Join author and screenwriter Mark Stay with coach and entrepreneur Mark Desvaux, as they discover the secrets to writing a bestseller and challenge themselves and you to write, market and self-published a bestselling book in just one year. Each week, they are guided by and interview million-selling, chart-topping authors, publishers on the inside, editors, agents, social media specialists, and many more big names who play a part in the bestseller process. From the writing to marketing, plotting to publishing, learn the secrets to help you write your way to the top of the charts.
Samantha King returns to the podcast to reveal how her latest novel The Secret Keepers’ Daughter was inspired by a “worry box” and how our darkest and most terrifying fears are found in our own homes and in everyday life. We also discuss the career of an author beyond the debut and how she’s learned to endure the peaks and troughs and enjoy the view.
British Fantasy Award nominee Shona Kinsella tells us about her new book Outlander and the real Jacobites, which digs into the real history behind Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Shona’s career has been an extraordinary rollercoaster, and she talks openly about the highs and lows of crowdfunding, flash fiction, writing and editing a novella in 30 days, and how helping others has helped her writing.
Have you ever wanted to tell a story, but been too scared to write it? Lori Ann Stephens’ near-future thriller Blue Running covers a whole range of contentious topics, but Lori tells us how she overcame such a fear to tell her story, how she had dealt with the reactions of readers and her own family, and why she thinks the best writing comes from fear.
International bestselling author Simon Beckett returns to the podcast to tell us about his new novel The Lost, in which he starts a whole new series. He offers tips on character, tension, and how to develop a great thriller. And the two Marks discuss how theme and endings can help you when you’re stuck, and the importance of a great opening.
BAFTA-award winning actor Daniel Rigby tells us about his Audible original debut Isaac Steele and the Forever Man and how his background in comedy and improvisation helped create his protagonist and his extraordinary world.