Jeff VanderMeer’s NYT-bestselling Southern Reach trilogy has been translated into over 35 languages. The first novel, Annihilation, won the Nebula Award and Shirley Jackson Award, and was made into a movie by Paramount in 2018. Recent works include Dead Astronauts, Borne (a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award), The Strange Bird. These novels, set in the Borne universe, are being developed for TV by AMC and continue to explore themes related to the environment, animals, and our future. His latest book, Hummingbird Salamander, is out this week and already getting rave reviews.We had great fund talking with Jeff and learning about how he crafts his unique stories. We talked about how his work defies categorisation, why he likes to experiment with his writing and what themes are important to him in his writing. We also get his thoughts on the adaptation of Annihilation into a movie, and find out about how his unique writing process helps him get into the heads of his characters.Links:Buy Hummingbird Salamander and Jeff's other booksVisit Jeff's websiteFollow Jeff on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charlie Jane Anders is an award-winning author and journalist who was a founding member of the popular site io9 and whose latest novel, Victories Greater Than Death, is out next week and kicks off a new YA trilogy. She's also the author of All the Birds in the Sky, which won the Nebula, Crawford and Locus awards, Choir Boy, which won a Lambda Literary Award, and The City in the Middle of the Night. Her short fiction has appeared in Tor.com, Boston Review, Tin House, Conjunctions, the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Wired Magazine, Slate, Asimov's Science Fiction, Lightspeed, ZYZZYVA, Catamaran Literary Review, McSweeney's Internet Tendency and tons of anthologies. Her story "Six Months, Three Days" won a Hugo Award, and her story "Don't Press Charges And I Won't Sue" won a Theodore Sturgeon Award. Charlie Jane also organizes the monthly Writers With Drinks reading series, and co-hosts the podcast Our Opinions Are Correct with last week's guest, Annalee Newitz.We had great fun chatting with Charlie Jane about her writing career, learning how she broke into the industry, and how it felt when All The Birds In the Sky won all those awards. We also hear about her new YA trilogy, and discuss how easy it is (or isn't!) to make changes to a trilogy once the first book is out. Plus we hear what she's been reading and watching, and hear about which Marvel TV show she would love to be writing!Links:Pre-order/buy Victories Greater Than Death and Charlie Jane's other booksVisit Charlie Jane's websiteVisit io9Watch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Annalee Newitz writes science fiction and nonfiction. They are the author of the book Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age, and the novels The Future of Another Timeline, and Autonomous, which won the Lambda Literary Award. As a science journalist, they are a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, and have a monthly column in New Scientist. They have published in The Washington Post, Slate, Popular Science, Ars Technica, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic, among others. They are also the co-host of the Hugo Award-winning podcast Our Opinions Are Correct. Previously, they were the founder of io9, and served as the editor-in-chief of Gizmodo. We had great fun chatting with Annalee about how they managed to juggle their interests in both science and writing to form a unique and successful career. We hear about how the opportunity to found the successful website io9 came about, and how to select which stories to write as fiction and which as non-fiction. We also veer wildly off-topic on several occasions (in a good way!) and discuss how despite appearances, technological advancements over time aren't always the leaps forward we sometimes think they are.Links:Buy Four Lost Cities and Annalee's other books nowVisit Annalee's websiteVisit io9Watch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Margaux DeRoux comes from a family of painters, and writes historical fiction that centers on art and artists. Before turning to fiction, she was a teacher, a waitress, and a marketer in Silicon Valley. Her debut novel, The Lost Diary of Venice, features two impossible love stories which are fatefully connected by one artistic legacy that leaps between the mysteries of late-Renaissance Venice and the dramas of present-day America.We had a great chat with Margaux about how her discovery of a real Venetian treatise inspired her novel, and hear about her path to publishing. She tells us about her 5am starts to get the book written, and the importance of research when writing historical fiction. Plus we chat about The Crown and The Great British Bake Off (no spoilers!)Links:Buy The Lost Diary of VeniceVisit Margaux's websiteFollow Margaux on TwitterCheck out what agents have on their wishlists right now!Watch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Moffat is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has written shows such as Silk, Criminal Justice (which was adapted into The Night Of for HBO) and most recently, Your Honor, which stars Bryan Cranston.We had great fun chatting with Peter, learning about how his previous career as a criminal barrister has helped with his writing, and hear how he moved into TV work after writing plays. He tells us all about what it's like to be a showrunner on a US TV show, and how that differs from writing for UK TV, and why you can never do enough research for your stories.Links:Watch Your HonorSee the trailer for Your HonorWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Dinsdale is the author of