Podcasts about Scrivener

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT http://relay.fm/paperplaces/17 http://relay.fm/paperplaces/17 Kerry Provenzano Kerry is joined by Jo Morey to discuss rediscovering writing after a corporate career, her experience in the Faber Academy and how competitions helped her get published. Kerry is joined by Jo Morey to discuss rediscovering writing after a corporate career, her experience in the Faber Academy and how competitions helped her get published. clean 3083 Kerry is joined by Jo Morey to discuss rediscovering writing after a corporate career, her experience in the Faber Academy and how competitions helped her get published. This episode of Paper Places is sponsored by: Scrivener, from Literature & Latte: The #1 app for writers of all kinds. Use PAPERPLACES for 20% off. Guest Starring: Jo Morey Links and Show Notes: Support Paper Places with a Relay Membership Subscribe to KL Provenzano on Substack Submit Feedback Faber Academy | Creative Writing Courses The Cheshire Novel Prize 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison Follow Jo Morey on Instagram Jo Morey's website Buy 'The Night Lagoon' (UK) by Jo Morey

We've got Ben Aaronovitch on the pod this week.I mean, what else do you need to know?That's the important bit.Just that.Ben Aaronovitch.On this podcast.Oh, apart from to say THANK YOU to our amazing sponsor Scrivener.Which you can get right now.. with 20% off - as long as you use our special code FAILING.Just pop along to https://www.literatureandlatte.com/Oh... and one other thing!Check out our HYPE-WRITER feature this week - We've got listener Genevieve Marenghi-Daly's brilliant little piece: 'Team Drinks'(INSTA: @genevievemarenghi)OK.Pretty sure that's it.Now here's some Aaronovitch details as promised...Ben's website:https://www.benaaronovitch.com/Buy Stone & Skyhttps://www.orionbooks.co.uk/titles/ben-aaronovitch/stone-and-sky/9781473226715/Buy 'em all!https://www.waterstones.com/author/ben-aaronovitch/27460 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Banks—writer, entrepreneur, and founder of ProWritingAid—on how to embrace what makes you unique, use AI as a tool for inspiration, and build resilience and joy into the writing process, from creating faster feedback loops to reframing the creative pit of despair.We discuss:Why “leaning into your weird” can unlock originality and stronger ideasWhere you might use AI for inspiration. How to overcome the ‘creative pit of despair'Why faster feedback loops can be helpful for your craft How gratitude fuels creativity and flowWhat both entrepreneurs and writers need to know about resilience and joy About Chris BanksChris Banks is a writer, entrepreneur, and the CEO and founder of ProWritingAid, the editing tool trusted by millions of authors worldwide. With a background in software development and a lifelong passion for writing, he built ProWritingAid to make the editing process more empowering for writers of all levels. His forthcoming book, The Writer's Mind, explores how resilience, joy, and creative practice can help writers overcome obstacles and sustain their craft.Resources and Links:ProWritingAidChris Banks  Episode Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Scrivener. It's a tool many of us use at the Salon. It's a great system to accompany you through the whole writing process from research, editing, organization, formatting, and exporting. To find out more about Scrivener, head to Scrivener.app. To get 20% off, use code WRITERSSALON.For show notes, transcripts, and to attend our live podcasts, visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers' Hours: writershour.com. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers' Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS' SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you're enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

In this episode, recorded in conjunction with Hay Festival, Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist Jacqueline Wilson. Born in 1945, Jacqueline wrote her first (unpublished) novel, "Meet the Maggots", when she was nine and has since gone on to write more than 100 books; her novels have been translated into 34 languages and have sold more than 40m copies in Britain alone. Jacqueline started her career as a journalist for DC Thomson in Dundee—the bestselling teen magazine Jackie was reportedly named after her—and she published her first story for children, "Ricky's Birthday", in 1973. She is the author of several bestselling children's titles, including "The Story of Tracy Beaker", "Double Act", "Vicky Angel", and several popular series, such as "Girls", "Hetty Feather" and "Sleepovers". Jacqueline has won many literary prizes and was the British Children's Laureate from 2005-07. In the 2025 New Year Honours List she was awarded the Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire. We spoke to Jacqueline about starting out in magazines while in her teens, breaking out in children's books in 1991 with "Tracy Beaker" and writing for adults, most recently in "Think Again".We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Amie McNee—creativity coach and writer  behind the popular account @InspiredToWrite—on how to stay grounded through success and setbacks, forge a creative life on your own terms, and why art is both essential and revolutionary.We discuss:How to deal with rejectionAdvice for artists starting out on social mediaTips and reflections on self-publishing and book dealsWhy the world needs your artHow to start trusting yourself as an artist (and deal with jealousy)Having big dreams and low standardsAnd more exclusive insights for writers and creativesAbout Amie McNee:Amie is a trained historian turned creativity coach, writer, and speaker best known for her popular Instagram account, @InspiredtoWrite and The Unpublished Podcast. She's self-published two historical fiction novels: The Rules Upheld by No One, Regrettably, I Am About to Cause Trouble. Her latest book is We Need Your Art: Stop F*cking Around and Make Something, a manifesto on the vital, human importance of creating. Resources and Links:Amie's Ted Talk (The case for making art when the world is on fire)The Rules Upheld by No One by Amie McNeeAmie's Instagram Amie's SubstackWe Need Your Art by Amie McNeeThe Icarus Deception by Seth Godin Episode Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Scrivener. It's a tool many of us use at the Salon. It's a great system to accompany you through the whole writing process from research, editing, organization, formatting, and exporting. To find out more about Scrivener, head to Scrivener.app. To get 20% off, use code WRITERSSALON. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers' Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS' SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you're enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

James Lang shares about his latest book, Write Like You Teach, on episode 583 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast. Quotes from the episode Answers on their own are not interesting. They become interesting when we know the questions behind them. -James Lang When you take a reader on a journey, as the reader works through an essay or book that you've written, they spend a lot of time with you. -James Lang Be attentive to the person that you are on the page to the reader. -James Lang Start right now. That's the most important thing. -James Lang Resources Write Like You Teach: Taking Your Classroom Skills to a Bigger Audience by James M. Lang Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It by James M. Lang Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning by James M. Lang Cheating Lessons: Learning from Academic Dishonesty by James M. Lang The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean How Can Educators Teach Critical Thinking? by Daniel T. Willingham (American Educator) James M. Lang's official website Susan Orlean's official website Scrivener, a popular writing and revision tool for long-form projects The Opposite of Cheating from the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Series (University of Oklahoma Press) University of Oklahoma Press – Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Ed series Christine Tulley The Sirens' Call: How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource, by Chris Hayes Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, by Maryanne Wolf

For many, the idea of having their book published is an actual dream. A beautiful, glorious, waking dream. But for others, perhaps even most writers, the dream isn't quite as dreamy as people might imagine.So let's draw back the curtain and have a little peek at the actual, unfiltered, no-bull realities of giving birth to a beautiful baby book, with the supremely talented (and honest) journalist and author, Hamilton Nolan.And if you too want to be all professional and authory, you could do a lot worse than getting yourself a copy of Scrivener.It's a brilliant bit of software that honestly and genuinely makes writing easier.Use our cheeky little code FAILING and get yourself 20% off the usual cost! Go to https://www.literatureandlatte.com right now.And you'd assume, wouldn't you, that THAT might be all. Because any more of this aural nourishment could easily result in indigestion.Well no. Sorry, but you should undo your belt a couple o' notches and ready yourself for pudding. Because we've got our brand new feature starting this week.Yep. It's HYPE-WRITER! Where you send us a bit of writing you're real proud of. Could be your novel, could be a piece of flash, could be a short story, could be an article, could be a comedy sketch, could be a play, could be a sitcom episode. OR... it could be a poem, which is what we've got this week from the talented Guy Jones, founder of Hothouse Theatre, Nottingham:https://www.hothousetheatre.com/Insta: @hothouse_theatreIf you'd like to send us a bit of writing you're proud of so we can hype YOU up - send it over to failingwriterspodcast@gmail.com with a bit of blurb about it, and you could see your name in lights**Forgive us a bit of hyperbole. x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Isabella Valeri's first novel, Letters from the Dead, is the story of a wealthy dynastic family and its secrets. Isabella lives under an assumed name somewhere in the Alps. Show notes: Isabella Valeri (https://www.isabella-v.com/) Letters from the Dead (https://www.isabella-v.com/teaser/) Napoleon on Board the Bellerophon, Sir William Quiller Orchardson (https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/orchardson-napoleon-on-board-the-bellerophon-n01601) How To Write A Novel Using The Snowflake Method (https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/) Erin Morgenstern: The Night Circus (https://erinmorgenstern.com/writing/the-night-circus/) Learn more about Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview), and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store). If you like the podcast, please follow it on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-now-with-scrivener/id1568550068) or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com).

