The Bestseller Experiment

Editor Emad Akhtar has worked with authors like Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin and Justin Cronin and was kind enough to join our live show and answer our listeners' questions! In this episode you will discover… Common pacing issues with first drafts Why your most difficult scenes might be a reward for readers Why editors can be like movie producers, and what questions you should be asking editors Why you shouldn't just slavishly follow an editor’s notes And why you should consider supply and demand with exposition To support the show go to bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now  bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

This week’s Deep Dive is short n sweet and crammed with tips on making your chapters work as hard as possible. We’ll look at the purpose of the chapter, how it fits into the larger story, and what tools you can use when editing to ensure that your chapter earns its place in the story. Hear more at http://bestsellerexperiment.com/support

We speak to Cavan Scott, an extraordinary writer who writes on licence, meaning that he is hired to write for licenced intellectual properties such as Star Wars and Doctor Who. If you’ve ever written fan fiction and dream of writing for a big franchise then you’ll find plenty of inspiration in this week’s episode. In this episode you will discover… How the world of tie-in and licensed fiction works How to work to a brief or with a series bible How copyright and public domain works How good old-fashioned determination and persistence pays off with an extraordinary career To hear more of this episode in our deep dive, check out bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

Audiobooks with Paul Stark Here are some clips of what is happening over on the Deep Dive at http://bestsellerexperiment.com/support

We speak to Roz Morris, a writer whose books have sold over 4 million copies, but until recently you won’t have seen her name on the covers because she is a ghost writer. Roz has written for members of the SAS, rockstar bodyguards, children’s fantasy authors and more. In this episode you will discover… - How ghostwriters work with their authors - Why the story is in the struggle - How you can apply story structure to memoir and biography - A method of turning notes into a story with scraps of paper and a box! To hear more of this episode in our deep dive, check out bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

Here are some clips of what is happening over on the Deep Dive at http://bestsellerexperiment.com/support

We speak to Richard Morgan about his novel Altered Carbon and its long journey through development hell before it went on the become the biggest show on Netflix. And we look back on his incredible career, which includes fantasy fiction and comic books, and we look forward to his long-awaited forthcoming novel Thin Air. In this episode you will discover… The perils of selling the TV and film rights to your writing Tips on completing trilogies and writing satisfying endings   How adversity should strengthen your characters and not weaken them The key differences between TV and film storytelling To hear more of this episode in our deep dive, check out bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

Here are some clips of what is happening over on the Deep Dive at http://bestsellerexperiment.com/support

In the latest of an occasional series of reports from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference, we speak to bestselling children’s author and illustrator Alex T Smith… and Mr. D makes a big declaration! In this episode you will discover… How themes help with story ideas for series characters How your personality will make your book unique How the most unexpected influences can enhance your writing Why it might pay dividends to dig out your old sketches and writing To hear more of this episode in our deep dive, check out bestsellerexperiment.com/support Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality

A special episode where Mr. Stay catches up with Sam Eades on the Gingerbread writing competition launched in episode 50, and speaks to the shortlisted authors, and we discover what it was about their writing that got them shortlisted...   In this episode you will discover… How targets and deadlines are essential for any writer How writing for competitions with a theme can help you dig deeper How to find the courage to tell your own story And editor Sam Eades introduces us to the mysterious story triangle! To hear more of this episode in our deep dive, check out patreon.com/bestsellerexperiment Our novel Back To Reality is out now bestsellerexperiment.com/backtoreality