Clay Stafford's Writers' Podcast: Craft, Creativity, Career, and Community

How do you create conflict from the very first paragraph and sustain it through an entire novel?

In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author Robyn Harding to talk about how conflict drives a compelling thriller. We explore putting characters under pressure, creating opposing wants and needs, building obstacles, and using twists and turning points to keep a story moving.

Robyn shares how she approaches story structure, writes dual protagonists, tracks overlapping timelines, and makes each chapter move her characters forward while also making it harder for them to get what they want. We also discuss challenging readers’ expectations and the many forms conflict can take, from internal struggles and relationships to society and environment.

We close with an important piece of advice for writers at any stage: finish something. Completing a manuscript, whether it ultimately gets published or not, can teach you invaluable lessons about storytelling and structure.

Join me for a practical conversation with Robyn Harding about creating tension, structuring a thriller, and making conflict work on every level of a story.

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International bestselling author Amulya Malladi joins me to discuss her ninth novel, A Death in Denmark, and her first venture into mystery. She shares how years of research, her connection to Denmark, and her desire to write the kind of private investigator novel she wanted to read shaped the book. Together, we explore weaving history, culture, identity, and a strong sense of place into a mystery while creating a fictional world that feels fully lived in.

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In this insightful interview, #1 bestselling author David Baldacci sits down with Clay Stafford to discuss the key differences between writing a book series and a standalone novel, and how writers can build a sustainable, long-term career in fiction.

Baldacci shares practical advice on letting the story guide your decisions, staying passionate about your characters, and trusting your instincts instead of writing to market pressure. The conversation explores creative flexibility, character longevity, story evolution, and how professional authors decide whether a story has more “juice” left for future books.

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In this candid conversation, Chris Grabenstein shares his journey from a seventh grade teacher predicting his future as a writer to acting in theater, moving to New York City with a typewriter and seven suitcases, and ultimately building a successful writing career. He talks about finding your voice, using humor to survive tough seasons, the power of great teachers, and what aspiring writers should focus on if they want to turn storytelling into a profession.

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