentially their survey of the land and market research. I explain more in the episode.
Take it seriously Take the time to make your entry look and sound good.
Know your story Who are you? What’s your story and/or connection to the podcast idea?
Know your brand Do your values actually align with those of the competition organisers? Do you really fit in there?
Don’t worry about the competition Swim in your own lane! Your idea is just as worthy.
Read the terms and conditions (seriously)
Have at least 10 episodes recorded before you apply This definitely helps to crystallise your idea and your pitch.
Start it anyways Don’t rely on winning competitions to publish your podcast. It’s not that hard or expensive to just start small.
Don’t sell yourself short Love your idea and don’t apologise for it. Seriously!
Don’t think about the money…too much. Everybody is trying to jump on the podcasting gravy train. Boring! Just stop and listen…to yourself, your idea and your audience. Focus on getting clarity for your idea and the rest will make cents. I explain more in the episode.

Questions to consider before you start a podcast, let alone apply for a podcast competition 1. Have you played with the idea? 2. Have you recorded yourself and a few episodes? 3. Why do you want to start one? 4. What value do you want to add to people’s lives? 5. What ELSE is happening in your life? Podcasting takes real time and commitment.

Useful podcast links you might like * Nova + Acast Podquest * So You Think You Can Pod by The Wheeler Centre * ABC’s One Million Dollar Fund (now closed), but you can still pitch to Earshot * Radiotopia Audio Network with Julie Shapiro (US)

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Gary Vee inspired me to start this very podcast. So when I heard he was speaking at a business seminar in Melbourne, I made an animated video to thank him. Then I felt a bit awkward sharing it online before I saw him speak at the event. But I made it through the awkwardness! You can watch my #thankGaryVee video here: https://youtu.be/BVQo2x53rQk. In this episode, I also share what’s happening with my other crazy writing ideas and projects.

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What happens to Joy and Yolanda after the audition? In Chapter 1, they each decided to audition for Professor Nhingi’s youth dance program. In Chapter 2, they’re not so sure that was the best idea.

JoYOLO story synopsis: Joy loves words and comes from a poor single-mum family. Yolanda loves dance and comes from a middle-class family. The story is set in the fictional City of Baxter (a poor local council) in an unnamed Australian city. The action happens around the local library, community centre, council offices and different characters’ homes. Themes of corruption, adultery and hypocrisy swim around these two teenage girls who just want to be heard. Friendly note: this story is a work of fiction and includes some strong language here and there. For more information about the story and the cast, visit www.taku.com.au/joyolo.

Chapter 2 Special Thanks A special thank you to rapper/poets Tenda McFly (playing Nate) and ZIIMUSIC (playing Prosper) for sharing their fabulous music in this chapter. Songs: Lavish by Tenda McFly and A Place Called Self by ZIIMUSIC. You might also enjoy the podcast interview we recorded together – talking about writing, spoken word and music – http://taku.com.au/rap-tenda-mcfly-ziimusic/.

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Manners: this episode and these greeting cards contain profanity. Okay, so your friend’s mum has died? Your loved one has cancer? Oh and anxiety is keeping your bestie up all night? Melbourne graphic designer Lindsey Mineff from Hard Copy Cartel has cards for those horrible moments in life when you’re not sure what to say. I met Lindesy at a business networking event in Richmond and I was really intrigued by her. I’m a sucker for stationery and she mentioned she makes greeting cards. I rushed to tell her about my teapot ones. Then when I saw Lindey’s designs, I just couldn’t stop laughing because they were just so honest, funny and inappropriately appropriate. Sometimes I can be a bit of a prude and not want to swear too much, and I think that’s exactly why I find her designs so effective. Listen in as she explains how a mental health issue in her own life inspired these cards. Find Lindesy and more of her graphic design work at http://hardcopycartel.com.au/

Lindsey’s greeting cards are $7 on Etsy Yes, the covers grab your attention, but the cards have really sweet sentiments on the inside. Example of the anxiety card. More cards at https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/HardcopyCartel.

SIZE: Standard A6 PACKAGING: White envelope (C6) & cellophane sleeve SHIPPING: Australia and International

How are you really doing? Honestly, please don’t suffer alone or in silence. Life can be hard sometimes and it’s totally okay to reach out to people who AREN’T your friends and family. There are plenty of organisations and hotlines that can listen and help. If you’re in Australia, you might like to check out the following links:

Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78
Sane 1800 18 7263

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Do you watch The Weekly and Hard Quiz? This is the second part of my chat with writer Gerard McCullough. He is one of Australia’s most in-demand TV comedy writers and editors. His credits span sketch, variety, current affairs, quiz, sport, and award ceremony formats.* In this episode we discuss everything from developing comedy characters for screen to what it’s really like writing for news satire show The Weekly with Charlie Pickering. Find The Weekly with Charlie Pickering and Hard Quiz with Tom Gleeson on the ABC.

FYI, in first part, Episode 60.1, Gerard and I talk about his stand-up comedy and his work on sketch comedy shows. Listen here: http://taku.com.au/gerard-mcculloch-comedy/ Find Gerard and his musings at https://twitter.com/drjavabeans.

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Lawd have mercy – Gerard McCulloch is finally on my podcast! He is one of Australia’s most in-demand TV comedy writers and editors. His credits span sketch, variety, current affairs, quiz, sport, and award ceremony formats.* In this first episode we discuss how his career in comedy started and his work on iconic Aussie sketch comedy shows. In the second episode we mainly chat about satire and his work on The Weekly with Charlie Pickering. Listen to Part 2 at http://taku.com.au/gerard-mcculloch-screenwriting/.

Follow Gerard and his world at https://twitter.com/drjavabeans.