novels including The Harrowing, Little Exiles, The Toymakers and most recently, Paris By Starlight. The magic-infused worlds he had created with his last two books have led to comparisons with Erin Morgenstern and Neil Gaiman.We enjoyed chatting to Robert about his writing journey and hearing about his time as a literary agent, before he flipped sides and became an author himself. We also learn about why getting that first novel published isn't always the breakthrough you thought it would be, but also why focusing on writing the stories you want to tell can be the way to really engage with readers. In Robert's case, that was deciding to tell story with a magical side, and led to The Toymakers becoming his breakthrough novel. And as he tells us, that magical storytelling combines with contemporary issues in Paris By Starlight.Links:Buy Paris By Starlight and Robert's other booksVisit Robert's websiteFollow Robert on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Whitaker is author of the acclaimed comedy, The School Run, and most recently, I Give It A Year. She is also an accomplished journalist, writing for publications such as Glamour, Marie Claire, Women's Fitness and more, and is currently deputy editor of British Airways' in-flight magazine, High Life.We had a fun chat with Helen, learning about how she moved into journalism, and how writing features has helped her as a novelist. We also hear about why she wanted to write I Give It A Year (and the dangers of planning a book around a year which turned out to be hit by a pandemic!) Plus, at the very end, Tariq dishes out some Christmas shopping advice (only two months too late...)Links:Buy I Give It A Year now!Visit Helen's websiteFollow Helen on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick Hornby is the bestselling author of eight novels, including High Fidelity and About a Boy, and his latest, Just Like You, along with several works of non-fiction including his ground-breaking debut, Fever Pitch. He has written numerous award-winning screenplays for film and television including Brooklyn, Wild and, most recently, State of the Union.We had a great chat with Nick hearing about how he broke into writing and pitched Fever Pitch to an agent. We also learn about the difference between writing memoir and fiction, and hear about his love of writing screenplays - including hearing about his latest screenwriting project involving one of the biggest bands in history!Links:Buy Just Like You and Nick's other booksVisit Nick's websiteFollow Nick on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Multi-award winning Mari Hannah is the author of the Kate Daniels series of police procedurals, the Ryan and O'Neil crime series and the Stone and Oliver series. Her latest book in the Kate Daniels series, Without a Trace, is out now and won Capital Crime Book of the Year in 2020.We had a great chat with Mari, hearing about how she moved into writing and her path to publishing - a tale which includes her first novel being dropped at the last moment by a small local publisher. That turned out to be the best thing ever though, as it allowed her to land a great agent and secure a publishing deal with Pan MacMillan that started her hugely successful career. We also hear about what she has planned next, and hear about how Kate Daniels will be brought to TV by Stephen Fry's production company!Links:Buy Without a Trace and Mari's other booksVisit Mari's websiteFollow Mari on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cherie Jones' debut novel ‘How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House‘ has been receiving rave reviews from the likes of Bernardine Evaristo, who called it "A hard-hitting and unflinching novel from a bold new writer". Her short stories have variously been published in PANK, Cadenza, Eclectica, The Feminist Wire and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. She’s a fellowship awardee of the Vermont Studio Centre and completed her MA with distinction at Sheffield Hallam University, where she was awarded the Archie Markham Award and the A.M Heath prize. We chat to Cherie to hear how she juggles her day job as a lawyer with writing (clue: she gets up VERY early!) and hear about her route to publishing. We also talk about how her stories begin with one character's voice speaking to her, and hear about why she wanted to write such a hard-hitting novel.Links:Buy How the One Armed Sister Sweeps Her HouseVisit Cherie's websiteFollow Cherie on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allie Reynolds is a former professional snowboarder turned author whose debut thriller, Shiver, is out now.We chat to Allie about her long route to publishing, hearing how she found her agent, and learn about what it felt like when Shiver became the subject of a ten publisher auction. We also hear about the importance of revising your work for submission, as well as how she is coping with that difficult second novel syndrome...Links:Buy Shiver nowVisit Allie's websiteVisit Jericho WritersVisit Curtis Brown CreativeWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Lederer began her career in stand-up comedy at London’s famous Comedy Store, as part of the early 80s comedians including French & Saunders, Rik Mayall, Ade Edmonson and Harry Enfield and became famous for portraying Catriona in all six series of Absolutely Fabulous. She has also developed a prolific writing career, writing for radio, TV and more recently books, including Losing It, which was nominated for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comedy writing. She is also the found of the Comedy Women in Print Prize, which seeks to find an promote new women's voices in writing.Our chat with Helen is predictably fun and interesting as we hear