The Five Rules Of Writing

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I'm Ed Needham, editor of the fabulous literary magazine Strong Words, and this is my podcast, The Five Rules of Writing. In each episode, I speak to a most excellent writer in a particular genre about how they do it. If you'd like to know more about Str


    • Apr 13, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 36m AVG DURATION
    • 23 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Five Rules Of Writing

    Novelist Freya Berry (The Dictator's Wife) shares her five rules for writing an anti-heroine

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2022 32:56


    Freya Berry's recent debut The Dictator's Wife features a chilling portrait of a late eastern European tyrant's partner, as she prepares to go on trial for her life. Here the author describes her five rules for creating such an intimidating and compromised anti-heroine.The Dictator's Wife: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/freya-berry/the-dictators-wife/9781472276339/@FreyaBBooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Novelist Zoë Somerville on how to use the countryside to unsettle your readers

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2022 34:11


    Zoë Somerville's recent novel The Marsh House concerns a single mother's Christmas visit to the creepy Norfolk coast, and her reading a life of a previous resident of her dilapidated cottage while nature does its best to frighten her. Here she shares her Five Rules of Writing on how to create pure rural fear.The Marsh House: https://headofzeus.com/books/9781838934675https://zoesomerville.com/@zessomerville Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Author and journalist Christina Patterson on how to write a memoir

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2022 35:08


    Writer Christina Patterson, whose most recent book is Outside, the Sky is Blue, a crystal-clear account of the havoc visited on her family by illness, on her Five Rules of Writing memoir.https://christinapatterson.co.uk/Outside, the Sky is Blue: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/christina-patterson/outside-the-sky-is-blue/9781472282651/@queenchristina_ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Novelist Jan Carson on how to write about Northern Ireland

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2022 35:59


    Jan Carson, whose most recent novel The Raptures concerns a spate of deaths at a rural Protestant Northern Ireland primary school, on her five rules for writing about the province.@JanCarson7280The Raptures: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1115884/the-raptures/9780857525758.htmlhttps://www.jancarson.co.uk/Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Music biographer Richard Balls on how to interview difficult people

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2021 40:50


    Richard Balls, author of the superb Shane MacGowan biography, A Furious Devotion, on his five rules for interviewing someone who has little desire to cooperate.@RichardBallsA Furious Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan: https://omnibuspress.com/products/a-furious-devotion-the-life-of-shane-macgowan-published-on-7th-october-2021Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: https://strong-words.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Idler magazine editor Tom Hodgkinson on how to write idly

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2021 39:06


    Tom Hodgkinson, whose magazine is devoted to the quest for maximum satisfaction from minimum effort, on where writing fits with this equation.@idlerThe Idler: https://www.idler.co.uk/An Idler's Manual: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/IDLERS-MANUAL-by-TOM-HODKINSON/9781901170344Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: https://strong-words.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Debut novelist Virginia Feito on how to write an unlikeable character

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2021 31:13


    First-time author of the sublime Mrs March, Virginia Feito shares her five rules on writing "a gloriously grotesque antiheroine."Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Journalist and author Lesley-Ann Jones on how to write a rock biography

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2021 47:48


    Lesley-Ann Jones, Fleet Street survivor and writer of the recent Love of my Life about the relationships of Freddie Mercury, on how to write a rock biography.Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: https://strong-words.co.uk/Buy Love Of My Life here: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/lesley-ann-jones/love-of-my-life/9781529362343/@LAJWriterhttps://www.lesleyannjones.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Songwriter and lyricist Rob Davis on how to write a hit song

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2021 28:09


    Rob Davis, guitarist with glam nobility Mud and co-composer of Kylie's Can't Get You Out of My Head, on how to write hit records.Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: http://strong-words.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Nina-Sophia Miralles on how to write about Vogue

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2021 32:52


    Author and editor of the Londnr culture website Nina-Sophia Miralles, on her five rules of writing about the ultra-haughty fashion bible, Vogue magazine.@Londnrhttps://www.ninamiralles.com/Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: http://strong-words.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Jay Glennie on how to write about the making of Hollywood movies

