Death Of 1000 Cuts

This episode I chat to author Kirsty Logan about fairy tales, the subconscious, and stories outside the mainstream. Kirsty Logan is the author of Fantasy novel THE GRACEKEEPERS, about an ocean-filled world where land is scarce, a travelling circus boat, a bear, and a girl charged with tending the souls of the dead. We talk about her fascination with fairy tales while growing up, her short stories, writing retreats, perceptions of mainstream versus niche books, and why weird is good. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - what if my ideas aren't like most other books? - how can I write about weird things? - how can I use fairy tales in my work? - what's it like going on writing retreat? - how can I bounce back from criticism or rejection? If you'd like to read Kirsty's work for yourself click here to get THE GRACEKEEPERS delivered to your door with free shipping worldwide: https://wordery.com/the-gracekeepers-kirsty-logan-9781784700133#oid=1908_1 And if you're interested in what I can do, click here and treat yourself to my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to support the podcast, you can click here and very easily drop me a few beans: www.ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you.

In this episode I chat with author and creative writing teacher Andrew Cowan about writing fiction, finding details, perfectionism and helping bring others' stories to life. Andrew talks switching from pottery to fiction, finding his own voice, ways round perfectionism and self-doubt, and his career in teaching creative writing on residential courses and at the University of East Anglia. He shares some of his favourite creative writing exercises, including ones that helped him break through serious blocks and get the words flowing again. We also talk about the novels he's written so far, how he's researched topics from pig-rearing to eugenics, and the authors and mentors who inspired him. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how can I get myself going again after my writing grinds to a halt? - what are the best ways to research my novel? - how can I get over perfectionism in my writing? - what is the best creative writing exercise? - can creative writing be taught? - what's it like going on a creative writing course? - what's the most common mistake writers make? Get Andrew Cowan's comprehensive course on how to write fiction, THE ART OF WRITING FICTION: https://wordery.com/the-art-of-writing-fiction-andrew-cowan-9781408248348#oid=1908_1 And I really recommend trying one of his novels. PIG: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pig-Andrew-Cowan/dp/0340824123 COMMON GROUND: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Common-Ground-Andrew-Cowan/dp/1444760734 CRUSTACEANS: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crustaceans-Andrew-Cowan/dp/0312312172 WHAT I KNOW: https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-I-Know-Andrew-Cowan/dp/0340713070 WORTHLESS MEN: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Worthless-Men-Andrew-Cowan/dp/1444759426 And of course if you'd care to support me and my career, please treat yourself or a friend to my novel THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you enjoy the podcast and you'd like to help me cover the costs of running it, hosting the audio and the website, you can chuck a few beans into my upturned hat in a couple of clicks here: ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you!

In this episode I chat to Dr Tim Pychyl, psychologist and head of the Procrastination Research Group at Carleton University, Canada. Tim has devoted over 20 years to the 'breakdown in volitional action' we call procrastination. Since I get more letters about struggling with procrastination than all other creative writing topics combined so I thought it was worth approaching one of the world's leading experts on procrastination for advice. We talk neuroscience, specifically the roles of the amygdala and prefrontal cortex in procrastination, and what recent MRI scans of the brains of procrastinators and non-procrastinators have revealed. We talk psychology - what's going on with procrastinators, what we're trying to achieve when we procrastinate, and why procrastination fails on its own terms, let alone frustrating us in other ways. We talk statistics - the latest data from various studies all over the world, showing what, verifiably, works and what doesn't work when we're trying to reduce procrastination. And to kick it all off we talk semantics - what procrastination is and what it is not, and why being able to distinguish between the two is so essential. This is, for me, one of the most important episodes out of the 100+ so far that I've recorded. I've started applying the knowledge Tim gives me in this chat and it's had such a positive impact on my writing practice and my life. I'm writing much more, I'm having more fun and I find it easier to spot myself procrastinating and step out of it into action. If you suffer from procrastination, I really, really hope you listen and apply the science-based, data-driven advice so you can start giving yourself the rich rewards of diving in and achieving things large and small. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how can I stop procrastinating? - what is procrastination? - why are some people more prone to procrastination than others? - why do writers procrastinate? If you want to read more by Tim, check out the website of the Procrastination Research Group where he shares blog posts, podcasts, and all sorts of powerful knowledge on what procrastination is and how we can help free each other from it: http://www.procrastination.ca/ Of course if you want to practise translating dynamic decision-making into immediate action, a great opportunity would be to click this link and buy my weird historical adventure novel set in England in the 1930s, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 I don't get any money for making the show. There are no premium episodes for subscribers - it's all available to everyone for free. If you'd like to help me cover my running costs, such as Soundcloud hosting, website hosting and suchlike, you can drop a few beans into my digital guitar case at: ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you.

