This episode is an unscripted, unedited talk from me about creative writing and fiction and motivation. So I decided to record this one evening a few days ago, to get out a few things about writing, and keeping going with your writing, that had been on my mind. (I'm aware that the language I use in this one is quite florid bordering on Biblical - just so you know, I'm fine, I'm not about to start spewing prophecies or anything. Just being poetic!) Folding together some thoughts from my most recent chats with authors, I ask: why are you writing? And I try to formulate the difference between writing for the approval of others, and writing for mischief. If you'd like to support me, the podcast and all the things I'm putting out into the world, if you like what I do and would like me to do more of it, and if you'd like to be the first to read my brand new novel, please help me by pre-ordering a copy of THE ICE HOUSE. It's got an old lady pulled out of retirement for one last job, a 400-year-old forensic pathologist field medic battle nun looking to bring down an empire, psychedelics, dungeon crawls, jungle adventures, a locked-room murder mystery, intrigue, romance, minotaurs, a secret testing facility, giant sentient beetles, immortal mutant aristocrats, knife fights, an angel, larceny and ancient menaces rising from the depths. You're going to dig it and it helps me so much. Here are some places you can order now: Mr B's Emporium are an indie bookstore who deliver worldwide - I'll sign all pre-ordered copies from here: mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-ice-house/ Wordery: https://wordery.com/the-ice-house-tim-clare-9781786894816#oid=1908_1 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-House-Tim-Clare/dp/1786894815/ Or ask at your local bricks and mortar bookshop. If you'd like to read a story about a 13 year old girl investigating a secret society in 1930s Norfolk, grab a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to sign up to my free Weekly Writing Workout, here's the sign up form: eepurl.com/gbmfcP Here's my author page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timclarepoet/ Here's my Twitter page: twitter.com/TimClarePoet And here's my website where you can submit your first pages or just get in touch and say hello: www.timclarepoet.co.uk And if you'd like to support the podcast, here's my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

On today's episode I chat with (my) editor Jo Dingley about finding books, making them better, and getting them to readers. Jo is an editor at Canongate in the UK and has years of experience finding stories, working with authors to make their books better, and helping those books launch and find an audience. We talk through what her job entails, what the secret sauce is that editors are looking for, and ways of making novels suck less. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - what does an editor do? - how can I find an editor? - do editors read the slush pile? - what are the most common mistakes authors make? - how can I get my novel noticed? - what makes a book stand out? If you'd like to support me, the podcast and all the things I'm putting out into the world, if you like what I do and would like me to do more of it, and if you'd like to be the first to read my brand new novel, please help me by pre-ordering a copy of THE ICE HOUSE. It's got an old lady pulled out of retirement for one last job, a 400-year-old forensic pathologist field medic battle nun looking to bring down an empire, psychedelics, dungeon crawls, jungle adventures, a locked-room murder mystery, intrigue, romance, minotaurs, a secret testing facility, giant sentient beetles, immortal mutant aristocrats, knife fights, an angel, larceny and ancient menaces rising from the depths. You're going to dig it and it helps me so much. Here are some places you can order now: Mr B's Emporium are an indie bookstore who deliver worldwide - I'll sign all pre-ordered copies from here: mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-ice-house/ Wordery: https://wordery.com/the-ice-house-tim-clare-9781786894816#oid=1908_1 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-House-Tim-Clare/dp/1786894815/ Or ask at your local bricks and mortar bookshop. If you'd like to read a story about a 13 year old girl investigating a secret society in 1930s Norfolk, grab a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to sign up to my free Weekly Writing Workout, here's the sign up form: eepurl.com/gbmfcP Here's my author page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timclarepoet/ Here's my Twitter page: twitter.com/TimClarePoet And here's my website where you can submit your first pages or just get in touch and say hello: www.timclarepoet.co.uk And if you'd like to support the podcast, here's my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

