Two Wayward Writers (North)

What effect do the books we read in childhood and early adulthood have on the rest of our lives? In this episode of Two Wayward Writers North, Rachel and Laura discuss the books that have had the greatest influence on their lives and their writing. Inspired by myninebooks.com, they have each produced a list of nine books that they keep on re-reading over the decades. These are the books that revea...

In this episode, Laura and Rachel discuss why it feels so difficult to talk about their own writing. And then, to prove the point, they talk about their writing projects. We hear how Laura's Voidhold Zero emerged from two separate manuscripts to form a literary sci-fi whole, and Rachel describes the process of wrestling with too many words to make a portmanteau of more modest proportions. Are they...

In the latest episode of Two Wayward Writers North, Rachel and Laura tackle the topic of profanity. It’s not our intention to offend, but we're aware some people find some words offensive in some situations. We talk about swear words in the context of language and its usage, so really, you needn’t take offence. Laura never swears; Rachel swears a lot. But never in front of her mother. And never in...

In this episode, Rachel and Laura tackle Point of View - why it matters and why, in exceptional circumstances, it doesn't. Rachel discusses free indirect discourse and explains how she's rewriting an entire novel in a different POV, and Laura tells us why she's sticking to first person for now. Along the way they encounter Virginia Woolf, Terry Pratchett, John Irving, Charles Dickens, Kae Tempest...

In this episode, Rachel and Laura discuss long and short writing. Rachel reflects on an accusation of prolixity, and Laura puts forward the case for repetition. Along the way, they debunk Iceberg Theory, identify a gap in the market for Fragment Fiction, and Laura explains the concept of Warrior Cats. It’s a merry romp through the bushes and briars of the long and the short of it, the top and the...

Rachel and Laura are joined by their first very special guest author, Claire Gallagher. Claire is the author of contemporary romances, often with a fantastical twist. She also writes female-led psychological thrillers which she is aiming to publish traditionally via her literary agent. Over the years, Claire has also toyed with other genres, such as Middle Grade fantasy, Young Adult gothic romance...

In the very first episode of Two Wayward Writers, Laura and Rachel talk about voice - not necessarily writing voice, but the voices we talk with. Join them for a natter about accents and how the flow state of writing or singing doesn't always come easily with speaking. This episode was recorded long-distance between Lancashire and Borneo, and there may be slight lag or distortion in the audio in p...