The Writing Life

Jen Campbell on building your writer platform

Award-winning poet and short story writer Jen Campbell is on the pod to discuss her prolific work in children's fiction, non-fiction and poetry as well as how she built an online platform for her writing across YouTube, Patreon, a podcast and more. Jen's tips on being productive (and forgiving yourself when you're not) and how to make the internet work for you and invaluable.

Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna, who look back at the week's International Literature Showcase and get giddy with excitement for the reveal of the Early Career Awards winners next week!

Check out the ILS commissions and videos: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ils/

Early Career Awards: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/early-career-awards/

Jen's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/jenvcampbell 

Music by Bennet Maples.

We pick our top episodes from lockdown

Something of a minisode this week, as Steph and Simon pick their favourite podcast episodes since lockdown began in the UK in March 2020. They also dive into the International Literature Showcase, which next week reveals its new list of unmissable writers courtesy of Kei Miller! Let's do some links:

Discover 50 umissable writers at the International Literature Showcase: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/international-literature-showcase-2021/

Book for Joy Francis' keynote: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/recovery-reimagining-literature/

Book for Innovation & Enterprise in the Literature Sector: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/innovation-enterprise/

Book for Kei Miller presents... https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/kei-miller-presents/

And here are Steph and Simon's podcast picks:

J. Michael Straczynski on becoming a writer: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/j-michael-straczynski-on-becoming-a-writer-staying-a-writer/

Greg Kasavin on HADES: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/writing-hades-with-greg-kasavin/

Richard Lambert and Wolf Road: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/what-happens-when-covid-19-cancels-your-book-launch/

Sonia Faleiro's non-fiction: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/writing-creative-non-fiction-with-sonia-faleiro/

Crowdfunding with Tom Cox: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/crowdfunded-publishing-with-tom-cox/

A Delicate Sight with Max Porter and Sam Winston: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/podcast-reveal-a-delicate-sight/ 

Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.

Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/

Music by Bennet Maples.

J. Michael Straczynski on Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer

Joe Michael Straczynski is the creator of influential science fiction classic Babylon 5; he has worked extensively for Marvel and DC comics, was nominated for a BAFTA for his screenplay Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood; co-created Sense8 with the Wachowskis for Netflix; worked on the screenplay for the first Thor movie, helping to shape what is now the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and in the 80s worked on Murder, She Wrote, The Twilight Zone and animated shows such as He-Man and the Master of the Universe and The Real Ghostbusters. His novel Together We Will Go is out in 2021. He has won the Inkpot Lifetime Achievement Award, the Ray Bradbury Award, the Eisner Award, the Hugo Award (twice), the Saturn Award and many more. His bio also mentions that he is a terrible singer, an abysmal dancer and that he sucks at poetry.

Joe is on the show this week to talk about Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer: The Artistry, Joy and Career of Storytelling, his new book on writing which is out now. Simon is very, very excited.

Hosted by Simon Jones and Vicki Maitland.

Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/

Join our Discord writing community: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW 

Listen to our episode with Thomas McMullan talking about The Last Good Man: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/ambiguity-and-metaphor-with-thomas-mcmullan/ 

Music by Bennet Maples.

Jessie Greengrass on The High House

Jessie Greengrass is on the pod to discuss her latest novel The High House. Jessie is an award-winning writer and was selected by Elif Shafak for the 2019 International Literature Showcase. Asking the questions is Vicki Maitland.

Meanwhile, Simon and Steph look back at the City of Literature festival (which you can catch up on here: http://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/cityoflit-21/ ) and look forward to the upcoming Early Career Awards and 2021 International Literature Showcase featuring a new list of incredible writers selected by Kei Miller.

Book for the (free!) big reveal of Kei's new list: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/whats-on/kei-miller-presents/

Find out more about the International Literature Showcase: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ils/ 

Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW 

Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna.

Music by Bennet Maples.