This episode features me chatting to writer, performer, poet, podcast presenter, film-maker, playwright and educator Ross Sutherland about his work experimenting on words to make them do cool stuff. His podcast Imaginary Advice recently won Best Fiction Podcast at the British Podcasting Awards, he's produced work for radio and TV, he's a legend of the UK poetry scene and his critically-acclaimed solo show Standby For Tape Backup stormed the Edinburgh Fringe and has toured the world. His work is funny, dark, emotive and brain-melting. He's really cool, you guys. He's also my mate. We talk about how he got into writing, his early experiences learning from his grandma and punk poet John Cooper Clarke, how he uses repetition to induce trance states in audiences and get past his own internal censor, and his advice as an experienced creative writing teacher for finding the 'game' of a piece of writing. He explains how the work of French experimental literature group the Oulipo inspired him to rip Little Red Riding Hood apart noun by noun, and how he helps teach writers to hack language to create weird, vivid effects. We also talk about what it's like when you or your work don't quite fit anywhere, and how to make a virtue out of writing work that's 'hard to explain'. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how do I find ideas? - what should I write about? - what if my work doesn't fit into an existing genre? - what are some warm-up exercises I can do to kickstart my imagination? You would be foolish indeed not to sample an episode of Ross's award-winning podcast Imaginary Advice. Here's the episode he talks about writing towards the end of our chat: https://soundcloud.com/ross-sutherland/52-the-man-who-saw-tomorrow-4th-birthday-episode If you like it, please do Ross a big favour and subscribe to it on Soundcloud or iTunes, leave a little review so other folk can find it, share it on your Twitter or Facebook. All that stuff helps so much, and you're helping someone else stumble across it and have some of the same happiness you did. If you haven't read my novel, THE HONOURS, and you like secret tunnels, conspiracies and a 13-year-old girl in the 1930s trying to piece it all together, give your life a massive shot of the good stuff and treat yourself to a glorious copy: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 And if you'd like to support the podcast, I appreciate any contributions towards hosting costs. You can drop me something in two clicks here: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

In this episode I chat to writer Melissa Harrison about becoming a writer, the pressures of writing, and the process of bringing the past and the natural world to life. We chat about her new novel ALL AMONG THE BARLEY, how she struggled to admit to herself that she wanted to write, research, farming, fascism, and why we write when, at times, it can be difficult and painful. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how should I research my novel? - should I keep writing if I'm not enjoying myself? - how can I find the story amongst the scenes in my head? If you enjoyed this chat and want more, please support Melissa Harrison by grabbing a copy of her latest novel, ALL AMONG THE BARLEY: https://wordery.com/all-among-the-barley-melissa-harrison-9781408897997#oid=1908_1 Here's her Costa-shortlisted novel AT HAWTHORN TIME: https://wordery.com/at-hawthorn-time-melissa-harrison-9781408859070#oid=1908_1 And her first, CLAY: https://wordery.com/clay-melissa-harrison-9781408842553#oid=1908_1 I really appreciate it when you support authors who give their time to come on the show. Thank you. If you're interested in something historical set in the 1930s in England, you might also like my novel THE HONOURS: https://mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-honours/ And, if you like, you can help me cover the cost of running and recording the podcast by dropping me something here: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

This episode I chat to debut Fantasy novelist Micah Yongo about his novel of warring assassins and clashing ideologies, LOST GODS. We get into everything, from working with an editor to researching crossbow physics, to how you go from big ideas and sprawling, complex imaginary worlds down to a story, and the character who's going to propel you through it. Micah also talks about what it's like to be published for the first time, building a writing routine, and representation in SFF and beyond. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how can I turn my ideas for a setting into a story? - what's the best sort of character for a Fantasy story? - how can I research my Fantasy world when it doesn't exist? - what it like working with an editor? - who has the right to write what stories? I know you are awesome and I can rely on you to treat yourself and support Micah Yongo by ordering LOST GODS right now - do it, it's ace! https://wordery.com/lost-gods-micah-yongo-9780857667373#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to read my work, please order my novel THE HONOURS - you can get it here (shipped anywhere in the world) via awesome indie bookshop Mr B's Emporium: https://mrbsemporium.com/shop/books/the-honours/ And if you want to support the podcast and help me pay for hosting costs and website fees, you can click here and drop me a little something in a couple o' clicks. Thanks: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

