London Writers' Salon

Playwright and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Moira Buffini on moving between theatre, film, and fiction, writing for yourself instead of the market, and shaping structure by rewriting toward the ending you want readers to feel.    You’ll learn:Why “you are the audience” can be a practical rule for cutting through market noise and writing with conviction. A useful way to handle reviews and outside opinions without letting them steer the work. How to build story momentum when you can’t fully plot ahead, and why not knowing the next move can be a strength. A structure approach based on “writing toward a feeling” at the end, then layering drafts until the story clicks. What discipline looks like when you’re writing big worlds in prose, and how constraints can keep you from getting lost. How a dramatist’s instincts (plot, structure, obstacles) can transfer into long-form fiction and help sustain narrative drive.   A grounded reminder about the “mundane” day-to-day of being a professional writer, and why that doesn’t cancel the magic. The practical foundations she names for keeping your mind working (sleep, movement, and treating the body as part of the instrument). What it can take to keep writing alongside caring responsibilities, and why persistence is often the hardest part.   The simplest career advice she returns to: don’t accept the story that you “can’t,” and keep putting in the hours. Resources & Links:📑Interview TranscriptMoira’s Agent WebsiteMoira’s screenwriting creditsNational Youth Theatre in LondonCaryl ChurchillThe National Theatre LondonDinner (play)Byzantium (film)Jane Eyre by Charlotte BrontëHarlots (tv series)The Torch Trilogy: Songlight, TorchfireThe Chrysalids by John Wyndhamdeus ex machina definitionraconteur definitionRobert ProskyThe Dig (film)About Moira Buffini:Moira Buffini is an Olivier Award–winning UK playwright and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter, writing many plays for the National Theatre and the West End. Films include Tamara Drewe, Jane Eyre, Byzantium, and The Dig. She cocreated and was showrunner of Harlots. Songlight is her debut novel. She lives in London. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

London Writers’ Salon co-founder Matt Trinetti and Head of Writer Experience Lindsey Trout Hughes share prompts from our Dreaming Big in 2026: Creative Goal Setting for Writers workshop – designed to help writers get clear on what they actually want from their writing life in 2026, and translate that desire into a plan that can survive reality in the first 1-3 months of the year.Through 8 steps – from identifying desire to committing to a 48-hour move – Matt and Lindsey step through over a dozen prompts, discuss why each is important for writers to think about, and share what’s coming up for them personally for the year ahead.Download the free workbook: community.londonwriterssalon.com/dreamingbigTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(02:07) Step 0: Two Words (bringing in & leaving behind)(08:05) Step 1: Identifying what we truly desire(17:42) Step 2: Vision (translating desire into clear vision)(25:18) Step 3: Moving from wanting to deciding(34:35) Step 4: Building a project bank(42:02) Step 5: Finding a first season focus(47:32) Step 6: Designing your creative practice(59:00) Step 7: Your 30-day plan & 48-hour move(01:04:50) Step 8: Opening up to support(01:09:40) Conclusions and next steps You’ll learn:A simple “two words” ritual to decide what you’re bringing into 2026 (and what you’re leaving behind).Prompts to identify what you truly desire, including what you might feel embarrassed to say out loud.How to reframe desire as a helpful signal instead of something “selfish” you should downplay.How to build a project bank so you can choose one focus without feeling like you’re abandoning your other ideas.Ways to use simple lists to spark clearer project options.How to choose a first-season focus (a three-month container) so you’re not trying to hold the entire year at once.The importance of defining what “done” looks like for the season and setting milestones that make progress visible.How to design a writing practice while planning for obstacles before they derail you.How to set a measurable 30-day goal, choose your first moves, and turn intention into proof.   About London Writers’ Salon:London Writers’ Salon is a community and membership that helps writers make meaningful progress on their work, stay committed to a writing practice, and find creative friends around the world. Members can build consistency through Writers’ Hour, develop craft through interviews and workshops, and connect with a global community of writers.  