Well, that’s the summer hiatus done with - and we're back with an episode which asks the question "how do you know if your writing is good enough?"In an attempt to answer that we’re going to be looking at a couple of Tom’s flash fiction stories and asking why, and how, one of them is slightly less rubbish than the other. Both stories were entered into the same cometition, but only one of them got published. Can Dave guess which one is which? Can YOU guess which one is which? Well, to answer either of those questions, you're gonna have to have a listen, aren't you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you have what it takes to quit your day job and follow your dreams to become a full time author?Well, there's only one way to find out...and that's to listen to our interview with J C Duncan!Hear how he bravely decided to give himself a year to become a professional writer and, even bravelier, decided to tell everyone about it!Plus home made knives, Vikings and our usual top quality chat!Find out more about our most excellent guest (and check out that sword!) HERE: www.jcduncan.co.uk.Buy his Vikingly books here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/J-C-Duncan/author/B08WCYR1DRAnd check out his #oneyeartopro threads here:https://x.com/JCDuncanauthor/status/1707002271010079150https://twitter.com/JCDuncanauthor/status/1708465357424365671https://twitter.com/JCDuncanauthor/status/1719670719628358012https://twitter.com/JCDuncanauthor/status/1732823188453650477https://twitter.com/JCDuncanauthor/status/1741821890270798104https://twitter.com/JCDuncanauthor/status/1753131464768532959https://x.com/JCDuncanauthor/status/1755575800626073768 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet...but would he have written that line if he wasn't called Shakespeare?This week Jon, Tom and Dave (or possibly Rod, Jane and Freddy) look into pseudonyms, nom-de-plumes, pen names...and basically just being someone else for a bit.Does your name affect your chances of success? Does it even have an impact on how you write?Join us to find out as the Failing Writers try to become the not-so-failing writers....for at least one chapter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The average age of our guests this week is 64. Nothing too amazing about that you might say… until you find out the first of our two guests is in her mid-twenties! This week we ask, “Is there a best age to write?”Plus we enjoy a WIP from Geoffrey G N Harrison. And here’s a load of links…Check out Aline’s YouTube here!Here's Aline's ToktokHere's Babette's new book and her website: https://www.babettehughesbooks.comAnd you can read more of Geoff's story "Divided" here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NaNoWrimOhNo!  It's that time of year again when words-per-day becomes the currency.  So we thought we'd bring you even more words... Words of novel-writing wisdom!  No, no... not from us... obviously.  From novelist and longtime book editor Howard Mittelmark.  Co-writer of How NOT to Write A Novel.  A fantastic book full of the pitfalls most writers fall into when they're setting off along the long and arduous road to Novelton, Nebraska. So join us for some entertaining and enlightening chitchat, and learn things about yourself you've long suspected, but have been deliberately ignoring for years. We can't guarantee any of this will help with your word count, but we all need to take breaks, right? How Not To Write A Novel: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/56677/how-not-to-write-a-novel-by-sandra-newman-howard-mittelmark/9780141038544 Howard's novel -  'Written Out': https://www.amazon.co.uk/Written-Out-Howard-Mittelmark/dp/157962572X Hire Howard... https://howardmittelmark.com/editorial/ National Novel Writing Month: https://nanowrimo.org

With the help of two expert spookologists: Stephen Volk - horror writer & mastermind behind the BBCs infamous 'GHOSTWATCH', and Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe - famed ghostbuster & parapsychologist, we're attempting to figure out what gives us the heebie jeebies, so that we can all go away and write the world's GREATEST EVER GHOST STORY. That invitation extends to you too, listeners!  We want your submissions for our Traditional Ghost Story Christmas Special later in the year. So get writing - and hopefully we can all sit down round the fire and share a little anthology of all our spooky stories in December. Here's the link to buy Stephen's brilliant new ghost story book: http://tartaruspress.com/volk-the-good-unknown.html Coffinmaker's Blues, Stephen's excellent book of horror essays: https://www.pspublishing.co.uk/coffinmakers-blues-ebook-by-stephen-volk-5605-p.asp and Stephen's website: https://www.stephenvolk.net/the-good-unknown.html Also, Afterlife: Lost Loved Ones is out on audiobook (Bafflegab) on Halloween! Don’t forget you can also follow what Ciaran's up to on Twitter / X https://twitter.com/ciaranokeeffe?lang=en and don't miss him on Danny Robbins new TV series Uncanny: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001rckl/uncanny-series-1-1-case-1-miss-howard