Elizabeth Noble is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose debut novel The Reading Group sold a quarter of a million copies. She’s since sold over a million and with her tenth novel, Other People’s Husbands, she skilfully works with a large cast of characters to create an authentic drama with lots of moving parts, but still she’s able to sell a novel with just two lines.

SJ Bennett had a successful career writing award-winning books for teenagers, but after a change in the market and a life-changing diagnosis, she decided to completely change tack and began a brand new crime series, Her Majesty the Queen Investigates, which became an international smash, selling over 100,000 copies. With the latest book in the series, Murder Most Royal, Sophia reveals what inspired her to make Queen Elizabeth II her crime-solving protagonist, and how real life events might affect the series’ future.

Louise Willder has been a copywriter at Penguin Books for twenty-five years. During this time, she estimates she has produced about 5,000 blurbs. She now shares her knowledge and experience in her amazing new book, Blurb Your Enthusiasm, which looks at the evolution of blurbs. In this Deep Dive, Louise shares incredibly helpful tips for writing your own and answers our listener questions on blurbs, word count, blurbs for series, multiple POVs and more!

Harriet Tyce tells us about her brilliant new thriller It Ends at Midnight, how the amazing reception to her debut Blood Orange made her wonder if she could do it again, and how she gets herself into trouble by trying to outdo what she’s written before. And in the extended version for Academy members and podcast Patrons, the Two Marks discuss the halo effect, difficult second novels, going too far, changing your mindset and much more!

Alan Gorevan is an Irish thriller writer and winner of the Irish Writers’ Centre Novel Fair competition. Alan was preparing his debut novel for submission when the 2020 lockdown came along, and he thought his dream was over before it had even started. But then Alan decided he wasn’t going to sit around and wait for agents and publishers, and decided to self publish. Starting with some short stories, Alan’s 2020 led a to an extraordinary run of publication and he takes us through it step by step, culminating with his novel The Kindness of Psychopaths.   And in the extended version for Academy members and podcast Patrons, the Two Marks discuss reading your book like a reader, the self-publishing learning curve, the importance of titles, and much more!

Tracey Lien’s debut All That’s Left Unsaid was sold in a nine-way auction and she tells us why it was important that a book that deals with heavy issues needed to be a fun read. Tracey tells us the most important lesson she learned about readers while writing for the LA Times, how she found an agent, why she was baffled by Jane Austen and how a daily writing habit gave her the confidence she needed to finish her novel.   And in the extended version for Academy members and podcast Patrons, the Two Marks discuss balancing story and big issues, readers not owing you anything, and having an idea that’s easy for someone else to pitch, and much more!

A.G. Riddle spent ten years starting internet companies before retiring to pursue his true passion of writing fiction. His novels have sold over four million copies worldwide and been translated in twenty-four languages. His new novel Lost in Time is a time travel thriller and continues his knack for blending genres, and he tells us why writers need to define their own success.   And in the extended version for Patreons and Academates, the two Marks discuss defining success, filtering feedback, authenticity, the doubt train and much more!

Dr Devin Finaughty is a lecturer in forensic science the University of Kent, Chandra Finaughty has two Masters specialising in forensics and a teaching fellow at King’s College, London. They answer questions from our Patrons and Academates on forensics in fiction, including the CSI effect, working a crime scene, and essential resources for writers and research.

Ed McDonald returns to the podcast with a new fantasy series, The Redwinter Chronicles, and we discuss how the fantasy genre has changed in the short time since we last spoke. Ed also discusses a life-threatening illness that has given him a new perspective on his writing. And in the extended version for Patreons and Academates, the two Marks discuss false starts, deleting work and starting over, ideas versus theme, and much more!

Danny Stack and Tim Clague are award-winning screenwriters and directors who have never waited for permission from the industry to make their movies. As Future TX, their new family science fiction adventure feature film, hits Odeon cinemas in the UK, Danny and Tim reveal how they’ve made and released two independent feature films. They offer great tips for screenwriters, insight into the film industry, and why now may be the best time to write and make your movie.