This episode's chat is with author Chris McCrudden, talking geeky comedy, stories, and the hard numbers of book sales. In this wide-ranging chat recorded back in January, Chris talks Greek myth, the perils of satire, his winding road to publication, finding time to write and why writing tips bring him out in hives. We discuss his comedy SF novel BATTLESTAR SUBURBIA and its bracing mix of humour and barbed political comedy. He also drops some serious data about the top 100 bestselling books in the UK last year, breaking them down by author and genre to reveal what books are on the up, and those which remain perilously tricky to sell. This is a great chat to listen to if you want to know: - how can I find time to write my novel? - should I quit my day job? - why do so many people want to become authors? - what books are people in the UK buying? - what genres are doing best right now? - how can I support change and progress in the publishing industry? If you'd like to read Chris McCrudden's hilariously subversive space adventure BATTLESTAR SUBURBIA, it's here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battlestar-Suburbia-Book/dp/1788421027 And if you'd like to follow him on Twitter (I recommend it!), he's @cmccrudden here: https://twitter.com/cmccrudden If you'd like to support me, the podcast and all the things I'm putting out into the world, if you like what I do and would like me to do more of it, and if you'd like to be the first to read my brand new novel, please help me by pre-ordering a copy of THE ICE HOUSE. It's got an old lady pulled out of retirement for one last job, a 400-year-old forensic pathologist field medic battle nun looking to bring down an empire, psychedelics, dungeon crawls, jungle adventures, a locked-room murder mystery, intrigue, romance, minotaurs, a secret testing facility, giant sentient beetles, immortal mutant aristocrats, knife fights, an angel, larceny and ancient menaces rising from the depths. You're going to dig it and it helps me so much. Here are some places you can order now: Mr B's Emporium are an indie bookstore who deliver worldwide - I'll sign all pre-ordered copies from here: mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-ice-house/ Wordery: https://wordery.com/the-ice-house-tim-clare-9781786894816#oid=1908_1 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-House-Tim-Clare/dp/1786894815/ Or ask at your local bricks and mortar bookshop. If you'd like to read a story about a 13 year old girl investigating a secret society in 1930s Norfolk, grab a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to sign up to my free Weekly Writing Workout, here's the sign up form: eepurl.com/gbmfcP Here's my author page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timclarepoet/ Here's my Twitter page: twitter.com/TimClarePoet And here's my website where you can submit your first pages or just get in touch and say hello: www.timclarepoet.co.uk And if you'd like to support the podcast, here's my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

In this episode I chat with New York Times Bestselling Author VE Schwab about magic, moving between worlds and some surprising revelations about pain. We chat about her early work, the very first book she got published, the perils of the 'sophomore slump', rediscovering joy and autonomy in novel writing, and exploring aspects of your personality through different characters. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - what if I'm not sure who my audience is? - how can I come up with compelling characters? - how heavily should I plan my novel? - how can I rediscover my joy of writing? - what's it like writing for a big audience? - how can I write unsympathetic or morally-ambiguous main characters and still make the reader want to keep going? If you'd like to read some VE Schwab a *perfect* place to start is VICIOUS: https://wordery.com/vicious-v-e-schwab-9781783290215#oid=1908_1 Alternatively, we chat about A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC: https://wordery.com/a-darker-shade-of-magic-v-e-schwab-9781783295401#oid=1908_1 Her books are *rad* you guys. Seriously. Check one out. If you'd like to support me, the podcast and all the things I'm putting out into the world, if you like what I do and would like me to do more of it, and if you'd like to be the first to read my brand new novel, please help me by pre-ordering a copy of THE ICE HOUSE. It's got an old lady pulled out of retirement for one last job, a 400-year-old forensic pathologist field medic battle nun looking to bring down an empire, psychedelics, dungeon crawls, jungle adventures, a locked-room murder mystery, intrigue, romance, minotaurs, a secret testing facility, giant sentient beetles, immortal mutant aristocrats, knife fights, an angel, larceny and ancient menaces rising from the depths. You're going to dig it and it helps me so much. Here are some places you can order now: Mr B's Emporium are an indie bookstore who deliver worldwide - I'll sign all pre-ordered copies from here: mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-ice-house/ Wordery: https://wordery.com/the-ice-house-tim-clare-9781786894816#oid=1908_1 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-House-Tim-Clare/dp/1786894815/ Or ask at your local bricks and mortar bookshop. If you'd like to read a story about a 13 year old girl investigating a secret society in 1930s Norfolk, grab a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to sign up to my free Weekly Writing Workout, here's the sign up form: eepurl.com/gbmfcP Here's my author page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timclarepoet/ Here's my Twitter page: twitter.com/TimClarePoet And here's my website where you can submit your first pages or just get in touch and say hello: www.timclarepoet.co.uk And if you'd like to support the podcast, here's my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

