Author Susannah Glenn attended Gloucester Library and reflected on her journey as a writer

WHEN asked at what point she decided to become a novelist, Susannah Glenn responded: “That’s easy.

“I was sacked and they paid me a lot of money to go away.”

Susannah Glenn was Gloucester Library’s featured author for October.

Her second novel, ‘Without a Trace’, has just been published.

Her first book, ‘Between Husbands and Wives’, was published in 2024.

Both novels are categorised as Domestic Noire.

Susannah was introduced to the genre by an English teacher whose set reading list included Daphne Du Maurier’s novel, ‘Rebecca’.

She was fascinated with thrilling stories, told from a female perspective that created tension when the main protagonist didn’t know who or what to trust.

“Write what you love,” Susannah advised aspiring writers.

Susannah was also drawn to locations which provided both beauty and a darker presence.

From an early age, wanderlust was nurtured in her family, which travelled to remote regional areas in Australia in a caravan and, at times, in planes restored by her father.

Such experiences exposed her to new faces, places and stories, and fired her imagination.

Her love of reading opened up other worlds and inspired her to become a writer.

She credits her grandmother Marjory, a prolific writer and reader of poetry, with fostering in Susannah a love of words.

Her family lived in the Kempsey area for a number of years, where she attended school.

She completed a communications degree at the University of Newcastle and moved into a successful career in journalism working for News Limited, Fairfax, Macquarie Publications and Australian Provincial Newspapers.

Career changes and family life took her to Fiji, Port Douglas, Brisbane and Coffs Harbour.

Eventually she moved to the Mid Coast where she enjoyed working in local government promoting tourism in creative ways.

When management restructuring made her position redundant, she was crestfallen.

But not for long.

“My husband, Stuart, has no tolerance for self-pity,” Susannah said.

“What do you really want to do?” he asked.

“I want to write a book,” she replied.

“Then write a book,” he said.

So, she did, but it took three years and 10 drafts to write her first novel.

“While I was writing a novel, I was undertaking courses and learning to write a novel,” Susannah explained on an Australian Writers’ Centre podcast.

Location is important, but “when I am writing it is character-driven,” she said.

“I liken ‘writing’ to what an artist does with their canvas.

“You start with a broad outline, and you fill it in in a way that feels natural.

“Sometimes it doesn’t work and you have to start again.”

Susannah follows Fiona Mackintosh’s advice: “Have a contract with yourself.”

She works three to five hours each weekday and aims for 1500 to 2000 words.

“The manuscript has to be as good as it can be before submitting it to a publisher,” she emphasised.

Her advice to writers:

1. Don’t be afraid of imperfection. The first draft is just one of many, and each revision will build layers that flesh out character, location and plot.
2. Be professional. Treat it as a job. Turn up and get it done.
3. Read. Read as much as you can. You learn so much when you read as a writer.

Susannah’s disciplined approach paid off.

Her first novel was accepted by Pantera Publishing, and she signed up for a two-book deal.

Her journey towards becoming a published storyteller is proof that dreams can come true if you leave nothing to chance.

By Marilyn SANDERSON