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OMG Merrilee McCoy is magic! She’s the local producer of The Moth Melbourne StorySLAM events and in this episode we discuss all things storytelling. No filter! We cover what makes a good story to being vulnerable on stage to not relying on crap PowerPoint slides. And more. Oh and of course we discuss how she ended up producing events for The Moth. https://themoth.org/

I met Merrilee at a recent ‘Creepy’-themed StorySLAM and she really fascinated me. I like that she’s genuinely passionate about helping people to tell their stories. Find more of her magic at http://www.merrilee.me/ or https://twitter.com/mezzamac. Thank you to Howler Bar in Brunswick, Melbourne for letting us record this episode in the official StorySLAM venue.

Links you might like The Moth is a non-profit group based in New York City dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. Its podcast is downloaded over 44 million times a year, and each week, the Peabody Award-winning Moth Radio Hour is heard on over 450 radio stations worldwide. Find your local events in your city at https://themoth.org/events. One of Merrilee’s fave talks – Magda Szubanski’s ‘Reclaiming Fear‘: https://themoth.org/stories/reclaiming-fear

The Moth in Melbourne Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themothmelbourne/ Episode 36 of Two Words with Taku – my very biased review of podcasts I love: http://taku.com.au/serial-s-town-moth-podcasts/

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What IS spoken word? I interview Melbourne rapper/poets Tenda McFly and Ziimusic about their writing and creative processes. We discuss everything from vulnerability, to narcissism to belief in self. Then we briefly debate if being a good writer is a divine gift or something anyone can learn. I really enjoyed chatting to these guys and this episode includes some of their fabulous original rap songs – but of course!

Intro song – Lavish by Tenda McFly
Middle song (time stamp – 8:46) – A Place Called Self by Ziimusic
Outro song (time stamp – 42:34) – Love x Sobriety by Tenda McFly

Side note: Tenda and Zii are voicing two characters in my radio play JoYOLO. Chapters 2 and 3 are airing next week – very excited! If you haven’t heard Chapter 1 yet, it’s Episode 40 on this podcast – http://taku.com.au/joyolo-chapter-1-different-dance/. Thank you to Maddy Mac and PBS FM for the studio love!

Artist Links All rap music, images and links are appearing courtesy of Tenda McFly, Ziimusic and The Band of Brothaz.

Download Tenda McFly’s latest album Memoirs at https://tendamcfly.bandcamp.com/ and follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tendacanfly/.

Find Ziimusic, his events and words at http://www.ziimusic.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/ziimusic/. Follow Tenda and Zii in The Band of Brothaz at https://www.facebook.com/TheSonicKollective.

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The cast of my JoYOLO radio play is changing my character(s). Yes indeed! Collaborating with them is developing the way I think, write and feel about the characters they’re playing. In this episode, you’ll hear the first scene of Chapter 1, just to set the overall tone of my story. Then you’ll hear me brainstorming in the radio studio with the voice actors about a scene from Chapter 2. Listen to the full, uninterrupted 39 minutes of Chapter 1 in Podcast Episode 40: http://taku.com.au/joyolo-chapter-1-different-dance/. Chapters 2 and 3 will air in October. A big thank you to PBS FM for the studio time and to all the incredible people taking part in this project.

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Today’s two hot words: Yes and No. Eesh, just look at them go Stealthily dividing a nation Whispering here Shouting there Fanning and fuelling frustration

VoteNo

Some are writing in the skies

VoteYes

Some are headbutting guys Yes and No Proudly predicting Fearfully forecasting Silently stoking Australia’s demise. Today many pulpits will be aflame Calling people to arms in His/Her/Their name But equally many a heart’ll burn with shame That he/she/they can’t be honoured the same. Yes and No No and Yes No Yes Yes No Eesh, just look at them go I’m quietly listening With a peace I’ll never forego Because people, My discernment game is strong And I just know To unconditional love I will ALWAYS say Yes And to faithless fear I will ALWAYS say No.

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Motivational vs inspirational speaker? In this episode I explain how I differentiate between the two and how that changes the way I speak on stage. Disclaimer: I’m not saying being a motivational speaker is bad. And yes, I realise ‘hate’ is such a strong word but I’ve mainly used it for (melo)dramatic effect. My words on stage are ALWAYS inspired by love and hope.

Here are a couple of photos from the last kids’ conference I spoke at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BX5HT-YlFzH/?taken-by=takuspeaks Seriously…so. much. love.

I also mention Stuff You Should Know’s podcast episode “Do motivational speakers motivate people?” http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/motivational-speakers.htm It definitely had me chuckling on the train!

Still curious? You might like to read Rob Prasad’s popular Linkedin article “The Difference Between Motivation & Inspiration”. His title just says ‘Speaker’.

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If you don’t have “design eyes”, please seek professional graphic design and book layout assistance for your book. In this episode I talk about how I approached graphic design for my picture book – and that ONE illustration that was driving me nuts. We drew it so many times! See the picture and my book in the original YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfz0kJC1iwk. Friendly FYI…these tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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You’ll be elated when you finally publish your book, but don’t forget to celebrate the little milestones along the way. Friendly FYI…these tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Watch this video on TAKU TV at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-i8JSLu-2U. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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Ok, false alarm – there’s no crisis. I know who I am. I’m proudly Taku: African and Australian. Listen as I discuss my identity with my writer friend Ghina Makari Cane. She’s writing a book about what’s it like living in/with two cultures. This piece was part of the radio story she produced for our Collaborative Radio Project with PBS FM.

You can hear Ghina’s original piece, with two other interviews, here: https://soundcloud.com/user-59442898/ghina-makari-cane-a-walk-in?in=user-59442898/sets/the-collaborative-radio You can also find her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/ghinamak/

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Last year, I filmed my close friends for a fun little series on TAKU TV. I was experimenting with video editing and testing ideas for vox populi-style interviews.