about how she broke into the stand up scene in the 80s, and hear about her techniques for writing stand up. We also learn about how to read whether a joke is landing with an audience (and what to do if it doesn't), and find out what other writing she has planned in the future.Links:Buy Losing it and Helen's other booksLook into the Comedy Women in Print PrizeFollow Helen on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sharon Bolton is the bestselling author of mystery crime novels such as Sacrifice, Blood Harvest and the highly successful Lacey Flint series. Her most recent book, The Split, is a tense twisty thriller which was chosen for Richard and Judy's Book Club at the end of 2020.We had a great chat with Sharon, hearing about how she almost became a Mills and Boon writer before swerving to mystery thrillers. She tells us why she published her first books under the name SJ Bolton, why that changed and we hear about what it was like to have her first book adapted into a movie. We also learn whether there will be any more Lacey Flint novels in the future...Links:Buy The Split and Sharon's other booksVisit Sharon's websiteWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in the summer of 2020, we recorded this episode of the Page One Sessions with Laura Lam and Adrian J Walker. We discussed all manner of things, including whether living through a real-life pandemic would alter the way they tell their future-set stories, how they had been writing during the COVID-19 lockdown, heard about their latest projects, got reading recommendations and much more!This episode is also available as a video podcast on our YouTube site: https://youtu.be/F1kPGk37DJABe sure to tune in to The Page One Podcast every week for in depth discussions with writers about their writing process and how they got into the industry.Links:Buy Laura's latest books, Goldilocks and Seven DevilsBuy Adrian's latest books latest book, The End of the World Survivor's Club and The Human SonListen to your favourite writers every week on The Page One Podcast: https://www.writegear.co.uk/podcast.The Page One Sessions are brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-one.Follow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year, we chatted with friends of the podcast Sarah Pinborough and Tim Lebbon about how they have been writing during the COVID-19 lockdown, heard about their latest projects, got reading recommendations and much more!This episode is also available as a video podcast on our YouTube site: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-s.Be sure to tune in to The Page One Podcast every week for in depth discussions with writers about their writing process and how they got into the industry.Links:Buy Sarah's books, including her latest, Dead to HerBuy Tim's books, including his latest, EdenThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennie Fields received an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and is the author of the novels Lily Beach, Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, The Middle Ages, and The Age of Desire. A Chicago native, Jennie was inspired by her own mother’s work as a University of Chicago-trained biochemist in the 1950s for her latest novel, Atomic Love. We had a great chat with Jennie about juggling a day job with being a writer (she was previously a highly successful creative director at various New York ad agencies) and hear about the type of research that she does for her historical fiction novels. We also explore the real-life inspirations behind Atomic Love, and of course find out whether she prefers real books or ebooks (clue: Tariq was very happy with her answer!)Links:Buy Atomic Love and Jennie's other booksVisit Jennie's websiteWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Ruff is the author of books such as  Fool on The Hill, The Mirage, and Lovecraft Country, which has just been turned into a successful TV show on HBO and Sky Atlantic. His latest novel is 88 names, a cyberpunk/romance mashup set in a virtual world.We had a really interesting chat with Matt, hearing about how he was always destined to be a writer, and why doing creative writing at Cornell helped kickstart his career (but not for the reasons you think!) We also chat about the controversies that can come from writing diverse characters from a different background from yourself, and learn that there may be more Lovecraft Country on the way!Links:Buy Lovecraft Country and Matt's other booksVisit Matt's websiteWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Garland is the critically acclaimed writer and director of movies such as Ex Machina, Annihilation and, most recently, the TV series Devs. His career began with the bestselling novel, The Beach, before he moved on to writing screenplays for films such as 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Never Let Me Go and Dredd.We had a really enjoyable and fascinating chat with Alex about why he ended up returning his advance for more novels to turn to screenplays instead, and why he felt he had to move on to directing his own screenplays. We also had a deep dive into the craft of writing (and reading!) and even find time to chat about video game writing as well!Links:Watch Devs on BBC iPlayerWatch Annihilation on NetflixWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Abraham is a bestselling science fiction and fantasy author who has written books including the bestselling The Expanse series of books (along with Ty Franck, under the joint name of James SA Corey), which is now a smash hit series on Amazon Prime. He has also written screenplays for The Expanse, written graphic novel adaptations of George R R Martin's Game of Thrones books.We had great fun chatting with Daniel, hearing