Mark Stay's Creative Differences

I chat with Sarah Pinborough, the bestselling and award-winning author of Behind Her Eyes about her new thriller We Live Here Now, spooky houses, her method of 'triple writing', going on tour and the lies we tell each other...

LINKS
The book links are affiliate links and I earn a wee bit of commission if you buy from them.

WE LIVE HERE NOW: https://amzn.to/44IfsJg 

LAUNCH AT WATERSTONES MILTON KEYNES ON WEDNESDAY 4TH JUNE https://www.waterstones.com/events/an-evening-with-sarah-pinborough/milton-keynes-midsummer-place?

SARAH'S US TOUR: https://us.macmillan.com/tours/sarah-pinborough-we-live-here-now/  

MOBLAND: https://www.paramountplus.com/gb/shows/mobland/ 
THE HANDMAID'S TALE: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-handmaids-tale?
DOPE THIEF: https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/dope-thief/umc.cmc.2prcvu6fnh4bue7d9iaswpsw7 
TUBI FOR JACK PALANCE HORROR: https://tubitv.com 
YOU KILLED ME FIRST BY JOHN MARRS: https://amzn.to/3SHjZUQ
THE HAMLET BY JOANNA CORRANCE: https://amzn.to/45bwFuI 
PAM KOWOLSKI IS A MONSTER BY SARAH LANGHAM: https://amzn.to/4jRtiO2
THE DEVILS BY JOE ABERCROMBIE: https://amzn.to/4djApfE
ANDOR
IT AIN'T ME BY EMILY ZECK: https://youtu.be/hPZcSGCAI9Q?si=pY_Tzxtkf9Dp_Xzl 

COME AND MEET MARK AT A COMIC CON https://markstaywrites.com/diary-and-appearances/

Mark Chadbourn on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chadbourn.bsky.social
The Mike Shackle episode: https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/2024/12/02/episode-4-with-mike-shackle/

Edit by Kai Newton
Production assistance by Emily Stay
Jingle by Dom Currie

Support the show

Thanks to:

Dom Currie for the jingle

Emily Stay-Newton and Kai Stay-Newton for the edit

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there's more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/

Tracy Buchanan is the bestselling author of the Dr Vanessa Marwood thrillers and she runs one of the best author groups on Facebook and is a brilliant advocate for authors.

We discuss:
Which comes first: research or plot?
If authors can still earn a living from writing
Growing maggots for research purposes
And much more!

My apologies for the quality of my mic for this episode. I had a dodgy connection and sound a wee bit toppy!

Edit by Kai Newton
Production assistance by Emily Stay
Jingle by Dom Currie

LINKS
TRACY'S WEBSITE: www.tracy-buchanan.com 
THE SAVVY WRITERS' SNUG FB GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/savvywriterssnug/ 

KINGDOM COME DELIVERANCE 2: https://kingdomcomerpg.com/ 
ASSASSIN'S CREED SHADOWS: https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/assassins-creed/shadows
LANA DEL RAY: https://youtu.be/nDYY3nJ7a0s?si=CWI1sTc_iFAnErWq 
CARELESS PEOPLE BY SARA WYNN-WILLIAMS: https://amzn.to/4lYWT9J (Amazon affiliate link: I earn money if you click/buy using this)
SUPREMACY BY PARMY OLSEN: https://amzn.to/4lUgrfn (Amazon affiliate link: I earn money if you click/buy using this)
CONCLAVE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conclave_(film) 
THE LAST OF US: https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us 
ANDOR: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andor_(TV_series) 
WRITING FOR LOVE AND/OR MONEY BY FRANK D GILROY: https://amzn.to/42VdzWT 
SAMANTHA FISH, SWEET SOUTHERN SOUNDS: https://youtu.be/3rhUFAdfEjA?si=tuzMbqt3YwOxREmX 

THE BESTSELLER EXPERIMENT EPISODE WITH ENTERTAINMENT LAWYERS ON COPYRIGHT/LYRICS ETC: https://bestsellerexperiment.com/ep32-legal-eagles/ 

COME AND MEET MARK STAY IN MAY 2025 AT:
MAIDSTONE 4TH MAY: https://www.creedconventions.com/event/maidstone-comic-con/ 
BEYOND THE BOOK FESTIVAL, BRIGHTON: https://www.beyondthebookfestival.org 
READING 11TH MAY: https://www.creedconventions.com/event/reading-comic-con/ 
TONBRIDGE 18TH MAY: https://strikingevents.com/tonbridge/
MCM COMIC CON LONDON 23-25 MAY: https://www.mcmcomiccon.com/london/en-us/guests/guest-profile.html?gtID=362260&guest-name=Mark-Stay 
HATFIELD 31ST MAY: https://strikingevents.com/hatfield/ 

Support the show

Thanks to:

Dom Currie for the jingle

Emily Stay-Newton and Kai Stay-Newton for the edit

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there's more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/

Nadine Matheson is the bestselling author of the DI Henley crime thrillers and presenter of the Conversation Podcast.

We discuss: 
Writing as a planner
Nadine's great tip for finishing first drafts
Why not reading the small print was great for her career
We have a fun rant about META and book piracy
And much more!