Listen as dancer Rita Nita talks about being the underdog in the dance industry; hear photographer Heather’s thoughts on social media and find out what architect Tom Brooking and DJ Thembi think about parenting. You can watch the original short videos here: http://taku.com.au/underdog-instagram-happy-kids/

Being the underdog Rita Nita, Director of Èlan Dance Establishment tells us how she feels when she looks at bigger dance schools in Perth, Western Australia. Find Rita and her dance school at: https://www.instagram.com/elan.dance.est/

Being on Instagram Heather Robbins, Owner of Red Images Fine Photography shares how she uses Instagram to share her professional and personal photography. Find Heather’s stories at: https://www.instagram.com/heather_robbins_photography/

Raising happy kids Tom is the Founding Director of Brooking Design Architects, an award-winning architectural firm in Perth, Western Australia. His wife Thembi is an entrepreneur who is passionate about soccer and music. Watch as they share their thoughts on parenting. Find Tom’s work at: https://www.instagram.com/brookingdesignarchitects/

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Silence. ‘Twas a little awkward when Mama tried to scare me out of snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef. I love her to smithereens, but she’s always great inspiration for my stand-up comedy. Link to my snorkelling pics and the Instagram post that inspired this episode: https://www.instagram.com/p/BYIng4vnlX6/?taken-by=takuspeaks

Snaps of Snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef This was a dream come true! Here are a few photos from my underwater adventure. I highly recommend Wavelength Reef Cruises if you ever decide to take the plunge. https://www.wavelength.com.au/

Silence IS golden Yep, I believe there’s definitely magic in those [awkward] silences. Just don’t freak out when they’re happening.

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When you really want a ticket to a sold-out event, volunteer to MC it. Yep, that’s what happened and in this episode I explain how I got involved with TEDxMelbourne’s Open Mic event last Wednesday. The speech competition was won by Laura Youngson, who talked about playing soccer on Mount Kilimanjaro. She now gets to share her idea at the main TEDxMelbourne event Rebels, Revolutionaries and Us on Tuesday 19 September 2017. http://tedxmelbourne.com/

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You’ve got to be very disciplined with your time on social media when you’re writing and self-publishing a book. Too many distractions! At one point I went off Facebook for 3 months and that’s when I made significant progress with my book tasks. Friendly FYI…these tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Watch this video on TAKU TV at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6mJke0hS9A. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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Writing books and self-publishing aren’t easy things. Please don’t suffer in silence! Try to hang out with fellow writers and creatives who provide moral support for you. (You won’t feel so crazy or alone). Friendly FYI…these tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Watch this video on TAKU TV at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOIFJzwkhCM. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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Fact: I’ve never written a Google review. This episode is my way of reviewing the new printer I’ve found. Listen as I chat to Keenan Archer about $800 business cards, how to find a good printer, logos, printing-on-demand, small business and much more. Honestly, from a technical writer point of view, speaking to him about printing processes was so much fun! I also took a couple of photos of his print shop – http://taku.com.au/google-review-local-printer/.

Okay, so how did this unexpected interview happen? I needed to print some books for an upcoming kids’ conference and I came across Keenan’s printing business after a Google search. I requested a quote and he really impressed me with his friendly manner.

When I picked up my books, they looked perfect and dealing with him had been so painless! About 30 minutes later, he emailed inviting me to write a Google review for his business. He already had plenty of great ones and then my writer brain switched on. How was I going to succinctly describing my experience dealing with this print shop? What had been so good about my experience?

It was simply Keenan and his great customer service. So instead of writing a sentence or two about him, I asked if I could interview him on my podcast…and he agreed. You can find Keenan at Minuteman Press in Abbotsford, Melbourne, Australia. http://www.abbotsford.minutemanpress.com.au/. He’s happy to answer any of your printing questions and he ships around the world.

And now along with his Google reviews, people can hear for themselves what he’s like.

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Nova’s Podquest Competition Deadline: 4 Aug 2017. In this episode I discuss how to apply for the Podquest Initiative by Nova Entertainment and Acast. It’s open to aspiring podcasters in Australia and you’d be mad not to apply if you have a cool story to tell. Submit your podcast idea and you could win $5000 and help to produce your own podcast series. To enter, go to http://www.podquest.com/. Good luck!

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Today’s one word is forgiveness. This morning I wrote a list of the people I need to forgive and I was shocked by how long it was. Not good! Listen as I read a blog post I wrote about forgiveness in December 2014. I haven’t read the post since I posted it ages ago and it’s funny how words I wrote back then are making me feel today. (Side note: the original 2014 blog post, with photos and little flow charts lives here: http://taku.com.au/what-i-am-learning-about-forgiveness/

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

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I wrote ‘Multicultural Me’, a children’s book about friendship, because I wanted to make it fun for kids to talk about cultural diversity in Australia. Who are you sharing your story, your imagination, your knowledge, your heart with? It’s absolutely fine if you’re your own audience too!

Friendly FYI…these tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Watch this video on TAKU TV at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpGQovdQT40. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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Support your fellow writers – buy their books and read their work. Also, try experimenting with your writing, especially when you need a break from your book. Everything you read and write adds to the creative development process of self-publishing your book. Friendly FYI…these tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Watch this video on TAKU TV at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwnHkM2JOv4. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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I’m celebrating 41 episodes of my little podcast. Yep! Check out my happy, joyful, not-holding-back-at-all photo on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BWoZ1ONlRZC/?taken-by=takuspeaks. I’m proud, grateful and excited by what I’ve been learning through this podcast. Thank you all for listening, wherever you are in the world. You are making me smile so much. See my full smiley collage at http://taku.com.au/little-podcast-that-could/

I mention a few episodes in this one. This isn’t all of them…

Rogue Resumes to Sexy CVs Series I can’t believe people have been downloading them. I am so glad if they’re helping you. * Add Columns http://taku.com.au/rogue-resumes-sexy-cvs-add-columns/ * Add Colour http://taku.com.au/rogue-resumes-sexy-cvs-add-colour/ * Add Graphics http://taku.com.au/rogue-resumes-sexy-cvs-add-graphics/

TV Pitching in Sydney I went to pitch my ideas to some producers and this was definitely a milestone moment. Watch this space! http://taku.com.au/lessons-pitching-tv-vivid-sydney/

My Online Dating Profile is a Poem So um…for some reason, people really like this episode. It’s got more downloads than some of the episodes that came before it. http://taku.com.au/online-dating-profile-poem/

My Collaborative Radio Project Story: JoYOLO I finally published my short story in an unexpected way. Grab a cuppa and listen to the full 37-minute radio production here: http://taku.com.au/joyolo-chapter-1-different-dance/ And that’s all folks…for now!

