Death Of 1000 Cuts Archives – The Best Writing Podcast 2018

To mark the 100th episode of Death Of 1000 Cuts, my writing advice podcast, I thought I’d record a Q&A, answering listeners’ questions. Here are the questions I answer, in the order I answer them. Thanks very much to everyone who submitted questions! – How do you know when you’re being original? – When can … Read more

In this episode I take a look at a listener’s first page and suggest ways to make it better. That’s right, it’s an old school In The Barber’s Chair critique! This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: – how can I be a better self-editor? – how can I … Read more

In this episode I chat to author Jeannette Ng about her Gothic Fantasy novel UNDER THE PENDULUM SUN. We discuss how she came upon her tale of a gothic heroine travelling to the mysterious and threatening continent of Arcadia, in search of her missionary brother who has been trying to convert the Fair Folk. We … Read more

In this episode I talk about creative ways of getting unstuck when you’re working on a project, and showcase John August’s Writer Emergency Pack – a deck of cards designed to help storymakers out of jams. I also review what I’ve learned from speaking to the various authors I’ve had as guests on the show … Read more

I chat to Hayley Webster, author of JAR BABY and MEET THE TWITCHES. We talk about the origins of her love of reading, the ways a story engages your senses, and her approach to writing across genres, from mystery to literary fiction to memoir to children’s adventures. This is a great episode to listen to … Read more

In this episode I chat to author Emma Healey, about her bestselling Costa-winning debut ELIZABETH IS MISSING, and her new novel WHISTLE IN THE DARK. We have a wide-ranging, frank and occasionally funny chat about finding the voice of your protagonist, transmuting research into living characters and stories, and how to start again from scratch … Read more

In this episode I chat to author V C Lancaster about her work and the world of self-publishing. If you’ve ever considered publishing your own work, or you’re interested in how it all works, this is the episode for you. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to know: – how … Read more

Writing a novel? Finding it too easy? This episode isn’t for you. In this episode, author Tim Clare (that’s me) packs your 10-piece first draft survival kit. It has everything you need to get you through the first draft of your novel – the tools, the mindset, and proven strategies. The 10 Tools in your … Read more

In this episode, I had a chat with author Nikesh Shukla. You may have heard him in Season 1 where the two of us looked at a listener’s first page. If you’re not familiar with his work he’s written three novels so far: Coconut Unlimited which was nominated for the Costa, Meatspace and his latest, … Read more

In this episode author Tim Clare (that’s me) looks at another listener’s first page and gives a detailed critique of the opening to their story. I talk about how you can use vocabulary to build mood and imply things. I talk about how to write great similes and when to dial them back. I talk … Read more

In this episode I give advice about changing your relationship with your writing, and the perils of seeing making art as a war, or viewing your novel as the enemy, or listening to your self-doubt as if it were your boss. I talk about Steven Pressfield’s non-fiction book The War of Art, and David Bayles’ … Read more

On this episode I chat to author Nate Crowley about ideas – specifically the incubation, hatching and rearing thereof. Lots of discussion of how to generate ideas, how you know when an idea is ready, how to turn an idea into a story, as well as in-depth chat about world-building, good and bad. We go … Read more

Hey super lovely gang. Here’s the latest episode of Death Of 1000 Cuts. It’s an unscripted chat about creative anxiety, blocks and inspiration. I like doing the odd episode where I check-in with a sort of diary entry about where I’m at with my own writing life – I think it’s useful to hear the … Read more

Hello friends. Here’s the latest episode of Death Of 1000 Cuts. I said I was going to record some chats with other writers and lo, here is the first of what will hopefully be ‘a bunch’. Joe Dunthorne has appeared on the podcast before, helping me look at a couple of listeners’ first pages, but … Read more

Hello friends. Here’s this week’s episode of Death Of 1000 Cuts. After the intense boss rush of Couch to 80k, we’re back to a slightly more manageable flow of episodes for everyone, which you can listen to whenever you like. You don’t even have to do a writing exercise during them! Gosh. Luxury, eh? In … Read more