EP370: Lizzie Pook — A Long Old Slog to Publication
Lizzie Pook is a long-time listener of the podcast and Patreon supporter whose debut novel Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter was inspired by her time in north-western Australia researching the pearl-diving industry. The novel is being published by three major publishers on three continents with three very different covers, but the road to publication was a long slog, […]
Continue readingEP369: Deep Dive — Making an Independent Horror Movie with Bethany Clift and Peter Handford
Bethany Clift and Peter Handford take us through the making of their 2012 independent horror movie HERETIC, from the first spark of the idea, to financing, pre-production, filming, post-production and how they got the DVD in the supermarket bestsellers and the lessons they’ve learned. This is fascinating and honest breakdown of just how challenging it is […]
Continue readingEP368: Bethany Clift — Feeling Fine at the End of the World
Bethany Clift’s debut novel The Last One at the Party is hilarious, moving, cathartic and set in an utterly terrifying pandemic. She tells us how writing and reading horror is great for mental health, how seeing E.T. at an impressionable age inspired her, and how writing a novel with only one living character allowed her […]
Continue readingEP367: Jeevani Charika — The “Aah” Factor
Jeevani Charika (aka Rhoda Baxter) is an award-nominated author of women’s fiction with heroines of colour. Her latest novel, Playing for Love, is set in the world of online gaming, giving the classic mistaken identity romcom story a fresh makeover. We discuss how to write a convincing rom com, and why 2022 could be her […]
Continue readingEP366: Beth Miller — The Spine of the Story
Beth Miller is the bestselling author of six novels, one of which took 12 years to write, another just 8 months. Beth tells us why the most important part of the process of her is finding the spine of the story: the thing that moves both her and the reader. We also talk about titles, […]
Continue readingEP365: Samantha King — Enjoy the View
Samantha King returns to the podcast to reveal how her latest novel The Secret Keepers’ Daughter was inspired by a “worry box” and how our darkest and most terrifying fears are found in our own homes and in everyday life. We also discuss the career of an author beyond the debut and how she’s learned […]
Continue readingEP364: Shona Kinsella — We All Help Each Other If We Can
British Fantasy Award nominee Shona Kinsella tells us about her new book Outlander and the real Jacobites, which digs into the real history behind Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Shona’s career has been an extraordinary rollercoaster, and she talks openly about the highs and lows of crowdfunding, flash fiction, writing and editing a novella in 30 […]
Continue readingEP363: Lori Ann Stephens — Ignore the Fear
Have you ever wanted to tell a story, but been too scared to write it? Lori Ann Stephens’ near-future thriller Blue Running covers a whole range of contentious topics, but Lori tells us how she overcame such a fear to tell her story, how she had dealt with the reactions of readers and her own […]
Continue readingEP362: Simon Beckett — All Change
International bestselling author Simon Beckett returns to the podcast to tell us about his new novel The Lost, in which he starts a whole new series. He offers tips on character, tension, and how to develop a great thriller. And the two Marks discuss how theme and endings can help you when you’re stuck, and […]
Continue readingEP361: Daniel Rigby — Just Start Doing It
BAFTA-award winning actor Daniel Rigby tells us about his Audible original debut Isaac Steele and the Forever Man and how his background in comedy and improvisation helped create his protagonist and his extraordinary world. . . . . . In this episode you will discover: Letting ideas marinade (sometimes for years) and why it’s okay […]
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