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Missed my radio story on PBS Radio today? Grab a cuppa! Here is Chapter 1 – A Different Dance, full and uninterrupted. Friendly note: it’s a work of fiction and includes some strong language here and there.

Story synopsis: Joy loves words and comes from a poor single-mum family. Yolanda loves dance and comes from a middle-class family. The story is set in the fictional City of Baxter (a poor local council) in an unnamed Australian city. The action happens around the local library, community centre, council offices and different characters’ homes. Themes of corruption, adultery and hypocrisy swim around these two teenage girls who just want to be heard.

Now what? JoYOLO is evolving into an unexpected series. Chapter 1 was initially written as a standalone short story, but I keep writing. Chapters 2 and 3 are done and I’d love to produce them for radio. Just have to work out how!

Thank you PBS 106.7FM Melbourne for the Collaborative Radio Project. It definitely helped me test ideas for Chapter 1. Onward and upwards!

You might also like: Episode 37 – Six Creative Minds Chat about Comparing Ourselves to Others

I speak to 5 of the voice actors from my piece about doubt and sharing our work. Episode 39 – JoYOLO: My Radio Story Sneak Peek + Sound Effects http://taku.com.au/joyolo-radio-sneak-peek/ I share what inspired the story and some of the fun ways I played with sound in my story.

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JoYOLO is my new radio story airing on PBS 106.7FM. In this episode I share a sneak peek of Chapter 1 and what inspired the whole story. I also discuss the five fun sound effects I used in producing my radio story. (Time stamp – 17:30) Tune in to all of Chapter 1 this Monday 17 July from 1pm EST on PBS 106.7FM Melbourne, Australia. Overseas or interstate? Listen online at https://www.pbsfm.org.au/. Bonus: you’ll also get to hear stories by my friends in the Collaborative Radio Project. Absolutely amazing people!

Story Synopsis Joy loves words and comes from a poor single-mum family. Yolanda loves dance and comes from a middle-class family. The story is set in the fictional City of Baxter (a poor local council) in an unnamed Australian city. The action happens around the local library, community centre, council offices and different characters’ homes. Themes of corruption, adultery and hypocrisy swim around these two teenage girls who just want to be heard. Inspiration I’ve worked in the local government and community development space for a long time. I have seen good and not-so-good people on all sides. I want to tell funny and inspiring stories about those worlds, rather than the usual angry ones.

Special thanks There are just too many amazing people who have inspired me, mentored me and encouraged me to produce this story! Special thanks to my sister Tendayi Munesu, my bestie Rita Nita, my writing mentor Magic Marisa, my radio mentors Maddy, Jess, Hannah and Bec and my music mentor Dale. And of course, the wonderful voice actors who have been so generous with their talents and time – Allison Chan, Bem Ikanyon , Kerry Cue, Dalene Groom, Chido Mwaturura, Maddy Mac and Stani Goma. Recorded at PBS Radio Station in Melbourne, Australia. Artwork and animation by Charly Makwanya of Hustle and Funk (Zimbabwe) You might also like Episode 37, where I chatted to the voice actors about comparing ourselves to others.

Sound effects in my radio story production (Time stamp – 17:30) 1. Voice pitch I have several characters in my story. Sometimes I just needed to sound like a man. 2. Layering I layered dialogue with music and sound grabs to add depth to my scenes. I wanted to paint clearer pictures of where my characters were and what they were doing. 3. Reverb I loved this effect and mainly used it to highlight my characters’ inner thoughts. 4. Panning This was fun to experiment with to recreate dialogue between two characters. I used this effect to make their voices play in separate channels. (In others words, one voice in your left ear, the other in your right). 5. Transitions These are key to seamlessly threading the story together. I mainly used Fading In and Fading Out to transition between scenes. I also used music and other random sounds to change moods. Okay, well, that’s it for now. I hope you listen in on Monday!

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Breaking news: my favourite tea mug has cracked. And yes, I’m being a little emo and dramatic about it. Listen as I share why I love tea so much and why I can’t write without it. I also share tea-drinking memories from my childhood in Zimbabwe and why I’ve started making teapot greeting cards in Melbourne. Find my tea photos at http://taku.com.au/tea-is-for-taku/ and under the hashtag #teaisfortaku on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/teaisfortaku/.

Tea o’clock is my favourite time of day I savour the moments in the morning when I can have a good, strong cuppa before I start my day. Those moments are always perfect. How I like it Tanganda or English Breakfast – strong, with hot milk and two sugars (preferably brewed with tea leaves).

My fave memories of family involve tea This photo is one of my fondest memories of sharing tea with my with my family…during a tough time in 2009. This was taken on the day I saw my father’s burial site for the first time. My mother, my brother, three aunties and my uncle had taken me to our rural village to see where my Dad was laid to rest. I was an emotional mess that day, but I remember feeling happy when we were in my grandmother’s hut, drinking tea from metal cups and laughing so much. I didn’t feel alone, I felt loved, I felt comforted and I felt so much peace. That moment was perfect.

Teapot greeting cards for my loved ones These are my pics of the golden teapot mentioned in the episode. It seemed like the right thing to do to design teapot greeting cards, as a way of showing love to the people I care about. The very people I’ve shared so much tea and life with.