This episode I chat to debut author Temi Oh about her upcoming novel DO YOU DREAM OF TERRA-TWO? We talk research, handling big casts, giving characters motivation, & novels of ideas. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how can I research my story if some aspects (like space travel) aren't accessible to me? - how can I make sure my characters are well-differentiated? - how can I handle a big cast in my novel? - how does Science Fiction deal with big themes? - how does Science Fiction deal with autobiographical elements? If you like today's episode and want to read Temi's upcoming novel, DO YOU DREAM OF TERRA-TWO? you can pre-order it here. Pre-ordering makes a huge difference to authors, so I encourage, beseech and coax you towards doing so in this instance, right now: https://wordery.com/do-you-dream-of-terra-two-temi-oh-9781471171246#oid=1908_1 You can also support me by ordering my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 And if you'd like to toss a few quid into the podcast's coffers to help me pay for hosting costs and overheads, you can do so here: www.ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you very much. Your patronage is not just appreciated but essential, and I doff my cloth cap to you.

In this episode I talk about some things I've learned from the 4 year process of writing my 2nd novel, THE ICE HOUSE (out May 2019). This is an unscripted episode where I talk through some of my first thoughts about the process, which at times was not easy, to put it mildly. Like anything difficult, doing this novel and seeing it through to completion has taught me a great deal, and so I break down some key principles which I'm going to be taking with me into future writing projects. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - what's it like writing a novel? - why are second novels harder than first ones? - how can I be prolific? - what are some specific strategies for overcoming blocks and procrastination? - how should I approach my first draft? - how should I approach redrafting? If you like this episode and you'd like to support my writing, please click this link and order yourself a copy of my first novel, THE HONOURS. It will be good prep for reading THE ICE HOUSE: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 And if you'd like to support the podcast, please drop me a buck or two via my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you. Have a great time writing.

In this episode I chat with Lauren Groff, bestselling author of FATES & FURIES, about her latest short story collection, FLORIDA. We chat about her writing career spanning 6 books thus far, how she moves from short stories to novels, her ways of working, and how she gets her language and characters to sing. (spoiler: I *love* her work - she is really good) This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how can I improve the language that I use in my stories? - how can I learn to see the world around me more clearly? - what are some unusual techniques I can bring to my writing? - how can poetry help my prose? - how can I sustain and develop my voice over several projects? This episode is supported in part by Mslexia Magazine, the UK’s best-selling magazine for women who write. To subscribe, or check out their competitions and submission opportunities, visit: https://Mslexia.co.uk You can pick up an issue here: https://mslexia.co.uk/product-category/single-issues/ And subscribe here: https://mslexia.co.uk/why-subscribe/ Here's Lauren Groff's brilliant latest story collection, FLORIDA - get it now with free worldwide shipping: https://wordery.com/florida-lauren-groff-9781785151880#oid=1908_1 And here's her New York Times bestselling novel FATES AND FURIES: https://wordery.com/fates-and-furies-lauren-groff-9780099592532#oid=1908_1 And hey, you know you've been putting it off for ages. Buy my novel, THE HONOURS, and be done with it: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to show your support for the show and what I do, I have a Ko-fi page where you can bung me a few sweet beans as a gesture of appreciation: https://ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you so much for your support and enthusiasm. You're awesome.

This episode is a chat with author Mark Stay. He's an indie author, he's worked in traditional publishing, he's co-authored a novel and a screenplay, and he's crowd-funded a novel. Not only that, but he's a presenter of the podcast for writers, THE BESTSELLER EXPERIMENT. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - what are my options for getting my book published? - how can I promote my work? - what are the secrets of writing a bestseller? Hope you enjoy it. Here's Mark Stay's website, with a link to his new novel, THE END OF MAGIC, which you can - and should - back on Unbound: https://markstaywrites.com/the-end-of-magic/ Here's Mark's novel, BACK TO REALITY, which he co-wrote with Mark Oliver: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Back-Reality-feel-good-novel-year-ebook/dp/B076GD5F6H/?tag=bxp05-21 You can check out Mark's fantastic podcast THE BESTSELLER EXPERIMENT here: http://bestsellerexperiment.com/podcasts/ Here's the Ben Aaronovitch episode we talk about: http://bestsellerexperiment.com/ep22-ben-aaronovitch-great-bollocking/ Oh go on, then - here's my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 And the Ko-fi page through which you can show your support for this podcast: https://ko-fi.com/timclare