The Failing Writers Podcast

Welcome to our cheeky little bonus episode! The poetry competition has landed.

What started off as a crazy little idea from Jon, has turned into a crazy BIG idea.

We’ve got prizes (quite a few actually - huge thanks in particular to https://writershq.co.uk/ and https://libro.fm/)

We’ve got a judge (the amazing Rowan McCabe https://rowanthepoet.com/)

All we need now… are your poems!!!

Less than 250 words - FREE to enter - up to two entries per person. Any subject, any style.

Send them to failingwriterspodcast@gmail.com

Good luck!!!
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It's been a while since we had a little poetry splurge. So to rectify that terrible neglect of our duty, Tom and I had a lovely natter with Hollie McNish. We meandered through where her love of poetry began, how it helps her assimilate ideas, writing essays, and the Olympic Breakfast at Little Chef, Chieveley Services. Oh... and we also discuss her brilliant new book, Virgin.
Buy it now... in fact, heck, buy all her books! ... right here

We also bring you our regular feature Hypewriter, where we celebrate one of our listener's glorious bits of work.
And what better to round off an episode about poetry, than a lovely, crisp little villanelle from Nichole Johnson.
Nichole's Insta: @nichole_johnson_poetry
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Writing competitions. Clearly they’re not all made the same.
Some are free, some are costly, some are actually impossible for mere mortals to enter due to their criteria.
The prizes vary too. From small cash prizes, to publishing deals.
Today, we’re asking the question… on the whole, if you’re serious about being a writer… are they actually worth it? Are they worth the money, the - let’s face it – likely disappointment, the effort and most importantly of all… the time?
And the biggest question of all - are there any quantifiable things you can do to help nudge your entry to the top of the pile?
We consider such things as:
Where’s the best place to send your piece? Maybe a competition isn’t the right destination? Maybe it’s a literary journal instead?
We get some top notch insider insight, from Bath Flash Fiction Award past winner and judge - Kathryn Aldridge-Morris to get the skinny on what works and what doesn’t. What will wow the judges, what will make them spit their tea out and what will make them slide you into their shortlist.
https://www.kamwords.com

Plus we hear from fabulous literary agent Joanna Swainson from Hardman & Swainson, for an agent’s eye-view.
https://www.hardmanswainson.com

Finally, the winner of a competition who we suspect is quite glad she entered DFB & Arvon Search for a Storyteller prize, because it won her a publishing deal with David Fickling Books – Miranda Moore.
I can personally recommend her excellent YA book, A Beautiful Terrible Thing.
Yes, devastating & emotional, but also joyful & redemptive.
https://www.mirandamooreauthor.com

And speaking of competitions… look out next week for our BRAND NEW POETRY COMPETITION!

We’re too good to you. Seriously. We are.

Lovely episode art by Katie Rand.
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Hang on... before we start... let us just fill you in on a very exciting evening happening on Monday the 6th of July, in Alton, Hampshire.
At 8pm in the lovely Goldfinch Books on Alton High Street, we are doing our first ever proper LIVE podcast.
Our guest will be the fabulous Costa-Novel-Prize-Winning Claire Fuller. We'll be talking about her brilliantly unsettling new book Hunger & Thirst and asking her all the questions you want to know the answers to but don't want to sound stupid. Whereas - we don't mind. We're used to it.
So come and join us in the flesh! I promise it's gonna be a reet proper laugh, as well, obviously, as being incredibly, edifyingly educational!
GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

Right... on with the show...

Do you love sci-fi?
We love sci-fi.
Sometimes I think we forget how much we love sci-fi.
Why do we like sci-fi?
well let's explore that for a moment.
Hmmmmmm.
I think it's because sci-fi is all about human possibility. About the extrapolation of all our greatest qualities.
And yes, of course, our absolute worst.
Sci-fi gives us a glimpse into the future of the human race.
And none more so than Joseph Eckert's brilliant new book The Traveler.
A sort of family drama / sci-fi mashup that brings some big emotional hits and meanwhile taps into our deep curiosity about where this strange and wonderful species we call Homo Sapiens are heading.
We talk to Joseph about time travel, about where the stunning concept for his novel came from, about movie options, spending years trying to get a publishing deal, and about how you fit in writing when you have a full time job!

Buy The Traveler HERE

Joseph Eckert's website

Then we check out another sci-fi novel! In our HYPEWRITER feature, we're celebrating David Deane Haskell's latest work of science fiction: Solarian Deep.
A first contact, distant-future, flooded-planet, techno-mermaid story, which sounds great. In fact we strongly advise you to take the plunge and buy a copy!
Buy Solarian Deep HERE

Right... I think's that's all the admin done.... now... on with the show...

Do you love sci-fi?
We love sci-fi.
Sometimes I think we forget how much we love sci-fi.
Why do we like sci-fi?
well let's explore that for a moment.
Hmmmmmm.
I think it's because sci-fi is all about human possibility. About the extrapolation of all our greatest qualities.
And yes, of course, our absolute worst.
Sci-fi gives us a glimpse into the future of the human race.
And none more so than Joseph Eckert's brilliant new book The Traveler.
A sort of family drama / sci-fi mashup that brings some big emotional hits and meanwhile taps into our deep curiosity about where this strange and wonderful species we call Homo Sapiens are heading.
We talk to Joseph about time travel, about where the stunning concept for his novel came from, about movie options, about spending years trying to get a publishing deal, and about how you fit in writing when you have a full time job.

Buy The Traveler HERE

Joseph Eckert's website

Then we check out another sci-fi novel! In our HYPEWRITER feature, we're celebrating David Deane Haskell's latest work of science fiction: Solarian Deep.
A first contact, distant-future, flooded-planet, techno-mermaid story, which sounds great. In fact we strongly advise you to take the plunge and buy a copy!
Buy Solarian Deep HERE

Wait a minute...
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Come and see us LIVE!
We'll be at Alton Arts Festival on July the 6th, at Goldfinch Books, doing our thing in full colour, 4K, Ultra HD, real life.
There will be laughter. There will be genuine writing tips and insight from Costa Novel Prize Winner Claire Fuller. There will be a ditty or two. There will be give-aways, impromptu poetry and even Tom’s very-very-serious-wordy-writery-quiz-thing!
Get yer tickets here

Little warning, by the way. There are a couple of sweary-type words in this episode. So get ready to clap your hands around your children's ears! (unless you're driving… then maybe just listen on your headphones, eh?)

Our guest writer this week is the brilliant, funny and whip-smart writer & actor Ashley Storrie. We talk about performing stand up at the age of 11, writing fan fiction, her Mum - Janey Godley, autism, writing sitcoms & guest writing on projects, serendipity in art, and giving your characters a tough time. And I don't know if you can tell... but we really blummin enjoyed it.
And when you've heard Ashley, you'll also want to see her sitcom.
Because it's excellent.
Watch 'Dinosaur' here

And just when you thought all the glorious chatterage was over, Geoffrey G.N. Harrison goes and sends us a lovely little sci-fi story about DUST, for our Hypewriter feature.
Check out more of Geoff's stuff here

And if you've got some work you think should be celebrated in HYPEWRITER don't be shy! Send it to failingwriterspodcast@gmail.com and we'll bring it to glorious audio life and tell you why WE like it too!
Go on do it.
Do it now.
Well that's no excuse.
OK, but don't leave it too long, OK?
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