In this episode, recorded live at the London Library, Simon and Rachel speak with the screenwriter Jesse Armstrong. Born in Shropshire and educated at Manchester University, Jesse co-created the Channel 4 comedy series "Peep Show" (2003–2015) and "Fresh Meat" (2011–2016), was a writer on "The Thick of It" (2005-2012) and "Four Lions" (2010) and is the creator of the HBO series "Succession" (2018–2023). He has received many nominations and awards, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing the film "In the Loop" (2009), and four wins for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. In 2016 Jonathan Cape also published his novel set against the background of the Bosnian War, "Love, Sex and Other Foreign Policy Goals". We spoke to Jesse about his early career as a screenwriter, creating a global hit with "Succession", and his latest film, "Mountainhead".We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Well oh my gosh, haven't we got a right proper banger for you today?I know. We spoil you.But it's only cos you've been so good recently.Yeah. Don't be coy. You have.So we thought. Oh heck, why not…Let's do an episode with the lovely Jessica Knappett. She of Inbetweeners / Drifters / Avoidance / Ghosts / Travel Man / Taskmaster and countless other stuff on telly- fame. BUT… also… you may not be aware... a very experienced and talented writer.So pin back yer lug'oles and get comfy for a really fascinating chattanooga choo choo all the way to Jessicatown.Here's Jessica Knappett's delightful podcast, now you've realised you need more Jess in your life:https://podfollow.com/1744320313And then, when you're done listening to all that, and you're all jazzed up on a cocktail of oxytocin and inspiration juice… why not make like a proper writer and get yourself a copy of SCRIVENER!You can get 20% off with the code FAILING at https://www.literatureandlatte.comAnd finally finish that pesky novel / screenplay / sitcom / poetry collection / academic book about the sexual proclivities of sea lions.Finally. Please don't forget to send in some writing you're reaaal proud of to failingwriterspodcast@gmail.comThen we can start our HYPE-WRITER feature, and start spreading love across the globe.Wait, that sounds bad.Spreading glory and huge, well deserved celebrations of YOU... to the world.Clunky, but it'll do.xPhotograph of Jessica by Jiksaw. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT http://relay.fm/paperplaces/16 http://relay.fm/paperplaces/16 Kerry Provenzano Kerry is joined by Celia Silvani, author of 'Baby Teeth'. They discuss toasties, the unusual way Celia wrote her novel and how dangerous online forums informed the characters in her book. Kerry is joined by Celia Silvani, author of 'Baby Teeth'. They discuss toasties, the unusual way Celia wrote her novel and how dangerous online forums informed the characters in her book. clean 3068 Kerry is joined by Celia Silvani, author of 'Baby Teeth'. They discuss toasties, the unusual way Celia wrote her novel and how dangerous online forums informed the characters in her book. This episode of Paper Places is sponsored by: Scrivener, from Literature & Latte: The #1 app for writers of all kinds. Use PAPERPLACES for 20% off. Links and Show Notes: Support Paper Places with a Relay Membership Subscribe to KL Provenzano on Substack Submit Feedback Send Kerry a message Curtis Brown Creative Writing Courses Sausage, Bean and Cheese bake from GreggsIf you go to Greggs, Kerry's recommendation is not this but a sausage roll and a pink iced doughnut. 'I Capture the Castle' by Dodie Smith The National Literacy Trust Buy 'Baby Teeth' by Celia Silvani Medics warn of dangers of freebirths | BBC Hannah Schofield | Literary Agent at LBA reMarkable

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT http://relay.fm/paperplaces/16 http://relay.fm/paperplaces/16 Finding a Five Month Flow State, with Celia Silvani 16 Kerry Provenzano Kerry is joined by Celia Silvani, author of 'Baby Teeth'. They discuss toasties, the unusual way Celia wrote her novel and how dangerous online forums informed the characters in her book. Kerry is joined by Celia Silvani, author of 'Baby Teeth'. They discuss toasties, the unusual way Celia wrote her novel and how dangerous online forums informed the characters in her book. clean 3068 Kerry is joined by Celia Silvani, author of 'Baby Teeth'. They discuss toasties, the unusual way Celia wrote her novel and how dangerous online forums informed the characters in her book. This episode of Paper Places is sponsored by: Scrivener, from Literature & Latte: The #1 app for writers of all kinds. Use PAPERPLACES for 20% off. Links and Show Notes: Support Paper Places with a Relay Membership Subscribe to KL Provenzano on Substack Submit Feedback Send Kerry a message Curtis Brown Creative Writing Courses Sausage, Bean and Cheese bake from GreggsIf you go to Greggs, Kerry's recommendation is not this but a sausage roll and a pink iced doughnut. 'I Capture the Castle' by Dodie Smith The National Literacy Trust Buy 'Baby Teeth' by Celia Silvani Medics warn of dangers of freebirths | BBC Hannah Schofield | Literary Agent at LBA reMarkable

Rachel and Simon speak to the historian Hallie Rubenhold. Born in Los Angeles, Hallie moved to Britain as a graduate student; after completing an MA and an MPhil, she worked for a time as a curator for the National Portrait Gallery and as a commercial art dealer. In 2005 she published her first book, "The Covent Garden Ladies", about "Harris's List", a directory of London's prostitutes. Hallie followed it up in 2008 with "Lady Worsley's Whim", about the 18th century's most notorious adultery trial. Both books have been adapted into television dramas. Hallie then turned to fiction - publishing "Mistress of My Fate" and "The French Lesson" - before returning to non-fiction with "The Five: The Women Killed by Jack the Ripper" in 2019. The book went on to win the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction and became a Sunday Times bestseller. We spoke to Hallie about moving from the world of museums to the world of writing; researching and publishing "The Five"; and her latest book, "Story of a Murder".We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (eight are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