about how he moved into the writing world, how The Expanse came about from playing a role playing game and chat about the differences between writing for TV, novels and comics. We also get some great advice on how to deal with confrontational social media users, chat about why there is a snobbery against some genre fiction and hear whether or not there will be any more Expanse after next year's novel, Leviathan Falls...Links:Buy Daniel's books (and James SA Corey's books)Visit Daniel's websiteFollow Daniel on TwitterFollow James SA Corey on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Abercrombie's debut fantasy novel, The Blade Itself, was a huge hit when it was published in 2006, and was swiftly followed by the other books in what became The First Law Trilogy. Since then, he's never really stopped writing, with a series of acclaimed standalone and young adult novels. Most recently, he has returned the the world of the First Law with the first two books of the Age of Madness trilogy, A Little Hatred and The Trouble with Peace. The final book in the trilogy, The Wisdom of Crowds, is out in 2021.We had great fun chatting with Joe as he told us how he transitioned from working as TV editor to writing novels, and how he reworked a far-too-pompous fantasy novel into the darkly humourous The Blade Itself. We also hear how he manages to keep completing these epic fantasy stories when others in the same genre seem to struggle, find out how he crafts these imaginary worlds, and talk about whether The First Law will ever come to TV or film...Links:Buy Joe's books now!Visit Joe's websiteFollow Joe on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peng Shepherd was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where she rode horses and trained in classical ballet, and has lived in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, London, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Las Vegas. Her first novel, The Book of M, won the 2019 Neukom Institute for Literary Arts Award for Debut Speculative Fiction, and was chosen as a best book of the year by Amazon, Elle, Refinery29, and The Verge, as well as a best book of the summer by the Today Show and NPR On Point. A graduate of the NYU MFA program, Peng is the recipient of a 2020 fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Elizabeth George Foundation’s emerging writers 2016 grant. Her next novel, The Cartographers, comes out in 2021.We had a great chat with Peng about her route to publication, and hear about her amazingly quick path to picking up an agent and a publisher. We also hear about her writing process (no planning!) and find out that she may be the only person in the world who doesn't know the ending to Game of Thrones...Links:Buy The Book of M nowFollow Peng on TwitterVisit Peng's websiteWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Benjamin Dreyer is vice president, executive managing editor and copy chief of Random House US. He has overseen books by writers including Michael Chabon, Edmund Morris, Suzan-Lori Parks, Michael Pollan, Peter Straub, and Calvin Trillin. He has copyedited books by authors including EL Doctorow, David Ebershoff, Frank Rich and Elizabeth Strout. He has also recently written Dreyer's English, a brilliant and highly amusing grammar and style guide. He has also created the related card game Stet! in which players test their copyediting skills.We had great fun chatting to Benjamin as we find out how he stumbled into the publishing world, learn about the differences between a copy editor and "editor editor" (as he calls them) and hear about what happens when authors don't take kindly to copy editing suggestions! We also get a sneak preview of his next book, and, of course, find out whether he prefers real books or ebooks (hint: Tariq wasn't happy...!)Links:Buy Dreyer's English and Stet!Follow Benjamin on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cathy Bramley is the Sunday Times Top Ten best-selling author of THE LEMON TREE CAFE. Her other romantic comedies include Ivy Lane, Appleby Farm, Wickham Hall, Conditional Love, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food and White Lies and Wishes. Cathy turned to writing after spending eighteen years running her own marketing agency. Her latest book is My Kind of Happy.We had a great chat with Cathy, hearing about why she decided to start writing books, and how she planned (and made a huge success of) self-publishing her first book - a story which includes The Guinness Book of World Records! We also talk about her unusual but successful approach of serialising her novels, and also get lots of great hints and tips on writing. And, of course, she tells us whether she prefers ebooks or real books...Links:Buy My Kind of Happy and Cathy's other booksVisit Cathy's websiteWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owen Nicholls is a screenwriter with a Masters in Scriptwriting from the University of East Anglia. His first screenplay -- a biopic of the filmmakers Powell and Pressburger -- was optioned to Bedlam Productions, the BAFTA and Academy Award-winning producers of The King's Speech. His work has appeared in Empire and NME, and in 2018 he was selected for the Escalator Scheme run by the National Centre For Writing. Love, Unscripted is his first novel.We had a great time talking with Owen about the differences between screenwriting and novel writing, and hear why he decided to make Love, Unscripted his first novel. He also gives some great advice about writing in both formats, and we hear why he think Fight Club is really a rom com...Links:Buy Love, Unscripted now!Follow Owen on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dirk Maggs is the genius behind the audio adaptations of stories such as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy, The X Files, the William Gibson Alien 3 adaptation - and of course, Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, which has been a huge (and well deserved) hit on Audible.We talk to Dirk to find out how he forged this career, and learn that he in effect created the idea of these “audio movies” (as he calls them) from scratch. From starting out at the BBC to working with Douglas Adams on the Hitchhiker’s Guide adaptation, right up to hearing about how he adapted the supposedly “impossible to adapt” The Sandman into such a brilliant production. Along the way, he gives us great hints and tips on writing for audio, and also drops in some great anecdotes about the likes of Adam West and James McAvoy!