Resources & Links: Download the free workbook at: community.londonwriterssalon.com/dreamingbigJoin Writers’ Hour - daily silent writing sessions: writershour.comAttend live events and workshops – Become a Member: community.londonwriterssalon.com/membership For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Translator, performance artist, writer, and educator Haleh Liza Gafori on translating Rumi with fidelity and music, and what his poetry can teach us about liberation, attention, and love.You’ll learn:Habits Haleh uses to re-centre and get quiet enough to work.How she learned to trust sound and rhythm first, and let meaning arrive through the ear.The moment she realised she needed to make her own translations, and what triggered that decision.A simple test for “is this translation working?”, including why one wrong image can flip the whole poem.Principles Haleh uses to keep translations clear, musical, and emotionally true in English.What an editor can mean by “find your voice,” and how to develop a consistent voice as a translator.How to work with old texts honestly, including naming what doesn’t align with your ethics today.What Rumi can teach modern readers about attention, ego, and compassion in daily life.How love shows up in Rumi as a discipline, not a vibe, and why that matters in hard times.What Haleh is building next, and how teaching can deepen (not dilute) your creative practice.Resources & Links📄Interview TranscriptGold: Poems by Rumi Water: Poems by Rumi Rumi’s Secret by Brad Gooch Haleh’s Website Haleh’s Instagram  About Haleh Liza Gafori:Haleh Liza Gafori is a New York City-born translator, performance artist, writer, and educator of Persian descent. A 2024 MacDowell fellow, she has translated the poetry of the Persian mystic and sage Rumi. Her book of translations, Gold: Poems by Rumi, was published by New York Review Books in 2022. Her second volume of translations, Water: Poems by Rumi, was released in 2025, also by NYRB Classics. Supported by an NYSCA grant, Gafori has created a musical and cross-media performance based on the book, and has presented her work through performances, lectures, and workshops at institutions such as Lincoln Center, Stanford University, the Academy of American Poets, and Sarah Lawrence College. Her book of translations Gold has been incorporated into curricula at universities across the country. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Writer and editor Mason Currey on what artists’ routines can teach us about focus, discipline, procrastination, and building a sustainable creative life.You'll learn:What led Mason to writing, and the early pressures that shaped his relationship with the work.Why he started Daily Routines as a side project, and what he was trying to solve with it.The moment the blog went viral, and what changed when an audience arrived.What it took to turn a quote-collecting blog into a book, including the research and structure behind it.Why routines work best when they’re personal and flexible rather than prescriptive.Ideas for protecting your best hours, including Nicholson Baker’s “double morning.”The difference between physical routine and creative routine, and why both matter.A realistic way to design an hour of writing, including what to do when “nothing happens.”What Worm Zooms are, and why “small progress” can be a powerful creative philosophy.The question underneath every routine: how artists make time for the work while paying the bills.Resources and Links:📑Interview TranscriptNicholson Baker BooksMaking Art and Making a Living by Mason Currey Daily Rituals by Mason CurreyDaily Rituals: Women at Work by Mason CurreyWorm ZoomsDeath in Venice by Thomas Mann Mason’s SubstackAbout Mason CurreyMason Currey is a writer and editor living in Los Angeles and the author of the Daily Rituals books. In addition to compiling the Daily Rituals books, Currey was a design-magazine editor for ten years, working as the managing editor of Metropolis, the executive editor of Print, a senior editor at Core77, and the programming chair for the 2015 Core77 Conference. His freelance writing has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, and Slate, and he has delivered talks on the creative process to high school and college students, writers’ groups, and the partners of the design consultancy IDEO. Currey is currently writing a new nonfiction book and sending out a fortnightly newsletter on routines, rituals, and wriggling through a creative life. