Confessions of a Debut Novelist: Recent Episodes
Chloe Timms
Listen to Confessions of a Debut Novelist, hosted by author Chloe Timms, to hear from new and up-and-coming writers about their debut novel. We talk writing journeys, tips and advice and what it's like to be new to the world of publishing. Each episode features a writer about to have their debut novel published, covering adult, YA and children's in a range of genres. We'll hear about rejections and setbacks, how writers signed with their agent and whether their book deal was with an indie publisher or one of the big houses.
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In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Amy Twigg about her literary novel Spoilt Creatures. We discuss creating a charismatic cult leader, why she deleted the first 90k words and the importance of voicing your publishing worries.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Spoilt Creatures: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035407910
Follow Amy: @aetwigg
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Nathan Newman about their literary novel How to Leave the House. We discuss setting a novel in a 24 hour period, how Nathan found their comedic voice by setting out to write something to make their friends laugh and what it’s like to write to impress your mentor, when your mentor is Zadie Smith!
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy How to Leave the House: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349145631
https://www.nathannewmanrules.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling Kaliane Bradley about her literary novel The Ministry of Time. We discuss how her novel was inspired by writing fanfiction about a real Victorian polar explorer, creating a near-future world with time-travel and how her success with short stories got her noticed by agents.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Ministry of Time: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399726344
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Aimée Walsh about her literary novel Exile. We discuss how she creates characters by observing strangers in real life, writing about sexual assault without showing the scene and how she connected with an agent by sliding into their DMs.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Exile: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399815857
Follow Aimée: @thereadparts
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Ashani Lewis about her literary novel Winter Animals. We discuss transforming a short story idea into a novel, researching a novel setting when you can’t travel there and how she blocks out scenes in stage directions in early drafts when she’s not in the mood to write beautiful sentences.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Winter Animals: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349703299
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Rob Perry about his contemporary novel Dog. We discuss how Rob created his teenage main character by amplifying the fears he had when he was a teen, using his phone to keep notes on life’s funny observations and the challenge every writer faces – accepting your novel will be flawed.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Dog: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781787704718
Follow Rob: @robperry2.0
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Samuel Burr about his commercial novel The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers. We discuss why his novel was inspired by an appreciation of the stories told by older people, how his hook comes first when coming up with ideas and how he deals with the buzz and hype surrounding his novel, while he tries to work on something new.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398712300
Follow Samuel: @samuelburr
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Elizabeth O'Connor about her literary novel Whale Fall. We discuss how she created a fictitious island community, her technique for overcoming problems with plotting and how she signed with an agent before she even had an idea for a novel.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Whale Fall: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035024728
Follow Elizabeth: @Elizaroconnor
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Emily Howes about her historical novel The Painter’s Daughters. We discuss discuss using present tense in historical fiction, trying to sustain tension in the saggy middle of a novel and what theatre class taught her about writing through the body.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Painter’s Daughters: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399610780
Follow Emily: @EmilyHthinks
http://www.emily-howes.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Olivia Ford about her commercial novel Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame. We discuss using real people as a starting point for creating characters, her tips for finishing a novel when you work full time and the challenge of writing an uplifting novel and including sadder and serious subjects as well.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241638514
Follow Olivia: @_OliviaFord
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Kristen Perrin about her mystery novel How to Solve Your Own Murder. We discuss playing fair with your readers when writing crime, how she used flash fiction character sketches to help flesh out her side characters and her surprise but successful move to withdraw her full manuscript from interested agents and resubmit after feedback.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy How to Solve Your Own Murder: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529430059
Follow Kristen: @Kristen_Perrin
https://www.kristenperrin.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Alice McIlroy about her psychological suspense novel The Glass Woman. We discuss her world-building in a novel where the technology is slightly more advanced than our own, writing about AI before it had hit public consciousness and the impact this had on trying to sell the novel and the challenge of switching between the private writer and the public author.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Glass Woman: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781915523044
Follow Alice: @alice_mcilroy
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Musih Tedji Xaviere about her contemporary novel These Letters End in Tears. We discuss how she was inspired by a courageous gay couple in Cameroon who stayed together despite the laws forbidding their love, the challenges of using second person and why she made the tough decision to relocate for her safety and career.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy These Letters End in Tears: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781914344381
Follow Xaviere: @MusihX
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Miranda Pountney about her contemporary novel How to Be Somebody Else. We discuss her “un”-coming of age story, why poetry encouraged her to be experimental and why it’s important not to rush the writing process.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy How to Be Somebody Else: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781914344381
Follow Miranda: @mirandapountney
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Toby Lloyd about his literary novel Fervour. We discuss we discuss taking inspiration from Bible stories, how he tried to represent a variety of Jewish experiences and why having your work critiqued is one of the most valuable things you can do when starting out.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Fervour: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399724616
Follow Toby: @TobyLloyd19
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jodie Matthews about her contemporary novel Meet Me at the Surface. We discuss writing the weird and creepy but keeping the world grounded, researching the Cornish folklore of where Jodie grew up and why she loves Bookstagram and thinks finding a community of readers is just as important as a writing community.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Meet Me at the Surface: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008585006
Follow Jodie: @JodieRMatthews
Jodie's Instagram: @jodierhianmatthews
Heather Parry's Substack mentioned: https://open.substack.com/pub/heatherparry/p/things-have-to-happen
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Madeleine Grey about her literary novel Green Dot. We discuss writing the "other woman" in an affair with empathy, how Madeleine's work as a critic gave her an understanding of how novels work and the importance of keeping note of overheard conversations and funny observations.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Green Dot: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399612760
Follow Madeleine: @gray_madeleine_
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Emma Hinds about her historical novel The Knowing. We discuss giving her female characters agency in a Victorian era, her brilliant tips to find an agent, how she uses fanfiction as a playground and the long and difficult submission process she went through.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Knowing: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781915798138
Follow Emma:@EmmaLouisePH
https://emmahinds.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jennie Godfrey about her commercial novel The List of Suspicious Things. We discuss what it means to be a super lead and how it feels emotionally to know your book is primed for success but also what it's like to carry that pressure on your shoulders, how Jennie developed her characters when she realised they were a bit 2D and how to be mindful when you're writing about real life historical events in our recent past.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The List of Suspicious Things: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529153293
Follow Jennie: @jennieg_author
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sarah Marsh about her historical novel A Sign of Her Own. We discuss how her novel was inspired by a part of history that’s not well known, putting a deaf woman at the heart of her novel and her career-changing prize success. TRANSCRIPT: download
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy A Sign of Her Own: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781035401611
Follow Sarah: @SarahCMarsh
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jessica Bull about her crime novel Miss Austen Investigates. We discuss why Jane Austen makes the perfect detective, how Jessica knew the time was right to query her dream agent and what it's like writing a novel that went onto sell in 18 territories.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Miss Austen Investigates: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241642085