OK, first things first, before you read any more of this, go to https://www.literatureandlatte.com and get yaself 20% off Scrivener right now with the code: FAILINGDone that?Brilliant. First step towards becoming a proper writer - DONE.Perfect.Now... it's time to settle the score, turn the tables, slip the shoe onto the other foot. Tom sets up a chat with Samia Rida, who's taking her one woman play to Edinburgh. A cunning way of encouraging Jon and Katie to crack on with their play.Will it work?Find out in this week's episode, as we chat to Samia about how you go about taking a show to Edinburgh, the benefits of taking your writing into your own hands and turning it into a show, the trauma and comedy inherent in being kidnapped and taken to Saudi Arabia, the life of artists generally, and lots of other stuff that you'll have to listen to the show to find out.Samia's play is called Kidnap, it's on at the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh from 30th July to the 10th August, and it sounds excellent! Get your tix here:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/samia-rida-kidnapSamia on Instagram:@rida_samia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon and Rachel speak with the novelist and academic Viet Thanh Nguyen. Born in Vietnam, Viet came to the United States as a refugee in 1975. He completed a PhD in English at Berkeley, moved to Los Angeles for a teaching position at the University of Southern California, and has been there ever since, now as a chair of English and Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity. Viet's first novel, "The Sympathizer", published in 2015, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and became a New York Times bestseller. HBO also turned "The Sympathizer" into a TV series in 2024, directed by Park Chan-wook. Viet's other books include "The Committed", a sequel to "The Sympathizer", "Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War" (a finalist for the National Book Award in non-fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award) and "Race and Resistance: Literature and Politics in Asian America". We spoke to Viet about branching from academia into writing fiction, "The Sympathizer", and "The Cleaving," an anthology of work by Vietnamese diaspora writers.  We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (eight are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Hello Children, welcome to another lovely wuvvly episode of The Failing Writers Podcast in association with Scrivener, a podcast for people who love to write and want to move ever closer to the elusive realm of success.In this episode we're looking at writing done especially for you. Yes you, my Kiddiewinklepops. All the younger humans upon this little space rock we call Earth.Why?Because we are turning the spotlight on co-host Tommy Turner. He's been a bit of a naughty boy and not been writing very much recently. Can you believe that?Oh you can.Well, perhaps with a bit of inspiration from fabulotastimungouscintilliously brilliant middle grade author Thomas Taylor, he of Malamander fame, it might just be our turn to turn Turner into a page turning turn.Let's see shall we?Righteeho… enough of this bothersome blather…. on with the show…Oh wait… don't forget that if you want to write like one of those successful, professional writers – get yourself a copy of SCRIVENER!With our super secret magical code, you can get 20% off!Just go to https://www.literatureandlatte.com and pop in the code FAILINGAnd for some SUPERB aged 7 – 12-ish books (Although I loved reading it and I'm quite a bit older than 12 – so maybe just ignore the whole age-thing) check out Thomas Taylor's Eerie on Sea series:Visit Eerie on Sea here:https://eerie-on-sea.comBuy Malamander here:https://eerie-on-sea.com/about-the-books/malamander/Check out Thomas and his other stuff here:https://www.thomastaylor-author.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm a big fan of Nathalia (Nat) Holt's books, and am so excited to have the opportunity to talk to her about her new book, The Beast in the Clouds: The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda. I first met Nat when her book Cured: The People Who Defeated HIV came out and I attended a book event at Dartmouth Medical Center. She is so smart and curious and in this episode we will be talking about the process of researching elusive history, where her ideas come from, and who gets to tell what stories. Nathalia Holt's websiteTranscript below!EPISODE 455 - TRANSCRIPTJess LaheyHey, AmWriters! It's Jess Lahey here. I am so excited to talk about a new series that I am putting out there on the Hashtag AmWriting platform called From Soup to Nuts. I interview and work with and mentor an author—a nonfiction author—who has subject matter expertise and a killer idea, frankly, that just knocked me sideways. This author really thinks this is the time and place for this idea. And I agreed, and I asked her—I begged her—if I could mentor her through this process in a series. We're having to work together on agenting and proposal and all the stuff that you've got to do, from soup to nuts, to get a book out into the world. This series, From Soup to Nuts, is subscriber-only. The first episode is free, so you can go back and listen to that. That's for everyone. But if you want to join us for the whole process and learn from her mistakes—and learn from the stuff that I'm working on right now too—you have to subscribe. So consider supporting the Hashtag AmWriting podcast. It helps us bring you stuff like this—these extra series—not to mention the podcast itself. Alright, it's a lot of work. Help us support our podcast and these extra bonus series. By becoming a supporter, you'll get a sticker for it. You'll get your hypothetical, figurative sticker for being a good Hashtag AmWriting.Multiple speakers:Is it recording? Now it's recording, yay. Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. I don't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. All right, let's start over. Awkward pause… I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay, now one, two, three.Jess LaheyHey, this is the Hashtag AmWriting podcast. This is the podcast about writing all the things—writing the short things, writing the long things, writing the queries, the proposals, the poetry, the fiction, the nonfiction. This is the podcast actually, at its heart, about getting the work done. I am Jess Lahey. I am your host today. I'm the author of the New York Times best-selling The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation. And you can find my journalism at The New York Times and The Atlantic and The Washington Post. And today I am interviewing an author I respect deeply. I have known this author since she wrote her first book, which overlapped with some work that my husband does and some work that I had done in a previous career, and she has gone on to have a glorious and enviable career in nonfiction. My dream has always been to be one of those people that can, like, get curious about a topic and then just go off and write about that topic. And this is what she does. So Natalia—NAT—Holt, I am so excited to introduce you to our listeners. They are deep, deep, deep lovers of the nuts and bolts and the geeky details of the writing and the process. So welcome to the Hashtag AmWriting podcast.Nathalia HoltThank you so much. I'm excited to talk to you today.Jess LaheySo we have a book on HIV—the first book, Cured, which is the way that I got to know you. Also, full disclosure, we share an agent. Laurie Abkemeier is our agent, and I think she actually may have introduced us in the first place. Yeah, your first book—yeah, your first book, Cured, about the Berlin patients. Really interesting—if you've never heard of the Berlin patients, listeners, just, just Google it. It's really a fascinating story. I'll go over—I'll go read Cured. Cured is all about the Berlin patients. And then we have The Queens of Animation—the women behind, sort of, the way Disney does what they do. And—and—and then we also have Rise of the Rocket Girls, which is another fascinating book out there about the women behind a lot of the math and the planning and the work that was done to get us into space. And so when I heard about your new book, I'm like, "Oh, NAT's working on a new book. Great! What women are we going to talk about this time?" And it's such a departure for you, and it is such a fascinating topic for you. And, well, for me, it's like—it's deep in my geeky, Jess-book-loving nonfiction zone. Could you tell us a little bit about it and where the idea came from for this book?Nathalia HoltSure. The book is called The Beast in the Clouds, and it's about an expedition that the two eldest sons of President Theodore Roosevelt took in 1928 and 1929. And they went to China and Tibet in search of the giant panda, which at that time was unknown to Western scientists. And even in China, there were very few people that were aware of where this animal lived, what it ate—so little was known. So during this time period, the 1920s, you have all of these expeditions going to China, trying to find this black-and-white bear that no one is really sure exists. It's just a crazy period of history, because you have all of the other bears at that time—even polar bears—were known and even were in zoos. But the panda was not, and many people even thought it would be a ferocious bear. They thought this was going to be, you know, a combination of polar and black bears.Jess LaheyYeah, yeah.Nathalia HoltSo that's what the Roosevelts are going to. And so the expedition ends up being torturous, deadly. They're going through the Himalayas. They're not very well prepared. They lose all their food. They're attacked. They get lost. Just every crazy thing happens to them. But it's also a journey of transformation. They're documenting all of the ecology around them, and it really ends up changing their own worldview. And so it was such a fun book to research and to write. And I spent a lot of time also going into many of the other ex—many of the other members of the expedition, which was—which was fun, and maybe a little bit different than other books in this genre. But yeah, for me, you know, it's scary to be writing a part of history that is very different than what I've done before—but it's also fun.Jess LaheyWhere'd the germ of the idea for the book come from? Because I had never heard this story before. I guess it had just never occurred to me—like, where do we—how do we know about the panda bear?Nathalia HoltYeah, it's not a topic that has been written about much before, and I came across it while I was researching my last book, which is called Wise Gals, and is about women that helped form the CIA. And as part of that book, I was looking into the Roosevelts' role in World War Two. And it's so confusing when you research the Roosevelts, because they all have the same name. It's just Theodore and...Jess LaheyActually, I have to tell you, Tim's a huge fan—my husband, Tim, who you also know, is a big fan and has read a lot about—and he's like, "Well, which Roosevelt?" So you—and I'm like, "Oh, that's a really good question. I don't know which Roosevelt... like, the adventuring ones." He's like, "Well..." [unintelligible]Nathalia HoltYeah, there's so many of them, and they all have the same name. And so as I was trying to parse out son and father—who are both named Kermit Roosevelt and both served in World War Two—I kind of stumbled across this expedition that the elder Kermit Roosevelt had taken. So he and his older brother, Theodore, who were the sons of President Theodore Roosevelt, and so it just kind of—it came from there. Just sort of came from wanting to learn more about it. And I always love a challenge. If there's a topic that's difficult to research, that seems impossible to find anything about—I'm there. I want to know everything.Jess LaheyYeah. So, okay, so here's a—really a question that I—well, first of all, you and I are both research geeks. I just—I have said I could just keep researching books and not actually write the books. I just love that process. So aside from the easy answer, which is Google, like, where do you start with a story that hasn't been told yet? How do you start diving into that story, and where do you find information?Nathalia HoltIt's difficult, and it depends on the topic. For this one, I went through a number of different archives, and that was great. I was able to get old letters that the Roosevelts had. But I really wanted to bring in other voices. I was really, really persistent in my desire to bring in Jack Young, who was this young, 19-year-old, Hawaiian-born translator and naturalist on the trip. And I was fortunate enough that I was able to track down some interviews he had done with another author back in the 1990s, and I just was persistent. I just pleaded until I got these tapes and was able to get all these interviews with him. And then I also contacted his daughter, who lives in Hawaii, and was able to get his unpublished autobiography. And it gives such an interesting perspective, because Jack Young went on and became a very impressive person and really deserves a biography all of his own, but he was also very close friends with the Roosevelts. They had a real connection—a real bond. And you get a different sense of the story when you're hearing it through his descriptions of what it was like, because he is young, and he is sort of really documenting things for the first time. And then, in addition, I was so lucky with this book because I was able to also get the field journals from a scientist that was on the expedition, as well as all the writings from another naturalist. So it was fascinating, because there were so many different accounts of the same events, which really lets you go into detail about what it was like, what people were feeling, what they were seeing. And I don't think I've ever had that before—where I have so many different accounts of the exact same events.Jess LaheyThat's really cool, because it gives you that ability to, you know—if we went with just Jack Young's account, then you've got the Jack Young lens. And as you well know, history gets to be told by certain people, unless someone like you comes along and says, "Oh, wait, this account has not been brought to the surface," whether it's the women who are the animators at Disney, or whether it's the women who are part of NASA. So how do you—if you go into something like this and you have a limited number of perspectives—it sounds like you had a fair number of perspectives going into this, but since the documentation happened—usually tends to happen among the more powerful, the more privileged people—how do you manage getting a full perspective on an event like this expedition when you may have limited perspectives?Nathalia HoltThat is the real challenge, because it's easy to get the Roosevelts' documentation.Jess LaheyYeah, yeah, yeah.Nathalia HoltI have all of their journals, all of their letters. I am able to get into real detail about what this expedition was like for them. Even the difficult parts—for them—they really documented that, and everything has been saved. For the others... it's much more difficult, and it really requires that persistence of being able to get the letters. Being able to get the autobiography was really key, because he goes into so much detail about what things were like. And these interviews that he did were also really, really helpful, because he goes into a lot of his feelings about what it was like to be with the Roosevelts on the expedition, about how he felt… Because his father was born in China, his mother was born in San Francisco, he himself was born in Hawaii—which, at that time, is not part of the U.S.—he feels like he doesn't have a country. He doesn't know where he is. So when he's in China, he can speak all of these languages, but he's still struggling to connect and be able to talk with people, because there are so many dialects.Jess LaheyYeah.Nathalia HoltAnd so to be able to get into what that was like, and how he felt—just gives such a perspective—a different perspective of the expedition than perhaps what is usually had in these kinds of books. And he also talks a lot about the guides on the expedition, which was really interesting. There were a lot of women that were part of this expedition. Half of the guides, who kind of act as Sherpas—they, you know, they carry things, they lead the way, they guide the route, they make camp. And so there are just some great moments with these guides—especially the women guides—where they are just protecting from crazy marauders that have come down and have attacked the group. And lots of great moments like that. That was really interesting to document. And in addition, another thing I was able to get for this book is—there was actually some early video and a lot of photographs that were taken.Jess LaheyOh my goodness.Nathalia HoltBy one of the members. And that is just such an incredible thing—to be looking at video of this expedition in the 1920s—it's just amazing.Jess LaheyOkay, so geek question here, since this is definitely what our listeners like the most. So I haven't laid hands on the book yet, because it's not out yet—did you put photographs in the book? Were you able to get access to photographs, and did you put them in the book? And I ask that because whenever I write a proposal or we're working on a book proposal, we have to indicate whether or not there's going to be artwork, and that changes things in terms of budget, and it changes things in terms of permissions and stuff. And I was curious about—I've never dealt with that side of it before, but maybe you have.Nathalia HoltI have. I've always sent photographs, and I love it. Because I feel like it helps when you read the book—especially a book like this.Jess LaheyYeah.Nathalia HoltYou know, when I'm describing what they look like, and where they are, you want to see it with your own eyes. And so it's really interesting to be able to see those photographs. And I had so many, and it's always a challenge to parse out—who has the permissions? Where do they come from? Finding the photographs—this always takes forever. Fortunately, this particular book was maybe a little bit easier, because a lot of the photographs are out of copyright, that had been published at that time. So that was nice. But yeah, no, it was still just a mess, as it always is. It's always a mess to figure out who do photographs belong to. I feel like I would love to become a lawyer—just for that moment in researching a book.Jess LaheyThat's a whole layer I've never had to go into. And it was easier for me to—rather than just say, "Yeah, I'd like to include this one thing," and then I realized the nightmare that's ahead of me in terms of accessing and getting permission and all that stuff. I'm like, "Eh! Let's just stick with what we got in the print." But, for something like this—and especially when you're writing about, for example, animation, or if you're writing about, you know, this expedition, and there's art available—you know, it sounds like it's really, really worth it for that aspect. I mean, that's definitely something I would want in this book. So I think I know the answer to this question. This is a heavily loaded question, but are you—when it comes to research and it comes to what you include in the book—are you an overwriter or an underwriter? Or do you land pretty much—like, when you're doing your editing, are you like, "Oh no, this was the perfect amount to include?"Nathalia HoltOh, I'm a terrible overwriter.Jess LaheyOh. So am I!Nathalia HoltIt's really a problem. But I worked very hard on this book at cutting, and it was not easy for me, because I do always tend to go way overboard. I'm always over the word count that I'm supposed to be at—with the exception of this book, where I did a very good job of cutting it down and really trying to focus and not, you know, getting too distracted.Jess LaheyYeah, we joke all the time with my other co-hosts and friends that my—like, my history sections in both of my books could have been half of the book or, you know... and all the stuff that ends up on the floor ends up getting told in cocktail parties. You know, "By the way, did you know how many, you know, kegs of beer there were on the ships that came over? I do. Can I share? Because I did all this work and I've got to put it somewhere." And there's this weird—there's this weird line between, "Look, look how thorough I am. Can I have an A+ for how thorough I am?" versus what your reader might actually be interested in. I keep some of my favorite notes from my former editor, and she's like, "Yeah, the reader... no. Reader doesn't care. Not going to care. You know, this may be really fun for you, but maybe not for your reader." So—but I can imagine with something like this, you know, the details of the flora and fauna and all that other stuff—it would be really easy to get off on tangents that are not necessary for the core mission.Nathalia HoltYes, absolutely. But in some ways it was easier than my past books, because it only takes place over a year, which is incredible. Most of my books take place over decades, and the cast of characters is much smaller as well. And unlike some of my past books, I feel like I need to include everyone out of fairness—which is kind of a weird way to approach a book. I don't recommend it. That's not the way to do things. But yeah, if you're really just looking at a few—a handful of people—over a year, it's much easier to stay on track. So that was a good exercise for me.Jess LaheyYeah, there's a—there's a line I love, where David Sedaris talks about the fact that what it takes for him to purchase something is if the clerk at the store has gone to the trouble to take it out of the case, to show it to him, and then he feels like he has to buy it because he—someone went through the trouble. And same thing for me. If, like, someone's going to go to the trouble to be interviewed, then cutting that entire interview, or cutting that whole through line, or whatever that person is a part of, is incredibly painful to do. And then I feel like—I feel obligated. So it's a difficult—it's a difficult balance, you know, between what your readers are going to actually want and what makes for a good book, versus doing right by the people who spent time talking to you. It's a hard balance to strike. Alright, speaking of being in the weeds and geek questions—so I'd love to talk to you a little bit. I was just—I'm mentoring someone for a little series we're doing for this podcast, sort of from soup to nuts, from the beginning of an—from the inception of an idea to getting a book out. And the very first thing she did was send something to me in a Pages document. And I had to say, "Hey, you might want to think about using Word or maybe Google Docs, because, like, I don't have Pages." So—some details about how you work. Number one, do you have a preferred app that you like to write in? Because I'm a Scrivener gal.Nathalia HoltI mean, I prefer Word because I feel like it is the most universal. It's the easiest to send to people... and so that's what I go with.Jess LaheyYeah, I use Scrivener only because it allows me to blank out the rest of the world really easily. Okay, and then organizing your research. This is something—the question of organizing your research, how you know you're done researching and really just need to actually start writing the words—are the two questions that I get the most. Because the research could go—especially on a topic like this—could go on forever. So number one, given this voluminous research that you had, how do you organize your research? Do you use folders on your computer? Do you use folders in—you know—how do you do all of that?Nathalia HoltI do folders on my computer, and then I also do hard copies that I actually keep organized in real folders, which helps me, because then, if I'm going into a specific topic, a lot of times it can be easier to actually hold on to those documents and being able to see them. So I do both. Um, and...Jess LaheyHas everything pretty much been digitized in this area? Do you feel like—or do you have to go into rooms and, like, actually look at paper documents, and sometimes they don't let you scan those? So, you know, how does that work for you?Nathalia Holt Yes, it's very difficult if they don't allow you to photograph them. Usually they do. Usually you can. So I have always had to digitize documents, and there's so many different ways to do it, but now it's much easier just to use your phone than anything else, which is great. Very happy about this development. And yeah, I think—I think maybe that's part of the reason why I do like to print things out is because that's how I was first introduced to the material, so it can be useful for me. But there's way too much material to print everything out. I mean, there's so many hundreds, thousands of pages even. And so it's always just going to be sort of key documents that end up making their way into the actual folders, and then the rest—it's just, you know, organized by topic. Make sure images are separate, by person.Jess LaheySo then, how do you know you're done? Like, how do you feel like you're at a place where I now know enough to come at this from—to come at the storytelling from an informed place?Nathalia HoltThat is really a good question, and I'm not sure I can answer it, because I feel like you're never done. You're always going to be researching. There's no real end to it.Jess LaheyBut you have to start. Well, and this—this takes—this is separate from the question of, like, how much research—how much research do you have to have done for the book proposal? Like take it for example, for example, The Addiction Inoculation, where I needed to learn, really, a whole new area... that was a year-long process just to write the proposal for that book, and then another couple years for the book. So, for me—and I'm very happy to say—I got to ask Michael Pollan this question, and he had the same answer that I feel like is my instinctual answer for this, which is when I start to say, "Oh, I'm starting to repeat. Things are starting to repeat for me," and/or, "Oh, I already knew that," and so I'm not finding out new stuff or encountering things I don't already know at the same rate. It's starting to sort of level off. Then I feel like, "Oh, I've got this sort of, like, you know, mile-high view of the—of the information," and I maybe have enough in my head to start actually being an expert on this thing.Nathalia HoltThat's a good answer. That sounds responsible. I'm not sure that I do that, though. I think for myself, there's not a bad time to start, because it's going to change so much anyway, that for me, I almost feel like it's part of the learning process. Is that you start to write about it, and then as you go along, you realize, "Oh, this is not right. I'm going to change all of this," but it's all just part of helping you move along. And I think even from the beginning, if you start writing even just bits and pieces of how you want to write the scene, you want to think about this or outline it, that can be helpful, and it doesn't matter, because it's all going to change anyway.Jess LaheyThat's true. I actually find I write—the way I write is very specific, in that each topic I'm going to write about in a chapter has a narrative arc, story that goes with it. So I—that narrative arc story gets written first, and then I drop the research in as I go along. But I remember, with The Gift of Failure, a book came out that had a key piece of research that then I had to go back and figure out, "Oh my gosh, this impacts everything." And so I had to figure out how to sort of drop that in. And I couldn't have done it at any other time, because the research didn't exist or I hadn't found it yet. So that's a tough thing to do, is to go back and sort of link the things to something new that you think is important. But the research part is just so much fun for me. Again, I could do that forever and ever and ever. Do you? So the other thing I wanted to ask... and this is selfishly... do you have large boxes in your home of all the research that you feel like you can't get rid of, even though you wrote the book, like, five years ago, ten years ago?Nathalia HoltI do not. I pare down.Jess LaheyYou do?!Nathalia HoltAfter time, yes. It's hard to do, though, because it's hard to throw things away, and I definitely have folders that I keep. They're just full of things that I can never get rid of. And obviously it's all digitized as well, but there are things like that that mean a lot to me, that I can't get rid of.Jess LaheyWell, there's actually—this was a very selfish question, because I actually just went through and finally got rid of a whole bunch of stuff that... I felt like it was at the heart—it was the main research for The Gift of Failure, and I used it to mulch my gardens. I put—and so it was like this metaphorical kind of, like, knowledge feeding the thing that I care about the most right now. And so I used it to mulch all the paths in my gardens and create new garden beds and stuff like that. But I'm always curious about that. Like, I every once in a while see something on, like, "X"—what used to be Twitter—or someplace like that, like, can I get rid of the research from the book I wrote 25 years ago? Or is that too soon? Well, so when exactly does the book come out? Give us your—give us your pub date.Nathalia HoltIt comes out July 1st.Jess LaheyOkay. And I have to say... cover is gorgeous. How did you land on that cover image?Nathalia HoltOh, I really didn't get much say.Jess Lahey Okay.Nathalia HoltThe one thing I—I mean, you know, they have whole people that have skills that do these things, but one thing I was very passionate about was keeping the brothers on the cover in their expedition gear. So originally, the publisher had wanted them to be in suits on the front, and I just hated it. I hated it so much, because I feel like they need to be on the trail. You need to see them as they were on the trail. And so that's one thing I really pushed for. And I was fortunate that they—they listened, and they were okay with that.Jess LaheyWell, I'm just—I mean, this book is going to have such a great place alongside books like The River of Doubt and other, you know, really wonderful books that are about the expositions—that the expeditions that get taken by these historical fixtures—figures. And I'm just—I'm so excited for this book. I'm so happy for you about this book, because it is just—when I started telling people about the topic, they're like, "Oh, I would read that." And I'm like, "I know! Isn't that the best idea?" And that's part of the magic, is coming upon the really cool idea. And so I'm just really, really happy for you and really, really happy about this book and excited for it.Nathalia HoltThank you. Oh, that's so nice to hear, especially because this was a very difficult book to get published. I mean, there was a real moment where I wasn't sure I was going to find someone that would...Jess LaheyWell, can you—I didn't want to ask it. You know, this is—having—doing a podcast like this, where we often talk about the mistakes, we talk about the blunders, we talk about the stuff that went wrong. It can be really, really hard because you don't want to bite the hand that feeds you, or you don't want to, like, make anyone think that this book wasn't anything other than a 100% lovely experience from beginning to end. But I would love to talk about that, if you're willing.Nathalia HoltOh, sure. I don't really have anything bad to say about anyone. I think it's—I think it's understandable that people wouldn't naturally think I would be the best author to write this. I haven't written other books like it, and so it was a difficult book to sell. It wasn't easy, and it definitely crystallized to me how important it was that I write it. I really felt like this was my purpose. I really wanted to write it, and maybe it's good to have that moment, because it really makes it clear that this is something you need to do, even if it's not easy, even if it's tough to find a publisher. And I was fortunate that I did. You know, luckily, there was an editor that—sort of at the last minute—believed in it enough to give it a go. And yeah, it's just—it always feels like a miracle when the book comes to fruition and is actually published. It just seems as if that could never really happen, and this one was a difficult road to get there, for sure.Jess LaheyWell, especially since a big part of the proposal process is trying to convince someone that you're the—you're the person to write this book. And in this case, it's not so much because you're a subject matter expert going into it. It's that you're a really good researcher, and you're a meticulous writer and a meticulous researcher, and most importantly, this story speaks to you. And I think, you know, some of my very favorite nonfiction books that I recommend over and over and over again—narrative nonfiction—it's clear in the reading how excited the author was about the story, and I think that's part of the magic. So I think you're the perfect person to write it. I don't know what they could have—because if you are—if you're fired up about the story... And as an English teacher, and as someone who's had to convince middle school students why they need to be excited about this thing I want to teach them, the enthusiasm of the teacher is part of what can spark the engagement for the learner. So I think that's a really, really important part of any book. Plus, you got to—you're—as an author, you're going to have to be out there talking about this thing, and so you better love the topic, because you're going to be talking about it for ages.Nathalia HoltYes, absolutely. I mean, no matter what, this is many years of your life that's dedicated to a topic. But I think it's—it's a good lesson in general, that you can write in one genre and one kind of book for years, and then it might not be easy, but it is possible to actually break out of that and find other topics and other things you want to write about. We grow. We all change.Jess LaheyYeah, one of my—one of, as our listeners will know, Sarina Bowen, one of my co-hosts and one of my best friends—she's—she has written romance forever and ever and ever, and she's like, "You know what? I want to write a thriller," and it has been a really steep learning curve and also a huge effort to sort of convince people that she can do that too. But it's also really, really satisfying when you show your chops in another area. So—and I had an—as I was going through sort of the details about this book, and reading about this book, I was thinking, you know what this would be really, really good for? An exhibit at someplace like the Field Museum, or like an exhibit of—oh my gosh, that would be incredible. Like, if this is a story that hasn't been told, and there's a lot of art, and there may be video and photographs and all—and journals—man, that would make for an amazing—if anyone out there is listening, that would make for an amazing museum exhibit, I think. And of course, everyone's listening to me.Nathalia HoltThat would be amazing.Jess LaheyEveryone is listening to me...Nathalia Holt Oh, well, they should.Jess LaheyAll right. Well, thank you so, so much. Where can people find you? And is there anything else you'd like to talk about that you're working on or that you're excited about? Besides, you know, just getting this book out into the world?Nathalia HoltYou can find me at nathaliaholt.com and on Instagram and Facebook and X @NathaliaHolt. And yeah, right now I'm pretty much focused on this book. I have something else percolating, but it's still away a good days. So it's the fun research part. Isn't that...?Jess LaheyYou will notice I did not ask you what's next, because to be asked what's next when you haven't even birthed the thing you're working on now can be a little irritating. So as someone who's aware of this inside baseball, I didn't even. Later on—privately—I would love, because I'm a big fan, big excited about your work, and love, love introducing people to your work. So I think—and also, one of the things we talk about a lot on this podcast is having books that are exemplars of good research, of good storytelling. I have a stack of books that I keep near me when I need to dissect something to get at—oh, this person did a really good job with, for example, historical research, or this person did a really good job of using their expert voice, and I need to tap into that today. I think your books are—would be excellent, excellent selections for our listeners, for their pile of exemplars for really well-done research and telling other people's stories—historical stories that occur in a sort of in a modern context. Your books are really dissectible, and I know that's super high-level geek stuff, but they've really helped me become a better storyteller as well.Nathalia HoltThank you. That's so kind of you. I really appreciate that.Jess LaheyAll right, everyone—go get the book, read the book. Don't forget to pre-order, because that really matters to us authors, and don't forget to review it wherever you purchased it, once you have read it. And Nat, thank you so much. And I apologize for calling you Natalia at the top of the hour. I'm so just so used to doing that—Nat. And until next week, everyone, keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game.The Hashtag AmWriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perella. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output—because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Jane Friedman has been analyzing and reporting on the publishing business for more than 25 years. Her latest book is the second edition of The Business of Being a Writer. Show notes: Jane Friedman (https://janefriedman.com/) The Business of Being a Writer (https://businessofwriting.org/) The School of Life: How to Reform Capitalism (https://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/tsol-press-how-to-reform-capitalism-book/) Learn more about Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview), and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store). If you like the podcast, please follow it on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-now-with-scrivener/id1568550068) or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com).

