In this episode I chat to novelist Claire North (aka Catherine Webb) about her amazing career spanning 20 (!) novels so far, starting when she was just 14. We chat about genre, growing up geeky, dystopias, craft, and changing the world - and her latest novel, 84K, set in a frighteningly familiar corporate near-future where everything - including murder - has a price and ad support. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - does genre matter? - who decides what genre my book is? - can stories change the world? - what are some ways in to writing about big themes or social issues? - how can I write consistently? You can grab a copy of 84K by Claire North here: https://wordery.com/84k-claire-north-9780316316804#oid=1908_1 Here's THE FIRST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST, which we chat about: https://wordery.com/the-first-fifteen-lives-of-harry-august-claire-north-9780356502588#oid=1908_1 You can follow Cat on Twitter: @ClaireNorth42 Please support me and the show by buying my cool book, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 You can also drop me a couple of bucks directly to help with the show's overheads, via my ko-fi page: ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you!

This episode I chat to Peter Newman, author of Fantasy trilogy THE VAGRANT, THE MALICE and THE SEVEN, and - released in the UK *this week* (!) - his latest, THE DEATHLESS. I grill him for precious, precious info on how he builds worlds, his philosophy on creating characters, and what makes Fantasy so compelling. We end up chatting about everything from roleplaying on school buses, to why goats make the perfect jesters to critique humankind. Whatever genre you write in, there are bucketloads of down-to-earth advice from an experienced author on how to keep writing and find the good stuff. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - what makes a good protagonist? - how do I write stories set in a dystopia? - how do I make my readers care about my characters? - what's Grimdark Fantasy and should I write it? - what are good ways to think about world-building? - how can I convey my world while keeping the story going? - what things do readers need to know, and when? Peter Newman's latest novel (out this week!) is THE DEATHLESS, and you can grab yourself a copy here: https://wordery.com/the-deathless-peter-newman-9780008228989#oid=1908_1 But you should read all Pete's novels! (I enjoyed them) A good place to start is THE VAGRANT, which we discuss on the podcast: https://wordery.com/the-vagrant-peter-newman-9780007593132#oid=1908_1 2nd in the trilogy is THE MALICE: https://wordery.com/the-malice-peter-newman-9780007593194#oid=1908_1 And it closes with THE SEVEN: https://wordery.com/the-seven-peter-newman-9780008180164#oid=1908_1 You can grab my novel, THE HONOURS, here: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 You can also drop me a couple of bucks directly to help with the show's overheads, via my ko-fi page: ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you!

To mark the 100th episode of Death Of 1000 Cuts, my writing advice podcast, I thought I'd record a Q&A, answering listeners' questions. Here are the questions I answer, in the order I answer them. Thanks very much to everyone who submitted questions! - How do you know when you’re being original? - When can you quit the day job? Should you quit the day job? - How do you balance writing and family life? - I'd love more tips about writing characters that are consistent and iconic but also growing and complex. 'How do word people better?' - What's the last literary novel you read that you rated highly? - Do you ever have trouble concentrating on your writing, and if so, what do you do to stay focused and productive? - What inspired you to write The Honours? - How do you decide when something is done? A piece of work might never reach the ideal image of it we have in our minds, so at what point then do we stop and send it off? - How do you know when you should give up on a particular piece of work? - What boardgame do you enthuse about to other people who love them and what boardgame do you enthuse about to other people who don't? - is "secret vampires" your favourite song by the pop group bis? - Would you advise forcing yourself to finish what you start or trust you're finishing the important ones? - I’d love to know your views on research.. are you a thorough mini expert in your subject before you even start? Or do you start then realise you need to research? - How much did you query before you found an agent? - Any tips on getting through the big first revision after completing a novel first draft? I find it much harder to summon the enthusiasm to edit than I did to create - Who is your favourite member of Steps and why? - When I read books by other authors, what should I be looking for that can help me with my own writing? - How do you finish stories? As in when do you stop iterating on them? - Writing right now feels like a completely safe space. Is it harder to feel like that once you’ve been published? What can you do about that? If you get value out of the show and you'd like to see us continue for another 100 episodes, the best way to show your support is to buy my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 You can also drop me a couple of bucks directly to help with the show's overheads, via my ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you!

