Page One - The Writer's Podcast

Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former journalist and a graduate of the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course. Rattle, her debut novel, was the subject of a huge international auction and has been translated into several languages. It received widespread critical acclaim from authors and reviewers. She has since written bestsellers The Collector, The Neighbour, When I Was Ten and Into the Dark in which she introduces DC Saul Anguish, a brilliant young detective with a dark past. Fiona lives with her family in Essex. Her latest book, Some of Us are Liars, is out now.We had great fun chatting with Fiona, hearing about the highs and lows of being a journalist (including her favourite celeb encounters), and also about how that experience has helped her as a fiction author. We also talk about what draws her to writing dark fiction and why every author needs tenacity to keep going in publishing.Links:Buy Fiona's books nowFollow Fiona on BlueskySupport 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 Threads

Jane Johnson is a novelist, historian, and publisher. She is the UK publisher of many bestselling authors, including George R.R. Martin. She has written for both adults and children, including the bestselling novels The Tenth Gift and The Salt Road. Her latest book is Secrets of the Bees.We really enjoyed chatting with Jane and hearing how it was working with the Tolkien estate and bringing us the version of Lord of the Rings we all now know and love, as well as how she came to found the Voyager imprint at Harper Collins. We also talk about how her experience as an editor informs her own writing, and chat about the latest book, Secrets of the Bees.Links:Buy Jane's books nowFollow Jane on InstagramVisit Jane's websiteSupport 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 Threads

Michael Cordy's debut novel,The Miracle Strain/Messiah Code, was published in over twenty-five languages and reached the top five in the Sunday Times Bestseller List.  Disney bought the film rights for $1.6 million. Another five novels followed: Crime Zero/The Crime Code, The Lucifer Code, The Venus Conspiracy, The Source and The Colour Of Death. All were published in the UK by Bantam Press and Corgi, and translated into several languages. Warner Bros optioned the film rights to The Source and the producers of Lord of The Rings and The Golden Compass optioned The Crime Code. His latest novel, Manhattan Down, is out now.We had a great chat with Michael, hearing about how he decided to take a year out to write his first novel - and how that ended up paying off handsomely. We also chat about how he gets his inspiration for his novels, and why the siren calls of Hollywood don't always end up being what they appear.Links:Buy Manhattan Down and Mike's other books nowFollow Michael on InstagramVisit Michael's websiteSupport 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 Threads

Watch as a full video on our YouTube channel!Networking. It's a word that is very corporate and as a result off-putting to a lot of writers, but can it help? What are the best ways to go about it, either in person or online? And what shouldn't you do (learn about Marco's "Don't Be A Dick" rule...)Drafting Notes is a new series of podcast episodes 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 episodes are available months earlier if you join our Patreon - check it out and get this and 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 Threads

C.L. Taylor is the nine times Sunday Times bestselling author of eleven gripping stand-alone psychological thrillers: THE ACCIDENT, THE LIE, THE MISSING, THE ESCAPE, THE FEAR, SLEEP, STRANGERS, HER LAST HOLIDAY, THE GUILTY COUPLE, EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE and her newest book, IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND, published on 5th June 2025.We loved chatting with Cally and hearing perhaps the most unique story ever about how she got her agent, why she moved into writing psychological thrillers, and how she has drawn on some personally traumatic events to inform her stories.Links:Buy Cally's books nowFollow Cally on BlueskyVisit Cally's websiteSupport 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 Threads

Watch as a full video episode on our YouTube channel!It's often assumed that writing novels and short stories use the same skill sets, but is that really true? What can writing short stories teach you about writing novels and vice versa? Should you always start out writing short stories? We discuss all this in the latest episode of Drafting Notes!Drafting Notes is a new series of podcast episodes 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 episodes are available months earlier if you join our Patreon - check it out and get this and 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 Threads

Kate Foster worked as a national newspaper journalist for more than twenty years before becoming an author. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. Her previous novels include The Maiden, which won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and The King’s Witches. The Mourning Necklace is her third novel.We had a great chat with Kate, hearing about how taking a writing course helped her develop her first novel, The Maiden, and how she found an agent in part thanks to success in Bloody Scotland's Pitch Perfect competition. Plus, we learn about her approach to writing historical fiction and why every story starts with a character for her.Links:Buy Kate's books nowFollow Kate on InstagramSupport 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 Threads

Watch this as a full video episode on our YouTube channel!On this week's Drafting Notes, we are discussing that issue that every writer needs to deal with: Rejection! How do you handle it? Is there ever a point in your career where you don't have to deal with it (spoiler: no). And what are our thoughts on being resilient when you receive those rejections?Drafting Notes is a new series of podcast episodes 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 episodes are available at least three months early if you join our Patreon - check it out and get this and 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 Threads

Stuart MacBride is the Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author of the Logan McRae and Ash Henderson novels. He’s also published standalones, novellas, and short stories, as well as a slightly twisted children’s picture book for slightly twisted children. His latest book, This House of Burning Bones, is out now.Despite some technical difficulties (explained at the start!) we enjoyed chatting with Stuart and hearing about how he loves the thrill of the blank page and how every story starts with him writing the cover copy for the novel. We also chat about true crime and the danger of sensationalising it, as well as whether he prefers writing long-running series or standalones.Links:Buy Stuart's books nowVisit Stuart's websiteSupport 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 Threads