We'd Like a Word

How difficult is it for two – or more – people to write together as a team? It seems to be fairly common practice for screenwriters and non-fiction authors. But how about novels? But how do you maintain consistency in your characters’ behaviour and voices? What happens if you disagree over the plot? In this brand new episode, Paul and Stevyn talk to to two teams of collaborative novelists about their process.

First up there’s consultant anaesthetist Dr Marisa Haetzman and her husband, the internationally bestselling and multi-award winning author Chris Brookmyre, who write together as Ambrose Parry. They’ve written a trilogy of thrillers set in Victorian Edinburgh – the most recent being A Corruption of Blood. We hear from them about how Marisa’s extensive medical history knowledge informed their writing (‘No he can’t have a robot leg’); whether being married helps their writing (and whether writing together helps their marriage); and why – when you’re an established author with a recognised name – would you masquerade as Ambrose Parry?

We then also hear from Dan Brotzel and Martin Jenkins, two of the three authors (along with Alex Woolf) of the new comic novel, Work in Progress (previously known as Kitten on a Fatberg). The three lads, who are in the same writers’ group, got together to write this book … about a fictional writers’ group (‘It’s all a bit meta’). We hear how the fictional authors and the real writers got together and how they succeed and fail in their efforts to keep readers laughing and turning the pages.

The authors are very kindly giving away copies of the book to a randomly selected few who retweet or share the We’d Like a Word announcement of this episode (see below for details of the accounts to follow).

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We’d Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books – fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our Twitter is @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is [email protected] Yes, we are embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you – questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you’d like to come on We’d Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. 

And if you’re still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or Cockerings by Stevyn Colgan.

Hello and welcome to a brand new episode of We’d Like a Word in which we’re talking sex. Sexy, sexy sex. Oh yes.

Can a man write a book from a woman’s perspective? And vice versa? Can men write sex scenes that aren’t laughable or liable to end up being nominated for the Bad Sex in Fiction Awards? And is it a form of ‘cultural appropriation’ to even try?

Paul and Steve discuss all this, and much more, on this episode featuring R J McBrien and Shelley Weiner.

R (Richard) J McBrien is best known as a TV writer with credits for series like Spooks, Merlin, Red Caps, Soldier Soldier, The Bill, and Wallander under his talented belt. He’s now written a novel – Reckless – in which he writes as the female protagonist.

However, his task was made easier with the help of Shelley Weiner, a tutor at the world-famous Faber Writing Academy and the author of  A Sisters Tale,  The Last Honeymoon, The Joker, Arnost,  The Audacious Mendacity of Lily Green and many books on how to be a writer.

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We’d Like A Word is a podcast and radio show hosted by authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books – fiction and non-fiction.

Our website is www.wedlikeaword.com –  which is where you’ll find information about Paul and Steve and our guests.  We’re also on Twitter @wedlikeaword and Facebook @wedlikeaword and our email is [email protected] – and yes, we are slightly embarrassed by the missing apostrophes but it’s not our fault.

We like to hear from you – your questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you’d like to come on We’d Like A Word in person, to chat, review, meet writers or read out passages from books. And if you’re still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Paul’s debut novel Blackwatertown or Stevyn’s novels A Murder To Die For, The Diabolical Club and the forthcoming (August 19th 2021) Cockerings.

We go out on various radio and podcast platforms. You can find us on iTunes, Spotify, Listennotes, Podcast Radio, Google Podcasts or anywhere else that hosts good pods. Or go direct to their site on AnchorFM by clicking here.

Is writing a novel set in the recent past easier or harder than writing one set further back in history? How much research do you have to to do? What language can you use – especially if it is no longer appropriate to do so? And how do you deal with potential criticism from an audience that lived through the years in which your novel is set?

These are just some of the questions we put to our guests this week – Alan Parks and Eamon Somers.

Alan Parks is the author of the Harry McCoy ‘Tartan Noir’ thrillers Bloody January, February’s Son, Bobby March Will Live Forever and, most recently, The April Dead. Following a successful career in music management (where he commissioned music videos, artwork and photography for acts like New Order, The Streets, All Saints and Enya) he began writing a book about social housing in post-war Glasgow which somehow became a crime novel set in 1973. That became Bloody January, which was shortlisted for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière. He lives and works in Glasgow.

His website is here.

Eamon Somers grew up in Dublin and became a campaigner in the fledgling gay liberation movement, serving three terms as spokesperson for Ireland’s National Gay Federation. He moved to London in the mid 1980’s to work with Haringey Council’s Lesbian and Gay Unit (including the anti-Clause 28 campaign). His lifelong interest in storytelling began with classes at the People’s College in 1970s Dublin, before going on to study at London’s Goldsmiths and later Birkbeck College. His short stories have been published in many literary magazines and his first novel, Dolly Considine’s Hotel, is published in July 2021.