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT http://relay.fm/paperplaces/15 http://relay.fm/paperplaces/15 Kerry Provenzano In this episode, David Sparks joins Kerry to discuss his writing process for MacSparky Field Guides, the importance of reading and why it's essential to have analogue parts of your to-do system. In this episode, David Sparks joins Kerry to discuss his writing process for MacSparky Field Guides, the importance of reading and why it's essential to have analogue parts of your to-do system. clean 3733 In this episode, David Sparks joins Kerry to discuss his writing process for MacSparky Field Guides, the importance of reading and why it's essential to have analogue parts of your to-do system. This episode of Paper Places is sponsored by: Scrivener, from Literature & Latte: The #1 app for writers of all kinds. Use PAPERPLACES for 20% off. TRMNL: Clarity, at a glance. Get $15 off for 1 week only. Yawn Email: Tame your inbox with intelligent daily summaries. Start your 14-day free trial today. Guest Starring: David Sparks Links and Show Notes: Support Paper Places with a Relay Membership Submit Feedback Writing Memoir & Narrative Non-Fiction with Wyl MenmuirThe Curtis Brown Creative memoir course I took Listen to David Sparks on Mac Power Users Listen to David Sparks on Focused MacSparky | Home of David Sparks' Field Guides The Benefits of Writing Morning Pages OmniFocus Field Guide | MacSparky The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Focused | Episode 196: Focus & The Reading Life, with Maryanne Wolf 'Mac at Work' by David SparksYours for the bargain price of £138.94 Day One | Your journal for life. Interstitial journaling Plotter Stationery The Theme System Journal | Cortex Brand Drafts | Where Text Starts Giant Sticky Notes

