Page One - The Writer's Podcast

Watch as a full video episode on YouTubeThis week, we’re diving into the unmasking of one of the world’s most successful authors. Freida McFadden, the bestselling author behind The Housemaid, has officially revealed her true identity as Dr. Sara Cohen. We wonder 'why now', talk about imposter syndrome, and discuss why authors use pseudonyms.Plus, we of course chat about some AI-related stories: we go over some of your comments about our last episode on the Shy Girl scandal, talk about the allegation that editors are using LLMs to help them decide which books to pick up, and talk about scam emails again - this people pretending to be editors.00:00 Intro00:46 Shy Girl Fallout - Audience Comments14:17 Chat G-P-Cheat? - Are Editors Using LLMs?25:05 Something Phishy - Fake Editor Emails Spike33:58 Not Just The Housemaid - McFadden's Secret Revealed45:10 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory50:57 Final Chapter - Stellar AdaptationsLinks:Some editors 'uploading confidential manuscripts to Chat GPT'Scam emails impersonating editors on the riseThe Housemaid author Freida McFadden reveals real identityAdventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more!

Watch as a full video episode on YouTubeIzzy (Isabelle) Broom is the author of 12 escapist books and has been published in 14 overseas territories. In 2015, she won The Great British Write Off with her short story, The Wedding Speech, which was later adapted into a prize-winning short film. Her fifth novel, One Thousand Stars and You, was awarded Contemporary Romance Novel of the Year at the 2019 RNAs. Formerly a Book Reviews Editor at heat magazine and Woman & Home, Izzy still works for magazines on a freelance basis and is an editor and mentor at Curtis Brown Creative.We loved chatting with Izzy about her journey from journalism to fiction and how she transitioned from being a "pantser" to a dedicated plotter. She shares how her background at heat magazine made her a more resilient writer , the serendipitous way she landed her first agent , and her photographic memory for locations that helps her bring her European settings to life. Plus, we discuss her new series, starting with The House of Hidden Letters, and the discipline required to maintain a prolific writing schedule.Links:Buy The House of Hidden Letters nowFollow Izzy on InstagramVisit Izzy's website

Watch as a full video episode on our YouTube channelDo your characters have to likeable? No! There are plenty of brilliant books and movies with horrible protagonists. So what makes them work? How do you write characters who are deeply flawed and unlikeable without turning the reader or viewer off? We discuss it all on this week's episode of Drafting Notes, while also discussing some of our favourite unlikeable characters.Drafting Notes is a series in which one award-winning writer (Tariq) and one hopefully soon-to-be-published writer (Marco) discuss various writing issues as they occur to them!Support us on Patreon and get access to Drafting Notes episodes early, along with other great benefits!Drafting Notes and Page One - The Writer's Podcast are brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on ThreadsDrafting Notes is part of STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing and publishing podcast needs! Follow STET Podcasts on Instagram and Bluesky

Watch as a full video interview on YouTubeKatalina Watt is the instant Sunday Times Bestselling author of Saltswept. They were selected for a 2025 Literature Matters Award from the Royal Society of Literature and served as the AIR Literature UNESCO 2024 Writer in Residence for Konstkollektivet in Sweden. A finalist for the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine as founding Audio Director for khōréō, Katalina is also a Writing Coach at The Novelry .We loved chatting with Katalina about the transition from writing short stories to a full-length novel. They shared insights into their role as a writing coach and how it helps them maintain their own creative discipline, as well as the unique world-building required for their. Plus, we discuss the importance of finding a community of writers.Links:Buy Saltswept nowFollow Katalina on InstagramVisit Katalina's websiteSubscribe to Narrative Damage on your podcast app and on YouTubeSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits, including a bonus episode with Abigail telling us about 5 books that have influenced her!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on ThreadsPage One - The Writer's Podcast is part of STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing and publishing podcast needs! Follow STET Podcasts on Instagram and Bluesky