Follow Jessica: @NovelistJessica
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Georgia Summers about her fantasy novel The City of Stardust. We discuss how she was inspired by stories from her childhood describing portals to another world, using real places to inspire her fantastical world building and her insight as a former editor and whether she writes with commercial decisions in mind.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The City of Stardust: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399714204
Follow Georgia: @ge_summers
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Fiona Williams about her contemporary novel The House of Broken Bricks. We discuss discuss using nature writing to reflect the story's mood, reading work aloud to find rhythm and melody in a sentence, and how exposing the publishing process is for introverts.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The House of Broken Bricks: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780571379552
Follow Fiona: @FeeWilliams75
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Hester Musson about her historical novel The Beholders. We discuss the challenges of writing in a diary form, how to transform one dimensional characters and the crushing story of how Hester thought she was going to be published with a different novel, but it sold only to Italian publishers, then was dropped completely.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Beholders: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008558611
Follow Hester: @HesterMusson
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lottie Hazell about her contemporary novel Piglet. We discuss how Lottie does what she calls “playful method writing” by cooking along with Piglet to connect with her character’s headspace, why food is a great way for writers to explore characters and after working in marketing at a publisher, her advice for new authors.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Piglet: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780857529565
Follow Lottie: @LDHazell
https://www.lottiehazell.co.uk
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Emma-Claire Wilson about her commercial novel This Child of Mine. We discuss why she uses first person perspective to help readers live through her character’s light and dark, how she chose to transform her novel into a commercial style and building a writing platform before she had a book deal.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy This Child of Mine: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008608088
Follow Emma-Claire: @ECWilsonWriter
https://linktr.ee/ecwilsonauthor
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lizzie Huxley-Jones about their festive rom-com Make You Mine This Christmas. We discuss character creation with mood boards and playlists, writing a disabled love interest and what ‘write for hire is’ and how this gave Lizzie their route into publishing.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Make You Mine This Christmas: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399700801
Follow Lizzie: @littlehux
https://linktr.ee/littlehux
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lucy Barker about her historical novel The Other Side of Mrs Wood. We discuss her interest in Victorian seances and the true story that inspired her novel, how she created a warm and witty voice and how Lucy’s lack of faith in herself meant things didn’t work out with an agent in her 20s, but becoming a runner up in a competition gave her confidence later in life.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Other Side of Mrs Wood: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008597207
Follow Lucy: @lucysmallbark
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Stacey Thomas about her historical novel The Revels. We discuss adding a touch of fantasy to historical fiction, her advice for making a historical setting feel lived in and what happens when other books come out that sound similar to yours?
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Revels: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008566654
Follow Stacey: @Staceyv_Thomas
Stacey's Instagram, for posts on her journey
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Mira V Shah about her psychological suspense novel Her. We discuss subverting stereotypes of British Asian women in fiction, how she added pace to her novel and after Mira’s blog on the realities of being a debut gained traction online, she talks about how to manage expectations and look after yourself.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Her:
Follow Mira:
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lynsey May about her contemporary novel Weak Teeth. We discuss why Lynsey wanted to write about teeth, how her inspiration began with just one striking sentence and why she chose to write an open ending.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Weak Teeth: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781846976308
Follow Lynsey: @LynseyMay
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Rajasree Variyar about her contemporary novel The Daughters of Madurai. We discuss how she was inspired by a shocking news story about infanticide which she remembered from her childhood, why her intense research trip to India made her complex characters more authentic, and finding a way to give agency to historically and culturally oppressed female characters.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Daughters of Madurai: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398707269
Follow Rajasree: @Raji_Warrior
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jenny Mustard about her contemporary novel Okay Days. This is a really interesting episode because I asked Jenny if she thinks her large following had any impact on her sales and we talk a lot about social media and whether writers should worry about the size of their following. We also discuss how she wrote the first draft in eight weeks and how it took her a while to realise she was writing in the wrong genre at first.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Okay Days: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399713467
Follow Jenny: @jenny_mustard
https://www.youtube.com/@JennyMustard
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Claire Daverley about her contemporary novel Talking at Night. We discuss how the characters of her novel lived in her head for years before she found a way to put them on the page, why she made the contentious decision not to use speech marks and why this novel was third time lucky in getting an agent.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Talking at Night: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241604830
Follow Claire: @ClaireDaverley
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sarah Jost about her contemporary novel One Last Chance. We discuss writing as a non-native speaker, the challenges of writing a time loop love story and how Sarah tries to practise what she calls “writers’ mindfulness” to cope with the challenges of being published.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy One Last Chance: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349431536
Follow Sarah: @swissSarahUK
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Alex Hay about his historical novel The Housekeepers. We discuss creating an ensemble cast of characters, how it took a clear idea and a story that felt fun and more “him” to attract an agent and how this novel turned him into a mega planner.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Housekeepers: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781472299338
Follow Alex: @AlexHayBooks
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jenna Clake about her literary novel Disturbance. We discuss using witchcraft to write about female agency, the challenges of novel writing vs poetry and how Jenna Whatsapps herself notes on the go to keep her ideas alive.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Disturbance: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398712072
Follow Jenna: @jennaclake
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Margaret Meyer about her historical novel The Witching Tide. We discuss why she was inspired by women who had been wiped from the history books, writing a non-verbal character and how working in male prisons taught her the power of story.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Witching Tide: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399605854
Follow Margaret: @Margaret_Meyer
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Pim Wangtechawat about her literary novel The Moon Represents My Heart. We discuss how she set up the rules for time travel in her novel, the challenges of writing in her second language and what it’s like when your book’s optioned by Hollywood star Gemma Chan.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Moon Represents My Heart: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780861544684
Follow Pim: @PimsupaW
https://pimwangtechawat.net
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Alice Bell about her crime novel Grave Expectations. We discuss how she created her crime solving duo of a medium and a teenage ghost, how she works out whodunnit and why then works backwards and why now that she's published bookshops have become a place of fear.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Grave Expectations: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781838958398
Follow Alice: @ABeeWords
https://alicebellauthor.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Aoife Fitzpatrick about her historical novel The Red Bird Sings. We discuss the unbelievable true story that inspired her gothic novel, how her research trip to West Virginia helped her get the tone and the voice right and why she applied for arts council funding.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Red Bird Sings: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349016641
Follow Aoife: @aoifefitz_
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Bridget Walsh about her historical crime novel The Tumbling Girl. We discuss writing a historical working class character who pushes against the constraints of the era, working with a great indie press and Bridget’s advice to anyone who think it’s too late to write their novel.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Tumbling Girl: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781913547516
Follow Bridget: @bridget_walsh1
https://bridgetwalsh.co.uk
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jericho Writers are offering listeners of this podcast a very special discount. Use the code PODCAST15 for 15% off annual membership.
