What! The Heys

Send us Fan Mail A. L. Lieske is a mystery-indie author whose work fuses psychological intrigue with classic mystery. She draws upon a lifelong engagement with research and nonfiction writing, including philosophical and theological reflections, family histories, journals, and obituaries, as well as professional experience preparing reports on family health, human development, health disparities,...

Send us Fan Mail Writer and artist Ariella Gibson lives a life many of us dream of—making art from a home abroad. But how does that constant shift in perspective actually shape her work? In this episode Ariella and I chat about the direct line between her nomadic lifestyle and her creative output, principally short stories and photography . We also play a brilliant game of "book to movie cast...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, YA author and poet Heys Wolfenden dives into some of the most debated questions in modern writing: what kind of language should writers be using in their work? Should readers stop engaging with controversial authors like Neil Gaiman and J.K. Rowling ? And with AI rapidly entering the publishing world, is its rise inevitable—or something writers should resist? Perf...

Send us Fan Mail Travis Byram doesn't just get ideas from books, but from his own dream journal! He's lived all over the world (USA, Thailand, China, Qatar...) and now writes from the beautiful city of Izmir, Turkey . Oh, and when he's not crafting amazing short stories , he's teaching English and psychology. Our conversation was a masterclass in how to live a productive creati...

Send us Fan Mail Want to write with more clarity and confidence? In this episode YA author and poet, Heys Wolfenden shares the best writing advice he's ever received. Listen to this episode to find out about all the simple ways you can use to improve your writing.  Perfect for writers and creators everywhere. Support the show If you like this episode you can check out my novel, Jack Strong an...

Send us Fan Mail What's the worst writing advice you've ever heard? In this episode YA author and poet , Heys Wolfenden offers a deep dive into all the bad writing advice he's ever received, whilst also showing how you can use this to benefit your own writing. Perfect for writers and creators everywhere. Support the show If you like this episode you can check out my novel, Jack Stro...

Send us Fan Mail Want to know how to create the perfect children's book? In this episode the children’s author and artist, Eric Zhang tells you how.  Eric has published and illustrated several children’s books, including his most recent work, ‘ I Want To Go To The Moon ’. All his books have been published in several languages, including English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Dutch and T...

Send us Fan Mail Has your novel been rejected more times than you can count? You’re not alone. In this episode, YA author and poet Heys Wolfenden discusses how writers can cope with rejection from literary agents and publishers , how to research your novel effectively, and whether Creative Writing MAs and MFAs are really worth it. Essential listening for writers and creators everywhere. Support th...

Send us Fan Mail Afraid of what the future brings for the writing and publishing world with the advent of AI ? In this episode the YA author and poet, Heys Wolfenden discusses how writers can survive in this brave new world, whether we learn more as writers from reading brilliant or terrible literature, and whether we should ignore the rule about writing about what we know. Perfect for writers and...

Send us Fan Mail Struggling to finish the great American novel? Well, you’re not alone. In this episode YA author and poet, Heys Wolfenden breaks down some of the simple ways you can become a more disciplined (and therefore more successful) author. He also discusses the merits of writing in the 1st person vs the more popular 3rd person , and whether you should cut or add to your manuscript when yo...

Send us Fan Mail Are your books not selling? Tired of one star reviews? In this episode YA author and poet, Heys Wolfenden breaks down the three things every writer must do in order to become successful. Recommended listening for writers and creators everywhere.  Support the show If you like this episode you can check out my novel, Jack Strong and the Red Giant, about a 12 year old boy’s adventure...