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Debut novelist and 2023 Reese’s Book Club LitUp fellow Allison King on blending history with magical realism, and what it takes to build a writing life while navigating the modern publishing landscape.We discuss:Allison’s early relationship with stories and the role her grandmother played in shaping it.The path from fan fiction and short stories to publishing a debut novel.The dual timeline and braided structure of The Phoenix Pencil Company, moving between WWII-era Shanghai and contemporary Cambridge.Building a magic system at the heart of the novel, and why its consequences matter more than its mechanics.Pragmatic outlining and structural tools (including reverse outlining) for managing timeline-heavy drafts.Researching family history without turning the book into an autobiography.Writing about Alzheimer’s with care, and what Allison learned in revision about emotional precision.Resources and Links:Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi ThorpeRedwall by Brian JacquesThe Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King Last Boat Out of Shanghai by Helen Zia LitUp FellowshipOnce Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan My Brilliant Friend by Elena FerranteA Tale For the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki About Allison KingAllison King is an Asian American writer and software engineer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In technology, her work has ranged from semiconductors to platforms for community conversations to data privacy. Her short stories have appeared in Fantasy Magazine, Diabolical Plots, and LeVar Burton Reads, among others. She is also a 2023 Reese's Book Club LitUp fellow. The Phoenix Pencil Company is her first novel. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Neuroaesthetics researcher Susan Magsamen and Google design leader Ivy Ross on creativity as a biological necessity, intuition, and the aesthetic mindset for a good life.   You'll learn:Habits that Susan and Ivy turn to when they need to re-centre.What Susan and Ivy are trying to change in the world with their day jobs. The beginning of Susan and Ivy working together.Clear evidence that proved to Susan and Ivy that their work was needed.Advice for using your intuition to be more creative.How a writer might find their voice.Questions to ask yourself if you’re writing a similar book to Your Brain on Art.Principles that Susan and Ivy use to help them live a good life. The link between nature and neuroaesthetics.The transforming power of journaling.Resources and Links:📄Interview TranscriptYour Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform UsWebsiteNeuroarts Resource CenterAbout Susan Magsamen and Ivy RossSusan Magsamen is the founder and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she is a faculty member, and she co-directs the NeuroArts Blueprint. Ivy Ross is Vice President of Design for hardware product area at Google, leading an award-winning team, and is also an arts grant recipient and recognised creative leader. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Poets Mary Jean Chan, David Whyte, and Anthony Anaxagorou read their work and unpack emotional truth, craft choices, and poems built from lived detail.  You'll learn:How early “bad” poems can still be soothing and give you a way through angst. Why simplicity of voice can beat complexity when a poem needs clarity. How form and layout can carry a poem’s physicality, including a modern sonnet’s constraints. How to face writer’s block by writing directly about the ways you can’t write. Why repetition works in live readings, helping the audience “hear” what just landed. How to mine notebooks for strong lines, then iterate through multiple drafts and edits. A simple morning practice for capturing overheard language until you find where the poem starts.  Resources and Links:Mary Jean Chan: maryjeanchan.comDavid Whyte: davidwhyte.com  Anthony Anaxagorou: anthonyanaxagorou.comOur full episode with Mary Jean Chan, #170: https://podcast.londonwriterssalon.com/episodes/170-mary-jean-chan-emotional-truth-in-contemporary-poetry-imagery-juxtaposition-and-finding-the-right-formOur full episode with David Whyte, #32: https://londonwriterssalon.simplecast.com/episodes/032-david-whyte-poetic-imagination-the-way-of-the-poet-PdTckwKEOur full episode with Anthony Anaxagorou, #12: https://podcast.londonwriterssalon.com/episodes/012-anthony-anaxagorou-push-past-self-doubt-and-think-like-a-poet-fHa8ehM1About the poets:Mary Jean Chan is the author of Flèche and Bright Fear (Faber), and their work has won and been shortlisted for major prizes. David Whyte is a poet and writer whose books include Consolations and The Bell and the Blackbird, alongside ongoing poetry and speaking work. Anthony Anaxagorou is a poet and publisher, founder of Out-Spoken, and author of After the Formalities and Heritage Aesthetics. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

