The Inkwell Podcast

It can take years to write a book. It can take even longer to get a book published. It’s normal to have moments of doubt during that process. But, how do you know when you should listen to those doubts and move on. In this episode, I’m answering an Inkwell member’s question that I suspect many writers ask themselves: how do you know when to give up on a manuscript? In this episode: * The two main...

This episode is a little longer than usual, because I’m tackling a question that is worrying many writers right now. Barely a week goes by without another publishing scandal over AI accusations. It’s creating an atmosphere of mistrust and fear, leaving many writers anxious, even those who’ve never used AI in their work. This week, I’m answering an Inkwell member’s question: how do we make sure we’...

Today’s question comes from Anonymous, who’s completely overwhelmed by how much information is out there for their historical novel and has been stuck researching for months, too daunted to start writing. This is a common trap for historical fiction writers. The truth is, you’ll never know everything you could, and that’s exactly why ‘enough’ is what we’re aiming for. But what exactly does enough...

Today’s question comes from Laura, who wanted a pep talk on getting back into a regular writing routine after a period of not writing much and a real dip in confidence. I think this is something every writer hits at some point, and it’s worth exploring properly, because starting again after a break almost always feels harder than it should. There’s no magic switch that takes you from not writing t...

This episode’s question comes from an anonymous Inkwell member. Anonymous says: I want to include milestones in my story that are huge for a disabled person but seem mundane for non disabled people, without the story itself being mundane. Any tips? I think this isn’t a problem – it’s one of the most powerful elements in fiction. The gap between how something looks from the outside and what it mean...

This episode’s question comes from Mellany. Mellany is preparing to submit her novel to literary agents and she asks: How important is it to explain why I’ve chosen a particular agent in my submission letter? I spend hours researching and end up using a quote from their profile. How much time should you spend on it? Can you just let your writing speak for itself? And are there ways to be more crea...

I'm Katherine Clements. I'm an author, a writing coach, and the person behind The Inkwell writers’ community hosted on Substack. Each episode I answer a question from an Inkwell member about writing, publishing and creating a happy, sustainable writing life. Today’s question comes from Claire Randall . Claire asks: Are writing groups helpful or a distraction from the real work? Listen for pros and...

Welcome to the first episode of The Inkwell Podcast! I'm Katherine Clements. I'm an author, a writing coach, and the person behind The Inkwell writers community hosted on Substack. For some time now been looking for an easy way to answer your writing questions in a format that doesn’t require you showing up to a live session or posting in comments. The Inkwell Podcast is my solution. So, here’s ho...