(We highly recommend listening to the whole episode, but The Sandman stuff starts at about 66 minutes!)Links:Listen to The Sandman on AudibleAnd all his other amazing Audio Movies!Visit Dirk’s websiteFollow Dirk on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Dunt is a political commentator and journalist. He is editor of politics.co.uk, an energetic presence on Twitter, and appears as a pundit on BBC TV, Sky News and Al-Jazeera. He is also the author of two books - Brexit: What the Hell Happens Now? and the just released How To Be A Liberal, which is an important, interesting and entertaining guide to the principles and practices of liberalism and shows why it remains our most powerful weapon to shatter the shiny lies of populists.We had great fun chatting with Ian as he told us about how he got started in journalism and hear about how he manages to distill complicated issues into easy-to-understand and entertaining pieces (clue - it's all thanks to Batman!). We also found out about the hell he went through writing How To Be a Liberal (it was worth it, Ian!) and learn about his unique but definitely soon-to-be popular "drunken drafting" technique.Oh, and of course we find out whether he prefers real books or e-books...(Warning - this episode is quite sweary!)Links:Buy How to Be a Liberal and Brexit: What the Hell HappenedVisit politics.co.ukFollow Ian on TwitterWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lauren Beukes is the award-winning author of novels such as Zoo City, Broken Monsters, and, of course, the international bestseller, The Shining Girls. Her latest novel, Afterland, is a noir road-trip set in a post-pandemic America where 99.9% of the men have all been wiped out.We had a lot of fun chatting to Lauren about her writing career, hearing about how she managed to get her first publishing deal, and also how The Shining Girls catapulted her to international fame. We also talked about her love of collaboration, and what it is like to release a post-pandemic novel during a pandemic…Links:Buy Afterland and Lauren’s other booksVisit Lauren’s websiteWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alastair Campbell is best known for his role as Tony Blair’s chief spokesman and strategist. He has written several bestselling non-fiction and fiction books, including The Blair Years and Winners. A former 'Mind Champion of the Year', he is an ambassador for several mental health charities. His latest book, Living Better, is his honest, moving and life affirming account of his lifelong struggle with depression. We had a fascinating and fun chat with Alastair about how he moved from journalism into politics, and how important writing has been to him throughout his life. We chat about why he felt it was important to write Living Better now, and also get to hear whether he would rather have Burnley win the Premier League or Scotland win the World Cup…Links:Buy Living Better and Alastair’s other booksVisit Alastair’s websiteWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Graham Jones is the author of twenty-five or so novels and collections, and there’s some novellas and comic books in there as well. Stephen’s been an NEA recipient, has won the Texas Institute of Letters Award for Fiction, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, a Bram Stoker Award, four This is Horror Awards, and he’s been a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award and the World Fantasy Award. He’s also made Bloody Disgusting’s Top Ten Horror Novels, and his latest book, The Only Good Indians is already getting rave reviews.We had an inspiring chat with Stephen about how he manages to write so many great stories, and get his insights on what makes a scary horror story. We also hear his amazing story about how his first novel came about, discuss how he writes so quickly, and of course learn whether he prefers a real book or an ebook...Links:Buy The Only Good Indians and Stephen's other booksVisit Stephen's websiteWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Tremblay has won the Bram Stoker, British Fantasy, and Massachusetts Book awards and is the author of The Cabin at the End of the World, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, A Head Full of Ghosts, the crime novels The Little Sleep and No Sleep Till Wonderland, and the short story collection, Growing Things and Other Stories. His latest novel, Survivor Song, is a terrifying thriller about an outbreak of a disease (so rather timely!)We chatted with Paul about how he came late to a love of reading and writing, but has since made up for it in a big way! We also get his hints and tips for crafting a horror story, and learn about his work on the board of the Shirley Jackson award. And we hear why he would pick Paranormal Activity over Midsommar every time...Links:Buy Survivor Song and Paul's other novelsVisit Paul's websiteWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Quantick is the Emmy-award winning writer of Veep, The Thick of It, TV Burp