Death Of 1000 Cuts

In this episode, I chat about my forthcoming book, COWARD: Why We Get Anxious & What We Can Do About It. I talk a bit about how I came to write it, why it mattered to me, & how I had to change what I planned to write when I discovered reality was more complicated. You can pre-order signed copies of COWARD: Why We Get Anxious & What We Can Do About It here: https://storysmithbooks.com/product/cowar...

In this episode I chat with author and psychologist Dr Lucy Foulkes about her book, LOSING OUR MINDS: What Mental Illness Really Is And What It Isn't. We talk about psychological research, mental health, and getting to the bottom of the words we use to talk about our inner lives and experiences of challenging emotions. LOSING OUR MINDS: What Mental Illness Really Is And What It Isn't: https://www....

In this episode, I chat with poet & author Hannah Jane Walker, about poetry, sensitivity, & how we can manage & celebrate sensitivity. We talk about an artist's responsibility to their audience, the upsides of being highly sensitive, & some tactics for managing the trickier parts of sensitivity. Buy Hannah's book, SENSITIVE: The Power of Feeling in a World That Doesn't: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Se...

In this episode I chat with author Huma Qureshi about her fiction and nonfiction, and her memoir HOW WE MET. We talk about the stories that opened her eyes to what books can do, the freedoms of fiction and how you go about taking real people's rights and feelings into account when you write nonfiction. We also talk about expectations readers bring to texts by authors of different background, and r...

I chat with Prof Pete Etchells about video games, the stories they tell, and his book LOST IN A GOOD GAME: Why We Play Video Games and What They Can Do For Us. Please do support Pete by checking out his book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Good-Game-video-games/dp/1785784811 You can support the show via my Ko-fi page here: www.ko-fi.com/timclare You can pre-order my forthcoming book COWARD from Sto...

In this episode, I chat with author Cathy Rentzenbrink about writing down our lives, and her new book about writing autobiography, WRITE IT ALL DOWN. Grab a copy of WRITE IT ALL DOWN here: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Cathy-Rentzenbrink/Write-It-All-Down--How-to-Put-Your-Life-on-the-Page/26365074 Support the podcast here: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

In this episode I talk about feeling like you 'fit in' in the publishing world, my own experiences, & why feeling like an insider or outsider - whether you are or not - shouldn't be your barometer for success. If you like the podcast & want me to make more please support me via my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare Want to pre-order my new book, COWARD: Why We Get Anxious & What We Can Do About It...

In this episode, I respond to a piece of advice for first-time non-fiction authors I read back in August, explaining why I disagree and giving my own take. It's basically about what's better - giving the reader clear, committed answers to questions, or dealing in shades of grey. I also explain how I think this relates to fiction writing, and why it matters. If you enjoy this episode and you want t...

In this episode I talk about my progress with my project to write a new novel, and why I think I've stalled. I reflect on where I think I've stumbled so far, and my plans for getting back on track. Recorded while I had Covid, so maybe disinfect your earphones after listening. If you want to listen to previous episodes in the Writing A Novel series, they're on this playlist: https://soundcloud.com/...

In this episode I look at the first page of a listener's story with author Nate Crowley and we suggest ways to improve it. What is too much information, and what is too little? How can you employ the art of the telling detail? If you'd like to read Nate Crowley's new Warhammer 40k novel, THE TWICE-DEAD KING, you can grab a copy here: https://www.4tk.co.uk/the-twice-dead-king-ruin-hb.html He's also...

Hi everyone. On this one I chat with author, poet, screenwriter and director Molly Naylor about the graphic novel she created with artist Lizzy Stewart, LIGHTS, PLANETS, PEOPLE! It's about an astronomer who has to give an inspirational speech and is thinking back over the choices she's made throughout her life. We get into a good chat about collaborating, how to submit a graphic novel to an agent,...

In this episode I chat with author Chris Farnell about his early interest in the fantastic, what makes good Science Fiction and Fantasy, and about his satirical SF series FERMI'S PROGRESS. You can grab the novellas from independent e-book publisher Scarlet Ferret here: https://scarletferret.com/books/fermis-progress-season-pass (they're also on Amazon) You can follow Chris on Twitter: @thebrainofc...

