The Word Count
Welcome to the ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ writing journey podcast following 3 Aussie writers!
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ is about writing a book to publication, what to expect once you are published and everything in between!!!
Each fortnight we check in, set new goals and hold each other accountable while having a laugh along the way in easy-to-listen episodes (under 30 minutes).
๐ Jo Dixon is the bestselling crime author of ๐โ๐ ๐ป๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐ด๐๐ ๐โ๐๐, ๐ด ๐โ๐๐๐๐ค ๐ด๐ก ๐โ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐, and ๐ ๐๐ช๐ด๐ข๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ต with HQ/Harper Collins. She is currently writing her fourth novel.
๐ Fiona is writing a pyschological thriller and is the host of ๐๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐ถ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข ๐๐ข๐บ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ณ, where she interviews her favourite authors in under five minutes.
๐ Jacq is the host of the internationally acclaimed, award-winning podcast ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐ , and her debut novel of the same name will be published in 2027 with Affirm Press.
Follow @thewordcountpod on socials and wherever you love to listen and ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ for being here. We are so glad youโre following us as we write to publication - ๐๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข, ๐๐ข๐ค๐ฒ & ๐๐ฐ ๐
Episodes
58 episodes
Episode 58 - Where To From Here?
This oneโs for every writer who hasnโt cracked the 3% club โ because only 3% of people who start a book actually finishโฆ and right now, Fiona is trying to become one of them. In response to her honest and relatable cry for help, Jo ...
Episode 57: Getting Back on Track
After three weeks of R&R, weโre back in your ears, dear listeners!In this episode: ๐ Jo returns from her idyllic island interlude ๐ Jacq shares her publishing date! ๐ Fiona has recovered from surgeryโฆ but h...
Episode 56: Retreat Reflections
Itโs been a big few weeks here at The Word Countโฆ we hosted our inaugural Writers Retreat โ and it was nothing short of incredible.In this episode, weโre sharing all the highlights (and yes, weโre still riding the post-retreat g...
Episode 55: Getting Ready
One of us has finished a ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ณ๐!Youโll need to listen to find out who.This episode, weโre getting ready to host our inaugural writing retreat down in Tassie, sharing book recommendations (many in the case of Jacq!)...
Episode 54: Getting Unstuck
Dear Listeners, We owe you an apology ๐ฌ This episode was inspired by Jo sending a message to our group chat that read: โ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐โ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ช๐ฏ๐จโฆ ๐ช๐ง ๐ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ธ๐ข๐บ!โ<...
Episode 53: Getting Stuck In
In this episode...๐ง Listen to Jo confess that she has ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ข where her book is going after throwing plotting โ and her beloved Post-it notes โ out the window.๐ง Listen to Fiona admit her book is ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ญ๐ญ not finishe...
Episode 52 - Wrangling 2026
๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฎAnnnndโฆ weโre back, dear listeners!After a restorative holiday break, weโre back at our desks, in front of our microphones, and ready for another year of ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐พ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ.๐ Did Jo finish a...
Episode 51: Closing the Book on 2025
โจ Closing The Book on 2025 โจOur final episode of the year is live, and itโs a big, heart-squeezy one.We kicked things off with our usual accountability chat and set some bold (and slightly terrifying) goals for our six-week...
Episode 50: It's Our 50th Episode!
๐ Itโs our 50th episode!!! ๐To celebrate this glorious milestone, weโve thrown the rulebook out the window. Jo and Jacq have staged a hostile (but fabulous) takeover, while Fiona takes a well-earned back seat after moving house th...
Episode 49: A Disappearing Act
If youโve ever wondered what really happens before, during, and after a book launch, Jo spills all the behind-the-scenes details from her tour for A Disappearing Act.๐ Did we hit the goals we set last episode? ๐ What ar...
Episode 48: Happily Ever After
Fiona returns from her daughterโs wedding with stories and big news: 70,000 words and counting! Jo shares her pub-day plans for A Disappearing Act (out 28 Oct), and Jacq reports on festival and anthology work. Goal setting,...
Episode 47: Happy 2nd Birthday!
โจ New Episode โ Happy 2nd Birthday! ๐Two years ago we hit record on our writing journeysโฆ and here we are, celebrating TWO YEARS of The Word Count podcast! ๐In this special episode, we look back at whatโs changed since our ...
Episode 46: Mother Of The Bride
This week on The Word Count, we leaned into lifeโs big moments โ the ones that pull us away from the page and remind us that writing doesnโt always get to be the priority.With less than a month to Fionaโs daughterโs wedding, sheโs...
Episode 45: Jacq's BIG BIG News!
๐ฅ This episode is going to give you ALL the feels!Youโve got 24 hours to listen (itโs only 30 minutes โ perfect for your commute, walk, school run, or lunch break) before we share the BIG BIG news with the world.๐...
Episode 44: Sharks In The Water
Weโre already halfway through August, and itโs been a busy two weeks for The Word Count crew - what with it being Fionaโs birthday month (Jacq calls it Fionaugust), beach holidays, plane trips, bookseller dinners, book launches, and workshops -...
Episode 43: Retreats, Rewrites & Rough Drafts
In this episode, we are all doing different things, but we are all writing. Which just goes to show that writing looks different for everyone!๐ Jacq finishes up her 2-week KSP Fellowship๐ Fiona is busy writing (and r...
Episode 42: What Happens After THE END?
In this episode, we talk about what comes after you hit "send"โwhen the final proofread is done, the manuscript is locked, and the book is officially out of your hands. ๐ Jo shares how it feels to finish Book 3...
Episode 41: Pitching 101
We probably should have called this episode โThe One Where Jo Lets The Secret Out Of The Bagโ (listen to the end, youโll understand ๐๐)๐ We discuss pitching - what works and what doesnโt ๐ Fiona and Jacq commit to entering Pi...
Episode 40: Your Questions Answered
Weโre celebrating our 40th episode by answering ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ burning questions โ about us, the podcast, writingโฆ and more!PLUS, we announce the lucky dear listener whoโs won an ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผโ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐น โ ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป...
Episode 39: Writing Through Brainstorms
Aaaannndddโฆ weโre back!Itโs been SEVEN LONG WEEKS since we were last in your ears, dear listeners - and we hope you missed us! ๐ We've chatted a little longer than usual because it's been so long since the last episo...
Episode 38: Messy Middle Madness
Learning how to manage the messy middle of your manuscript is all part of writing a novel.Fiona is at 55,000 words and calls on Jo and Jacq this episode to share their wisdom on managing writing forward when feeling lost. ๐ D...
Episode 37: Creativity & Curveballs
Weโve had a one-week medical break butโฆ weโre baaaack!And you know weโve always promised to keep things real on THE WORD COUNTโso this episode is all about why we needed the break and what it means for us going forward.
Episode 36: Writing Routines and Rituals
This episode of ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ takes us the furthest apart weโve ever been โ ๐ฐ๐ฐ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ธ๐บ, ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐! โ๏ธ Jo & Jacq are on their idyllic island (๐ข๐ฌ๐ข ๐๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฆ), while Fiona is in Perth for her KSP Fellowship writing retreat.As always, we ...
Episod 35: Preparing for Success
๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฑ: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๏ธWellโฆ after recording this episode, things went south - and not just because we were all in Tasmania at the same time. ๐ One of Fionaโs cats got very sick, and she had to f...
Episode 34: The Comparison Trap
In ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ, ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฐ, we dive into how comparison can steal your joy - and how to stop envy from turning into jealousy.Plus: ๐ Jo has some exciting news! ๐ Fiona shares a MOTB update ๐ Jacq has been scrumpin...