In this episode I chat with author Gareth Hanrahan about his Fantasy debut THE GUTTER PRAYER. We geek out about tabletop roleplaying, and the lessons he's learned from making stories up on the spot. He talks through his process for creating worlds and cool stuff within them, and the challenge of writing stories with no protagonists for players to immerse themselves in, versus the challenge of having to write a world in which we follow someone who does stuff and makes things happen. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how can I get cool ideas for worldbuilding? - how can I develop my Science Fiction or Fantasy world? - what's the difference writing for RPGs vs novels? - what important traits should a protagonist have? Grab yourself a copy of THE GUTTER PRAYER by Gareth Hanrahan here: https://wordery.com/the-gutter-prayer-gareth-hanrahan-9780356511528#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to support me, the podcast and all the things I'm putting out into the world, if you like what I do and would like me to do more of it, and if you'd like to be the first to read my brand new novel, please help me by pre-ordering a copy of THE ICE HOUSE. It's got an old lady pulled out of retirement for one last job, a 400-year-old forensic pathologist field medic battle nun looking to bring down an empire, psychedelics, dungeon crawls, jungle adventures, a locked-room murder mystery, intrigue, romance, minotaurs, a secret testing facility, giant sentient beetles, immortal mutant aristocrats, knife fights, an angel, larceny and ancient menaces rising from the depths. You're going to dig it and it helps me so much. Here are some places you can order now: Mr B's Emporium are an indie bookstore who deliver worldwide - I'll sign all pre-ordered copies from here: mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-ice-house/ Wordery: https://wordery.com/the-ice-house-tim-clare-9781786894816#oid=1908_1 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-House-Tim-Clare/dp/1786894815/ Or ask at your local bricks and mortar bookshop. If you'd like to read a story about a 13 year old girl investigating a secret society in 1930s Norfolk, grab a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to sign up to my free Weekly Writing Workout, here's the sign up form: eepurl.com/gbmfcP Here's my author page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timclarepoet/ Here's my Twitter page: twitter.com/TimClarePoet And here's my website where you can submit your first pages or just get in touch and say hello: www.timclarepoet.co.uk And if you'd like to support the podcast, here's my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

