The Failing Writers Podcast

Competitions, as previously discussed on this pod, are an amazing way of giving you an opportunity to both really think about your novel and your pitch... but also potentially to bag yourself a chance to get in front of some big, powerful, important, cape-wearing Mavel-comic-like-superheros of the industry. Today we focus on The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize. An award that's launched the career...

Our £500 flash fiction competition sponsored by the lovely folk at SCRIVENER is in full swing and requires your urgent involvement! If you fancy having a go at a 300 word, birthday-themed story, listen to episode 15 of this series, for the lowdown. Then go to https://www.failingwriterspodcast.com and click on the competition banner for all the finer details. Deadline is Monday 19th of October, mid...

First things first. Our Big Flash Fiction Competition is Awaaaaaay! And a special big ole THANK YOU to Scrivener for sponsoring it! If you fancy 20% off their wonderful and frankly invaluable writing app, git yourself to https://www.literatureandlatte.com Pop in the code ‘failing’ and Bob’s yer nuncle! So get cracking – and get yourself a free audiobook courtesy of the beautiful folk at https://li...

Ya know what they say. When one door closes another door opens. And following the joyful culmination of our poetry competition comes.... OUR MASSIVE ANNUAL £500 FLASH FICTION COMPETITION - Sponsored by Scrivener ! Scrivener? Yes, of course. The wonderful writing software Scrivener.  Which you should quickly go and buy a copy of, before you do anything else, in order to make the writing of thi...

It's time for us to reveal the winners in our rather spontanious poetry competition. Huge thanks to Rowan McCabe for being head judge and helping us choose the winning poems. If you want to see him live on his new tour, check out https://rowanthepoet.com/home/upcoming-gigs/ Thanks to everyone who entered - and a MASSIVE thanks to our prize sponsors - in particular Libro.fm and WritersHQ . Please d...

Fergus Craig. Not to be confused with Craig Ferguson. or Fraig Cergus... as sometimes happens... but not very often. You may have seen Fergus on telly. This is because he is an actor. Who acts in things. Or, perhaps you've seen him on your phone screen; a place where he likes to pop up from time to time. This is because he is also a comedian. Who does comedy. Mostly on people's phone screens. Or,...

You know what it's like. You've just tapped the words "The End" into your laptop. You've only gone and bloody done it! You've written an actual book. Congratulations. All that blood sweat and tears has paid off. You have pushed a great big 7 pounder out your imagination-hole. Time to celebrate! But hang on... waaaait up just a teeny tiny moment... Before you pop the cork on that 1998 Dom Perignon....

Are you incredibly sad you missed out on seeing us live at the Alton Arts Festival? Well, don't worry! Here's the next best thing - a recording of that legendary night. And even better, we've edited out all the boring bits - like the interval and Tommy's literary quiz. (Although that is available on the full video we've posted on YouTube, if you fancy) Video of our live podcast with Claire Fuller...

Should you quit your job to write? Seems like an obvious answer to an obvious question. (No! No is the correct answer!) But hang on. It's the dream isn't it? Writing full time. Quitting the day job and having time and energy to write the great novel you've thinking about for ages. Well let's have a closer look at some writers who've done exactly that - and it ain't worked out too badly for 'em. Pe...

Welcome to our cheeky little bonus episode! The poetry competition has landed.  What started off as a crazy little idea from Jon, has turned into a crazy BIG idea.  We’ve got prizes (quite a few actually - huge thanks in particular to  https://writershq.co.uk/  and  https://libro.fm/ ) We’ve got a judge (the amazing Rowan McCabe  https://rowanthepoet.com/ ) All we nee...

It's been a while since we had a little poetry splurge. So to rectify that terrible neglect of our duty, Tom and I had a lovely natter with Hollie McNish. We meandered through where her love of poetry began, how it helps her assimilate ideas, writing essays, and the Olympic Breakfast at Little Chef, Chieveley Services. Oh... and we also discuss her brilliant new book, Virgin. Buy it now... in fact...

Writing competitions. Clearly they’re not all made the same. Some are free, some are costly, some are actually impossible for mere mortals to enter due to their criteria. The prizes vary too. From small cash prizes, to publishing deals. Today, we’re asking the question… on the whole, if you’re serious about being a writer… are they actually worth it? Are they worth the money, the - let’s face it –...

Hang on... before we start... let us just fill you in on a very exciting evening happening on Monday the 6th of July, in Alton, Hampshire. At 8pm in the lovely Goldfinch Books on Alton High Street, we are doing our first ever proper LIVE podcast. Our guest will be the fabulous Costa-Novel-Prize-Winning Claire Fuller. We'll be talking about her brilliantly unsettling new book Hunger & Thirst an...

