London Writers' Salon

Accelerator physicist and author Suzie Sheehy shares insights on writing popular science, making complex subjects accessible, the reality of getting published, and her book 'The Matter Of Everything: Twelve Experiments That Changed Our World'. She discusses her process for writing, overcoming challenges, and the importance of storytelling in engaging readers.

New York Times bestselling author David Arnold on his journey from professional musician to writer, choosing POV, using vignettes and writing characters that YA readers can’t resist in his latest book, 'I Loved You In Another Life.'*ABOUT DAVID ARNOLD David Arnold is the New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland, I Loved You in Another Life, The Electric Kingdom, Kids of Appetite, and The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik. He has won the Southern Book Prize and the Great Lakes Book Award, and was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start for his debut. *RESOURCES & LINKSFollow DavidDavidarnoldbooks.com@IAmDavidArnoldOther links mentionedLI Loved You In Another Life by David ArnoldDavid’s album, I Loved You In Another Life, by neon imposterSociety of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators*For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Emma Ganon on The Success Myth, our obsession with achievement and how to let go of the idea of having it all. We dive into her creative journey as an entrepreneur and writer of both nonfiction and fiction and the world of Substack. We also talk about Emma’s different income streams, reflections on her Self-Publishing Era, and we look at how she distributes her time and energy. This was a heartfelt discussion about the pressure of wanting success and wanting happiness, navigating those both and how we might ultimately craft a creative life on our own terms.*ABOUT EMMA GANNON Emma Gannon is a Sunday Times bestselling author, broadcaster, speaker, novelist and creator of the no.1 careers podcast in the UK, Ctrl Alt Delete. She has been a columnist for The Times, Telegraph and Courier magazine. Emma has published multiple bestselling books, including The Multi-Hyphen Method; Sabotage and Disconnected. She writes a popular weekly newsletter called The Hyphen that is an exploration of ideas that have got her thinking in new ways.*RESOURCES & LINKSThe Success Myth by Emma Gannon Emma’s Substack, The HyphenEmma's latest post, The Hyphen 2023 Round UpWriting a Novel: Bring Your Ideas to Life the Faber Academy Way by Richard SkinnerIt’ll Be Fun, They Said by Jess Pan on Substack The Pound ProjectElizabeth Gilbert on Distinguishing Between Hobbies, Jobs, Careers, & VocationBill Plotkin on Mythopoetic Identity London Writers’ Salon Interview with Seth Godin  For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Seth Godin, one of the most influential writers and thinkers, discusses finding courage in creating and sharing creative work, prioritizing process over outcome, dealing with resistance and negative emotions, building communities of practice, the impact of AI on writing, and finding purpose in one's work.

Victoria Hislop, international bestselling author known for her historical fiction like 'The Island,' shares her journey from journalism to novel writing. She discusses how travel and history inspire her storytelling, along with the meticulous research behind her work. Hislop emphasizes creating a sense of place and character depth, and explains her approach of starting with a synopsis. She also reveals insights on writing routines, the emotional challenges of historical topics, and the balance of critique and praise in shaping her craft.

Crime mystery author Gwyn Bennett about how she built a successful indie publishing business sold thousands of her own books, and why she accepted a publishing book deal with Indie Publisher Storm. We touch on why it's important to produce a professional indie published book, Gwyn's approach to writing sales copy for her books, hitting the Amazon bestselling list and how she’s approached building an audience for her books. *ABOUT GWYN BENNETT Gwyn Bennett is the best-selling author of the Dr Harrison Lane Mysteries. Her new series is out with Storm.*RESOURCES & LINKSGwyn's first self-published book IslandsMark Dawson's Self Publishing Formula courseAlliance of Independent AuthorsStorm publishingGwyn's Self-Publishing ResourcesGwyn's Dr. Harrison Lane crime series (Amazon US, Amazon UK, Worldwide)Gwyn's newsletter and free novella: Sign upGwyn on LinkedIn*For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Award-winning poet Maggie Smith discusses her process of crafting viral poems, writing a memoir, and becoming a better poet. Topics include narrative device, Substack, and the balance between commercial and creative work. The episode explores navigating personal boundaries, the importance of prioritizing poems, and embracing change and experimentation in writing.

Jean Kwok (New York Times bestselling author) on the process of creating compelling characters and structuring a psychological family drama thriller. Plus we talk about narrative tension, handling criticism and dealing with pressure and failure as a writer.*ABOUT JEAN KWOK Jean Kwok is the award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee, Girl in Translation and Mambo in Chinatown. Searching for Sylvie Lee was selected for the Today Show Book Club and featured in The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, CNN, The New York Post, The Washington Post, and more. *RESOURCES & LINKSThe Leftover Woman by Jean KwockSearching for Sylvie Lee by Jean KwockWhat Remains by Wendy Walker The Blind Assasin by Margaret Atwood Writers’ Hour*For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Nonfiction writer and financial advisor Peter Komolafe, on pulling himself out of homelessness, struggles with debt through to becoming a financial expert. We explore how we might rewrite our relationship with money, his 5 "BASIC" principles of financial security, how visualisation helped him achieve his goals, and his experience writing The Money Basics.Peter also shares his advice on how he utilized platforms like YouTube, and his podcast to build his brand.*ABOUT PETER KOMOLAFE Peter Komolafe founded Conversation of Money (a YouTube Channel and weekly Podcast) in 2020 to have conversations he wished someone had with him when he was in his twenties.  Peter has been featured on Lorraine, Steph’s Packed Lunch, BBC World Service, The Times, The Express, ITV and has appeared as the Financial Expert on Secret Spenders: Beat the Price Rises on Channel 4. He's also the author of The Money Basics.*RESOURCES & LINKSPeter's podcast The Conversation of MoneyPeter's new book The Money BasicsPeter's YouTube channelThe Richest Man in BabylonCompound Internet calculatorBook a discovery call with PeterConnect with Peter on Instagram*For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Natalie Doherty, Children’s Publishing Director at HarperCollins, discusses what she looks for in books, the case against market trends, categories of children’s books, and what makes a magical children’s book.