His website is here.

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We’d Like A Word is a podcast and radio show hosted by authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books – fiction and non-fiction.

Our website is www.wedlikeaword.com –  which is where you’ll find information about Paul and Steve and our guests.  We’re also on Twitter @wedlikeaword and Facebook @wedlikeaword and our email is [email protected] – and yes, we are slightly embarrassed by the missing apostrophes but it’s not our fault.

We like to hear from you – your questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you’d like to come on We’d Like A Word in person, to chat, review, meet writers or read out passages from books. And if you’re still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Paul’s debut novel Blackwatertown or Stevyn’s novels A Murder To Die For, The Diabolical Club and the forthcoming (August 19th 2021) Cockerings.

We go out on various radio and podcast platforms. You can find us on iTunes, Spotify, Listennotes, Podcast Radio, Google Podcasts or anywhere else that hosts good pods. Or go direct to their site on AnchorFM by clicking here.

Hello again! Welcome to another new episode of We’d Like a Word with two very special guests – Julia Donaldson and Ted Chaplin. And, on this episode, we’re talking all about writing (and drawing) for children. It’s also the first episode in over a year when Paul and Stevyn could actually meet one of their interviewees, which they did by visiting Ted’s studio (and by following current government safety advice).

Julia Donaldson hardly needs any introduction. With over 100 books to her name, countless awards and a former Children’s Laureate, she’s at the top of her field. She is, of course, the author of such classic children’s books as The Gruffalo, Zog, Room on the Broom, Stick Man and so many more. Her work has been translated into plays and TV shows and is known all over the world. She’s now funnelled all of her knowledge and wisdom into a new course – hosted by the BBC’s Maestro site – where you can learn from her.

We get to hear how she got started, some plum pieces of advice, and she kindly answers questions sent in by our listeners.

You may not know Ted Chaplin‘s name but you’ll know his work. Ted is an expert in CGI and has worked on several Aardman films – including The Pyrates, Early Man and Sean the Sheep: Farmageddon – as well as Hollywood blockbusters like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He also worked with Andy Serkis’s Imaginarium Studios developing new motion capture techniques in order to create more realistic digital characters. But he’s also a very talented illustrator and is just making the transition to children’s books. We visited him at home to see his work, and to ask him how a new author/illustrator breaks into the picture book market.

You can see lots more of Ted’s work on his website. And, if there are any publishers out there who want to talk to him, please do! He’s a talented man with some great stories to tell (and draw).

This is a great episode with lots of good advice and … (Insert fanfare here) … there’s a competition. We’ve asked you to guess what five letter code word was used for the Indiana Jones 4 production. Most films and TV shows are kept closely under wraps during filming and code names are used – the most famous is the original Star Wars which had the code of Blue Harvest. Similarly, when Doctor Who was being resurrected it used the codename of Torchwood (an anagram). Torchwood later became the name of an organisation – and a spin-off series – within the Whoniverse, of course.

Will there be a prize? Who knows.

But we hope you enjoy the podcast.

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We’d Like A Word is a podcast and radio show from authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books – fiction and non-fiction. We go out on various radio and podcast platforms. Our website is www.wedlikeaword.com –  which is where you’ll find information about Paul and Steve and our guests.  We’re also on Twitter @wedlikeaword and Facebook @wedlikeaword and our email is [email protected] – and yes, we are slightly embarrassed by the missing apostrophes.

We like to hear from you – your questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you’d like to come on We’d Like A Word in person, to chat, review, meet writers or read out passages from books. And if you’re still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or The Diabolical Club by Stevyn Colgan.

You can find the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Listennotes, Podcast Radio, Google Podcasts or anywhere else that hosts good pods. Or go direct to their site on AnchorFM by clicking here.

On this all new episode of We’d Like a Word, Paul and Stevyn talk about writing memoirs and autobiographies.

Joining them are guests Farah Bashir and Auriel Roe.

And it’s a truly international show with Farah in India and Auriel in Spain (and Paul and Stevyn (and Mr Harris the pug) in Buckinghamshire).

So … what ingredients do you need for a good memoir? Does it have to be the result of conflict and trauma or a difficult childhood? Or can it be a story of happiness and success?

Farah Bashir’s powerful debut Rumours of Spring is a memoir of her childhood in the shadow of insurgency in Kashmir, told from the perspective of her teenage self.

Meanwhile, Auriel Roe is the author of A Blindefellows Chronicle and  Let The Swine Go Forth – two novels that draw upon her past experiences as a teacher. She also runs Memoirist, a website of literary memoir writing where people can publish short autobiographical essays.