Come and see us LIVE! We'll be at Alton Arts Festival on July the 6th, at Goldfinch Books, doing our thing in full colour, 4K, Ultra HD, real life. There will be laughter. There will be genuine writing tips and insight from Costa Novel Prize Winner Claire Fuller . There will be a ditty or two. There will be give-aways, impromptu poetry and even Tom’s very-very-serious-wordy-writery-quiz-thing! Get...

We're doing a live podcast at Goldfinch Books in Alton on Monday the 6th of July, with the brilliant Claire Fuller. Come and join us! CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS TO SEE US LIVE AT ALTON ARTS FESTIVAL!!! So what do we have in today's episode? An absolute treat, that's what. Philippa Perry, agony aunt, psychotherapist, artist, self-help-book writer and now cosy crime author. How the heck does she...

OK, so you've written something. Well done. *light applause* That's nice. But the next stage - getting it out into the world... that's a really tricky bit. However... one sure fire way of doing that, if you can't persuade some other mug to do it for you, is to blummin'-well slap on some grease paint, don some tights and perform it yourself, on what we call... ... the stage. Well that's what Jon an...

Oh, you've listened to this episode already and you'd like to cross our palm with gold? Well, you're in luck.... Simply click HERE to show your appreciation in a pecuniary fashion And speaking of fashion - take a look at our merch HERE and THANK YOU! Now... onto the less grubby business of writing... and this week we're lucky enough to be joined by the excellent Gareth Rubin, a writer whose career...

Heeeey! You’re back. Well, that’s bloody joyful isn’t it? Nice of you to join us again. Now, let me ask you an impertinent question. How seriously are you taking your writing this year? The reason I ask is we’re looking at writing goals.  Last year’s first of all… see how we got on… and then… we’re all making new ones.  Yeah. You too. Come join us in stating your targets and le...

Not long until we get this show back on the road!! Join us for season 6 when we interview some amazing writers, get stuck into some proper writing craft bits and bobs, and loads and loads and loads and loads and loads and loads more beside!! Season 6 of the award-winning Failing Writers Podcast... coming sooooooon!!!!! (Oh, and while you're here, check out our new merch store right here... https:/...

How do you give your readers everything they're looking for? And your agent? You have to feed the beast don't you? (Is calling agents 'The Beast' too offensive?) It's your job as a writer to offer up precisely what your readership is looking for. Anything else and you risk losing your commercial edge. And we can't have that can we? Oh we can? Oh... OK. We met up with the wonderful Doug Johnstone,...

The second stop on our literary whistle stop tour of Edinburgh is The Writers Museum in Makars Court. Focussing on the three writers generally considered to be the great Titans of Scottish Literature: Robbie Burns, Sir Walter Scott & Robert Louis Stevenson. We have a wander round, read some poetry and look into why these fellas are so revered. We also go on a literary pub tour and have a...

Ahoy there, you weary word-wanderer. You found us. Finally!  Thank goodness. Welcome to the Failing Writers Podcast. Think of us as your writing harbour. Your safe haven. Your Lighthouse. Come and moor here for a while and have your brain de-barnacled by the glorious mind of poet Michael Pederson. Writer, linguaphile, Edinburgh Makar and all-round inspirational wordsmitherizer. And once...

Hello writers. Just when you thought the competition was all wrapped up… this week we look at the almost-winners of our big annual comp. Yep, these are the brilliant writers who made the shortlist, but didn’t quite manage to snaffle a place on Sarah’s podium. And here are those five wondrously wizard-like word weavers: Kieran Ahern Jonathon Davies Steven Stilbech Stuart James Taylor Jasmine Sears...

Lovers of flash fiction… prepare to have your ears blown into absolute blummin smithereens, because this episode is the big reveal of the winners of our annual writing competition, and there’s FIVE HUNDRED SQUIDS up for grabs. Which, as I’m sure you’ll agree, is a serious amount of squids. Think of all the ink you could buy. So, come on in, and hear the traditional ‘YOU’RE ALL WINNERS SONG’, liste...

So, here we are again for the actually now offically award winning Failing Writers Podcast. You were perhaps hoping this was the competition reveal episode weren’t you? Well, look, it’s not that one… not yet, however, we’ve got a little treat for you today. ’Specially for long time fans of the podcast. Someone we’ve had on before and was a delight from start to finish. Someone who's just self publ...