In this special episode I’m talking to Rose Wilding about her psychological suspense novel Speak of the Devil. We discuss why a writing workshop made her want to behead a fictional man, breaking all the writing rules by having 8 POVs and how Rose’s ADHD diagnosis changed how she approached writing.
This week’s episode was originally a special live episode with Jericho Writers and they’re offering a special discount for listeners. Jericho Writers is a writing community with a difference. Their members are the heart of everything they do, and their absolute favourite thing to do is to celebrate each member’s success, whether that’s writing another chapter or getting that book deal. Jericho Writers offers everything you need to help you write, edit and get your book published, from tutored video courses; online and in-person events; one-to-one mentoring; live masterclasses and expert editorial services, to interviews with publishers, agents and authors – they’re with you for every word. Jericho Writers are offering listeners of this podcast a very special discount. Use the code PODCAST15 for 15% off annual membership.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Speak of the Devil: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399804981
Follow Rose on Twitter: @Rose_Wldng
Jericho Writers: https://jerichowriters.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Senta Rich about her commercial novel Hotel 21. We discuss the differences between writing a screenplay and a novel, why a first person voice was so appealing to her and creating hooks in your story.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Hotel 21: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781526650498
https://sentarich.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Katie Bishop about her psychological suspense novel The Girls of Summer. We discuss how the #MeToo movement inspired her teenage character’s troubling first romance, how she used the present tense to let the reader experience events alongside her character and how she structures her day as a full-time writer.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Girls of Summer: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781787636002
Follow Katie on Twitter: @WhatKatieBWrote
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to to Santanu Bhattacharya about his literary novel One Small Voice. We discuss how he wanted to explore the experience of millennial Indians in a rapidly changing world, using the structure of his novel to add intrigue and suspense and the advice from Max Porter that transformed his work.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy One Small Voice: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241582336
Follow Santanu on Twitter: @santanu_bx
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Katie Lumsden about her historical novel The Secrets of Hartwood Hall. This episode is a fascinating one. Katie had an agent for seven years, wrote several books that went on submission and unfortunately failed to get a book deal and she's also been a fiction editor for a Big 5 publisher, so she's really seen things from the other side. In this episode we discuss all of that, as well as her playing with gothic tropes, purposefully writing for the market and whether a following on social media makes a difference in terms of book sales.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Secrets of Hartwood Hall: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241556078
Follow Katie on Twitter: @katiejlumsden
Katie's BookTube channel - Books and Things
(mentioned: Writer's HQ Plotstormers course)
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Alison Stockham about her psychological suspense novel The Cuckoo Sister. We discuss how her novel’s sisters represent two sides of motherhood, when she realised she was writing in a way that wasn’t working for her and creating a divisive ending.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Cuckoo Sister: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09YTJ48YQ
Follow Alison on Twitter: @AlisonStockham
https://linktr.ee/alisonstockhamauthor
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jo Leevers about her commercial novel Tell Me How This Ends. In this episode we discuss how personal loss inspired her story, why adding a mystery element gave the book momentum and why asking questions during the publishing process is important.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Tell Me How This Ends: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781662506383
Follow Jo on Twitter: @JoLeevers
https://linktr.ee/joleevers
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow about her literary novel All the Little Bird-Hearts. In this episode we discuss writing from the perspective of an autistic woman as an autistic author; how she left school without qualifications before studying for a PhD in later life; and her advice for neurodiverse authors navigating the publishing industry.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy All the Little Bird-Hearts: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781472288004
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Krystle Zara Appiah about her contemporary novel Rootless. In this episode we discuss writing to break stigmas about Black women’s mental health, how Rootless started life as a NaNoWriMo novel and how it felt to lose 60,000 words!
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Rootless: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008528836
Follow Krystle on Twitter: @krystlezara
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Rachel Dawson about her historical novel Neon Roses. In this episode we discuss showcasing Wales in her proudly Welsh book, her ambition to write an empowering and empowered queer book and how lesbian punk photography informed the creation of her love interest.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Neon Roses: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781399801928
Follow Rachel on Twitter: @RachelCDawson
https://racheldawson.cymru
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Soula Emmanuel about her literary novel, Wild Geese. In this episode we discuss her subversion of an Irish emigrant novel, her goal to write a beautiful book and why she likes to experiment and try things out early on in a draft.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Wild Geese: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781804440148
https://soulaemmanuel.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Stephen Buoro about his literary novel The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa. In this episode we discuss the wonderful moment a powerful voice came to Stephen and he reached for his Blackberry to write it all down, how that opening passage is still the same in his published novel, and how his Booker Prize scholarship transformed his writing career.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Lady MacBethad: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781526647252
Follow Isabelle on Twitter: @BelleSchuler
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Stephen Buoro about his literary novel The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa. In this episode we discuss the wonderful moment a powerful voice came to Stephen and he reached for his Blackberry to write it all down, how that opening passage is still the same in his published novel, and how his Booker Prize scholarship transformed his writing career.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781526637994
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Kara Gnodde about her contemporary novel The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything. In this episode we discuss how fragments of inspiration came to her like pieces of a puzzle, why she struggled with the structure of her novel and the importance of enjoying every win whilst keeping your expectations in check during publication.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529096347
Follow Kara on Twitter: @KaraGnodde
https://www.karagnodde.co.uk
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Alice Slater about her thriller Death of a Bookseller. In this episode we discuss how she created separate playlists, played movies in the background as she wrote and used different vocabulary lists to create the distinct narrative voices in her novel, why after years of tinkering she was able to finish the novel in a month and why she loves BookTok.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Death of a Bookseller: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529385328
Follow Alice on Twitter: @alicemjslater
https://alicemjslater.com/
What Page Are You On? podcast - Writing Craft Episode
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Ryan Love about his commercial novel Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out. In this episode we discuss writing different coming out stories to capture a variety of experiences, how lockdown was a now or never moment to achieve his novel-writing dreams and how he wrote the first draft in 3 intense weeks.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008541200
Follow Ryan on Twitter: @RyanJL
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Carole Hailey about her thriller The Silence Project. In this episode we discuss how frustration with politics inspired her theme of silence, why she’s glad her other novel didn’t sell and the strange way she found her agent, by not winning a writing competition.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Silence Project: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781838956066
Follow Carole on Twitter: @CaroleAHailey
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jessica George about her contemporary novel Maame. In this episode we talk about writing a personal story about grief, how Maame was her actually her sixth novel and second attempt at getting a book deal and how she prefers to start writing her novel by hand.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Maame: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529395570
Follow Jess on Twitter: @JessGeorge_
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Charlene Carr about her commercial novel Hold My Girl. Technically Charlene is not a debut novelist as she’s written 10 self-published novels, but Hold My Girl is her first traditionally published novel and I was very keen to talk to her about the transition between self and traditional publishing and the differences she’s experienced. In this episode we discuss how her self-publishing career began, how and why she decided to get a traditional publishing deal, her compelling novel premise which was based on a real-life fear and how the first thing she wrote was the novel’s closing lines.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Hold My Girl: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781802793321
Follow Charlene on Twitter: @charcarr1
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Eleanor Shearer about her historical novel River Sing Me Home. In this episode we discuss how she was inspired by the strength of Black women in her family, starting her research by interviewing families in the Caribbean to focus on the emotional thread of the novel and her strict writing routine of writing 500 words every day, literally every day.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy River Sing Me Home: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781472291363
Follow Eleanor on Twitter: @eleanorbshearer
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ about her speculative novel Dazzling. In this episode we discuss how she used old forms of storytelling in this coming of age tale, layering deeper meaning within fiction and her writing routine which involves scrapping everything she’s written and starting again!