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2021 40:57


    Author and publisher Jay Glennie, who specialises in deeply researched records of the making of classic films, on the five rules of getting A-list movie folk to share their stories.Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: http://strong-words.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    French novelist Jean-Baptiste Andrea on how to write that difficult second novel

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2021 34:12


    Film director, screenwriter and bestselling French author Jean-Baptiste Andrea, on writing his second novel A Hundred Million Years and a Day, one of Strong Words' 20 best books of 2020. Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine.Buy A Hundred Million Years and a Day: https://belgraviabooks.com/product/a-hundred-million-years-and-a-day-pb-b?i=1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Author and journalist Pete Paphides on how to write about childhood

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2021 54:13


    Music writer and author Pete Paphides, whose autobiography Broken Greek describes the vital role played by the Top 40 in his formative years, discusses his seven (!) rules of writing about one's own infancy. Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine.Buy Broken Greek here: https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/titles/pete-paphides-2/broken-greek/9781529404425/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Tom Holland on how to write riveting ancient history

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2021 32:32


    Ancient historian Tom Holland, author of bestselling works on Julius Caesar, the first Roman emperors, Persia in its imperial pomp and a history of Christianity, on turning the remote past into a gripping read.@holland_tomPresented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: http://strong-words.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Historian Dr Gillian O'Brien on how to write "dark history"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2021 42:01


    Dr Gillian O'Brien, historian and author of the superb “The Darkness Echoing,” on her “dark tourism” itinerary of Ireland's “places of famine, death and rebellion.”Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: http://strong-words.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Words and picture sisters Scarlett and Sophie Rickard on making stunning graphic novels

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2021 35:41


    In episode 8 of The Five Rules of Writing, Scarlett and Sophie Rickard describe how they turned Robert Tressell's “intimidating” Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists into a dazzling page-turner of a graphic novel.Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: http://strong-words.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Journalist and author Dylan Jones on the art of interviewing for an oral biography

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2021 40:51


    In episode 7 of The Five Rules of Writing, Dylan Jones, the GQ editor and author of entire libraries on music, politics and culture, provides instruction for those wondering how to write an oral biography. Presented by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Horror king Matt Wesolowski on how to write supernaturally-tinged crime

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2021 23:52


    In episode 6 of the Five Rules of Writing, Matt Wesolowski, creator of the "Six Stories" brand of podcast-as-novel ultra-creepiness, on how to scare your readers witless.Brought to you by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: https://strong-words.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Cultural inspector David Hepworth on how to write rock history

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2021 41:27


    In episode 5 of the Five Rules of Writing, David Hepworth, the journalist, broadcaster and writer of several bestselling volumes on how rock music changed the world, shares his views on how it's done. You won't be needing a chair. Brought to you by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: https://strong-words.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Thriller novelist Sabine Durrant on generating exquisite tension

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2021 29:56


    In episode 4 of The Five Rules of Writing, Sabine Durrant, a masterful creator of unnerving domestic tension, sheds a little light on her techniques, including a superb method for surprising yourself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Crime writer Mark Billingham on writing at the darker end of the spectrum

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2021 29:42


    In episode 3 of The Five Rules of Writing, novelist Mark Billingham shares some of the keys to writing bestselling crime stories around calculating psychopaths, including the need to keep your killer in plain sight, and the correct number of twists permitted per plot. Brought to you by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: http://strong-words.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Novelist Anthony Quinn on writing a love letter to Jürgen Klopp

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2021 35:38


    In episode 2 of The Five Rules of Writing, novelist and Liverpool FC obsessive Anthony Quinn talks about how he set aside his fiction writing toolkit to compose an appreciation of Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, even going as far as to sit through press conferences in German, a language which he doesn't speak. Brought to you by Ed Needham and Strong Words Magazine: http://strong-words.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Tammy Cohen on writing novels as two people

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2020 33:43


    Raising the curtain on Strong Words' debut episode of The Five Rules of Writing is novelist Tammy Cohen. Join us as she reveals the compositional commandments that enable her to write chilling psychological thrillers with one hand and, as Rachel Rhys, pulsating historical drama with the other. From the ideas you should instantly reject to drowning out your annoying inner critic, here's how novels are made… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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