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Major mojo killer: comparing yourself to others. I ask an author, a dancer, an actress, a radio broadcaster and a pottery teacher to share their thoughts on this topic. I’m currently producing a radio story, something quite new to me, and I’ve had to remind myself that I’m exactly where I need to be. It is an intentional choice to enjoy this moment and what I’m learning, even when it seems that others are far ahead of me.

Kerry, Dalene, Bem, Chido and Maddy are the wonderful artists voicing characters in my radio story. Listen as we discuss creativity, social media, perspective and, most importantly, being kind to ourselves. A big thank you to everyone who is collaborating with me on the radio story. I just cannot wait to share it with you in the next couple of weeks – stay tuned! #yolo

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S-Town creator Brian Reed is coming to Melbourne. OMG! I can’t wait to hear how he made his record-breaking podcast. 40 million downloads and counting! In this episode I review S-Town, Serial by This American Life, The Moth and other podcasts on my playlist. Find links to these podcasts at: http://taku.com.au/serial-s-town-moth-podcasts

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Making money shouldn’t be your main motivation. So why do you really want to write a book? Why do you need to write a book? Friendly FYI…these tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Watch this video on TAKU TV at https://youtu.be/gIVTHg0wX3M. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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So you want to publish a book? But hold on…what’s the story you will write? Is it non-fiction or fiction? Why is that story important? What’s your personal story and the connection to the work you want to publish? Friendly FYI…these tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Watch this video on TAKU TV at https://youtu.be/jPFQMgINDrI. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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In this episode I review the The Big Issue Magazine’s Wonder Woman edition (dated 19 May – 1 June). I focus on the basic layout of the magazine, how the words and images work together and other things that I like about it. Photos at http://taku.com.au/big-issue-wonder-woman-typesetting/ Here’s how the magazine officially describes its work at http://www.thebigissue.org.au/: The Big Issue magazine is a fortnightly, independent magazine that’s sold on the streets by homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people. Vendors buy copies of the magazine for $3.50 and sell them for $7, keeping the difference. Since its inception in Australia in 1996, more than 10 million magazines have been sold, putting $23 million into the pockets of disadvantaged Australians.

I’ve subscribed to The Big Issue magazine for a while now because it’s my small way to help my community creatively. I highly recommend it!

My review of the Wonder Woman edition In the podcast episode I describe this particular issue, but also talk about the regular sections they include. Side note: I took the photos at Sydney Airport whilst I waited for a flight.

Choose a bold magazine cover The cover always grabs my attention, even through the plastic. In this issue the striking red in the logo block matches the red of their regular subscription sticker. The sticker says, “I have subscribed to The Big Issue Magazine to help employ homeless women.” Wonder Woman is also very prominent with her large mane of black hair and I am sure this cover caught many eyes as the vendors sold it on the streets. The movie is showing in cinemas everywhere and there are Wonder Woman reviews and images galore online. In the podcast episode I also talk about the names at the top of the cover and the importance of that $7 cover price.

Design a clear table of contents I think the white text on the blue background looks effective. Your eyes immediately follow the words and the page numbers.

Tell us about your people I always enjoy reading the Vendor Profile section. This includes stories of the people who are on the streets selling the magazine. This is lovely Brad from Brisbane.

Creatively showcase creativity using columns The magazine uses columns in most of its sections. Two in some, three in others, depending on the content. The Streetsheet section is a good example of how the columns improve the layout of stories and poems submitted by vendors.

Kick a punch with the cover story The use of photos, comic illustrations, bright backgrounds and white borders makes this cover story stand out. The bold Wonder Woman cover ties seamlessly with this article. Notice how that red cloud with ‘Great Scott’ helps to continue the red theme I mentioned at the start?

Use contrasting topics, colours and tones We go from the bright yellows and reds of Wonder Woman to some darker tones. There are contrasts in content too – an article about Mem Fox, a renowned Australian children’s author, to one about hip-hop icon the Notorious B. I. G. Go figure!

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How I really feel about online dating. Listen to the unexpected poem that recently became my online dating profile. I never thought I’d share this on my podcast but hey, this episode kinda happened whilst I was learning how to be a better podcaster.

Part 1 – I read the poem for the first time during a radio training session at a local community station. You’ll hear some of my lovely classmates’ reactions too. Our theme for the session was ‘Hero’ and we discuss this topic a bit.

Part 2 (Time stamp 8:16) – how the studio recording happened, how I once fell for a guy with bullet points in his profile and why I think writing a dating profile teaches you unexpected things about yourself.

Why a poem about a hero? I’m part of a radio training group and I’m learning how to create stories for radio. As part of our training, my classmates and I were asked to write a 1-minute and 3-minute story with the theme ‘Hero’.

I thought writing about my father as my hero would be too predictable and I struggled to come up with a story. Then just before class I remembered the poem I had on my dating profile and I took a gamble and shared it.

Thank you to my teachers and friends at PBS Radio, especially Ardavan, Allison, and Ghina who gave their kind feedback.

So, how does one write a good dating profile? I wish I had the answer! I could try explain with my technical writer hat on, but then that feels too serious. All I know is that you’ll never have a perfect online dating profile, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

Also, how you write your profile will change over time as your life experiences change. It’s quite funny to look back at ones I’ve written in the past – they’re great stand-up comedy fodder!

I just recommend being as honest and creative as possible. I also recommend using photos that reflect interesting parts of your world that might be tricky to write or explain in words. Good luck!