In this episode author Tim Clare takes a look at a listener's first page and suggests ways to make it better. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how can I be a better self-editor? - how can I make my world-building great? - what sort of things should I think about when designing a planet? - what are good ways to introduce a character in a novel? - how should I think about the 'flow' of a sentence? If you enjoy this episode then for gawd's sake buy me book, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 And help me keep the podcast going by laying a few hot pence down on me via this handy-dandy site: https://ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you!

In this episode I chat to tabletop game designer Grant Howitt about creating stories out of thin air. We talk about the magic of gathering together to make stories with friends, how characters flow out of the simplest backstories, and ways in which you can use the techniques of roleplaying and improv to get over your creative fears and be happy, prolific and daring in your writing. Grant also talks about his new book, SPIRE, co-written with Christopher Taylor, a roleplaying game and world where you play terrorists trying to overthrow the oppressive high elves of a gigantic and deeply weird city-tower. This episode is great to listen to if you want to know: - what makes a good character? - what drives a brilliant plot? - how can I use roleplaying techniques to write better and more? - how can I learn to think like my character? - what is a tabletop roleplaying game? - how can I overcome perfectionism? - can I use creative/roleplaying techniques to feel a bit better? You can find some of Grant's brilliant games (including free one-page rpgs you can play with friends in an afternoon) here: http://rowanrookanddecard.com/ SPIRE is available in hardback here: http://rowanrookanddecard.com/product/spire-rpg/ Follow him on Twitter @gshowitt Here's a great blog he wrote called 11 Ways To Be A Better Roleplayer that handily serves as a fantastic list of ways to write better and get your characters into more and more interesting flavours of trouble: http://lookrobot.co.uk/2013/06/20/11-ways-to-be-a-better-roleplayer/ Like the show? Gorge yourself on period weirdness with my novel THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 Want to help me pay my exorbitant hosting bills & keep the lights on? A few bucks chucked my way would be deeply appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you, and please don't forget to share the show, subscribe on SoundCloud and iTunes, and pop me a little review if you like what I do.

In this episode I talk about creative ways of getting unstuck when you're working on a project, and showcase John August's Writer Emergency Pack - a deck of cards designed to help storymakers out of jams. I also review what I've learned from speaking to the various authors I've had as guests on the show so far, and talk about some key takeaways you can apply to your writing practice right now. NOT ONLY THAT but I drill down into the idea of 'success' and 'failure' as an author, and what they might actually look like for different people. My position is that the most common standard of writing success is responsible for a great deal of suffering and neither conducive to happiness nor creativity. Finally I announce the big Death Of 1000 Cuts listener survey. Please please please let me know your thoughts! What do you like about the show? What would you like to hear more of? What could you do with less of? Tell me! Gimme feedback! This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - what are a range of strategies writers use to break through blocks? - is there just one way of writing successfully? - how can I avoid burnout as a writer? - how can I motivate myself? - are setbacks normal? Here's a link to John August's Writer Emergency Pack: https://writeremergency.com/ Please support the podcast and me by buying my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to help me out with the hosting costs of the podcast, you can drop me a buck or two here: ko-fi.com/timclare Here's the link to the LISTENER SURVEY - please fill it in! It only takes 5 minutes and I want to know what you think: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FQ3C3VN Thank you very much. I appreciate your support.

In this episode I chat to author Jeannette Ng about her Gothic Fantasy novel UNDER THE PENDULUM SUN. We discuss how she came upon her tale of a gothic heroine travelling to the mysterious and threatening continent of Arcadia, in search of her missionary brother who has been trying to convert the Fair Folk. We chat about Chinese vampires, world-building, colonialism, the creative freedom of youth, borrowing from established story structures, dreaded second novel syndrome, and writing in the long shadow of the Brontës. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how can I create compelling Fantasy worlds? - how can I breathe new life into familiar monsters? - where can I look for inspiration? - what does Fantasy allow me to do that other genres don't? - what strategies can I use to overcome excessive self-criticism? - what are some pitfalls to avoid when creating Fantasy cultures? If you got value out of this episode please support Jeannette Ng by ordering her novel, UNDER THE PENDULUM SUN: https://wordery.com/under-the-pendulum-sun-jeannette-ng-9780857667274#oid=1908_1 Please support me and my work by buying my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to help me cover the costs of making the podcast, you can drop me a few bucks at my ko-fi page - thank you so much for all your support so far: https://ko-fi.com/timclare