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT http://relay.fm/paperplaces/15 http://relay.fm/paperplaces/15 Blending Analogue and Digital Writing Systems, with David Sparks 15 Kerry Provenzano In this episode, David Sparks joins Kerry to discuss his writing process for MacSparky Field Guides, the importance of reading and why it's essential to have analogue parts of your to-do system. In this episode, David Sparks joins Kerry to discuss his writing process for MacSparky Field Guides, the importance of reading and why it's essential to have analogue parts of your to-do system. clean 3733 In this episode, David Sparks joins Kerry to discuss his writing process for MacSparky Field Guides, the importance of reading and why it's essential to have analogue parts of your to-do system. This episode of Paper Places is sponsored by: Scrivener, from Literature & Latte: The #1 app for writers of all kinds. Use PAPERPLACES for 20% off. TRMNL: Clarity, at a glance. Get $15 off for 1 week only. Yawn Email: Tame your inbox with intelligent daily summaries. Start your 14-day free trial today. Guest Starring: David Sparks Links and Show Notes: Support Paper Places with a Relay Membership Submit Feedback Writing Memoir & Narrative Non-Fiction with Wyl MenmuirThe Curtis Brown Creative memoir course I took Listen to David Sparks on Mac Power Users Listen to David Sparks on Focused MacSparky | Home of David Sparks' Field Guides The Benefits of Writing Morning Pages OmniFocus Field Guide | MacSparky The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Focused | Episode 196: Focus & The Reading Life, with Maryanne Wolf 'Mac at Work' by David SparksYours for the bargain price of £138.94 Day One | Your journal for life. Interstitial journaling Plotter Stationery The Theme System Journal | Cortex Brand Drafts | Where Text Starts Giant Sticky Notes

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist Jojo Moyes, live at Hay Festival. Jojo started her career as a journalist before publishing her debut novel, "Sheltering Rain", in 2002. Jojo's subsequent books - which include "Me Before You", "After You", "Still Me", "The Giver of Stars" and "Someone Else's Shoes" - have been translated into 46 languages and sold some 60 million copies worldwide. In 2016 Jojo adapted "Me Before You" into a film that grossed more than $200 million at the global box office. We spoke to Jojo about her early career as a journalist at the Independent, moving into writing fiction and her big break with "Me Before You" in 2012, and her new novel, "We All Live Here". We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (eight are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Emma Scrivener shares with raw honesty about her struggles with anorexia. *Content Warning: Contains frank discussion of eating disorders and mental health struggles.Contact Emma at emmascrivener.netIf you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, do check out Taste Life at tastelifeuk.orgWatch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uARGazdzjooCheck out our episode with Emma's husband, Glen.---

Simon and Rachel speak to the journalist and author Ben Macintyre. Ben is the bestselling author of books including "A Spy Among Friends", "Agent Sonya", "Agent Zigzag", "Colditz", "Operation Mincemeat", "SAS: Rogue Heroes" and "The Spy and the Traitor". He is a columnist and Associate Editor at The Times, and has worked as the newspaper's correspondent in New York, Paris and Washington. Several of his books have been made into films and television series, including "Operation Mincemeat", "A Spy Among Friends" and "SAS: Rogue Heroes". We spoke to Ben about his work as a journalist for The Times, his long journey to becoming a successful non-fiction author, and his latest book, "The Siege", about the Iranian embassy hostage crisis - and subsequent special-forces raid - in London in 1980. We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (eight are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Right.This week you're in for a treat. Cos, this week on the Failing Writers Podcast in association with Scrivener.... we've got a fantastic guest....Pardon? Scrivener? You know! The brilliant writing app? Yeah. What's that? you've been thinking about buying a copy for a while?Well... you're in luck! Just use our code "FAILING" and you can get 20% off right now! just go to https://www.literatureandlatte.com and make writing easier for yourself!OK... where was I? Oh yes.... we've got a fantastic guest... Libbie Hawker. Writer of lots of historical fiction and lit fic... as well as "Take off Your Pants."When it comes to writing guides, Take off Your Pants is a modern classic. It's a method that gives writers a scaffold to outline a great story, without necessarily nailing down all the plot points in your book. So it can work for plotters and even for pantsters! Designed to help you write your book more quickly and efficiently and make sure you end up with a really well considered, satisfying story.So you'll definitely want to listen. In fact, probably stop reading this and crack on if I were you.Actually before you stop reading, you might also like to know, we're revealing our writing goals for the rest of the year, as well as yours too!You can find everything Libbie related here:https://www.hawkerbooks.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa Yee is a prolific author of books for children and young adults. Her latest series is The Misfits. Show notes: Lisa Yee (http://www.lisayee.com) The Misfits (http://www.lisayee.com/the-misfits.html) Miranda July: On All Fours (https://mirandajuly.com/all-fours/) Learn more about Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview), and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store). If you like the podcast, please follow it on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-now-with-scrivener/id1568550068) or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com).