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Crowdfunding is a great way to raise funds. I do, however, recommend having a back-up option for self-publishing your book. I had an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign on Pozible in 2015. I raised 26% of my $15000 goal amount and I learnt so much from that experience. You might also like to read why I think creative people should try crowdfunding: http://taku.com.au/why-creative-people-should-try-crowdfunding/

Friendly FYI…these tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Find all 20 videos on TAKU TV at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc-QE_S9GwVCh40ZavHMT39zvwVnosazY. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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Research is everything. You need do your homework before you self-publish your book. Weigh up if that’s really the route you want to take. Explore what stories other writers are writing, find out who would be interested in your story. These tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Find all 20 videos on TAKU TV at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc-QE_S9GwVCh40ZavHMT39zvwVnosazY. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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How to add graphics to your resume or CV. Rogue Resumes to Sexy CVs is my technical writing series to help your CV look a bit better in Microsoft Word. In this podcast episode I talk through how to add simple graphics to your CV – mainly colourful headers, footers and page borders. (Skip the intro and start at 4:21) Blog post and screenshots at: http://taku.com.au/rogue-resumes-sexy-cvs-add-graphics/

Important notes: * Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume (also spelt résumé – people often leave the accents off) essentially refer to the same thing. I’m talking about the document you list your qualifications and experience in when you are applying for a job. * The examples and templates I use are general guides only – some steps may not suit your CV, experience or some job applications. Disclaimer: you may find typos, grammatical errors and random placeholder text in there! * The series describes the steps for Microsoft Word on Windows. * If you have questions, leave them as comments and I’ll try my best to answer them.

Download the Microsoft Word template Your Name CV Template_Colour (Word, 19 KB) You can work in your own CV or you can download and play freely in this template Your Name which already has columns (Part 1) and colour (Part 2) in it from the previous episodes.

Here’s why I think adding graphics to you CV helps: * It shows boldness and creativity. * It makes the CV stand out from the pack * Why not?

I’ve used the term “graphics” quite loosely and I’m talking about images, photos, smart art, shapes.

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Me + TV Show Ideas + VIVID Sydney = Magic. I finally pitched my TV show ideas to TV and film producers at VIVID Sydney’s Breakfast Speed Pitch Fest on Monday. The first part you’ll hear is my reaction straight after I left the Museum of Contemporary Art, where the pitch event was held. I’ve had a few days to reflect on what happened and the second part (time stamp – 4:00) focuses on other lessons learnt about pitching to TV people. Photos of my trip at http://taku.com.au/lessons-pitching-tv-vivid-sydney VIVID Sydney is a 23-day festival of light, music and ideas. It runs until 17 June 2017. https://www.vividsydney.com

Pitch ONE solid idea It’s harder than it sounds, but it’s the BEST advice my mentors kept reinforcing. I have many ideas I have tested, many that are good, but I was struggling to pick one idea to pitch. I finally chose one and managed to share it with six different producers. That main idea resonated with some more than others but overall the feedback was fantastic. I got a good sense of that idea’s viability – there’s hope!
Have a spare idea ready to pitch Yes, I had my one main idea, but depending on the producer, I had another idea ready to pitch. I’m actually surprised that some of my ideas came out organically through conversation rather than me explicitly pitching them. I think it’s good to have your other ideas concisely filed in your brain ready to pull out. You don’t have to be as detailed with them – creates a bit of mystery!
Know the producer you really want to pitch to I researched the producers and came up with a little wish list of people I really wanted to meet. I’m pretty happy with who I got paired with and I was still able to approach the producers I was interested in afterwards.
Talk to them like normal people in a normal conversation There is just no time to be star-struck. Just talk to them like humans. Luckily, all the producers were very open and friendly.
A business card is not enough I designed a full colour double-sided DL flyer with my main idea on it. I used a lot of images that captured the concept and also showed who I am rather than writing it all. The flyer was very useful as I was speaking because the producers could look at it and they could take it with them. Business cards are good for contact details and it’s a good idea to have something else, preferably something visual, to share.
Talk to your fellow pitch colleagues OMG the people pitching in that room have done amazing things already! Don’t look at them as competition at all – you can learn so much from them. Make time to listen to them and their ideas too. Talk about eating humble pie – I was very inspired by my peers.
Carry breath mints Yep.
Eat after your pitch The food was too distracting for me. It’s quite hard to run around with a cuppa tea, pastry and flyers. You’re not there to eat!
Enjoy yourself Sounds silly and clichéd, but it’s so important. It takes guts to do what you’re doing so just relax into the moment. You’ll totally be in the zone after the first pitch. The energy in the room that day was great! (Here are other photos I took the night before the pitch. I was definitely inspired by different artists’ creativity and how Sydney Harbour was transformed).

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Don’t Conform, Teach Others and Please Don’t be Boring. My 15-year-old sister lives in Zimbabwe and lately I’ve been talking to her about the not-so-fun things some teenagers go through. Like trying to fit in. Especially if you’re creative or arty.

You’re about to listen to a speech I gave to 2000 high school students at a youth leadership seminar in Perth last year. The event theme was ‘Mastering the Little’ and I shared why I use cartoons and comedy to spread my crazy ideas, little by little. Main ideas in this speech

Don’t conform It’s much easier said than done sometimes – especially when your ideas are a bit different. But who wants to be the same? I talk about lessons learnt from self-publishing my children’s book and the love it brought into my world.

Stand up or stand down People will try and tell you what you’re not good at. Or they will tell you to sit down. I say “Don’t conform!” and share how trying stand-up comedy helped me stand up for myself.

Teach others We spend so much time doubting ourselves instead of sharing what we have learnt with others. I share why I started interviewing my friends on my TAKU TV YouTube channel.

Don’t be boring Seriously, who wants to be the same? Bland? Safe? Typical? I enjoy challenging myself, my family and my [creative] community to try the crazy ideas that scare them. Onwards and upwards for us all!

Thank you to Annabel and the amazing team at Halogen Foundation Australia for the footage and audio.

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Finding funding ain’t funny. Don’t quit your job…yet! Self-publishing and funding a book can be a costly process. Work out how you will find the money to publish your book. Will you work 9-5? Can you apply for a grant? Might you crowdfund? These tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Find all 20 videos on TAKU TV at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc-QE_S9GwVCh40ZavHMT39zvwVnosazY. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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Self-publishing a book is not for the faint-hearted. It takes courage, research and determination. These tips are from a 2016 video series I filmed after self-publishing a children’s book in Australia. Find all 20 videos on TAKU TV at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc-QE_S9GwVCh40ZavHMT39zvwVnosazY. (Tips start at 2:00 in the podcast episodes).