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We’d Like A Word is a podcast and radio show from authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books – fiction and non-fiction. We go out on various radio and podcast platforms. Our website is www.wedlikeaword.com –  which is where you’ll find information about Paul and Steve and our guests.  We’re also on Twitter @wedlikeaword and Facebook @wedlikeaword and our email is [email protected] – and yes, we are slightly embarrassed by the missing apostrophes.

We like to hear from you – your questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you’d like to come on We’d Like A Word in person, to chat, review, meet writers or read out passages from books. And if you’re still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or The Diabolical Club by Stevyn Colgan.

You can find the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Listennotes, Podcast Radio, Google Podcasts or anywhere else that hosts good pods. Or go direct to their site on AnchorFM by clicking here.

This past year of lockdowns has been a tough time for everyone. And the world of books is no exception. Bookshops and libraries have been shut, publishers have had to work from home. Printers have shut their works. And there have been no literary festivals. However, one former festival that has found a way around the restrictions is the former Winchester Lit Festival – now re-formatted and relaunched as the Virtual Writer’s Weekend.

The Virtual Writers’ Weekend is for writers working at all levels & in every genre who want to improve their writing, get their manuscript published, and network with agents, published authors and other writers.  While nothing will quite replace the joy of hanging out in a beer tent and chatting to fellow authors, this kind of event does some advantages. Overseas guests for starters as the prohibitive costs of travel aren’t an issue. And you can have attendees from anywhere in the world. So in our new cautious world f Covid awareness, could this be the future of literary festivals?

On this episode of We’d Like a Word, we discuss this topic with organiser Sarah Gangai. We also talk to one of the agents who will be scrutinising author’s first drafts – John Baker. In addition we talk to two of the speakers. Adrienne Dines is a veteran of Winchester and works as a speaker and as a mentor. And Dr Reshma Ruia will be speaking on multi-cultural writing, cultural appropriation & political correctness.

All details for the Writers’ Weekend can be found on the official website.

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We’d Like A Word is a podcast and radio show from authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books – fiction and non-fiction. We go out on various radio and podcast platforms. Our website is www.wedlikeaword.com –  which is where you’ll find information about Paul and Steve and our guests.  We’re also on Twitter @wedlikeaword and Facebook @wedlikeaword and our email is [email protected] – and yes, we are slightly embarrassed by the missing apostrophes.

We like to hear from you – your questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you’d like to come on We’d Like A Word in person, to chat, review, meet writers or read out passages from books. And if you’re still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or The Diabolical Club by Stevyn Colgan.

On this brand new episode of We’d Like a Word Paul and Stevyn dive into the world of agents – not secret, but literary.

Joining them are Piers Blofeld of Sheil Land, and James Wills of Watson Little – two major literary agencies. They discuss how to get an agent for fiction or non-fiction, how to keep an agent, and mistakes to avoid. They also dish up some behind the scenes gossip.

Piers has been the agent for Nadine Dorries, Cath Quinn, Jamie Thomson & Pizza Express. No, really. The Pizza Express Cookbook. He’s also Stevyn’s agent.

James is agent for Christopher Fowler, Martin Edwards, Alex Pavesi, footballer Jamie Carragher & the great Alan Moore – crime fiction, thrillers, sports star & graphic novels. He’s also the agent who sold the audiobook rights for Paul Waters’ book, Blackwatertown, to WF Howes. (Patrick Moy is the audiobook narrator. You should have a listen.)  

On this episode we hear about Piers Blofeld’s link to the Bond villain with whom he shares a surname (and Henry ‘Blowers’ Blofeld), and we hear from authors Jo Jakeman and Allie C Hall. We discover the price of getting an agent’s name wrong in your pitch letter, the importance of diversity, comedians called David getting book deals (yes Davids Baddiel & Walliams, we mean you), books on spontaneous combustion, dropping a tea-soaked gingernut on Paul’s phone, why your pitch letter should be ‘half long & twice strong’, changing book titles or not (David Alderton – Fat Dog Thin & Freya Berry – The Dictator’s Wife), author relationships with mega-publishers (like Penguin Random House, Harper Collins or Hachette) versus smaller but perfectly formed ones (like Orenda or Viper), how good storytelling is not the same as good writing (& far rarer), how winning awards may not change your life, why you need an agent to be your bad cop, and how agents cope with rejection. (You see? It’s not just authors who go through it.)

Listen in on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Or just click here.