Rachel and Simon speak to the novelist and journalist Diana Evans. Born and brought up in London and Lagos, Diana started her career as a journalist. She has written for publications including the Guardian, Harper's Bazaar, the New York Review of Books, Time and Vogue. After she completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, Diana published her debut novel, “26a”, in 2005; the book won the inaugural Orange Award for New Writers and was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel and the Commonwealth Best First Book. “The Wonder”, which drew on Diana's own experience as a dancer, followed in 2009. Diana's third novel, “Ordinary People” (2018), was widely feted: it won the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Literature and was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Rathbones Folio Prize and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Her fourth book, “A House for Alice” (2023), was also shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. We spoke to Diana about “I Want to Talk to You and Other Conversations”, a collection of her journalism, publishing “26a” and moving between fiction and non-fiction. We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (nine are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Welcome back to the Failing Writers Podcast - Sponsored by the brilliant and indispensable writing software: Scrivener.Get 20% off Scrivener right now, by using the code FAILING at https://www.literatureandlatte.com/OK. Now, People… buckle up.You're about to enter the Murverse.Cos our guest this week is the lovely Mur Lafferty. A scifi / fantasy writer and podcaster whose refreshingly candid insights into writing and publishing caught our eye a while ago.Being a fan of all things brutally honest, we thought it would be a fascinating exercise to join Mur in drilling down into the dark corners of our psyches by asking those horribly uncomfortable questions about writing. The idea being, that hopefully they might shed some light on the ways we could face down some of our demons.And so… we created… THE WHEEL OF TERROR. A random-spinny-machine designed to pick all the questions we'd rather not answer.There is no escape from the Wheel of Terror.Why not ask yourself the questions? (See all the questions at the bottom of the show-notes)Find out more and connect with Mur here: as well as finding a list of her books... (‘Six Wakes' is the book Jon read and enjoyed.)https://murverse.com/And check out Mur's podcast “I Should Be Writing” here:https://podfollow.com/79085800 1 What is holding you back from being one of the most celebrated writers of our time? (Oh… you have a list…)2 What's your biggest weakness as a writer?3 What's your current criteria for 'success'?4 Why do you reaaaally write? I mean… the deep, gnawing, psychological need inside you… what actually IS it?5. What's the most common thing that prevents you writing?6. Is there a project you regret giving up on? 7. Are you easily distractable by electronic devices? If so what's the app you go to most?8. What's the last thing you used as an excuse to not write?9. What was your absolute worst moment as a writer?10. When the doubt demons come at night, what do they whisper?11. What one thing (in relation to writing) would you like to be known for in the future?12. What do you usually think when you read back your first draft?13. Which writer are you most jealous of?14. What is your most embarrassing success daydream? 15. Who is responsible for making you think you'd be a good writer?16. At what point in a project do you tend to get stuck? AND THEN, DON'T FORGET TO ASK THE QUESTION:IF THIS IS A PROBLEM, WHAT'S YOUR STRATEGY TO OVERCOME IT? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon and Rachel speak to the novelist and non-fiction writer Andrew O'Hagan. Born in Glasgow, Andrew is the author of seven novels – including "Be Near Me", "Mayflies" and  "Caledonian Road" – and three books of non-fiction: "The Missing", "The Atlantic Ocean" and "The Secret Life". He is editor at large at the London Review of Books and has written over 150 pieces for the publication, starting with a Diary in 1993 about James Bulger's murder and the cruelty of children to other children. Other LRB pieces have covered the sinking of his grandfather's ship, the Grenfell Tower disaster and Prince Harry. Andrew has has been nominated for the Booker Prize, was voted one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists in 2003, and won the E. M. Forster Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. We spoke to him about coming to London from Scotland and making his way, combining journalism and fiction, and his latest novel, "Caledonian Road". We've also made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 new pages of material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. This means the whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. And we're excited to announce that for people who contribute $10/month we're now releasing bonus mini-episodes. If you'd like to know what these will sound like, there's a sample episode with Lee Child that you can listen to for free on our Patreon now. Thanks to the help of our sponsors, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will additionally receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99. This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. But we only have ten to give out so, if you're interested, please check it out as soon as you can. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of our podcast book (see below) and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with the two of us to workshop your own pitches and writing projects. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

First of all, thank you SCRIVENER for sponsoring Season 5!You can try Scrivener free for 30 days. And if you love it, (which you will) you can use the code FAILING and get 20% off, you lucky, lucky duckies.https://www.literatureandlatte.com/OK... This week, be prepared to have your beautiful, unsullied little brain absolutely stuffed to the brim with a gigantic, Haribo party-bag of sugary treats.We reveal our new sponsor - Did I mention it's the amazing writing app, SCRIVENER?We welcome the wonderful ADAM BUXTON onto the podcast to talk about memoir writing, journaling, agonising research, and the ups and downs of dredging up old memories.Then, as though you're not already sick and bloated with aural glory.... as promised.... Tom tosses an array of sweet, sweet Clerihews into the crowd. Short, easy to swallow, biographical poems designed to make you chuckle and groan simultaneously.And DO NOT FORGET to buy Adam's book here: It will be bloody excellent, we promise.https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/ramble-book-2-adam-buxton/7722311Or for the full Buckles experience... pre-order the audiobook.And if you haven't read the first one yet... here's a link to that:https://www.waterstones.com/book/ramble-book/adam-buxton/9780008293338 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Jamin has been writing for TV for decades, and just published his first book of humorous short stories, A Paper Orchestra. Show notes: Michael Jamin (https://michaeljamin.com) A Paper Orchestra (https://michaeljamin.com/book/) Learn more about Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview), and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store). If you like the podcast, please follow it on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-now-with-scrivener/id1568550068) or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com).

Welcome to Brooklyn, English Major and sports, Dave and Lisa are Mets fans, Mets stole Juan Soto from the Yankees, Lisa appreciates the meditative feel of baseball, Lisa noticed the Oakland A's are playing in Sacramento in a minor league park, Alana loves Juan Soto, Jose Siri injured, Sweaty ridge sounds like something from Blazing Saddles, Not necessarily something Milo loved, but it's on the list nevertheless, Milo unusual looking, enormous head, Eyes wide set, Tiny nose, Milo had curly but thin hair when he was very young, Wispy, curly hair matted down on top of his forehead, Sweaty ridge revealed that Milo was heated, Milo probably didn't care for sweaty ridge, Alana dubbed sweaty ridge, Milo had a "bruh" mentality about sweaty ridge, A little Bartleby the Scrivener, Standard Milo deflection, Even as Milo got older we'd occasionally point out his sweaty ridge, We miss the dismissive Milo, Flat faced dismissal,   

Rachel and Simon speak to the novelist and non-fiction writer Dani Shapiro. Dani is the author of 11 books; her memoirs include "Slow Motion", "Devotion", "Still Writing" and "Hourglass". "Inheritance", about the secret that had been hidden from Dani by her parents for more than 50 years, was a bestseller. Dani has also written novels including "Black & White", "Family History" and "Signal Fires"; the latter was named a best book of 2022 by NPR, Time magazine and the Washington Post, among others. Alongside writing, Dani hosts a podcast, "Family Secrets", and teaches writing workshops around the world. We spoke to Dani about her celebrated early memoir, "Slow Motion", about moving between fiction and writing about her own life, and about "Inheritance", an investigation into her parentage. We've also made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 new pages of material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. This means the whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. And we're excited to announce that for people who contribute $10/month we're now releasing bonus mini-episodes. If you'd like to know what these will sound like, there's a sample episode with Lee Child that you can listen to for free on our Patreon now. Thanks to the help of our sponsors, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will additionally receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99. This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. But we only have ten to give out so, if you're interested, please check it out as soon as you can. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of our podcast book (see below) and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with the two of us to workshop your own pitches and writing projects. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Nicolas Binge is an author of four science fiction novels; his latest is Dissolution. Show notes: Nicholas Binge (https://www.nicholasbinge.com/) Dissolution (https://www.nicholasbinge.com/dissolution) Richard Powers: Playground (https://www.richardpowers.net/playground/) Learn more about Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview), and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store). If you like the podcast, please follow it on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-now-with-scrivener/id1568550068) or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com).

Welcome back to the final episode of the Creativity Miniseries! In this conversation, Emily Sutherland and I open up our personal creativity toolkits and share the resources and strategies that help us bring our ideas to life. Working on this miniseries with Emily has been an absolute joy. She's not just an incredible creative and coach—she's also become a trusted friend and advisor throughout the development of Wrestling a Walrus, my first children's book. I truly could not imagine doing this without her. Interestingly, we didn't plan on recording another discussion on the creative process, but that's exactly where our behind-the scenes, warm-up conversation led us. So, we left it in. I think you might find some usefulness in this bonus material as we share our thoughts on the value of authenticity, the importance of differentiating yourself, and the surprising relationship between uncertainty and clarity.  A huge thank you to Emily for her wisdom and generosity, and to you for joining us as part of the creative community.  SPECIAL MENTIONS Emily Sutherland's Storytelling for Business (April 4, 2025) and Nurturing Your Creative Self (May 9, 2025) - https://www.emilysutherland.me/events Storytelling Community (Substack) - https://open.substack.com/pub/storytellingcommunity The Secret Lies Within by “Auntie Anne” Beiler and Emily H. Sutherland - http://bit.ly/3FmIxPT Betsy B. Murphy - https://substack.com/@betsybmurphy or http://betsybmurphy.com/ Vanessa Marin, sex therapist on IG @vanessaandxander PROCESS TOOLKIT Write it down when you feel it (and be prepared in the middle of the night). Be ready for the idea. Be discerning about what, when, and who to share your idea with.    When your idea is at a tender stage, who are your tender people? Do you need an editor or a cheerleader? Journaling. Let the creative juices flow without requiring an outcome. The more you write, the more ideas will come. Immerse yourself  and trust the process.  Try on new ideas to see if they go anywhere. “I make what I like, and they eat it how they want to eat it.” - Erykah Badu to Donald Glover ELECTRONIC TOOLS Manuscript Software - Scrivener - affiliate link: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview?fpr=emilysuth Google Docs, YouTube, and Apps (e.g., voice memo, talk-to-text, notes) IngramSpark - https://www.ingramspark.com/  Kindle Direct Publishing - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008241EAQ Storytelling Workshops - https://www.emilysutherland.me/events PHYSICAL TOOLS  Fine Tip Sharpie Pen or The Pilot G2 (in multiple colors!) Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert - https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/big-magic/ Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott - https://writingforyourlife.com/bird-by-bird-some-instructions-on-writing-and-life/ The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron - https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/ Rifle Paper Company little notebooks (great for lefties!) - https://riflepaperco.com/ The Treasured Journal - https://danielleireland.com/journal DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW Thank you for your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or anything you'd like to share. You can connect with me at any of the links below. Website - https://danielleireland.com/ The Treasured Journal - https://danielleireland.com/journal Substack - https://danielleireland.substack.com/ Blog - https://danielleireland.com/blog/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danielleireland_lcsw Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/danielleireland.LCSW Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@danielleireland8218/featured        