This episode I chat with author Jess Kidd about death, genre and being haunted by the past. Jess Kidd is the author of HIMSELF, THE HOARDER and most recently, THINGS IN JARS. We talk through her process for writing her novels, and what she's learned along the way. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how can I discover a character's voice? - how do I know what genre I'm writing in? - does genre matter? HIMSELF: https://wordery.com/himself-jess-kidd-9781782118480#oid=1908_1 THE HOARDER: https://wordery.com/the-hoarder-jess-kidd-9781782118527#oid=1908_1 THINGS IN JARS: https://wordery.com/things-in-jars-jess-kidd-9781786893765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to support me, the podcast and all the things I'm putting out into the world, if you like what I do and would like me to do more of it, and if you'd like to be the first to read my brand new novel, please help me by pre-ordering a copy of THE ICE HOUSE. It's got an old lady pulled out of retirement for one last job, a 400-year-old forensic pathologist field medic battle nun looking to bring down an empire, psychedelics, dungeon crawls, jungle adventures, a locked-room murder mystery, intrigue, romance, minotaurs, a secret testing facility, giant sentient beetles, immortal mutant aristocrats, knife fights, an angel, larceny and ancient menaces rising from the depths. You're going to dig it and it helps me so much. Here are some places you can order now: Mr B's Emporium are an indie bookstore who deliver worldwide - I'll sign all pre-ordered copies from here: mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-ice-house/ Wordery: https://wordery.com/the-ice-house-tim-clare-9781786894816#oid=1908_1 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-House-Tim-Clare/dp/1786894815/ Or ask at your local bricks and mortar bookshop. If you'd like to read a story about a 13 year old girl investigating a secret society in 1930s Norfolk, grab a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to sign up to my free Weekly Writing Workout, here's the sign up form: eepurl.com/gbmfcP Here's my author page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timclarepoet/ Here's my Twitter page: twitter.com/TimClarePoet And here's my website where you can submit your first pages or just get in touch and say hello: www.timclarepoet.co.uk And if you'd like to support the podcast, here's my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

On today's episode I chat to Millie Seaward, publicist for Little, Brown, about the art of getting books to readers. She answers questions like: - what kinds of books are easiest to sell? - what types of books get most reviews? - what makes a book an 'event'? - what's a blog tour and is it worth it? - what types of publicity sell the most books? If you'd like to support me, the podcast and all the things I'm putting out into the world, if you like what I do and would like me to do more of it, and if you'd like to be the first to read my brand new novel, please help me by pre-ordering a copy of THE ICE HOUSE. It's got an old lady pulled out of retirement for one last job, a 400-year-old forensic pathologist field medic battle nun looking to bring down an empire, psychedelics, dungeon crawls, jungle adventures, a locked-room murder mystery, intrigue, romance, minotaurs, a secret testing facility, giant sentient beetles, immortal mutant aristocrats, knife fights, an angel, larceny and ancient menaces rising from the depths. You're going to dig it and it helps me so much. Here are some places you can order now: Mr B's Emporium are an indie bookstore who deliver worldwide - I'll sign all pre-ordered copies from here: mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-ice-house/ Wordery: https://wordery.com/the-ice-house-tim-clare-9781786894816#oid=1908_1 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-House-Tim-Clare/dp/1786894815/ Or ask at your local bricks and mortar bookshop. If you'd like to read a story about a 13 year old girl investigating a secret society in 1930s Norfolk, grab a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to sign up to my free Weekly Writing Workout, here's the sign up form: eepurl.com/gbmfcP Here's my author page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timclarepoet/ Here's my Twitter page: twitter.com/TimClarePoet And here's my website where you can submit your first pages or just get in touch and say hello: www.timclarepoet.co.uk And if you'd like to support the podcast, here's my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

Today I take a look at a listener's first page and suggest ways to make it better. It's an old school Death Of 1000 Cuts 'In The Barber's Chair' episode. Hurrah! I chat a bit about exposition, writing convincing dialogue, world-building in Fantasy and Science Fiction, and centring your protagonist's conflicts. Lots of meat and potatoes stuff on editing your work to make it better. If you'd like to support me, the podcast and all the things I'm putting out into the world, if you like what I do and would like me to do more of it, and if you'd like to be the first to read my brand new novel, please help me by pre-ordering a copy of THE ICE HOUSE. It's got an old lady pulled out of retirement for one last job, a 400-year-old forensic pathologist field medic battle nun looking to bring down an empire, psychedelics, dungeon crawls, jungle adventures, a locked-room murder mystery, intrigue, romance, minotaurs, a secret testing facility, giant sentient beetles, immortal mutant aristocrats, knife fights, an angel, larceny and ancient menaces rising from the depths. You're going to dig it and it helps me so much. Here are some places you can order now: Mr B's Emporium are an indie bookstore who deliver worldwide - I'll sign all pre-ordered copies from here: mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-ice-house/ Wordery: https://wordery.com/the-ice-house-tim-clare-9781786894816#oid=1908_1 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-House-Tim-Clare/dp/1786894815/ Or ask at your local bricks and mortar bookshop. If you'd like to read a story about a 13 year old girl investigating a secret society in 1930s Norfolk, grab a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to sign up to my free Weekly Writing Workout, here's the sign up form: eepurl.com/gbmfcP Here's my author page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/timclarepoet/ Here's my Twitter page: twitter.com/TimClarePoet And here's my website where you can submit your first pages or just get in touch and say hello: www.timclarepoet.co.uk And if you'd like to support the podcast, here's my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