What does it mean to turn a life of art, love, and loss into story? How do we write honestly about the people who shaped us? And what can theater teach us about the art of memoir?In her debut memoir No Stars in Jefferson Park (Northwestern University Press), writer and professor Maggie Andersen tells a Chicago coming-of-age story that alternates between the exhilaration of founding a theater company and the devastating realities of loss, resilience, and rebuilding.In this conversation with Maggie Andersen, we discuss the craft of storytelling at the intersection of theater and memoir, what it means to write through loss, and the risks and revelations of choosing your own story.Resources and Links:No Stars in Jefferson Park About Maggie AndersenMaggie Andersen has published fiction and nonfiction in magazines such as Salt Hill, Blood Orange, the Los Angeles Review, Creative Nonfiction, Grain, Cutbank, and DIAGRAM. She has been a finalist for the Montana Prize for Nonfiction and has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize. She is an Associate Professor of English at Dominican University and an ensemble member at the Gift Theatre. Her debut memoir, No Stars in Jefferson Park, was published by Northwestern University Press in October 2025.   For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

The Diary of a CEO’s Director of Trailers, Anthony Smith, on capturing attention in the first few seconds, building cliffhangers and emotional momentum that keep audiences watching (or reading), and testing hooks and packaging without losing trust or story.You'll learn:Why you only have 3–5 seconds to earn attention, and what that changes about your opening lines and first scenes.How to take the guesswork out of hooks by testing titles and thumbnails to see what audiences actually care about.Ways to pull a more compelling later moment forward and work in reverse when the early material is setup.What makes a cliffhanger work across books and videos, and how to raise the stakes so people feel “gutted” not knowing the answer.How to build an “emotional rollercoaster” so the narrative never flatlines.Why sound and silence can help storytelling work, creating intensity and then giving the audience space to breathe.How to balance intrigue with respect for your audience by offering a “moment of value” instead of holding everything back.Why giving away too much can kill curiosity, and how to protect the reason someone keeps reading or watching.Resources and Links:📄 Interview transcriptMichael Bublé on The Diary of a CEO The Diary of a CEO YouTube ChannelJürgen Klopp on The Diary of a CEOSimon Kernick books Peter James BooksAnnie Jacobsen on The Diary of a CEOCreativity, Inc by Ed Catmull The Chimp Paradox by Steve PetersIncrease Your Productivity! Playlist - The Diary of a CEO CapCut for DesktopAdobe Premiere ProAnthony’s LinkedIn About Anthony SmithAnthony Smith is Director of Trailers at The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, where he leads storytelling through video for one of the world’s most-watched podcasts, and his work spans Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Sky, and Netflix. Through talks and consulting, he helps creators and brands combine narrative craft with human psychology to make emotionally engaging, purposeful content. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Poet, novelist, and broadcaster Salena Godden on turning love, grief, and fury into books and poems, surviving years in the wilderness before publication, and sustaining a boundaryless creative life through performance, early-morning writing, and community.You'll learn:Why you don’t have to be a “starving artist” and how to make powerful work while loving yourself and looking after your health.How to treat your story as uniquely yours, with material that no one else can reproduce.How Salena’s “rule of three” can help you balance meaning, generosity, and income in a creative career.Ways to draft poems and prose from an image or phrase and reshape darker early drafts into a final piece.How to write for “tomorrow you” first, using self-doubt and a critical future self as fuel for deeper revision.What it looks like to carry a memoir from years of rejection to publication without letting the work disappear.How to “compose on the lips” by walking, speaking drafts into your phone, and writing in the space between sleep and waking.Ways to ground yourself after writing emotionally charged work, including nature, slow rituals, and leaning on trusted loved ones.Resources and Links:📑Interview TranscriptSalena’s Books: Mrs Death Misses DeathPessimism is for LightweightsWith Love, Grief and FurySpringfield Road - A Poet's Childhood RevisitedFishing in the AftermathSalena's Instagram Poets, Musicians, and Authors mentioned: Jock ScottShane MacGowanJohn Cooper ClarkeNeneh CherryJoelle TaylorJenni FaganCider with Rosie by Laurie LeeBurning Eye BooksNational Theatre At Home - Medea (Greek Tragedy)Salena’s Roaring 20s Radio Show (Soho Radio)About Salena Godden:Salena Godden FRSL is an award-winning novelist, poet, and broadcaster of mixed Jamaican–Irish heritage, and the author of the acclaimed debut novel Mrs Death Misses Death, which won the Indie Book Awards for Fiction and the People’s Book Prize and was shortlisted for the British Book Awards and the Gordon Burn Prize. Her books include the poetry collections Pessimism is for Lightweights – 30 Pieces of Courage and Resistance and With Love, Grief and Fury, and the literary childhood memoir Springfield Road: A Poet’s Childhood Revisited, and she is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, a Patron of Hastings Book Festival, and an Honorary Fellow of West Dean, Sussex.    