In this week's episode, we take a look at the pros and cons of creating a series bible, and how it can potentially help when writing a book. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks of the GHOST NIGHT series at my Payhip store: GHOSTNIGHT25 The coupon code is valid through March 29th, 2025. So if you need a new book to read for spring, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates   Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 243 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is March 14th, 2025, and today we are looking at writing series bibles. Before we get into that, let us start with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks of the Ghost Night Series at my Payhip store. That coupon code is GHOSTNIGHT25. The coupon code and the links will be available in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through March 29th, 2025. So if you need a new book to read for spring, we've got you covered.   Now let's have some updates on my current writing and audiobook projects. I'm pleased to report that Ghost in the Assembly, the fourth book in the Ghost Armor series, is now out. You can get it at Amazon, Barnes Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and my Payhip store. It has been selling well and been received well, so thank you all for that.   Now that Ghost in the Assembly is out, my next project is Shield of Battle, the fifth book in The Shield War series, and I am 17,000 words into that and hope to make good progress on it next week.   In audiobook news, Cloak Mage: Omnibus Three (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) is now available, as is Half-Elven Thief: Omnibus One (which is narrated by Leanne Woodward). You can get both of them for the easy price of one credit. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and publishing projects. Usually at this point, we do Question of the Week, but I ran out of time to do Question of the Week this week.   00:01:32: Main Topic of the Week: Writing Adjacent Activities, Part I: Series Bibles   So now we'll move right on to our main topic. Today, I'm starting a new series about what I call writing adjacent activities. What do I mean by this? I'm talking about tasks that seem like they're part of the writing process, but in reality, belong in a different category. Now these tasks are important, but they can also be a pitfall if you spend too much time on them, don't use them correctly, or you don't make the best use of your time with them.   In this series, we'll focus on a few of these tasks and how they can be beneficial or a hindrance to your writing process, even though they seem like a good use of time and may be advantageous in different scenarios.   In this episode, we'll talk about creating series bibles, an activity that some writers love and others loathe or avoid altogether. We'll explain what series bibles are, how they can help you as a writer, and how to write them effectively without losing time on your actual writing. So to begin with, what is a series bible? This term originates in the world of television production (where they're often called show bibles), where having a document that kept track of characters, details mentioned on the show, and important information was crucial when many people were working on the same show. A series bible was essential for continuity and preventing writers from having to rewatch old episodes to find out, for the example of say, the names of Frasier's mother or Nile's first wife.   The goal of a series bible for books is to be a reference to refer back to important facts and details about your story. They can prevent errors, reusing names, and save time by not having to check things in earlier books while writing. It is also more important to have a good series bible when a group of people are working together than an individual writer.   Examples of things collected in series bibles are character details, locations, plot developments, and information about fictional worlds in the books. They can be incredibly detailed or very simple, depending on what information is tracked within them. Some books obviously will need series bible-ing less than others. For example, a contemporary romance will have less information to keep track of than a science fiction series in a fictional galaxy with its own technology and species because with the contemporary romance, you just need to keep track of the characters and the settings and the settings can be easily reused from the real world, which is quite a bit harder when you're writing a science fiction series with exotic aliens and strange technology.   So why should you make a series bible? Continuity is quite challenging, especially as a series progresses or a writer creates interconnected series like my Frostborn, Sevenfold  Sword, Dragontiarna, Dragonskull, and Shield War series. Do I remember whether an orc named in one chapter of the third Frostborn book survives so I can use him dozens and books in three series later? I don't off the top of my head.   It helps to keep details consistent across books. If, for example, Ridmark carries his staff in his right hand, he shouldn't be switching to his left unless he has a plot reason for doing that. For certain kinds of writers, it can help with planning a series in conjunction with an outline. If you have your characters and location names planned in advance, it's easier than trying to think of them on the spot when writing. Additionally, if you're co-writing a series with one or more other people, this ensures that all the information stays consistent. For most cases, I think writing with another person or a group of people is probably the best reason to create a series bible.   A series bible can also, if you're writing on your own, help you find patterns in your own writing. For example, if you're consistently not describing characters' appearances until the fifth or sixth chapter in each book, that may be something you want to change in future books. Readers tend to like physical descriptions fairly early in the book because it helps them imagine the characters and they might be annoyed if a physical detail that appears late in the book doesn't match what they actually imagined.   So how do you go about making a series bible (if you've decided that you need one)? It doesn't require special software, just a basic word processor file. You can just type the entire thing up in Word or even in Notepad if you want. Some people may use some programs like Scrivener or Hiveword, but for most people, that could be overkill. Some writers make series binders in a physical binder because they prefer to flip back and forth that way instead of using the word processor's search feature. For myself, I would most definitely prefer using the word processor search feature.   Decide before you start the project what categories would be most helpful to you. Remember the more categories you have in the series bible, the longer it will take to create and the more time it will take to maintain, especially as a series goes on. Some potential categories for your series bible include characters, locations, languages, magic systems, and a basic plot summary for each book in the series.   From there, it's as simple as filling in categories with the information. Some people make different documents or pages for each category, while others like all the information to be in one place for easier searching. Some people create the series bibles while outlining.  Some people create them while writing. Others do it after the book is complete. It'll be up to you to decide which one works best for your workflow, but the latter is often seen as the easiest because then you don't have to make changes as you edit the books. So what are the potential pitfalls or time wasting aspects of a series bible? Much like many other writing adjacent tasks, creating a detailed series bible can turn into something that feels like writing progress, but is actually hindering you from meeting your word count goals or actually getting on with finishing the story.   It seems like the people who create series bibles before starting their draft tend to be the writers who have the most trouble actually finishing their drafts. If you're creating a series bible before creating your first draft, you may be spending a lot of time creating superfluous details that won't actually be needed for the book or creating such a volume of detail that writing the draft begins to feel daunting.   You may not need one and might be creating a series bible unnecessarily. For one thing, they're intended for series, so creating one for a standalone book is most likely overkill. If it's a short series, without collaborators, in a contemporary realistic fiction setting, it may not be necessary or maybe only a brief character sheet would be sufficient. Just because some writers say that series bibles are helpful doesn't mean that's a requirement or that your book won't be as good without one.   It's also a good idea to set a goal in advance of what categories you want and how much detail you need. That will help you figure out if you're spending more time on it than is necessary. Creating templates may also help, especially ones that allow for short responses instead of entire sentences or paragraphs. A consistent format may make the information easier to find and/or skim later. This would be something like a Dungeons and Dragons character sheet where you would just have a template where you could list the most pertinent details about the character as an aid to memory, like their age, ethnicity, eye color, hair color, height, brief physical descriptions, and things like that, short details that'd be a useful aid to spurring memory.   And finally, as with so many things in life, it's important to be honest with yourself. Will you actually take the time to maintain this series bible across multiple books, or is the file going to sit forever unfinished in a corner of your hard drive? For many people, series bibles are often like the writing equivalent of a craft project that has started with good intentions but is ultimately left unfinished in a box somewhere.   Since we cited TV series bibles as an example for this, I thought we would quote an example from the series bible for the TV show Lost. Note that the main purpose of this series bible was to get the TV show on air and to get advertisers for it, so the language here is a combination of characters' facts and marketing speak to try and get people interested in the characters. Most series bibles for books use more of a factual approach, but it's still of interest as an example.   Here's the entry for the character of Boone:   “Boone grew up in a world of wealth and privilege provided by a vast commercial empire run by his mother, "The Martha Stewart of the Wedding Industry." Fatherless from a very young age, Boone quickly assumed the role of family patriarch. In one fell swoop, he became the heir apparent and self-appointed guardian of his sister. But Boone has a dark secret - one even Shannon doesn't know. Diagnosed with schizophrenia during adolescence, he has since managed his illness with ongoing therapy and a cocktail of anti-psychotic medications - medications he stopped taking roughly a month before the crash. Ongoing survival crises find Boone at odds with his slipping sanity, leading to an inevitable breaking point which will not only put him at odds with the others, but make him an outright danger.” So you can probably tell from this paragraph that this was written partly to help the writers and partly to help pitch the show. But you can see how this kind of thing could be useful for remembering key details about a character when you're writing the third book in your series and need to look back and refresh your memory about the character's details. You wouldn't need something so detailed or dramatically written, but just enough to capture the key character details so you could refresh your memory.   So what do I do myself in terms of series bibles? Well, the answer is mostly not that much (chuckles). My method of continuity checking is that Windows Explorer, the file manager on Windows, has a feature that allows you to search inside documents. So if I need to refresh my memory about something in a series, I go to the series folder that holds all those Word documents, search for the term I'm looking for, and read through the results until I find it. It's not very efficient. I have started making series bibles recently and by saying that I have started, I mean I have hired someone to do it for me.   Why am I making them now? Like I said, making it easier to keep track of continuity because Ghosts in the Assembly was my 160th book, which is a lot to keep track of, and that's a lot of Control + F searching in Windows Explorer to find things. So I was thinking it was time to get better organized and have this information to be more accessible and easy to read.   What do I include in mine? I'm only doing them for books I have finished and only about eight or nine pages for each book. The categories are timeline events, locations, creatures, magic and spells, and a brief list of key events.   Will I ever publish these series bibles? Probably not, unless I can find a good source of artwork because when people think of published series bibles, they think of these big hardcover books you get Barnes and Noble called The World of Wheel of Time or The World of Fire and Ice and then there's a lot of beautiful illustrations in them. I might try something simpler, where it's just the text. So I suppose the real answer is we will have to see.   So that is my thoughts on series bibles. So that is it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you listen to all the backups episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

Yvette Benavides and Peter Orner welcome internationally renowned cartoonist, Ricardo Siri— known professionally as Liniers—to discuss “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” by Herman Melville.