and much more. He has worked with comedy legends such as Harry Hill and Chris Morris, and is currently continuing his longstanding contribution with Armando Iannucci on his latest series, Avenue 5. He is also a journalist, having worked many years for the NME, and more recently began to write novels, the most recent of which is Night Train, a horror mystery set on a train in a post-apocalyptic world. On top of all that, he’s also written some great books on writing, including How to Write Everything and How to Be a Writer.Our chat with David was great fun, hearing about how he developed his creative writing skills writing gossip columns on the NME and where the famous Star Wars rant from Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It came from (see the link to the relevant clip!). He also has some great hints and tips on how to generate ideas, and we even get to hear about what it’s like to win an Emmy, and what you do with it while you are at the after-party…Links:Buy Night Train and David’s other novelsVisit David’s websiteWatch Malcolm Tucker talking about Star Wars on The Thick of ItWatch our video panel Page One Sessions as we discuss writing with great authors: https://youtu.be/gmE6iCDYn-sThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Cornish is the writer and director of films such as Attack the Block and The Kid Who Would be King. He began his career working with his comedy partner Adam Buxton on the brilliant The Adam and Joe Show on Channel 4, before co-writing first Ant-man and then The Adventures of Tintin with Edgar Wright. Recently, he, Edgar, Nira Park and Rachael Prior have formed Complete Fiction Production to continue to bring their ideas to life.We had a great fun chat with Joe about his career, how he writes his screenplays and the advantages of writing for your own movies as opposed to work for hire writing. We get updates on what he is working on now, including the adaptation of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash and Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood and Co. We also hear how it feels to be given notes on your screenwriting by Steven Spielberg (together with a great impression) and why making movies spoofs with soft toys on the Adam and Joe Show helped his directing career in more ways than attending film school!Links:Watch Attack the BlockWatch The Kid Who Would Be KingRead Snow Crash by Neal StephensonJoe's Quantum of Solace songAdam and Joe discuss Pierce Brosnan in TaffinThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Christopher’s debut novel Empire State was SciFiNow’s Book of the Year and a Financial Times Book of the Year.The author of Made To Kill, Standard Hollywood Depravity and Killing Is My Business, Adam’s other novels include Seven Wonders, The Age Atomic and The Burning Dark. A contributor to the New York Times bestselling Star Wars: From A Certain Point Of View 40th anniversary anthology, Adam has also written the official tie-in novels for the hit CBS television show Elementary, and the award-winning Dishonored video game franchise, and with Chuck Wendig, wrote The Shield for Dark Circle/Archie Comics. He is also currently writing a tie-in novel based on the hit Disney+ show, The Mandalorian.We had a fascinating and fun chat with Adam, talking about how he sold his first books direct to a publisher without an agent (his advice: don;t!), and how he took advantage of a chance opportunity to get into writing tie-in novels. We also hear about the differences in writing tie ins and original novels, and discuss how he remains so prolific.Links:Buy Adam's books hereVisit Adam's websiteWatch The Searchers onlineGet Can You Speak Venusian by Patrick MooreWatch Devs on BBC iPlayerThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tendai Huchu is a Zimbabwean author who now lives in Edinburgh, and whose first novel, The Hairdresser of Harare, was a huge hit, being nominated for The Guardian's Not the Booker Prize. He followed that up with The Maestro, The Magistrate and The Magician, and is soon to release the first book in The Library of the Dead series, about a young girl who delivers messages for ghosts in a post-apocalyptic Edinburgh.We have great fun talking with Tendai and hearing how he The Hairdresser of Harare lead to his breakthrough into the industry, and also why he would recommend new writers start with short stories rather than novels. We also talk about African representation in the literary scene, and how the lack of opportunities can hold great writing back purely on the basis of where they come from. On top of that, we talk about how invaluable editors can be in improving your stories, and also hear what he's been watching during lockdown.Links:Buy Tendai's books hereVisit Tendai's websiteBuy Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi's The First WomanWatch Kingdom on NetflixWatch Cook Off on NetflixThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sheila O'Flanagan is an international bestselling author of books such as The Hideaway, What Happened That Night and Suddenly Single. All of her books center around strong female protagonists who find themselves in difficult situations that mean they have to find their inner strength. Her latest book, The Women Who Ran Away, is out in July.We had a great chat with Sheila, hearing about how she swapped a life working in finance for that of a bestselling author, and got great insights from her on the writing process, including how she approaches revising her drafts, and also talked about her work with Fighting Words, the literary centre set up by Roddy Doyle.Links:Buy Sheila's books hereVisit Sheila's websiteLearn about Fighting WordsThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Brookmyre was a journalist before