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Dazzling: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781472289643
Follow Chịkọdịlị on Twitter: @chemelumadu
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I'm talking to Amita Parikh about her historical novel The Circus Train. In this episode we discuss how her fascination in magic and love of science inspired The Circus Train, how raising the stakes in her novel transformed it into a manuscript agents were interested in and why she adopts a healthy approach in describing writing as something she does versus it becoming who she is entirely.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Circus Train: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780349994130
Follow Amita on Twitter: @amitaparikh
https://www.amitaparikh.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I'm talking to Jon Barton about his crime novel Dive. In this episode we discuss the challenges involved in turning his screenplay into a novel, how to approach writing an authentic voice from a woman’s perspective when you’re a male writer, and how to cope with the aspects of publishing that are out of your control.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Dive: https://amzn.eu/d/6Mnq6dv
Follow Jon on Twitter: @jnbarton
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I'm talking to Emilia Hart about her historical novel Weyward. In this episode we discuss adding a touch of magic to an otherwise grounded story, using themes and motifs to link multiple timelines, and Emilia shares her top tips for querying your dream agent.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Weyward: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008499082
Follow Emilia on Twitter: @EmiliaHartBooks
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Emma Denny about her romance novel One Night in Hartswood. This is a really fascinating episode, not only because Emma got her book deal by successfully pitching it to Mills and Boon for their Twitter based competition, but also because she doesn’t have an agent. We also discuss building a connection in a slow burn romance, how fanfiction helped her rediscover her love of writing and find a community and her tips for writing sex scenes.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy One Night in Hartswood: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008539191
Follow Emma on Twitter: @Emma_denny_
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Fran Littlewood about her contemporary novel Amazing Grace Adams. In this episode we discuss how Fran wanted to counteract lazy stereotypes about middle aged women and tackle the peri menopause authentically, her method of keeping chapters interesting by “throwing a bomb into the room” and how her first two novels lacked that irresistible hook to attract editors. But before we get into that, here’s Fran with an excerpt from Amazing Grace Adams.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Amazing Grace Adams: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241548516
Follow Fran on Twitter: @_franlittlewood
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jyoti Patel about her contemporary novel The Things That We Lost. In this episode we talk about how Jyoti’s Merky Books prize win lead to publication, the importance of taking yourself seriously as a writer and how small tweaks to dialogue and using slang gave authenticity to her teenage protagonist.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Things That We Lost: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529186338
Follow Jyoti on Twitter: @Jyoti__Patel
https://linktr.ee/jyotisbooks
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Georgina Moore about her contemporary novel The Garnett Girls. Georgina speaks about what it’s like to be on the other side of book publicity and how authors can best support their publishing team. And also, why writing dialogue was the aspect she found hardest.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Garnett Girls: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008506339
Follow Georgina on Twitter: @PublicityBooks
https://www.georginamoore.co.uk
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Anindita Ghose about her contemporary novel The Illuminated. The Illuminated was published in India in 2021 but Head of Zeus acquired it for publication in 2023. So of course, I wanted to hear how that happened. We also discuss, the difficulty of moving past a very polished, beloved first chapter, a brilliant technique involving the senses which Anindita employed to make her characters’ chapters distinct and an amazing story about being bold and brave as a debut author – and contacting your writing heroes!
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Illuminated: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781803289779
Follow Anindita on Twitter: @aninditaghose
https://aninditaghose.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Victoria MacKenzie about her historical novel For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain. Having heard about Victoria’s achievements, you’d assume getting an agent and a book deal would be easy but in this episode, Victoria explains why it wasn’t that straight-forward. We also discuss how she was inspired by a woman from history who we know little about and how writing the novel she wanted to read allowed it to pour out of her in a matter of months.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781526647887
Follow Victoria on Twitter: @forthygreatpain
https://victoriamackenzie.net/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Cailean Steed about their thriller Home. In this episode we discuss creating a fictional cult, how an agency open day led to Cailean signing with an agent and how they beat the difficulties of trying to write something completely new. But first, here’s Cailean with an excerpt from Home.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Home: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781526641663
Follow Cailean Steed on Twitter: @CaileanSteed
https://www.caileansteed.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to Season 2 of Confessions of a Debut Novelist! This week, I’m talking to Heather Darwent about her psychological suspense novel The Things We Do To Our Friends, which has just become a Sunday Times Bestseller. In this episode we discuss what it’s like to be a debut novelist with the added pressure of your book being compared to big, famous novels, her long journey to find an agent including rewriting and resubmitting, and why patience is key during the publication process.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Things We Do To Our Friends: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241538821
Follow Heather on Twitter: @HeatherDarwent
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Louise Finch about her YA novel, The Eternal Return of Clara Hart. This is the last episode of season one of the podcast before a new season next week and what a book to end it on. Louise’s book is a really great novel tackling tough subject matter. We talk about writing about toxic masculinity and rape culture for teens, looking after yourself when writing about difficult subjects and using a really fun time loop structure!
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Eternal Return of Clara Hart: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781915071026
Follow Louise Finch on Twitter: @LouFinchWrites
https://louisefinch.co.uk
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Ella King about her literary novel Bad Fruit. In this episode we discuss how boredom during chemotherapy inspired Ella to write again, exploring toxic family relationships and generational trauma, and how competition success gave her confidence to query agents.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Bad Fruit: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008476557
Follow Ella on Twitter: @TheRealEllaKing
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Shauna Lawless about her historical fantasy The Children of Gods and Fighting Men. I really wanted to talk to Shauna about her route to publication because I knew originally she was writing purely for fun when her husband was doing the kids’ bedtime routine every other night and she used that hour to pursue her passion. Her book deal came in an interesting way too because she submitted her novel to an open submission opportunity at publishers Head of Zeus before she even had an agent. So we talk about this and how she blended Irish history and mythology.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Children of Gods and Fighting Men: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781803282626
Follow Shauna on Twitter: @shaunaLwrites
https://shaunalawless.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Margaux Vialleron about her literary novel The Yellow Kitchen. In this episode we talk about the freedom and pleasure of writing in a second language, how she used her own diaries to write about the political landscape of 2019 and the unusual way she inhabits her characters – by texting herself in character!