Edit by Kai Newton
Production assistance by Emily Stay
Jingle by Dom Currie

LINKS
NADINE'S WEBSITE: https://www.nadinematheson.com  
THE KILL LIST: https://www.nadinematheson.com/books/ 
THE CONVERSATION WITH NADINE MATHESON PODCAST: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2085770 
NADINE'S HURRICANE BERYL VIDEO: https://youtu.be/C-Ni1jsC5ek?si=vsj1JbYBS4m6zBKo 
NADINE'S INSTAGRAM (for sunrises!): https://www.instagram.com/queennads/ 

THE ATLANTIC ARTICLE ON META & BOOK PIRACY: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/03/libgen-meta-openai/682093/
THE APPLE NEWS EDITION OF THE SAME STORY: https://apple.news/AiV51zQuQRiybWkFxjdjxsA 

THE GREEN ROOM: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers 

INDIANA JONES AND THE GREAT CIRCLE: https://indianajones.bethesda.net/ 
TOP CHEF: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Chef
HOMICIDE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homicide:_Life_on_the_Street 
THE STUDIO: https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/the-studio/umc.cmc.7518algxc4lsoobtsx30dqb52 
CLASSIC FM MOVIES: https://www.classicfm.com/movies/ 


COME AND MEET MARK STAY IN APRIL 2025 AT:
HERNE BAY: https://www.phaserevents.co.uk/events/ 
MAIDENHEAD: https://www.bolt-events.com/maidenhead-comic-con
LUTON: https://www.bolt-events.com/luton-comic-con
FORT AMHERST: https://www.facebook.com/events/1289732272462565 
BANBURY: https://www.bolt-events.com/banbury-comic-con 
SOUTHAMPTON: https://www.creedconventions.com/event/southampton-comic-con/ 
BEYOND THE BOOK FESTIVAL, BRIGHTON: https://www.beyondthebookfestival.org 

Support the show

Thanks to:

Dom Currie for the jingle

Emily Stay-Newton and Kai Stay-Newton for the edit

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there's more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/

Award-winning author Gareth L Powell takes us into the future with his latest science fiction novel Future's Edge.

We discuss:
Writing SF in an era when fact is in danger of overtaking fiction
Running the Stars and Sabers imprint with Jendia Gammon
Why most authors now need a second job
The importance of tea in the creative process
And much more!

Edit by Kai Newton
Production assistance by Emily Stay
Jingle by Dom Currie

LINKS
GARETH'S BOOKS: https://www.garethlpowell.com
STARS AND SABERS PUBLISHING: https://www.starsandsabers.com   

UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_basic_income

THE USBORN BOOK OF THE FUTURE: https://amzn.to/41Er51Y
SHOW YOUR WORK BY AUSTIN KLEON: https://amzn.to/4h7PS2T
ON WRITING BY STEPHEN KING: https://amzn.to/4h7PS2T
DANSE MACABRE BY STEPHEN KING: https://amzn.to/41lkYyc
THE ORGANISED WRITER BY ANTONY JOHNSON: https://amzn.to/3F3dqse
THERE ARE RIVERS IN THE SKY BY ELIF SHAFAK: https://amzn.to/4inEGQw
SUTEJ SINGH, NANDINI SRIKAR: KAADAMBARI: https://sutejsingh.com/music-kaadambari
MYTHIC QUEST: https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/mythic-quest/umc.cmc.1nfdfd5zlk05fo1bwwetzldy3
BEST POSSIBLE PLACE, WORST POSSIBLE TIME BY BARRY SONNENFELD: https://amzn.to/4bkiEMt
FILM STORIES PODCAST: https://filmstories.co.uk/podcast-page/episodes/
FLINT IN THE BONES KICKSTARTER: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/flint-in-the-bones/flint-in-the-bones

COME AND MEET MARK STAY AT:
CRAWLEY COMIC CON ON 8TH MARCH: https://strikingevents.com/crawley/
PETERBOROUGH COMIC CON ON 9TH MARCH: https://strikingevents.com/peterborough/
MILTON KEYNES MEGA COMIC CON ON 22ND MARCH: https://strikingevents.com/milton-keynes-mega-comic-con/ 
BOURNEMOUTH COMIC CON ON 23RD MARCH: https://strikingevents.com/milton-keynes-mega-comic-con/

Support the show

Thanks to:

Dom Currie for the jingle

Emily Stay-Newton and Kai Stay-Newton for the edit

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there's more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/

Nicola May is the author of heartwarming and funny romantic comedies, including the hugely successful Ferry Lane and Cockleberry Bay series, she’s a great champion for indie authors and she’s here to kick off 2025 with another bestseller ‘How Do I Tell You?’

We discuss:
Tips for writing romcoms
The key differences between self publishing, traditional publishing and digital-first publishers
Balancing serious themes with heartwarming fiction
And much more!