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We’d Like A Word is a podcast and radio show from authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books – fiction and non-fiction. We go out on various radio and podcast platforms. Our website is www.wedlikeaword.com –  which is where you’ll find information about Paul and Steve and our guests.  We’re also on Twitter @wedlikeaword and Facebook @wedlikeaword and our email is [email protected] – and yes, we are slightly embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you – your questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you’d like to come on We’d Like A Word in person, to chat, review, meet writers or read out passages from books. And if you’re still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or The Diabolical Club by Stevyn Colgan.

Young Adult (YA) fiction has been one of the real success stories of the 21st century and has seen rapid growth – particularly in the fantasy section of the book market. It has spawned hugely successful franchises like Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, The Hunger Games, Twilight, and Divergent.

But audiences have also grown for YA books and films set in our own reality, finding drama in obstacles real teenagers may face. That trend began with the huge success of The Fault in Our Stars, which was soon followed by Paper Towns, Everything Everything, The Spectacular Now and Me, Earl and the Dying Girl.

On this new episode of We’d Like a Word we talk to two successful YA authors who have managed to find a middle ground that combines fantasy with ‘coming of age’ issues faced by young adults.

Shiulie Ghosh is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster. She has worked for the BBC, ITN and Aljazeera. She moderates debates for clients including the World Health Organisation and the UN. She also writes young adult fiction novels including the Daughter of Kali and Cetacea series.

Sarwat Chadda is also an award-winning author of YA books including the Devil’s Kiss and Ash Mistry series. His latest novel City of the Plague God is currently sitting at the top of the charts in several Amazon categories.

In this episode we discuss the appeal and success of YA and the process of writing for a young adult audience. How do you tackle complicated and emotive subjects such as relationships, race and bullying? Are any subjects taboo? How do you deal with the tricky business of teenage sex lives? It’s a lively, spirited and informative chat with two experts of their craft.

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We’d like a Word is a (nearly) award-winning podcast about writing, writers and readers hosted by authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan and served up in three easily digestible 20 minute chunks per episode.

You can find it on most podcast platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, ListenNotes, Podcast Radio, Anchor FM, Google Podcasts, etc.

Or just click here.

On this new episode Paul and Stevyn are joined, all the way from New Zealand by Elizabeth Knox, and all the way from Cornwall by Stephanie Bretherton – two authors who have created realistic, alternative worlds for their characters to inhabit.

Elizabeth’s latest book The Absolute Book is the story of two sisters. When one is killed and the perpetrator seems to get away with it, the other enters into an ancient and sinister world of myth and legend in search of revenge. It’s an electrifying contemporary fantasy, which features talking ravens, giant crocodiles and the search for the all-important titular volume, The Absolute Book.  

Stephanie’s novel Bone Lines is the story of two women, separated by millennia. Alternating between ancient and modern timelines, the story unfolds through the experiences of a prehistoric shaman, the sole surviving adult of her tribe who is braving a hazardous journey of migration, and a dedicated scientist living a comfortable if troubled existence in London, who is on her own mission of discovery as she studies the shaman’s bones.

We discuss how you do your research and how addictive and immersive it can be (and, more importantly, when to stop and get writing!).

We also mention, in passing, the extraordinary worlds built by people like J R R Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, Frank Herbert, George R R Martin, Ursula le Guin and many more.

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We’d like a Word is a (nearly) award-winning podcast about writing, writers and readers hosted by authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan and served up in three easily digestible 20 minute chunks per episode.

You can find it on most podcast platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, ListenNotes, Podcast Radio, Anchor FM, Google Podcasts, etc.

Or just click here.

A brand new episode of We’d Like a Word gets released into the wild today in which Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan discuss the topic of Northern Irish crime fiction. Joining them are authors James Murphy and Simon Maltman, and publisher and owner of the iconic Belfast No Alibis bookshop, David Torrans.

Among the many topics discussed are whether the ‘ship has sailed’ on Ulster Noir, how the NI Arts Council is supporting writers and writing teachers, and why writing about anything set during The Troubles is problematic. And just who is Barry Murderer??

Simon Maltman is the author of Witness, the Bongo Fury series, The Mark, Return Run and more. His blog is here.

James Murphy is the author of The Rise of Terror, the Terror Within, and Dark Light. His website is here.

David Torrans is the owner of the No Alibis bookshop and the No Alibis Press. Among the title he has published are The Lammisters by Declan Burke, Disorder by Gerard Brennan, and the much anticipated Seed by Joanna Walsh.

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We’d like a Word is a (nearly) award-winning podcast about writing, writers and readers hosted by authors Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan and served up in three easily digestible 20 minute chunks per episode.

You can find it on most podcast platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, ListenNotes, Podcast Radio, Anchor FM, Google Podcasts, etc.

Or just click here.