Confessions of a Debut Novelist

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jo Morey about her psychological suspense novel The Night Lagoon. In this episode we discuss, why her title changed in the UK, how her main character’s hearing loss adds to the novel’s tension and Jo’s strategy for getting an agent, including keeping an on-going query letter. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy The Night Lagoon: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008713898Follow Jo: @jomoreystoryListening In: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningInFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Mel Pennant about her crime novel A Murder for Miss Hortense. We discuss how Miss Hortense was inspired by Mel’s grandmother and golden age mysteries, the importance of balancing lightness and humour within the tragedy and resilience of the Black British community and what it’s like to write a novel when you’re used to writing plays. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy A Murder for Miss Hortense: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399814379Follow Mel: @mel_pennantListening In: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningInFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Barnaby Martin about his dystopian novel The Quiet. We discuss how his writing career began with video essays on YouTube, his tips for taking history and making it more extreme when writing dystopia and why he believes you need to know the theme of the novel before you start writing. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy The Quiet: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035051489Follow Barnaby: @BarnabyMartinListening In: https://www.youtube.com/@ListeningInFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lisa Smith about her historical novel Jamaica Road. We discuss how the idea for this novel came from a creative writing exercise and voices that wouldn't leave her alone, using real newspaper extracts to make the political backdrop come alive and how a cancer diagnosis and a competition inspired her to take her writing seriously.Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Jamaica Road: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349703572Follow Lisa: @lisa4884smithhttps://www.lisa-smith.co.ukFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Seán Hewitt about his literary novel Open, Heaven. We discuss having to transport himself back to the intensity and naivety of teenage years, using 1st person perspective to explore what love feels like when you don't know whether the other person feels the same and why you should frame a query letter as you giving agents an amazing opportunity.  Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Open, Heaven: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781787335196Follow Seán: @seanehewitthttps://www.seanehewitt.comFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin about her contemporary novel Ordinary Saints. We discuss how her inspiration came from a true story about a modern-day teenager being made into a saint, why she deleted her first 20k words and how entering a competition to give herself a deadline changed her life. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Ordinary Saints: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781786584236Follow Niamh: @niamhsquaredhttps://www.niamhnimhaoileoin.comFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Claire Gleeson about her contemporary novel Show Me Where It Hurts. We discuss how she was inspired to write a story of survival after a shocking act of familicide, writing intense grief and high emotion in a restrained way, and how she does all her writing in snatched moments between work and parenting. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Show Me Where It Hurts: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399734721Follow Claire: @clairegleeson_writerhttps://www.clairegleeson.comFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Chris Bridges about his psychological suspense novel Sick to Death. We discuss how Chris subverted tropes of having a sick protagonist, why almost 60 rejections from agents inspired him to write a more personal story and how having MS impacts his writing. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy  Sick to Death: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008698140Follow Chris: @chrisbridgeswriterFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk 

In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Niloufar Lamakan about her romance novel Aged To Perfection. We discuss changing the narrative by putting women in their 60s in the spotlight and writing them truthfully, why as a complete novice how a diary form helped her find structure and her experience working with One More Chapter, a digital first publisher who accepts unagented submissions. Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*Buy Aged to Perfection: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008685492Follow Niloufar: @nlamakanFollow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimmsBuy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimmschloetimms.co.uk