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Yellow Kitchen: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398508477
Follow Margaux on Twitter: @MargauxVlln
http://theonionpapers.substack.com
https://salmonpinkkitchen.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Kenny Boyle about his contemporary novel The Tick and the Tock of the Crocodile Clock. Kenny’s debut novel was published by an indie press and Kenny’s done so much work himself to promote it so we talk about his advice for writers nervous about publicity and spreading the word about your book. We also talk about how his novel started life as a one woman play and how his own mental health inspired him to delve deeper into his main character’s life.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Tick and the Tock of the Crocodile Clock: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781785633027
Follow Kenny on Twitter: @KennyIBoyle
https://kennyboyle.co.uk
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Heather Parry about her gothic horror Orpheus Builds a Girl. Heather has been involved in the literary scene for years but has had quite a meandering and frustrating route to getting her first novel published which we talk about in this episode, also how she took inspiration from a true story and made it her own, and how she thought carefully about language choice and musicality when creating distinctive first person narration.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Orpheus Builds a Girl: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781913547400
Follow Heather on Twitter: @HeatherParryUK
https://heatherparry.co.uk
Extra Teeth Magazine: https://www.extrateeth.co.uk
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Natalie aka N.A. Cooper about her thriller Ripple Effect. I was so inspired hearing Natalie’s journey to publication. She’s done no courses or creative writing classes, encouragement came solely from her family and her own passion to keep going. She researched indie publishers herself online and ended up with a three book deal with Cambridge based Bloodhound Books. We also talk about her tips for adding suspense and battling perfectionism in those early drafts.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Ripple Effect: https://amzn.eu/iwW2UM9
Buy Unravelling Alice: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781504080101
Follow Natalie on Twitter: @NACooperAuthor
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
https://www.chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Kasim Ali about his contemporary novel Good Intentions. This episode really is a must-listen. Being an editor, Kasim talks openly about what it’s like on the other side of the process and gives some surprising advice as to why he thinks writers shouldn’t be on Twitter and shouldn’t follow editors or read The Bookseller. Intrigued? Keep listening. Kasim’s had rejection after rejection, writing in every genre imaginable, but the key to it all is writing for the fun of it.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Good Intentions: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008450656
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
https://www.chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Natasha Hastings about her middle grade novel The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair. In this episode we discuss disability representation in fiction, writing about grief for a younger audience and how she has learnt to become a “chaotic planner”.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008496050
Follow Natasha on Twitter: @tashajhastings
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Laura Lexx about her commercial novel Pivot. In this episode we discuss why she chose not to describe her characters’ appearances, how stand-up comedy makes a good partner to writing funny books and how her writing career began with a tweet that went viral.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Pivot: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529348248
Follow Laura on Twitter: @lauralexx
lauralexx.co.uk
https://www.youtube.com/@LauraLexxComedy
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sean Lusk about his historical novel The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley. In this episode we talk about pushing further on emotions to find the real story in an idea, choosing language carefully to make historical fiction immersive and how it took Sean until he was on his third agent to get a book deal.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780857528056
Follow Sean on Twitter: @seanlusk1
http://seanlusk.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Emma Styles about her thriller No Country for Girls. In this episode we discuss how this novel started out as an experiment, why Emma thinks it’s important to trust your own process when working out characterisation and trying not to worry that you don’t have all of your story worked out when you start.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy No Country for Girls: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780751583830
Follow Emma on Twitter: @emstylesauthor
https://emmastylesauthor.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Louisa Reid about her literary novel The Poet. In this episode we discuss her love for and challenges of writing in verse, how writing in verse makes her focus on the crucial scenes of the novel and why, to be a writer, you need to develop a thick skin.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Poet: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780857528391
Follow Louisa on Twitter: @louisareid
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Caron McKinlay about her contemporary novel The Storytellers. In this episode we discuss why receiving professional feedback gave her the confidence to query agents, how a difficult time in her life lead to her finding her passion for writing again and her honesty about finding the right novel idea.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Storytellers: https://amzn.to/3ESDqms
Follow Caron on Twitter: @CaronMcKinlay
https://linktr.ee/CaronMcKinlay
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Colleen Hubbard about her literary novel, Housebreaking. In this episode we discuss instinctive editing choices, why she used third person perspective to leave space for dark humour, and giving herself deadlines to pursue her dreams.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Housebreaking: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781472157522
http://colleenhubbard.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to April Doyle about her climate sci-fi or cli-fi novel, Hive. In this episode we discuss how April was inspired by a news report on the climate crisis, how she stepped outside of her comfort zone to help promote her novel and how her career as a creative writing teacher has informed her own work.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Hive: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781913913779
Follow April on Twitter: @aprilcdoyle
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Bea Setton about her literary novel Berlin. Apologies for the difference in sound quality in this episode, I forgot to record my microphone's input! In this episode we discuss why Bea thinks her protagonist Daphne is a realistic narrator rather than unreliable one, building tension and mystery retrospectively and getting through the pain of a first draft.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Berlin: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780857527974
Follow Bea on Twitter: @BeaSetton
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Salma El-Wardany about her contemporary novel These Impossible Things. In this episode we discuss how Salma built a brand, using Instagram to share her writing as a way into the publishing industry, exploring female friendship between Muslim women where their faith plays a positive role and how to approach the challenges of the editing process.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy These Impossible Things: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398705777
Follow Salma on Instagram: @salmaelwardany
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Eve Ainsworth about her commercial novel Duckling. In this episode we discuss writing uplit with grittier themes, writing a child’s voice authentically and transitioning from children’s to adult fiction.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Duckling: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529157246
Follow Eve on Twitter: @EveAinsworth
eveainsworth.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Elissa Soave about her contemporary novel Ginger and Me. In this episode we discuss the importance of editors and why Elissa thinks they’re the unsung heroes of the process, giving voice and agency to characters who are working class girls, and why you should always aim high and enter competitions even if you don’t have the confidence.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Ginger and Me: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780008458416
Follow Elissa on Twitter: @elissa_soave
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jane Markland about her contemporary novel Cielo. In this episode we talk about writing characters we rarely see in fiction, writing prequels and back stories for your characters so you know them really well and the value of a writing community.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Cielo: https://amzn.to/3t7OKFC
Follow Jane on Twitter: @markland_jane
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Jendella Benson about her contemporary novel Hope & Glory. In this episode we discuss starting your novel in the heat of the moment, how her freelance writing career led to interest from an editor and staying connected to your work when you’re away from your manuscript.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Hope & Glory: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398702295
Follow Jendella on Twitter: @JENDELLA
Jendella's blog post mentioned: https://jendella.substack.com/p/i-gave-my-first-talk-to-school-children