The discussion revolves around her upcoming release, Dawn of Grace: Mary Magdalene's Story, which debuts in February 2025. Jill shares insights into her writing process, from intensive research to character casting via the Scrivener program, and addresses the challenges of exploring topics such as demon possession. Additionally, she discusses her fascination with biblical and historical eras, and the profound implications of Jewish feasts and Jesus' teachings. Jill's personal anecdotes, dedication to faith, and passion for biblical history offer a unique glimpse into her literary journey and upcoming works.

Mimi Kwa is an Australian television personality and descendant of a Chinese family with a rich history. Her book, House of Kwa, tells about four generations of this family. Show notes: Mimi Kwa (https://www.mimitv.com.au) House of Kwa (https://www.mimitv.com.au/books) The Dressmaker, Rosie Ham (https://rosalieham.com/the-dressmaker/) A Radical Awakening, Dr. Shefali (https://www.aradicalawakening.com) Learn more about Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview), and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store). If you like the podcast, please follow it on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-now-with-scrivener/id1568550068) or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com).

Follow H-Hour on WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DRAeu4opIrQElJN1belo33 ********** This is the Icebreaker episode, with questions chosen by H-Hour Platinum Subscribers and Patrons. In 2006, 88 soldiers consisting mainly of paratroopers from 3 Para and two platoons of Royal Irish soldiers found themselves at the mercy of hundreds of Taliban in the town of Musa Qaleh, Helmand Province. Faced with relentless attacks from all directions, and a combination of direct and indirect weaponry, the vastly outnumbered troops held their ground in a set of low-walled buildings within the District Centre compound, for 56 days. Jo Scrivener was the Company Sergeant Major.

Follow H-Hour on WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DRAeu4opIrQElJN1belo33 ********** In 2006, 88 soldiers consisting mainly of paratroopers from 3 Para and two platoons of Royal Irish soldiers found themselves at the mercy of hundreds of Taliban in the town of Musa Qaleh, Helmand Province. Faced with relentless attacks from all directions, and a combination of direct and indirect weaponry, the vastly outnumbered troops held their ground in a set of low-walled buildings within the District Centre compound, for 56 days. Jo Scrivener was the Company Sergeant Major.

In this episode ofThe Writing Corner with Authors Alcove, host Agnes Wolfe interviews J.J. Arcanian, the founder of a Michigan-based business consulting firm, who has recently made his debut in the literary world with his novelThree Illusions. J.J. shares his journey from technical writing and business consulting to writing fiction, offering insight into his protagonist Dylan Maxwell, a young man with a unique ability to see beyond the surface.They discuss the inspiration behindThree Illusions, the deeper themes and messages within the novel, and J.J.'s experience with the editing and publishing process. He also provides a sneak peek into his upcoming follow-up novel and offers valuable advice to aspiring authors.Whether you're a reader, writer, or simply interested in hearing from authors with unique journeys, this episode is packed with valuable insights and inspiration. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a rating if you enjoyed the show!------------------------------------SHOW ME LOVE OVER AT PATREON -  https://patreon.com/authorsalcovepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkBUY THE WRITING PROGRAM SCRIVENER - $60! Scrivener won't tell you how to write—it simply provides everything you need to start writing and keep writing. It is by far my personal favorite writing app! https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=angela46BECOME A PROOFREADER/EDITOR! Guaranteed work as a proofreader/editor, if you pass the exam with an 80% or higher!!: https://give.knowadays.com/6DcL9W------------------------------------Links discussed in show: If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy listening to my interview with…If you are interested in being a guest on my episode, you may fill out the form on my website:http://authorsalcove.com/be-a-guestYou can also follow me on:  Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorsalcoveInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/authorsalcovepodcast/Linked In:https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnes-wolfe-20bb47288/Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/2EQYPBl1LtZh08qCdIRHTy?si=aa56d7a9565a49faYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWVCbL470bDCgeg23kziYAg(Possible Affiliate Links Above)  

Welcome back to The Writing Corner with Authors' Alcove, the podcast where we explore the creative minds and works of writers from around the globe. In this episode, we're joined by the talented Douglas Weissman, author of the novel 'Girl in the Ashes.' Douglas brings a wealth of experience as both a novelist and a travel writer, with a background that includes working on a safari game reserve and editing nonfiction books.'Girl in the Ashes' offers a unique perspective on Holocaust education, delving into the morally complex decisions faced during one of history's darkest periods. In our conversation, Douglas shares insights into his writing journey, discusses the influences that shape his work, and reveals how his diverse experiences inform his storytelling. We also explore the evolution of his writing style, his choice of novels as a storytelling medium, and the personal growth he's experienced through writing.Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that not only delves into the intricacies of Douglas's work but also provides valuable reflections on the craft of writing. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about 'Girl in the Ashes' and the fascinating author behind it.------------------------------------SHOW ME LOVE OVER AT PATREON - https://patreon.com/authorsalcovepodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkBUY THE WRITING PROGRAM SCRIVENER - $60! Scrivener won't tell you how to write—it simply provides everything you need to start writing and keep writing. It is by far my personal favorite writing app! https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=angela46BECOME A PROOFREADER/EDITOR! Guaranteed work as a proofreader/editor, if you pass the exam with an 80% or higher!!: https://give.knowadays.com/6DcL9W------------------------------------Links discussed in show:https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Ashes-Douglas-Weissman/dp/1958901768If you are interested in being a guest on my episode, you may fill out the form on my website: http://authorsalcove.com/be-a-guestYou can also follow me on:Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorsalcoveInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorsalcovepodcast/Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnes-wolfe-20bb47288/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2EQYPBl1LtZh08qCdIRHTy?si=aa56d7a9565a49faYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWVCbL470bDCgeg23kziYAg(Possible Affiliate Links Above)

April Davila is a novelist, and she explores how mindfulness can help writers. Show notes: April Davila (https://aprildavila.com/april-davila-bio/) 142 Ostriches (https://aprildavila.com/142-ostriches/what-people-are-saying/) The Field Guide for Getting Lost, Rebecca Solnit (http://rebeccasolnit.net/book/a-field-guide-to-getting-lost/) Learn more about Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview), and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store). If you like the podcast, please follow it on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-now-with-scrivener/id1568550068) or your favorite podcast app. Leave a rating or review, and tell your friends. And check out past episodes of Write Now with Scrivener (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com).

Ashley Elston joins us for our first “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event of 2025 to discuss her debut novel for adults, FIRST LIE WINS. This #1 New York Times bestseller and Bookreporter Bets On selection is now available in paperback. Ashley talks about her writing process, which includes the brown butcher paper that lines her walls along with colored Post-it notes, and working with the software program Scrivener. Her past career as a wedding photographer enhanced her writing skills, and she explains how. She shares how the story's twists and turns came to her, as well as the reveals and how to keep the tension up. Ashley also recalls how excited she was when the book was named a Reese's Book Club pick (which she had to keep secret) and what the past year has been like. Yes, it's been a whirlwind. And she talks about what's next for her. Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews: Michelle Horton: https://youtu.be/gQOWAirkZjE Tracey Lange: https://youtu.be/HCrR8j5CqT0 Lisa Genova: https://youtu.be/Bqo8ZBE52PU Fiona Davis: https://youtu.be/mazErQJJznY Sharon Virts: https://youtu.be/uXd5BHo2I1I Paula Hawkins: https://youtu.be/1zF2MEJlito Susan Rieger: https://youtu.be/hl-ypqwZwfw Our Latest “Bookaccino Live” Book Group Events: Ariel Lawhon: https://youtu.be/rowGE3T2rfE Amanda Peters: https://youtu.be/sWX2Mxw5fT Shelley Read: https://youtu.be/3KdG1kIfcgc William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/IsIQJn3vYNI Ann Napolitano: https://youtu.be/VNYNugzjVbo Kate Morton: https://youtu.be/P8nwLRTAaFg Shelby Van Pelt: https://youtu.be/V2RbvnDn_rs Sign up for newsletters from Bookreporter and Reading Group Guides here: https://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/ FOLLOW US on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Art Credit: Tom Fitzgerald Edited by Jordan Redd Productions

We've been looking at various AI-related photography topics in recent episodes, such as using the Clean Up feature in the Photos app to remove unwanted items or the bigger question of “What is a photo?” Now it's time to look broadly at what AI can offer photographers and where we think it's going. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website (https://jeffcarlson.com), Jeff's photos (https://jeffcarlson.com/portfolio/), Jeff on Instagram (http://instagram.com/jeffcarlson), Jeff on Glass (https://glass.photo/jeff-carlson), Jeff on Mastodon (https://twit.social/@jeffcarlson), Jeff on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcarlson.bsky.social) Kirk McElhearn: website (https://www.kirkville.com), Kirk's photos (https://photos.kirkville.com), Kirk on Instagram (https://instagram.com/mcelhearn), Kirk on Glass (https://glass.photo/mcelhearn), Kirk on Mastodon (https://journa.host/@mcelhearn), Kirk on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/kirkville.com) Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co (https://www.photoactive.co/home/episode-177-ai-in-2025)) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/photoactive/id1391697658?mt=2) Perplexity.ai (https://perplexity.ai/pro?referral_code=72WCKEY5) Write Now with Scrivener, episode 37, Debbie Urbanski, Science Fiction Author (https://podcast.scrivenerapp.com/37) Conjure Drawings from Sketches Using Image Wand (https://www.cnet.com/how-to/conjure-drawings-from-sketches-using-image-wand-in-apple-intelligence-on-your-iphone-or-ipad/), CNET Letraset (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letraset) Snapshots: Jeff's snapshot: SmallRig 35"/90cm Softbox LA-O90 Quick Release Octagon Soft Box for Bowens Mount COB Lights (https://amzn.to/3BQIdY4) Kirk's snapshot: Megalopolis (https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/megalopolis) Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site (https://photoactive.co) to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you've already subscribed, you're automatically entered. If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/photoactive/id1391697658?mt=2) or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/photoactivecast/) to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more. Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.