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Wait…is ‘unentitled’ even a real word? My new business cards have me thinking about my title and what I really stand for. Yep, I’m trying my best and I like encouraging people to just try too. In this episode I also mention Seth Godin’s Startup School Podcast.

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Creativity and community know no bounds. I’m a writer in Melbourne, Australia and I don’t like being cold. He’s a photographer in Smithers, Canada and loves to ski. We have never met and the only thing connecting us is one courageous book project. The Wonderful World of White

Blog post link: http://taku.com.au/crowdfunding-creating-community/

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Yikes! I have a new TV show pitch to present to Australian TV producers next month. My Shark Tank audition was a sobering lesson on pitching! In this episode I reflect on the blog post I wrote after that audition in 2015. Read 10 Things I Learnt from My Shark Tank Australia Audition. (Post published on 22 Feb 2016) Wish me luck!

Marc Berryman is the friendly guy I met at the Shark Tank Australia audition and Rhinohide https://rhinohide.com.au/ is the idea he pitched. Two sharks invested $80 000 each, a total of $160 000, not $800 000 as I say in the episode. Oops – thank goodness I’m not Marc’s accountant!

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How to add colour to your resume or CV. Rogue Resumes to Sexy CVs is my technical writing series to help your CV look a bit better in Microsoft Word. In this podcast episode I talk through how to add colour to your CV so your job application doesn’t look so boring. (Skip the intro and start at 6.12) Blog post and screenshots at: http://taku.com.au/rogue-resumes-sexy-cvs-add-colour/

Important notes: * Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume (also spelt résumé – people often leave the accents off) essentially refer to the same thing. I’m talking about the document you list your qualifications and experience in when you are applying for a job. * The examples and templates I use are general guides only – some steps may not suit your CV, experience or some job applications. Disclaimer: you may find typos, grammatical errors and random placeholder text in there! * The series describes the steps for Microsoft Word on Windows. * If you have questions, leave them as comments and I’ll try my best to answer them.

Download the Microsoft Word template Your Name Template_Columns (Word, 19 KB)

Before we start, here’s why I think adding colour to your CV is good: * It makes you stand out. Colour will always catch our eye. * It softens your CV. Now, for the guys, that’s not a bad thing. I mean it softens it on the eye and makes you personable. * It shows personality before they meet you, which can help if there are many other applicants sending in boring black and white CVs. * It shows imagination, especially if you have none. * The world needs more colour.

Disclaimer, moderation is everything. I’m showing you the basics, but use your discretion to decide how much colour will suit you and your personality.

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The magic of starting a podcast. Here’s an update on my stand-up comedy and what else’s been happening after twenty podcast episodes of Two Words with Taku. I was nervous about starting the podcast, but now it’s opening new doors and conversations in my world of writing. Thank you to everyone who’s listening!

In this episode, I also mention Gary Vaynerchuck’s YouTube video Start a Podcast. My comment is in the comment section somewhere. Eek!

Stand-up Comedy At the end of March I performed in a local neighbourhood comedy show and an open mic night. I’m excited about writing my own longer-format comedy show, but there’s plenty of planning to do. (FYI, that first comma in the episode title, is the most conveniently placed comma if ever you saw one. A bit of wordplay, but listen to the almost-first date story that inspired it).

Creative Writing I’m working on a couple of stories, have decided not to self-publish my book and discovered a new writing mentor. She’s mad as a hatter – in a good way! Technical Writing

I reviewed one of my favourite books, Show Your Work by Austin Kleon and recently connected with a photographer in Canada who’d listened in. He’s about to publish a book of incredible photos of snowy mountains and it was such an honour to see his draft book.

Business Writing One of my besties sat with me to talk about writing effective emails. Then I also started a fun series called Rogue Resumes to Sexy CVs – simple tips to make your CV look better. In Part 1, I explain how to add columns to you CV if you have too much information. I’ll record the next two episodes soon. In the meantime, I made a magic little flow chart to explain the overall idea.

That’s it for now, but here’s to twenty more episodes!

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Getting published is so hard! I’m in my local library with author Kerry Cue to discuss how she does it, dealing with publishers and distribution agents, when you can first call yourself a writer and other funny stories about her writing journey. She’s written for Australia’s major newspapers, authored 20 books and been published by eight different publishers including Penguin and Harper Collins. I’m grateful for what she shares as I’ve started exploring how to publish more of my stories. Find more of Kerry’s words at https://kerrycue.com and https://mathspig.wordpress.com/.

Key points about getting published This is what I learnt from my podcast interview with Kerry:

Be passionate about something and write about it, no matter how obscure
Work out what’s interesting about you, your talents and skill
Share your work and writing with people to get honest feedback
Research the publishers that already publish books like the one you’re writing
Explore your options for distribution
Read books like yours
Suss out books that are popular
Critique books that you hate

P. s. By the way, in the episode we meant John Green, not Jonathan Green. He wrote the fabulous book The Fault in Our Stars. Oh my goodness, I just looked it up on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars and it has 2 million ratings and 139,000 reviews. Wow! Perhaps, this is the book Kerry and I should review instead of Jane Eyre? Random fact: John’s book kept me sane when the bus broke down on a busy road in Zimbabwe last year. But I’ll share that drama in another episode!

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I discuss fake news, writing for the papers and being stereotyped with my writing mentor Kerry Cue. She spent 20+ years writing humourous op-ed (opinion-editorial) articles for Australia’s major newspapers and now she blogs about maths. Yes, maths! Her blog ‘Mathspig’ has had 1 million+ hits to date. Seriously, she’s just so much fun to talk to and learn from. Find Kerry’s words at https://kerrycue.com and https://mathspig.wordpress.com/.