http://www.jendella.co.uk
https://jendella.substack.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Eloise Smith about her middle grade novel Sister to a Star. In this episode we talk about what advertising taught her about writing for children, her unusual route to publication where her book deal came before an agent and writing something personal you care about rather what you think kids will like.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Sister to a Star: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781912626717
Follow Eloise on Twitter: @itsmeEloise
https://eloisesmith.net
https://goldeneggacademy.co.uk
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Claire Alexander about her commercial novel Meredith, Alone. In this episode we discuss how she found herself writing in an unexpected genre, resisting the urge to self-edit when you’ve got limited time to write and what happens when your agent isn’t keen on your original title.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Meredith, Alone: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241542408
Follow Claire on Twitter: @ClaireAWriter
https://www.claire-alexander.co.uk
Claire's agent, Juliet Mushens's blog post about titles
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Annie Kirby about her literary novel The Hollow Sea. In this episode we discuss exploring childlessness without cliched tropes or miracle births, playing with structure and how the Penguin Write Now scheme led to her book deal.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Hollow Sea: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241522097
Follow Annie on Twitter: @DoctorKirbs
https://linktr.ee/doctorkirbs
http://www.anniekirby.com/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Kate Dylan about her YA novel Mindwalker. In this episode we discuss the balance between writing what you want to write versus the reality of whether you want to get published, how her ideas often start with a single, opening sentence and the skill of writing commercial prose.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Mindwalker: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529392685
Follow Kate on Twitter: @TheKateDylan
https://www.katedylanbooks.com/
https://www.katedylanbooks.com/sub-stories
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Ronali Collings about her commercial novel Love & Other Dramas. In this episode we discuss how she’d given up writing until Bernardine Evaristo inspired her, diversity in genre fiction and challenging stereotypes across the board, and how important it is to remember that publishing a novel is about collaboration with your team and not just a lone struggle.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Love & Other Dramas: https://amzn.to/3zyurWq
Follow Ronali on Twitter: @RonaliCollings
https://www.ronalicollings.uk/
https://womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/features/for-writers/writers-toolkit/ronali-collings-its-never-too-late-to-follow-your-dreams
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Bobby Palmer about his contemporary novel Isaac and the Egg. In this episode we discuss writing slapstick comedy alongside grief, reading memoir as research as a way into emotional subjects and how his first novel not selling made his second attempt even better.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Isaac and the Egg: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781472285508
Follow Bobby on Twitter: @thebobpalmer
https://www.bobbypalmer.co.uk
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Hannah Moffat about her middle grade novel, SMALL! In this episode we discuss the fun process of creating a school for giants, being conscious of pace and holding children’s attention and her great tips for finding an agent.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy SMALL!: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781911427278
Follow Hannah on Twitter: @MissDePlume
https://hannahmoffatt.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Holly Williams about her debut historical novel What Time is Love? In this episode we discuss what it was like writing about the same couple falling in love in three different time periods, interviewing real people to research recent history and embracing the long process of rewrites and editing.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy What Time is Love?: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398706293
Follow Holly on Twitter: @Holly_bops
https://hollywrites.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Finn Longman about their YA novel The Butterfly Assassin. In this episode we discuss how their own chronic illness inspired their main character, the way they did their world-building retrospectively, and planning a novel when it’s part of a trilogy.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Butterfly Assassin: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781398507340
Follow Finn on Twitter: @FinnLongman
https://finnlongman.com/category/writing/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist is now twice-weekly until the end of the year! New episodes every Monday and Thursday. In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Rachelle Atalla about her speculative novel The Pharmacist. In this episode we talk about how Rachelle’s career as a pharmacist helped her create her main character, leaving gaps for the reader to fill in with their imagination and how her short story writing and screenwriting complement her novel writing.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Pharmacist: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529342109
Follow Rachelle on Twitter: @rachelle_ata
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sussie Anie about her literary novel To Fill a Yellow House. In this episode we talk about how the changing UK high street inspired her novel’s setting, her different approach writing a novel compared to a short story and how she felt when her book sold in 48 hours.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy To Fill a Yellow House: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781474621694
Follow Sussie on Twitter: @AnieSussie
https://sussieanie.com/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Abigail Bergstrom talking about her literary novel What a Shame. As an industry insider, Abigail’s perspective on being a debut is well worth a listen and we also talked about topics such as using the second person point of view, cutting through millennial stereotypes and carving out creative space to write.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy What a Shame: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529367072
Follow Abigail on Twitter: @AbigailBergstrm
Bergstrom Studio
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Emily Kenny about her middle grade novel The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks. In this episode we talk about how to write authentic autistic characters, why she thinks we’re in the golden age of children’s fiction and why having a mentor was the most accessible and valuable way to improve her writing craft.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780861542055
Follow Emily on Twitter: @Emilie_London
Write Mentor
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to James Cahill about his literary debut Tiepolo Blue. In this episode we talk about evoking the transformative 90s gay scene in London’s Soho, how James’s academic work inspired the themes of the novel, and his advice on trying to write without thinking about readers.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Tiepolo Blue: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9781529369397
Follow James on Twitter: @JamesCahill
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
chloetimms.co.uk
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Julie Owen Moylan about her historical debut That Green Eyed Girl. In this episode we talk about creating sensual historical fiction, how Julie went from 70 agent rejections to a book deal and how she balances her love of Twitter with writing discipline.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy That Green Eyed Girl: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10990/9780241508015
Follow Julie on Twitter: @JulieOwenMoylan
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, I may earn a commission.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Mahi Cheshire about her psychological suspense debut Deadly Cure. In this episode we we discuss how working a night shift as a junior doctor inspired her, the twists that came as a surprise, and how she uses little pockets of time and word sprints to fit writing in around her life.
Confessions of a Debut Novelist Bookshop*
Buy Deadly Cure: https://amzn.to/3AKurTj
Follow Mahi on Twitter: @MahiCheshire
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
*affiliate link - if you buy books linked to the Bookshop.org site, we may earn a commission, whose fees support independent bookshops.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Olivia Fitzsimons about her literary debut The Quiet Whispers Never Stop. In this episode we we discuss writing so-called difficult female characters, her tips for writing great dialogue, and what sustains her creativity.
Buy The Quiet Whispers Never Stop: https://linktr.ee/oliviafitzsimons
Follow Olivia on Twitter: @oneflawediris
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Laura Price about her contemporary fiction debut Single Bald Female. In this episode we discuss how her novel balances the realities of living with cancer and humour, how to use feedback to improve your next draft and how to cope when your book doesn’t sell.
Buy Single Bald Female: https://linktr.ee/LauraPriceWrites
Follow Laura on Twitter: @LauraPriceWrite
Read Laura's newsletter: https://lauraprice.substack.com/
Listen to Life in Food with Laura Price: https://open.spotify.com/show/4bYjs0V1CpOEGodov38fxW
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Tina Orr Munro about her debut crime novel Breakneck Point. In this episode we discuss the joy of writing villains, how Tina used her emotional experiences from her own career and rewriting half her novel after finding an agent.