For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Award-winning poet Mary Jean Chan on emotional truth in contemporary poetry, the imagery and juxtaposition that hold big feelings on the page, writing queerness, family and grief with care, and what submissions and prize judging reveal about poems that endure.You'll learn:Why emotional truth sits at the centre of Mary Jean’s work and how you can use it as a compass in your own poems.How to move from a single striking line into a finished poem by working on rhythm, line breaks, and imagery.What juxtaposition and understatement can do for poems about grief and other intense subjects (and how to avoid tipping into melodrama).How to decide whether a memory or idea belongs in a poem, a short story, or another form.Ways to write about queerness, family, and other vulnerable themes while setting boundaries that protect your relationships and your wellbeing.How to approach submissions, rejections, and prize lists so they support a long-term poetry practice rather than define your worth.What reading and judging for major prizes can teach you about sentences, images, and books that stand out in a crowded field.How to sustain a poetry life alongside teaching, study, and care by staying attentive to everyday moments and small pockets of time.Resources and Links:📑Interview TranscriptAdrienne RichPoetry SchoolNight Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong Submit your work to FaberPity by Andrew McMillanBilly-Ray Belcourt National Poetry Competition The Window by Mary Jean Chan Seamus Heaney Mary OliverWestern Lane by Chetna Maroo Prophet Song by Paul Lynch Whereas by Layli Long Soldier Contact page  About Mary Jean ChanMary Jean Chan is the author of the poetry collections Flèche and Bright Fear; Flèche won the Costa Book Award for Poetry and was shortlisted for multiple international prizes, while Bright Fear was a Guardian Best Poetry Book of 2023 and shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection, the Writers’ Prize, and the Dylan Thomas Prize. They co-edited 100 Queer Poems, co-wrote Siblings, teach poetry on the MSt in Creative Writing at the University of Oxford, and have judged major awards including the Booker Prize and the Dylan Thomas Prize. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Bestselling novelist Adele Parks on her writing life, routines and techniques, character work, and creative strategies that have kept her stories fresh and her readership devoted for over two decades.You'll learn:How Adele moved from imitating other writers to trusting her own voice and background.How loss and adversity can shape resilience and urgency in writing.Why Adele treats discipline as a secret weapon and uses daily word targets to deliver a book a year.How to test ideas and use character interviews to build stories.How Adele outlines chapters, tracks point of view balance, and keeps multiple narrators emotionally coherent.The truth about plot in commercial fiction and what to do if you feel like “nothing happens” in your writing.How to handle criticism and reviews while still writing primarily to fulfil yourself.Why Adele writes to connect with readers, what “adding to the sum of happiness” means to her, and how she stays grounded around money and success. Resources and Links:📑 Interview TranscriptAdele in Platinum MagazineRachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes Our Beautiful Mess by Adele ParksPlaying Away by Adele Parks Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks Adele’s Instagram  About Adele ParksAdele Parks is the author of 25 bestselling novels, including the Sunday Times number one hits Lies Lies Lies and Just My Luck; over six million English editions of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into 31 languages. She is an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust and the Reading Agency in the UK, and in 2022 she was awarded an MBE for services to literature. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Self-published authors Anne Ditmeyer and Martin Lake share what it really takes to go indie, from choosing platforms and budgeting for editing, design, and ISBNs to redefining success, avoiding scams, and playing the long game of finding readers and building a sustainable writing life.  You'll learn:Why Anne and Martin chose self-publishing over traditional routes and how they framed readers as their gatekeepers.How both authors define success beyond bestseller lists, from “book as business card” to improving the craft across 25 books.The real timelines of an indie career, including slow early sales, backlist effects, and why self-publishing is a marathon, not a sprint.What a realistic budget looks like for editing, design, typesetting, audiobooks, and print on demand, plus where they chose to DIY or outsource.How they use platforms such as Kindle Direct Publishing, Lulu, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, and Shopify, and why most sales still come through Amazon.Practical approaches to marketing that do not require a huge following, including series, mailing lists, events, workshops, and using your existing communities.The role of ISBNs, imprints, metadata, and print on demand for getting into libraries and bookstores, and why in-store placement is harder than it looks.Red flags to watch for with third-party “publishing services” and why due diligence can save you thousands in fees and frustration.   Resources and Links:📑Interview TranscriptMartin Lake’s Author PageOverride by Anne DitmeyerReedsyLulu FiverrBlurb Bookshop.orgIngram SparkAnne Ditmeyer Resources About the panelists:Martin Lake is a historical novelist who discovered his love of history and writing early in life and later combined those interests after careers as a teacher, college lecturer, conference planner, and business owner. He has written 25 novels and several short story collections set from ancient Minoan times to the present day, earning around $275,000 in royalties, most of it from self-published ebooks, and now focuses on writing series fiction, running writing groups, and sharing what he has learned about the indie long game. Anne Ditmeyer is a Paris-based designer turned writer, creative coach, and workshop facilitator who is American by birth and French by “hard work.” She runs global creative workshops such as Write Your Own Rules and Mapping Your Path, is known for her playful “banana mapping” exercises, and in 2024 self-published her first book, Override: What if there was another way? A pocket playbook for possibility, using platforms like Lulu, IngramSpark, and Amazon to distribute a small-format book that doubles as a business card for her workshops and speaking.  For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Anna Davis, novelist, agent, and founder of Curtis Brown Creative, shares how to turn a messy first draft into a strong, market-ready novel through diagnostic editing, practical rewriting tools, and a clear understanding of what agents actually look for.You'll learn:Why every writer’s process is different (and why messy drafts are fine).How to diagnose problems mid-novel and bring a manuscript back to life.The Rewrite Doctor method: creating distance, interrogating your story, and planning the edit.How to stress-test structure, plot, and pacing without relying on rigid templates.Using prompts and “play” to loosen up when you’re stuck.How to choose between competing novel ideas and know which has real legs.What agents are truly looking for and how to make your submission stand out.Common myths about publishing (and what actually happens behind the scenes). Resources and Links:Curtis Brown Creative CoursesCBC Editorial Services Friend Request by Laura Marshall  The Rewrite Doctor CourseEdit and Pitch Your Novel Book a consultation with Curtis Brown CreativeWriters’ Hour  About Anna DavisAnna Davis is the founder and Director of Curtis Brown Creative, a leading UK writing school she launched in 2011. She’s the author of five novels published in twenty languages, a former journalist and Guardian columnist, and previously worked as a literary agent at Curtis Brown and a creative-writing lecturer at the University of Manchester. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Literary agent and author Kate McKean shares how to pitch like a human, read rejection letters usefully, and protect your joy so you can build a durable writing life. You'll learn:How to build a clear 1–2 line pitch others can repeat and sell.How to read rejection letters, spot strong notes, and decide when to revise.Query etiquette and timelines: when to follow up and how resubmissions work.Fixing weak nonfiction proposals with clearer scope, audience, and takeaway.Write for the reader: comp titles, positioning, and a useful synopsis.US vs UK agenting models and what that means for money and process.Why agents don’t steal ideas and why execution is what matters.Self-publishing realities: expectations, track records, and when it helps the book. Resources and Links:📑 Interview TranscriptAgents & Books SubstackMargo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi ThorpeWrite Through It Howard Morhaim Literary Agency  About Kate McKeanKate McKean is a literary agent at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, author of Write Through It, and the writer of the Agents & Books newsletter; she represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction and fields hundreds of queries each month. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Debut novelist Carys Shannon on how to stay true to your voice through submissions and agent feedback, why an editorially led indie press was the right home for her book, and the craft that brought it to life.We discuss:How to decide what your book wants to be and center its emotional life.Submission strategy after competitions: reading agent feedback without losing your vision.Indie presses 101: editorially led models, scale, and alignment.Contracts with a small press: advances, rights splits, and what to expect.Publicity with an indie: bespoke support and realistic reach.Craft choices that unlocked the book: first-person present vs close third, “killing your darlings.”Landscape as character.Redefining success through integrity of voice. Resources and Links:📑Interview TranscriptTruth Like WaterCree Hummingbird by Tristan Hughes Mslexia Indie Press GuideBig Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert  About Carys ShannonCarys Shannon is a Welsh writer whose debut novel Truth Like Water (Parthian Books) was longlisted for the Bath Novel Award and the Mslexia Novel Award, shortlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award, and winner of the Jericho Writers Festival of Writing Prize. Her short fiction has appeared with Honno Press, Parthian Books, and Mslexia Magazine, with work broadcast on BBC Radio 4. She’s originally from North Gower, Swansea, and divides her time between Wales and the Spanish Pyrenees. About Parthian BooksParthian is an independent, editorially led publisher based in Cardigan, Wales. Founded in 1993, it champions debut and regional voices across contemporary fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction, and literature in translation.  For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Head of Books at the Madeleine Milburn Agency, Liv Maidment, shares how literary agents read, evaluate, and champion submissions (from pitches and comps to strategy, timelines, and today’s AI-driven market), helping writers pitch their work clearly and confidently.You'll learn:How to build a snappy 1–2 line elevator pitch that helps everyone down the chain sell your book (“the art of summing something up in one or two sentences”).Tips for writing comp titles and using them smartly.Blurbs vs synopses: how the pitch sells your book while the synopsis tells your book.What strong synopses and author bios must include: how much to reveal, and why they matter.Why agent editorial and development with an agent still matter.Today’s submission etiquette: realistic timelines, when to chase, and how resubmissions work.Market and positioning: genres currently on the rise, platform and geography demystified (do you need social media, does location matter).Implications of AI in today's publishing landscape: contracts, transparency, and more.More exclusive insight and advice for writers from an expert on the other side of the publishing industry. Resources and Links:📑Interview TranscriptMadeleine Milburn WebsiteSubmission FAQs About Liv MaidmentLiv Maidment is Head of Books at the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, representing a prizewinning list of literary, upmarket, and book club fiction. She previously worked at The Blair Partnership and United Agents and has brokered major UK and North American deals, guiding debut and established authors throughout their careers.  For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Indyana Schneider—international opera singer and novelist—shares practical ways to write rhythm and desire on the page, craft scene-level tension, and shape compressed-time narratives; plus lessons from drafting her debut on the Tube.  