Key points about writing news articles * Do your research * Be concise in your writing and don’t waffle * Know your word limit – 600, 750, 1000 words etc * Summarise your story in a sentence then work towards that * Have a very good headline that hooks an editor (and readers) in * Write about what you know * Write about what you don’t know (ha!) – just use a different voice and get creative

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14,251 words and counting. I’m not sure self-publishing my second book is the best thing to do right now. Here’s to publisher-hunting and exploring new possibilities with better eyes and better stories.

I mention comedian Anh Do in the podcast – find his work at http://www.anhdo.com.au/author.html.

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How to add columns to your resume or CV. Rogue Resumes to Sexy CVs is my technical writing series to help your CV look a bit better in Microsoft Word. In this podcast episode I talk through how to add columns to your CV, especially when you have too much information. (Skip the intro and start at 5:35) Blog post and screenshots at: http://taku.com.au/rogue-resumes-sexy-cvs-add-columns/

Important notes: * Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume (also spelt résumé – people often leave the accents off) essentially refer to the same thing. I’m talking about the document you list your qualifications and experience in when you are applying for a job. * The examples and templates I use are general guides only – some steps may not suit your CV, experience or some job applications. Disclaimer: you may find typos, grammatical errors and random placeholder text in there! * The series describes the steps for Microsoft Word on Windows. * If you have questions, leave them as comments and I’ll try my best to answer them.

Download the Microsoft Word template Your Name Template (Word, 19 KB)

You’re also welcome to listen to the podcast episode and work in your own CV.

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7 weeks. 15 episodes. 4 hours and 18 minutes. I’m surprised (and delighted) to discover Two Words with Taku has listeners in Japan, Germany and Canada. I’ve recorded this episode to thank everyone who’s listening. Top 5 countries (percentage of downloads):

Australia – 45%
United States – 31%
Japan – 10%
Germany – 9%
Canada – 2% (Might or might not be my brothers :-))

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden is a beautiful book and has been made into an equally beautiful movie. I might have to review the book on the podcast soon. (Random fact: the little dog in the book is called Taku).

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I sat in my local cinema discussing the new movie Berlin Syndrome with author Melanie Joosten. She knows the movie very well – she wrote the novel that inspired it. We chat about how she first got published, her creative writing process, character development in stories and much more. Find Melanie’s adventures at www.melaniejoosten.com or on Twitter @melaniejoosten.

Melanie Joosten’s books Berlin Syndrome http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11464936-berlin-syndrome A Long Time Coming http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30344867-a-long-time-coming Gravity Well http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34886046-gravity-well

Melanie’s writing faves * M.J Hyland (Australian writer) * The Accidental by Ali Smith * On Beauty by Zadie Smith * NW by Zadie Smith * The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Shahota * Moleskine notebooks :)

More about the movie by Aquarius Films Berlin Syndrome is a 2017 Australian drama film directed by Cate Shortland, and written by Shaun Grant. It stars Teresa Palmer and Max Riemelt. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2017. It is scheduled to be released in the United States in May 2017 and in the United Kingdom in June 2017. – Wikipedia It’s now showing in cinemas across Australia. Go and watch it…but take a friend!

Interview recorded at Palace Westgarth Cinema, Melbourne.

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I chat with business writer Leonie about making your cover letter stand out and how to get to the point in emails. We also discuss the inverted pyramid theory – put the most important information at the top and filter down to the least important things. Easier said than done sometimes!

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I sat in a café, chatting to South African comedian Loyiso Gola about writing jokes, writing for TV and collaborating with other writers. He’s in Australia for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and his show “Dude, Where’s my Lion?” has been getting rave reviews. (Venue: Melbourne Town Hall until 23 April 2017)

Once in a while you might also see him on Aussie TV – he’s the Africa Correspondent on The Weekly with Charlie Pickering on ABC. Follow Loyiso’s adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/loyisogola or http://www.loyisogola.com.

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One of my favourites! I give a more-technical-than-planned book review of Show Your Work: 10 Ways to Show Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon. Find him and his wonderful words at http://austinkleon.com/

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I’ve got two days to prepare for my first open mic event in Melbourne. I hope my name is drawn out of the hat! I’ve also added my open mic set from Singapore Comedy Club last year. (Comedy timestamp – 9:50)

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I made a couple of typos today – cringe! It happens to us all, or does it? Note to self: you’re a public speaking professional.

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On World Friendship Day, I met my best friends in a local café and filmed them reciting my poem about friendship. I was a bit nervous as it was my first time playing video director, but I had the best cast anyone could ever ask for. You can watch our video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXDC_ii6GFY.

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I can’t wait to record episodes about my favourite things – anything and everything that enhances my life as a writer. I’ll cover topics from stationery to software to tea and everything in between. Speaking of stationery, I will always love Artline pens. http://www.artline.com.au

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I’ve started experimenting with my creative writing and it’s really surprising me. I’m curious to see how my stories will evolve this year. I also share a little poem about my name. Watch the animated name video on TAKU TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KYuz9tZKq0.

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Writing speeches has been my bread and butter for a while. Find out how I became a professional speaker and listen to a speech I gave to 2000 kids on Harmony Day. Polite warning: I get quite excited on stage and there are a couple of loud moments where I’m ululating and dancing – you may need to turn your volume down a bit. Thank you to Halogen Foundation Australia for the footage and audio. ‘Happy’ song in this episode is by the one and only phenomenal Pharrell Williams. (Speech timestamp – 8:46).

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Ah yes! Business writing and the power of persuasive words. I discuss the email that helped me meet my favourite musician Erykah Badu and the one-minute audition that landed me on national TV. Watch the original audition video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkSK0AzbQuk.

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Writing comedy is still new to me, but I’m loving it. Episode includes my stand-up comedy set during the 2015 WA State Finals of the RAW Comedy Competition. (Stand-up timestamp – 5:17)

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I talk about how I became a technical writer and the joys of using document templates on mining projects.

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2017’s two words: Go Deep. I have finally started a podcast dedicated to my love of writing.

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