Buy Breakneck Point: https://linktr.ee/TOrrMunro
Follow Tina on Twitter: @TinaOrrMunro
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Kate Maxwell about her debut literary novel Hush. In this episode we discuss exploring maternal taboos, being an early morning writer and why Kate turned down offers of representation from agents before she found the right match.
Buy Hush: https://linktr.ee/katemaxwellauthor
Follow Kate on Twitter: @katemax
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Stephanie Sowden about her psychological suspense novel After Everything You Did. In this episode we discuss how Stephanie makes her psychological suspense fresh by setting it in the past, why cooking makes a good companion for writing and my favourite bit of advice for writer’s block so far.
Sorry for the slight difference in audio quality - I had to record the intro during the UK's heatwave and that meant recording it on my phone instead of my usual set-up!
Buy After Everything You Did: https://amzn.to/3B4heFC
Follow Stephanie on Twitter: @Stephsowden_
Why Cooking is the Perfect Writing Companion
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Georgina Scull about her narrative non-fiction book Regrets of the Dying. In this episode we discuss how a near death experience inspired this book, writing a non-fiction proposal and her advice for writing sensitively about real people.
Buy Regrets of the Dying: tinyurl.com/4rf29t2u
Follow Georgina on Twitter: @georginascull
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Chloë Ashby about her debut literary novel Wet Paint. In this episode we discuss revisiting past emotions to write characters’ feelings authentically, finding trusted readers, and how her novel writing process has changed now she's writing her second book.
Buy Wet Paint: https://geni.us/WetPaint
Follow Chloë on Twitter: @chloelashby
https://www.chloeashby.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Laure Van Rensburg about her debut psychological suspense novel Nobody But Us. In this episode we discuss how the Me Too movement inspired her novel, getting into the psyche of unlikeable characters and her resilience in getting an agent.
Buy Nobody But Us: https://bio.site/laurevanrensburg
Follow Laure on Twitter: @Laure0901
https://www.laurevanrensburg.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Catherine Yardley about her contemporary novel Ember. In this episode we discuss writing sibling relationships, how acting helps her create characters and the snobbery surrounding women’s fiction.
Buy Ember: https://linktr.ee/balavageyardley
Follow Catherine on Twitter: @Balavage
https://www.frostmagazine.com/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Being A Writer Festival: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/event/being-a-writer-festival-2022/
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m handing over the hosting job to my good friend and fellow writer, Hayley Dunning because, as you might have seen on the episode title, today’s guest is – me, talking about The Seawomen! In this episode we discuss the stages of creating a fictional island, how her disability impacts on what she writes, and the challenge of starting work on something new.
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Buy The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
https://www.chloetimms.co.uk
Follow Hayley on Twitter: @h_dunning
http://www.hayleydunning.com
Upcoming Events
Being A Writer Festival: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/event/being-a-writer-festival-2022/
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Francesca May about her fantasy novel Wild and Wicked Things. In this episode we discuss how The Great Gatsby inspired her novel, writing a slow burn queer love story and how her job at Waterstones informs her writing.
Buy Wild and Wicked Things: linktr.ee/franwritesstuff
Follow Francesca on Twitter: @franwritesstuff
http://www.franwritesstuff.com/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Being A Writer Festival: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/event/being-a-writer-festival-2022/
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Becca Day about her psychological suspense novel The Girl Beyond The Gate. In this episode we discuss how true crime documentaries give her ideas for her writing, how she uses personality tests to develop her characters and finding opportunities on Twitter.
Buy The Girl Beyond The Gate: https://amzn.to/3NaVknd
Follow Becca on Twitter: @AuthorBeccaDay
https://beccaday.com
Reading Parties: https://www.readingparty.co.uk
Becca's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BeccaDayAuthor
Mastering Suspense, Structure and Plot: https://amzn.to/3zaZK9v
Alexa Dunne's Querying advice: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJtxq7zLDhMGYyOHtquC5_GjLyAEy8_6B
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Being A Writer Festival: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/event/being-a-writer-festival-2022/
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Margate Bookie: https://margatebookie.com/festival/life-as-a-debut-author/
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Bonnie Garmus about her bestselling debut Lessons in Chemistry. In this episode we discuss how a frustrating meeting at work inspired her trailblazing protagonist Elizabeth Zott, breaking the so-called writing rules and her 98 rejections before her success.
Buy Lessons in Chemistry: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1444582/lessons-in-chemistry/9780857528124.html
Follow Bonnie on Twitter: @BonnieGarmus
https://www.bonniegarmus.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Being A Writer Festival: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/event/being-a-writer-festival-2022/
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Margate Bookie: https://margatebookie.com/festival/life-as-a-debut-author/
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sophie Haydock about her historical debut The Flames. In this episode we discuss flipping the canvas where the artist’s muses take centre stage, listening and observing people to create the details of side characters and the key to staying positive on days of doubt.
Buy The Flames: linktr.ee/SophieHaydock
Follow Sophie on Twitter: @SophieHaydock
https://sophie-haydock.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Being A Writer Festival: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/event/being-a-writer-festival-2022/
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Margate Bookie: https://margatebookie.com/festival/life-as-a-debut-author/
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Kate Sawyer about her post-apocalyptic debut The Stranding which has just been published in paperback. In this episode we discuss writing a sensory experience to make the surreal plausible, varying your writing routine and being your own biggest champion.
Buy The Stranding: linktr.ee/katesawyer
Follow Kate on Twitter: @KateSawyer
https://www.mskatesawyer.com/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Being A Writer Festival: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/event/being-a-writer-festival-2022/
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Margate Bookie: https://margatebookie.com/festival/life-as-a-debut-author/
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Josh Winning about his fantasy novel The Shadow Glass. In this episode we discuss his obsession with learning about story structure, how he writes in a filmic way and his interesting route to getting an agent.
Buy The Shadow Glass: linktr.ee/joshuawinning
Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshWinning
http://www.joshuawinning.com/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Being A Writer Festival: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/event/being-a-writer-festival-2022/
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Margate Bookie: https://margatebookie.com/festival/life-as-a-debut-author/
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lizzie Damilola Blackburn about her debut rom-com Yinka Where is Your Huzband?. In this episode we discuss how entering the pen factor competition changed her life, writing a rom-com with a Black young woman at the heart of it and leaving perfectionism behind when you start to write.
Buy Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?: https://linktr.ee/lizziedamilola
Follow Lizzie on Twitter: @DamilolaLizzie
https://lizziedamilolablackburn.com/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Being A Writer Festival: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/event/being-a-writer-festival-2022/
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Margate Bookie: https://margatebookie.com/festival/life-as-a-debut-author/
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to to Susannah Wise whose sci-fi debut This Fragile Earth was published in 2021. I wanted to ask Susannah on the podcast, just as her paperback comes out and before her second book is published, to discuss being a debut one year on. In this episode we talk about how her world-building developed through different drafts, the ups and downs on the way to publication, and the highlights of her debut year.
