Page One - The Writer's Podcast

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

Watch as a full video on YouTubeThis episode of Adventures in Publishing-land dives deep into the battle for the "human soul" of the industry, featuring a frontline interview on the newest weapons in the author’s arsenal. We sit down with Anna Ganley and Sam Blake from the Society of Authors to discuss their new "Human Authored" scheme which launched at the London Book Fair. We explore the strategy behind the new logo and the message behind "Don't Steal This Book," the empty protest volume signed by thousands of authors including Kazuo Ishiguro and Richard Osman.Speaking of the London Book Fair, we also tackle the "Six-Figure Fever" that grips the industry every spring. If the headlines about massive advances are making you feel disheartened, we discuss why you need to ignore the hype and focus on your own journey. Plus, we look into the class-action lawsuit facing Grammarly and Superhuman, and discuss the latest legal action by publishers against a pirate books site.00:00 Intro00:53 The LBF Hype Cycle - Run Your Own Race07:24 Human Authored - Our interview with the Society of Authors36:12 Walk the Plank - Suing Anna's Archive44:20 Grammarly's Gamble - Not So Superhuman51:57 Off Script: Stranger Than FictionLinks:Human Authored - learn more about the scheme and how to sign upThirteen US Publishers Bring Suit Against Anna's ArchiveGrammarly Superhuman Expert Review ArticleAnd why they are being suedAdventures 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

Watch as a full video interview on our YouTube channelIn the final of our cross-over interview episodes with Narrative Damage, we chat with the brilliant Mike Mason!Mike Mason is an award-winning game designer and writer, and the creative director for the Call of Cthulhu tabletop roleplaying game. As well as being the commissioning editor and lead writer for the line, Mike also works closely with artists and cartographers to shape the look and art for Call of Cthulhu.It was great speaking with Mike and hearing how his love for storytelling and Call of Cthulhu led to him landing his dream job. He tells us about how he writes scenarios and campaign books, and how that differs (and doesn't differ) from writing other forms of fiction. Plus, we talk about writing effective horror, and discuss why mystery fiction of all kinds is so popular.Links:Follow Mike on InstagramVisit Chaosium's websiteWatch the trailer for our actual play of Loki's GiftFollow Narrative Damage on YouTube or its own podcast feed to get more interviews with TTRPG writers, creators and more, plus actual plays with some of your favourite authors: https://linktr.ee/narrativedamagerpgSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: 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 interview on our YouTube channelDennis Detwiller is an illustrator, writer and designer who has worked in the field of video games, card games and tabletop roleplaying games. He worked on Magic: The Gathering, and is a co-creator of the award-winning TTRPG, Delta Green, including being author of the legendary Impossible Landscapes campaign.We loved having the opportunity to speak with Dennis, who told us how he stumbled into and then out of the world of video games, and how he created Delta Green. We talked about the impact of his philosophical views on his TTRPG writing, and discuss the whole 'railroading v sandbox' styles of storytelling in TTRPGs. Plus, he discusses why reading TTRPG books can help writers of all kinds, and we discuss how to make horror have an impact in writing.Links:Follow Dennis on BlueskyBuy Delta Green nowFollow Narrative Damage on YouTube or its own podcast feed to get more interviews with TTRPG writers, creators and more, plus actual plays with some of your favourite authors: https://linktr.ee/narrativedamagerpgSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: 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 this as a full video episode on our YouTube channel!On today's episode of Drafting Notes, we are talking about the dreaded imposter syndrome - what is it and why do so many writers feel it? Is it only writers starting out, or do all writers continue to feel like they are imposters? Plus, we discuss dealing with comparison to other writers' successes - how do you stop the envy getting to you when another writer is getting a big deal and you are not?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!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 on YouTubeThis week on Adventures in Publishing-land, we’re heading to San Francisco to look at Bindery Books. This startup is turning "bookfluencers" into acquiring editors, letting communities choose their own bestsellers. Is this the "Taylor’s Version" of publishing, or a risky bet on "tastemakers"? Plus, we discuss top literary agencies sounding the alarm on "formulaic" and "flattened" AI-generated queries, and also return to the topic of genre snobbery, and why fantasy is making everyone think again about it.00:00 Intro01:17 Facile & Formulaic - Agents Ban AI Queries12:21 The Tastemaker Model - BookTok Becomes The Editor21.39 Myth-understandings - Fighting Genre Snobbery34:35 - Off Script: Stranger Than Fiction39:53 Final Chapter - A Wonderful New Take on SuperheroesLinks:Literary agents urge writers to avoid AI as they see ‘change in nature of submissions’Bindery Books Influencer-led Publishing ModelMyth, monsters and making sense of a disenchanted world: why everyone is reading fantasyAdventures 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