London Writers' Salon #169: Adele Parks — Writing 25 Bestsellers in 25 Years: Discipline, Voice, and Long-Term Success in Commercial Fiction
6 snips
Nov 23, 2025 In this insightful conversation, bestselling novelist Adele Parks, known for 25 hit novels, shares her journey from imitating writers to embracing her unique voice. She discusses the influence of personal loss on her creativity and the importance of treating writing as a disciplined craft. Adele reveals her daily word targets and inventive character interview techniques. She offers advice on navigating criticism, balancing success with humility, and staying connected with readers. It’s a masterclass on resilience and the art of storytelling!
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Grief Spurred Escapist First Novel
- Early grief in Adele's twenties pushed her toward escapist, more frivolous fiction rather than directly writing about sadness.
- She channelled loss into subtext instead of making grief the overt subject of her first book.
Voice Trumps Imitation
- Trusting your own voice matters more than imitating trendy authors when breaking through.
- Personal background and honesty helped Adele find a distinct, publishable voice.
Daily Word Target Beats Perfectionism
- Write consistently with a daily target to build momentum and finish books on schedule.
- Set a minimum (e.g., 1,000 words) and a stop point (e.g., 2,000 words) to protect your daily goal.