Watch as a full video episode on YouTubeThis week, we lead with the scandal that has the industry in a frenzy, with Hachette pulling the release of Mia Ballard’s horror novel Shy Girl after viral claims that the prose was generated by AI. We discuss the YouTube video with over a million views that started the fire, the author’s defense involving an "acquaintance," and what this means for the future of "human" storytelling.Staying on AI (when don't we talk about AI?), we discuss the UK government's decision to axe plans for a broad AI copyright exception, and ask if this is a victory for authors. Plus, we chat about the announcement that NielsenIQ and TikTok are launching a monthly Top 20 chart in the UK that combines real sales data with social media engagement.00:00 Intro01:24 Victory for Authors - UK Scraps AI Exception10:36 Not Shy of Shortcuts - Hachette Ditches AI Novel22:46 Tok of the Pops - Official UK Chart launched30:06 Off Script: Stranger Than Fiction36:42 Final Chapter - Pitt-Perfect DramaLinks:Axed AI Copyright Exemption Welcomed By Book TradeHachette Horror Novel Shy Girl SuspendedOfficial BookTok Chart Set to Launch in the UKAdventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more!Follow us on BlueskyFollow us on Instagram

Deborah Masson was born and bred in Aberdeen, Scotland. After a varied career including marketing, reporting for a local newspaper, and a stint as a postie, she turned her hand to writing the crime fiction she always loved. Her debut novel, Hold Your Tongue, won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year and is the first in her DI Eve Hunter series. Her new standalone thriller, I’ll Be Watching You, is out now.We had a fantastic time chatting with Deborah about her journey from writing "fairies at the bottom of the garden" as a child to becoming a powerhouse in Scottish crime fiction. She shares how she balanced motherhood with online writing courses to find her creative voice, the feeling of landing her first agent while standing in a supermarket aisle, as well as the unique challenges of writing a second book on a tight deadline. Plus, we discuss why she is a pantser rather than plotter, the importance of the supportive crime writing community, and why she decided to step away from her series to explore a dark, CCTV-inspired standalone.Links:Buy I'll Be Watching You nowFollow Deborah on Instagram

Watch as a full video episode on our YouTube channelOn today's Drafting Notes, we discuss twists and reveals! Are they the same thing? What makes some twists land and others miss the mark? What are some example of good twists (some spoilers here, but we announce that in the episode!)? And do you always need a twist in a novel?Drafting Notes is a series in which one award-winning writer (Tariq) and one hopefully soon-to-be-published writer (Marco) discuss various writing issues as they occur to them!Support us on Patreon and get access to Drafting Notes episodes early, along with other great benefits!Drafting Notes and Page One - The Writer's Podcast are brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on ThreadsDrafting Notes is part of STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing and publishing podcast needs! Follow STET Podcasts on Instagram and Bluesky

Watch as a full video interview on our YouTube channelAbigail Dean is a writer from Manchester, living in south London. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, the Times and the New York Times. Abigail’s first novel, GIRL A, was an instant Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller. Her third novel, THE DEATH OF US, is out now.We loved chatting with Abigail and hearing about how she switched a legal career for writing, and why she likes to explore the aftermath of crime in her books. Plus, she tells us about the storytelling power of video games and how they made her want to tell her own stories, and we also chat about the pressure that comes with following up a big debut success.Links:Buy The Death of Us and Abigail's other books nowFollow Abigail on InstagramVisit Abigail's websiteSubscribe to Narrative Damage on your podcast app and on YouTubeSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits, including a bonus episode with Abigail telling us about 5 books that have influenced her!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on ThreadsPage One - The Writer's Podcast is part of STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing and publishing podcast needs! Follow STET Podcasts on Instagram and Bluesky

A bonus episode for Page One listeners - for the next parts of this story, be sure to subscribe to our Narrative Damage podcast!Watch as a full video episode on YouTubeDescend into madness with us as our cast of three authors swap pens for dice in the first part of this Call of Cthulhu scenario."I must know why my son took his own life."When Lord Gladstone calls three hardy investigators to his London mansion on a cold rainy evening in October 1896, they awaken old scars - and create new ones. What was the music that Charles Gladstone was working on before his death, and why is it so unsettling?Cast:- Tariq Ashkanani (author of The Midnight King) as Donovan Ramsbottom III- Nicholas Binge (author of Dissolution) as Rev. Tobias Ashford- David Goodman (author of A Reluctant Spy) as Lord Wilbur Linklater- Marco Rinaldi as your Keeper of Arcane LoreIf you enjoyed the descent into madness, please subscribe and hit the bell icon! Part 2 drops next week!Follow the madness on InstagramFollow on BlueskyThis is a playthrough of Loki's Gift from the Cults of Cthulhu book from Chaosium.Music from Monument StudiosSound FX from Syrinscape