You'll learn:How to build sentence-level cadence: vary lengths and read aloud to tune flow.A simple spine for short-timeframe novels: day-by-day beats, rising stakes, a final choice.Where to start and stop scenes so pages move (start late, leave early).Writing desire without cliché: stay in character voice; revise for rhythm and clarity.Turning musical training into prose: sensory sequencing that guides attention.When to query (and what “ready” looked like) plus handling editorial feedback.Smart ways to measure success beyond sales and keep momentum across careers. Resources and Links:📑Interview TranscriptSince the World is Ending by Indyana Schneider28 Questions by Indyana SchneiderIf the World Was Ending by JP Saxe ft Julia MichaelsWhat Makes a Bestseller? | Jonny Geller | TEDxOxford ReaderBankOne Day by David NichollsFundamentally by Nussaibah YounisSo Thrilled for You by Holly BourneThe Transgender Issue by Shon FayeLove in Exile by Shon FayeI Love You, I Love You, I Love You by Laura DockrillIndy’s Instagram About Indyana SchneiderIndyana Schneider is an international opera singer and novelist from Sydney. She studied Music at Oxford and Opera in Hanover, completed training at the Zurich Opera studio, and now performs across the UK, Europe, and Australia. She is the author of 28 Questions and Since the World Is Ending, a novel set over a sweltering weekend in Vienna, steeped in music, desire, and consequence. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Natalie Lue, bestselling author and writer (Baggage Reclaim) shares how she shaped her mini-memoirs Let Go (Family & Friction) with The Pound Project, why intention is your best editor, and the inner tools that helped her write through grief, illness, and complicated family ties — without turning her life into content.You’ll learnHow to decide if you’re writing from the scar or the wound.Practical ways to protect yourself on the page: boundaries, pauses, and purpose.A simple test for what stays in your memoir and what gets cut.Why journaling and “scrap-paper noodling” reveal patterns you can’t see in real time.How a small, focused publisher like The Pound Project co-builds a project — and what they look for in pitches.The mindset shift of “hold it lightly” when outcomes are uncertain.Gratitude for your past self as a creative survival skill.Natalie’s reflection prompts:What am I pretending not to already know?What am I clinging to — and what would it mean to let it go?Who will I become if I let go? Who will I keep being if I don’t?What pattern keeps replaying in my journals — and what’s it trying to teach me?What do I need to feel safe enough to tell the truth?Resources and Links:📑Interview TranscriptThe Baggage Reclaim SessionsThe Pound ProjectEmail for The Pound Project - editor@poundproject.co.ukLet Go by Natalie LueAbout Natalie Lue:Natalie is a writer, speaker, and host of The Baggage Reclaim Sessions, a podcast with 3M+ downloads across 140+ countries. Her books include The Joy of Saying No (Harper Horizon) and self-published titles such as Mr Unavailable and the Fallback Girl. In Let Go (The Pound Project), she explores a decade marked by estrangement, loss, illness, and publishing, showing how releasing what no longer serves can restore creative power and clarity. For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Sarah Hall—twice Booker Prize–nominated author and the only writer to win the BBC National Short Story Award twice—on crafting fiction that is both lush and uncompromising, and how to captivate readers on the sentence level while staying true to creative freedom.We discuss:Her early reading life in the countryside and the characters who first sparked her imaginationLessons learned from an “unpublishable” first novel and how Haweswater found its true formThe discipline and intuition behind her writing process and when to share draftsWhy handwriting first drafts rekindled a sense of play and sharpened her editingHow to build short stories that hold “the world on a pin” and reverberate beyond the pageGiving voice to Britain’s only named wind in Helm and weaving folklore, climate themes, and playfulnessDiscerning a story’s ending and sustaining joy in the writing process About Sarah HallSarah Hall is one of Britain’s most acclaimed contemporary authors. Twice nominated for the Booker Prize and the first and only writer to win the BBC National Short Story Award twice, she is the author of ten acclaimed novels and short story collections, including Haweswater, The Electric Michelangelo, The Carhullan Army, and Burntcoat. Her latest novel, Helm, blends myth, climate anxiety, and playful storytelling to bring Britain’s only named wind to life.Resources and Links:📑Interview TranscriptHelmThe Helm Wind, the only named wind in Britain - the Met OfficeSarah’s WebsiteSarah’s booksHaweswaterThe Electric MichelangeloHow to Paint a Dead ManThe Carhullan ArmyBurntcoat“The Grotesques” - BBC National Short Story Award WinnerInterview with Sarah Hall in The GuardianFaber & Faber - Sarah’s publisherLee Brackstone - Sarah’s editorZ for Zachariah by Robert C. O’BrienSombrero Fallout by Richard BrautiganIs A River Alive? by Robert MacfarlaneLight Years by James SalterHilary Mantel’s Website For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!