Buy This Fragile Earth: http://hyperurl.co/ThisFragileEarthHB
Pre-order Okay Then That's Great: https://www.orionbooks.co.uk/titles/susannah-wise/okay-then-thats-great/9781473232372/
Follow Susannah on Twitter: @susannahwise
https://www.susannahwise.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Upcoming Events
Being A Writer Festival: https://literaryconsultancy.co.uk/event/being-a-writer-festival-2022/
Jericho Writers Summer Festival: https://jerichowriters.com/join-us/
Margate Bookie: https://margatebookie.com/festival/life-as-a-debut-author/
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Kate Martin about her young adult novel Are You Okay Elliot Hart? In this episode we discuss how Kate embodied her teenage characters to find their voice, the important messages in her story and how she fits writing into her busy teaching career.
Buy Are You Okay Elliot Hart?: https://t.co/rP6zQk4wSU
Follow Kate on Twitter: @katemartin100
https://www.katemartinauthor.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Melissa Fu about her historical novel Peach Blossom Spring. In this episode we discuss how her novel evolved from a short story, the benefits of Arts Council Funding, and how inspiration comes when something stops her in her tracks.
Buy Peach Blossom Spring: https://www.waterstones.com/book/peach-blossom-spring/melissa-fu//9781472277534
Follow Melissa on Twitter: @MelissaLFu
https://melissafu.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Keiran Goddard about his novel Hourglass. In this episode we talk about specificity when writing universal themes, Keiran’s writing routine which involves checking into grotty hotels and how an obsession with pop music led him to writing.
Buy Hourglass: https://amzn.to/3qMjyLs
Follow Keiran on Twitter: @keirangoddard1
https://www.keirangoddard.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I talk to Jinny Alexander about her novel Dear Isobel. In this episode we talk about writing unlikable characters, how dog walking is essential to her writing process and giving yourself time away from your writing if you’re stuck.
Buy Dear Isobel: https://www.jinnyalexander.com/books-and-stories/
Follow Jinny on Twitter: @CeramicFairy
https://www.jinnyalexander.com/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m breaking the rules a bit and talking to Gabriella Braun about her narrative non-fiction book All That We Are. I thought it would be interesting to hear about getting into the publishing industry from a non-fiction angle. In this episode Gabriella talks about the challenge of being vulnerable and writing about herself, how storytelling is just as important in non-fiction and how the journey to publication works when you’re writing non-fiction.
Buy All That We Are: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/all-that-we-are-9780349427300/9780349427300
Follow Gabriella on Twitter: @BraunGabriella
https://www.gabriellabraun.co.uk
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Lizzie Pook about her historical novel Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter. We talk about how for Lizzie, setting comes first, how Lizzie taught herself the craft of writing without courses and the best piece of writing advice she’s learnt.
Buy Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter: https://www.waterstones.com/book/moonlight-and-the-pearlers-daughter/lizzie-pook/9781529072846
Follow Lizzie on Twitter: @LizziePook
https://www.lizziepook.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Amy McCulloch about her thriller Breathless. We discuss what writing and mountaineering have in common, creating a big group of distinct characters and the surprise of finding out who the killer will be through the process of writing.
Buy Breathless: https://www.waterstones.com/book/breathless/amy-mcculloch/2928377080471
Follow Amy on Twitter: @amymcculloch
Watch the story behind Breathless: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chZUd9rk5NI
https://amymcculloch.net
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Sarah Smith about her historical novel Hear No Evil. We discuss using gaps in history to inspire new writing, why sensitivity readers were a key part of her writing process and the challenge of translating sign language onto the page.
Buy Hear No Evil: https://uk.bookshop.org/books/hear-no-evil-9781529369090/9781529369090
Follow Sarah on Twitter: @truesarahsmith
https://sarahsmithwriter.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I’m talking to Nita Prose about her mystery novel The Maid. We discuss the challenge of finding new way to approach to a beloved genre, the importance of studying other writers’ work and what it feels like to know a movie is being made of your novel.
Buy The Maid: https://www.nitaprose.com/the-maid/
Follow Nita on Twitter: @NitaProse
https://www.nitaprose.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I talk to Nikki May about Wahala, her entertaining novel about female friendship with a thriller edge. In this episode we discuss her exciting route to publication, writing about big issues with a light touch and how reading your work aloud with someone is the key to great dialogue.
Buy Wahala: https://www.nikki-may.com/wahala-2
Follow Nikki on Twitter: @NikkiOMay
https://www.nikki-may.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I talk to Ally Wilkes about her Antarctic horror, All The White Spaces. In this episode Ally and I discuss how her trans character Jonathan brought something fresh to her historical setting, how live action role play enriched her research and the importance of setting in horror novels.
Buy All The White Spaces: https://titanbooks.com/70684-all-the-white-spaces/
Follow Ally on Twitter: @UnheimlichManvr
https://www.allywilkes.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I talk to Mandy Byatt about her psychological suspense novel, Just Another Liar. In this chat we discuss finding empathy in morally grey characters, the benefits of writing courses and the importance of resilience for a writing career.
Buy Just Another Liar: https://amzn.to/345hCoW
Follow Mandy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mbyattauthor
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I talk to Sarah Bonner about her twisty thriller, Her Perfect Twin. In this chat we discuss her whirlwind journey to publication, writing a novel set in the pandemic and her "murder wall"!
Buy Her Perfect Twin: https://linktr.ee/sarahbonner
Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahbonner101
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I talk to Mairi Chong about her crime novel, Death By Appointment, the first in a series of 7 books. In this chat we discuss the cathartic power of writing, how Mairi gets inspired by eavesdropping and why cosy crime is such an appealing genre in these uncertain times.
Buy Death By Appointment: https://amzn.to/3zOQwhI
Follow Mairi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MairiChong
Mairi's blog post about mental health and writing: http://booksbywomen.org/write-to-heal-heal-to-write/
https://www.mairichong.com
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
Pre-order Chloe's debut novel The Seawomen: https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
In this episode of Confessions of a Debut Novelist, I talk to Alison Weatherby about her YA novel The Secrets Act. In this chat we discuss how entering a competition lead to a book deal, Alison’s feelings about plotting verses pantsing and the benefit of a writing critique group.
Buy The Secrets Act: https://linktr.ee/alisonweatherby
Follow Alison on Twitter: @aliwea
https://www.alisonweatherby.com/
Follow Chloe on Twitter: @clotimms
https://linktr.ee/chloetimms
Introducing a brand new podcast for writers and book lovers, Confessions of a Debut Novelist, hosted by Chloe Timms. In each episode, debut author herself, Chloe interviews new and up-and-coming writers about their debut book. Launches in January 2022.
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