In this episode, I chat about the rewards of writing creative nonfiction and make the case for why you should try it. And hey, this episode marks over a million listens for the podcast. Thank you! Help out the podcast by dropping me a few beans: www.ko-fi.com/timclare Drop me a line via my website: www.timclarepoet.co.uk

Me and author Nate Crowley host a very special festive-themed episode of Death Of 1000 Cuts. We look at a story set at the North Pole by a listener, and suggest ways to make it better. And quite possibly several ways to make it worse. If you want to grab a copy of Nate Crowley's NOTES FROM SMALL PLANETS you can here: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Nate-Crowley/Notes-from-Small-Planets/22869592 You...

In this episode me and author Nate Crowley chat about his work before looking at an author's first page and suggesting ways to make it better. If you want to grab a copy of Nate Crowley's NOTES FROM SMALL PLANETS you can here: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Nate-Crowley/Notes-from-Small-Planets/22869592 You can support the show via my Ko-fi page: www.ko-fi.com/timclare And you can get in touch wit...

On this episode I chat with Simon Akam about his book THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD: THE BRITISH ARMY SINCE 9/11. We talk about writing nonfiction, dealing with sources, and how to handle when things go wrong, based on Simon's experiences when the army objected to some of the things he'd written, and his publisher didn't back him up. If you want to grab a copy of THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD you can get...

In this episode I look at the first page of a listener's story and suggest ways to make it better. In this episode I talk about starting in the middle of things, when it's better to tell, not show, the art of motivation and making things interesting. If you enjoy the show and you want to be an official superfan while helping me make more episodes please drop me a few beans here: www.ko-fi.com/timc...

In this episode I talk about what I've been up to recently, the teaching I did, what's involved in editing and copyediting a book, some differences in process between fiction and non-fiction, George Orwell, doing interviews, my top three card games and avoidance behaviours. Phew! It must be a writing ramble. If you like the show and you'd like to help me keep going, you can drop a few beans into t...

In this episode I respond to a listener's email about how you know if it's time to throw in the towel. When, as a writer, should you quit? When is enough, enough? If you enjoy the show and you believe what I do is worth something, please drop me a few beans via my Ko-fi page - it's how I keep everything going: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

This is the 6th episode of the series where I take you with me on the process of trying to write a novel. It's been a few weeks... uh oh? Have I hit a snag already? On this episode I share my first 500 words and critique them, trying to drill down into where I think they fall short, and how I might move forward from here. If you want to hear previous episodes in the series they're all in a single...

In this episode I chat with artist John Allison about storytelling in comics. John is the creator of comics SCARY-GO-ROUND, BAD MACHINERY, GIANT DAYS and, most recently, STEEPLE. We chat about finding characters from their shape or look, the secret to making characters who feel real, how characters develop over time, writing good dialogue, and the particular flavour of English weirdness. A good ju...

On today's episode I look at the first 250 words of a listener's fiction and suggest ways to make it better. I talk about point of view in third-person limited fiction, clarity in your establishing scene, and how to avoid 'writer's voice'. Hope it's useful. If you'd like to support the show, drop me a few beans here: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

In this episode I chat with author Tasha Suri. We talk about writing Fantasy, creating worlds, strategies for tricking yourself into writing a novel, and questions of genre and reader expectations - how much should we meet readers where they are, and how much should we challenge them? If you're in the UK you can pre-order THE JASMINE THRONE here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-jasmine-throne...

In this episode I chat with poet and writer Vanessa Kisuule about poetry, building a creative career and expectations audiences have of us on stage, online and in print. Vanessa's website is here: https://www.vanessakisuule.com/ And you can follow her on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/vanessa_kisuule If you'd like to support the show, drop me a few beans here: www.ko-fi.com/timclare

In this episode I talk about the importance of getting blurbs or endorsements from other authors. Why are they so crucial for a new book? How do you go about getting them? And why has the situation got worse? As (I think) I mentioned, if you'd like to know a bit more about the art of nonfiction, here is my chat with author Musa Okwonga: https://soundcloud.com/timclare/s4e17-chatting-with-musa-okwo...