I chat to Hayley Webster, author of JAR BABY and MEET THE TWITCHES. We talk about the origins of her love of reading, the ways a story engages your senses, and her approach to writing across genres, from mystery to literary fiction to memoir to children's adventures. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how do I write a book for children? - what's it like working with an illustrator? - is it okay to work on multiple projects? - do I need to stick to one genre? - how can I make my writing vivid? - how can I develop my confidence as a writer? - what's it like working with an agent? - what are different ways I can get a book deal? Here are links to a couple of Hayley's books she mentions. Please support her career and this podcast by clicking the links below and treating yourself to some of her work. JAR BABY: https://wordery.com/jar-baby-hayley-webster-9781903660102#oid=1908_1 MEET THE TWITCHES (TEACUP HOUSE #1): https://wordery.com/meet-the-twitches-hayley-scott-9781474928120#oid=1908_1 I'm a professional author. If people buy my books I can keep working and feed my family. Also my books are dead good. Please consider purchasing for yourself or as a surprise present for a loved one: THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 If you'd like to help me out with the hosting costs of the podcast, you can drop me a buck or two here: https://ko-fi.com/timclare Thank you very much. I appreciate your support.

In this episode I chat to author Emma Healey, about her bestselling Costa-winning debut ELIZABETH IS MISSING, and her new novel WHISTLE IN THE DARK. We have a wide-ranging, frank and occasionally funny chat about finding the voice of your protagonist, transmuting research into living characters and stories, and how to start again from scratch when you begin your second book. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how do I know which idea is the right one to write about? - where can I find ideas in the first place? - what sort of characters am I allowed to write about? - how can I research my book? - how can I use my life experiences in my fiction? I really enjoyed recording this one and I hope you get a lot out of it. Hey, you should buy Emma's books because they are great, and also because I am grateful for authors taking the time to come on the show so you'd be doing me a big favour if you show them some love. WHISTLE IN THE DARK: https://wordery.com/whistle-in-the-dark-emma-healey-9780241327623#oid=1908_1 ELIZABETH IS MISSING: https://wordery.com/elizabeth-is-missing-emma-healey-9780241968185#oid=1908_1 And of course I'm an author. It's how I feed my family. So please treat yourself to a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS, and help me continue making stories: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 And if you'd like to help me with my hosting expenses for the podcast and my website you can drop me a few bucks via my Ko-fi page. Any help is much appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/timclare As promised, here are a couple of links with perspectives on cultural appropriation, cultural exchange and representation. How to Explain Cultural Appropriation to Anyone Who Just Doesn’t Get It: https://www.alternet.org/culture/cultural-appropriation-pho-lionel-shriver-jamie-oliver-marc-jacobs We Need To Talk About Cultural Appropriation: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/15/we-need-to-talk-about-cultural-appropriation-why-lionel-shrivers-speech-touched-a-nerve Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation The Good Immigrant (book link): https://wordery.com/the-good-immigrant-nikesh-shukla-9781783523955#oid=1908_1

In this episode I chat to author V C Lancaster about her work and the world of self-publishing. If you've ever considered publishing your own work, or you're interested in how it all works, this is the episode for you. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: - how can I get started as a self-published author? - how does Kindle work for self-published authors? - how much do I have to do myself? - what do I need to know about cover design? - how can I write an effective blurb? - how do I get reviews? - what are readers looking for? - what should I put in my sample? - how long should my book be? - what should I price my book? - do special offers and sales work? - what's the lifespan of a book? - how much can I expect to earn? Fancy reading some of her work? Here's V C Lancaster's Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/V.C.-Lancaster/e/B0121K0OXY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1524147411&sr=8-1 Her website: https://vclancasterblog.wordpress.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VCLancaster/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/VC_Lancaster Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14158778.V_C_Lancaster Oh, and you can always get yourself a copy of my novel, THE HONOURS: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765#oid=1908_1 Please support the podcast and the authors who appear on it, and get yourself some exciting new reads at the same time.