becoming a full-time novelist with the publication of his award-winning debut Quite Ugly One Morning, which established him as one of Britain’s leading crime novelists. His 2016 novel Black Widow won both the McIlvanney Prize and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award. Writing under the name Ambrose Parry, he has also co-written (along with his wife, Dr Marisa Haetzman) thrilling mystery books set in 19th Century Edinburgh. Chris' novels have sold more than two million copies in the UK alone.We had a great chat with Chris, learning about his route to the publication of Quite Ugly One Morning when he was only 26, and chat about his sci-fi stories such as Places in the Darkness and Bedlam. We also hear about how he and Marisa craft the Ambrose Parry novels, and how that process of co-writing has informed his solo novels.Links:Buy Chris's books hereBuy the Ambrose Parry books hereVisit Chris's websiteThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thomas Welsh is an award winning urban fantasy and short story author based in Scotland. He was the winner of the Elbow Room fiction prize for And Then I was Floating and has also been published in The 404 Ink F Word Collection, Pseudopod and Leicester Writes. More recently, he has released Anna Undreaming and its sequel, Anna and the Midnight Road, the first two parts of his urban fantasy Metiks Fade Trilogy. A man of many talents, he also writes for video games, and was lead writer on the recently released and acclaimed Cloudpunk.We had a great chat with Thomas about the unusual route he took to breaking into both the world of novels and video game writing, and he gave us lots of practical hints and tips for getting started in those industries. We also chatted about publishing contracts, as well as hearing his thoughts on why the original Blade Runner doesn't work for him.Links:Buy Thomas' books hereBuy Cloudpunk on SteamThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexandra Sokoloff is the bestselling, Thriller Award-winning and Bram Stoker and Anthony Award-nominated author of thirteen supernatural, paranormal and crime thrillers. The New York Times has called her “a daughter of Mary Shelley” and her books “Some of the most original and freshly unnerving work in the genre.” As a screenwriter she has sold original suspense and horror scripts and written novel adaptations for numerous Hollywood studios (Sony, Fox, Disney, Miramax), for producers such as Michael Bay, David Heyman, Laura Ziskin and Neal Moritz. She is also the workshop leader of the internationally acclaimed Screenwriting Tricks for Authors workshops, based on her Screenwriting Tricks for Authors workbooks and blog.Her bestselling, Thriller Award-nominated Huntress/FBI books follow a haunted FBI agent on his hunt for that most rare of criminals: a female serial killer. The series smashes genre conventions and combats violence against women on the page, screen, and real life. The series is being developed for television with Alex as writer/producer.We had a great chat with Alexandra, hearing how she started out as a screenplay reader in LA, and why she made the jump from screenwriting to novels. We also hear about how screenwriting structure can help you write a better novel, and get lots of tips on structuring a great story.Links:Buy The Huntress books and Stealing HollywoodAccess Alexandra's screenwriting tips for authors on YouTubeLearn more about AlexandraThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex De Campi is a comics writer and author, who has been nominated for numerous Eisner awards and has recently collaborated with film director Duncan Jones on the graphic novel, Madi, the latest chapter in his Moon series of films. She has also just released her highly anticipated novel debut, The Scottish Boy, a thrilling adventure set in medieval Britain.We had a great chat with Alex talking about how she broke into the comics industry, what her process is when she is creating comics, and talk about her very busy slate of projects, including The Scottish Boy, Madi, Bad Karma and much more!Links:Buy The Scottish Boy nowBack Madi on KickstarterGet Bad Karma nowCheck out all things Alex on her websiteThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Lam is a sci fi and fantasy author whose latest book is Goldilocks, a bold, thought-provoking and high concept feminist dystopian thriller, best described as a cross between The Martian and The Handmaid's Tale. We've been lucky enough to read it, and it is a good one!We loved hearing from Laura about all the research she put into Goldilocks to make sure it rang true, and also had a great discussion about her teaching on the creative writing Masters course at Napier University in Edinburgh. We also hear about her upcoming novel, Seven Devils, which she co-wrote with Elizabeth May, as well as hearing why Laura thinks we should all watch Batman & Robin again (EDIT - we shouldn't).Links:Buy Goldilocks nowLearn about the MA in Creative Writing at NapierThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Struan Murray is a young Scottish author, whose recently released debut novel Orphans of the Tide has received rave reviews, even earning him comparisons to Philip Pullman. A dark gothic kids fantasy, it’s easy to see why people think of stories such as Northern Lights.We had great fun chatting to Struan about his long process to getting published, including the value of writing courses, and also getting to know people in the publishing industry. We also hear how he manages to juggle his day job as a lecturer in Oxford with being a professional author, and hear about how Orphans of the Tide got its name.Links:Buy Orphans of the TideStruan's websiteCurtis Brown Creative websiteThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harriet Tyce is a Sunday Times Bestselling Author whose debut novel, Blood Orange, was a huge hit and featured on Richard & Judy’s Book Club list in 2019. A domestic noir set in the UK legal world, it is a twisty tale of murder and quite a few flawed characters!We had a really interesting chat with Harriet, hearing about how the long path to her debut with Blood Orange, how being selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club was transformational, and how writing courses really can help you be successful in your writing career. We also talk about her upcoming novel, The Lies You Told, the struggle of being creative during the coronavirus epidemic, chat about the benefits of audiobooks and much more!Links:Buy Harriet’s booksHarriet’s websiteThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil Forsyth is a Scottish author and screenwriter who has written critically acclaimed TV shows such as Eric, Ernie and Me, as well as the infamous Bob Servant, the Dundee cheeseburger svengali portrayed by Brian Cox on TV, and now a Twitter phenomenon. Most recently, he created and wrote the hit BBC show Guilt, a dark crime comedy about two brothers whose night home from a wedding doesn't quite go to plan.We had great fun chatting with Neil about how he moved from freelance journalism into novel writing and then screenwriting. He had many hints and tips to share, as well as sharing the very amusing background behind his first fiction novel, Let Them Come Through.Links:Buy Neil's booksNeil's websiteRead the scripts for GuiltThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the Return of the Mike as friend of the podcast Mike Carey returns to chat with us about his latest novel, The Book of Koli, set in a post-apocalyptic Britain. We also had time to talk about his latest comic series, The Dollhouse Family, and gained lots of hints and tips about how to create new worlds.Links:Buy The Book of Koli and Mike's other booksBuy The Dollhouse FamilyThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christian Divine is a screenwriter and video game writer whose credits include the seminal cyberpunk game Deus Ex. More recently, Christian was lead writer on the amazing Life Is Strange games from DontNod Entertainment which tell the stories of teenage kids with supernatural powers growing up in small-town USA.We had a really interesting chat with Christian about how he came to be a writer, and how writing for video games differs from other mediums. He talked to us about why video game writers are only now starting to get the recognition that they deserve, and how video games have grown up quickly. And for fans of Life Is Strange - yes, we also chat about the use of that word and why Christian was proven correct in the end!Links:Buy Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2Follow Christian on TwitterThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After working in Scottish politics, Jonathan Whitelaw moved into journalism before becoming an author. Subjects he has covered in the press have varied from breaking news, the arts, culture and sport to fashion, music and even radioactive waste - with everything in between. He's also a regular reviewer and talking head on shows for the BBC and STV.His debut novel was Morbid Relations, a darkly comic tale about a struggling Scottish comedian was followed up by Hellcorp in which the devil sets up a company to look after the sins of the world while he has a vacation! That has now become a series, with the latest book, The Man in the Dark, continuing the Hellcorp story. The novels are darkly comic thrillers, as we discuss, as much crime fiction as fantasy. During our enjoyable chat with Jonathan, we hear about how writing fiction differs from journalism, and the route he took to publication - without an agent. We also talk about what inspired the Hellcorp series, and find out whether Jonathan really prefers God or the Devil...Links:Buy Jonathan’s books on AmazonThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gareth L Powell is an award-winning British sci-fi author whose amazing worlds have found him a loyal following. Best known for his Embers of War trilogy, his novels have twice won the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel and have been finalists for both the Locus Award in the US and the Seiun Award in Japan. He is also the first person to have had individual work shortlisted in the Best Novel, Best Short Fiction, and Best Nonfiction categories of the BSFA Award in the same year.We had a really interesting chat with Gareth about how he broke into writing, and where he comes up with his amazing ideas. We also chatted about how he is beloved on Twitter by all writers as he freely gives out help and advice - and even got some of that help and advice ourselves!Links:Buy Gareth's books on AmazonCheck out Gareth's author pageSign up to Gareth's PatreonThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dave Cook is the writer and creator of indie comics such as Bust, Vessels and the hugely successful cyberpunk comic, Killtopia.We had a great chat with Dave about how he began writing comics and then turn them into a reality. We talked about teaming up with artists, the importance of conventions and how welcoming the comics community can be if you are wanting to be part of it. We also discussed the themes behind Killtopia, and what is next in the series…Links:Buy Killtopia on AmazonCheck out Dave's other comics on his site, Card Shark ComicsThe Page One Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on Twitter: @write_gearFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/WriteGearUK/Follow us on Instagram: write_gear_uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.