This is the first episode of Death Of 1000 Cuts, Season 3, the podcast for writers. It's all about creative writing, and stories, and how to write more, better, and be happier as you do. In this episode I preview what I've got planned for the new season of the podcast this year, and share my writing goals for 2019. Hopefully you'll be inspired to make some of your own! If you'd like to support me, the podcast and all the things I'm putting out into the world, if you like what I do and would like me to do more, and if you'd like to be the first to read my brand new novel, please help me by pre-ordering a copy of THE ICE HOUSE. It's got an old lady pulled out of retirement for one last job, a 400-year-old forensic pathologist field medic battle nun looking to bring down an empire, psychedelics, dungeon crawls, jungle adventures, a locked-room murder mystery, intrigue, romance, minotaurs, a secret testing facility, giant sentient beetles, immortal mutant aristocrats, knife fights, an angel, larceny and ancient menaces rising from the depths. You're going to dig it and it helps me so much. Here are some places you can order now: Mr B's Emporium are an indie bookstore who deliver worldwide - I'll sign all pre-ordered copies from here: https://mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-ice-house/ Wordery: https://wordery.com/the-ice-house-tim-clare-9781786894816#oid=1908_1 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-House-Tim-Clare/dp/1786894815/ If you'd like to read a story about a 13 year old girl investigating a secret society in 1930s Norfolk, grab a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to sign up to my free Weekly Writing Workout, here's the sign up form: http://eepurl.com/gbmfcP Here's my author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timclarepoet/ Here's my Twitter page: https://twitter.com/TimClarePoet And here's my website where you can submit your first pages or just get in touch and say hello: www.timclarepoet.co.uk

In this episode I chat to researcher, neuroscientist and psychologist Paul J Zak about the power of narrative and what goes on in our brains when we get lost in a great story. We chat about his research into oxytocin and how it affects our decisions, how the brain responds to stories versus events happening in real life, how the physiological costs of paying attention affect the types of story shapes that work best, and how to write the ultimate story that will grip, move and change people. He also gives advice on the kinds of people you must engage if you want your writing to be a hit. As well as that we discuss the purpose of villains, horror, and tragedy. Here's his book about the amazing effects of oxytocin, THE MORAL MOLECULE: https://wordery.com/the-moral-molecule-paul-j-zak-9780552164610#oid=1908_1 And his book on building trust, THE TRUST FACTOR: https://wordery.com/trust-factor-paul-j-zak-9780814437667#oid=1908_1 Here's his TED Talk on the 'moral molecule' oxytocin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFAdlU2ETjU Here's his website: https://www.pauljzak.com/ Here's the link to sign up to my new WEEKLY WRITING WORKOUT: https://timclarepoet.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e7ca46b9b92f78eed632be306&id=9233777f1e And if you'd like to try a story that will have you pumping out oxytocin, buy my novel THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 You can pre-order my next novel, THE ICE HOUSE, here: https://wordery.com/the-ice-house-tim-clare-9781786894816#oid=1908_1 And if you'd like to drop the show a little something to help keep the lights on, you can do so here: www.ko-fi.com/timclare