LINKS

Nicola's website: https://www.nicolamay.com 
The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers  
Kinky Boots Musical UK Tour 2025: https://youtu.be/Qk140ZLNSU8?si=Uq7OY_irrADdHD7I  
Rivals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivals_(TV_series) 
Paul Mescal in A Streetcar Named Desire: https://www.thephoenixtheatre.co.uk/shows/a-streetcar-named-desire
Katherine Priddy and Simon Armitage: https://youtu.be/H4OxfhUCggU?si=h7ysPElUCMr4hx2m  
Julian Barr's Worldbreaker: https://books2read.com/u/brjRLZ 
American Primeval: https://www.netflix.com/title/81457507 

Edit by Kai Newton
Production assistance by Emily Stay
Jingle by Dom Currie

Support the show

Thanks to:

Dom Currie for the jingle

Emily Stay-Newton and Kai Stay-Newton for the edit

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there's more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/

In this special festive edition of the podcast I welcome GB Ralph, author of the cozy Milverton Mysteries series!
We discuss:

• Slow burn romance
• Writing in scenes and converting them to chapters
• Chapter word count analysis (it gets nerdy!)
• Tips for book launches
• Tips for writing on your commute and how Gavin wrote his debut novel on his phone
• What he learned from switching from romcoms to cozy mysteries
• How he uses deadlines to motivate his writing
• And the importance of narrators for audiobooks

LINKS
GB Ralph's website
Everyone this Christmas has a Secret by Ernest Cunningham
The Holly King by Mark Stay
Only Murders in the Building
Arcane
Mini Metro game
Allie X Last Christmas
Altego Music's Wham/Chappel Roan mash-up
The Penguin
Beyond the Throne by Kristian Nairn
Rosalie Cunningham, To Shoot Another Day
December will be Magic Again by Kate Bush
Christmas at the Airport by Nick Lowe 

Edit by Kai Newton
Production assistance by Emily Stay
Jingle by Dom Currie

Support the show

Thanks to:

Dom Currie for the jingle

Emily Stay-Newton and Kai Stay-Newton for the edit

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there's more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/

I'm joined by Mike Shackle, author of the epic LAST WAR fantasy trilogy, and he also writes thrillers under the name Michael Dylan: we talk about the perils of writing epic fantasy when publishers are imposing word limits, the pros and cons of self publishing and traditional publishing, writing cop thriller fiction, setting a mission statement for each book, and Michael creating his own artwork!
And we're also joined by Buddy. Who has a squeaky toy that has an urgent message for the world...

LINKS

THE LAST WAR TRILOGY
THE WITCHFINDER CHRONICLES
MICHAEL DYLAN'S DI SIMON WISE THRILLERS
MIKE SHACKLE'S ART
REBECCA MILLAR EDITORIAL
ANDREW CHAPMAN (REMEMBER HIS NAME)
PRIMAL SCREAM: COME AHEAD
FURY OF THE GODS BY JOHN GWYNNE
DAY OF THE JACKAL ON SKY UK
NAUTILUS on Amazon Prime UK
THE PALIN DIARIES 1999-2009
BOBBY DAZZLE

Edit by Kai Newton
Production assistance by Emily Stay
Jingle by Dom Currie

Support the show

Thanks to:

Dom Currie for the jingle

Emily Stay-Newton and Kai Stay-Newton for the edit

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there's more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/

Zoë is the author of Garden of Her Heart, and host of the podcast, Write Damn It! An experienced coach with more than 35 years working on mindset, Zoë shares a ton of practical advice for writers including how to deal with self-doubt and rejection.

WE DISCUSS...

How stand up comedy helped Zoë's writing
How to rethink your attitude to resilience
Great tips for writing a synopsis
Writers' flow and getting started each day
Building characters using their childhood trauma
How to get people to show up at book events, and much more...

LINKS

Some of the following are affiliate links and may earn me commission...

GARDEN OF HER HEART

WRITE, DAMN IT! PODCAST

ZOË'S WEBSITE

SLOW HORSES ON APPLE+

HISTORY HITS WITH DAN SNOW

THE EXAMINER

TIMESTALKER

AFTER THE STORM BY GD WRIGHT

THE MOON'S A BALLOON BY DAVID NIVEN

BOA: WHIPLASH

MY BOOKS

THE GREEN ROOM

ME IN CONVERSATION WITH BEN AARONOVITCH AT OXTED LIBRARY

Thanks to: Emily Stay for production assistance, Kai Newton for the edit & Dominic Currie for the jingle

Support the show

Thanks to:

Dom Currie for the jingle

Emily Stay-Newton and Kai Stay-Newton for the edit

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there's more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/

My special guest on the podcast this month is LJ Shepherd, author of the stunning debut novel The Trials of Lila Dalton. We discuss first lines and opening pages, the benefits of attending festivals, the book that inspired her to choose her agent, and we get sneak peek into the notebook where she first jotted down her ideas for the novel that would become her debut. Oh, and her cat Coral pops in to say hello...

LINKS

Some of the following are affiliate links and may earn me commission...

THE TRIALS OF LILA DALTON

HOPE I GET OLD BEFORE I DIE by DAVID HEPWORTH

A GOD IN RUINS by KATE ATKINSON

THE WATCHMAKER OF FILIGREE STREET by NATASHA PULLEY

A TRIAL IN THREE ACTS by GUY MORPUSS

SCENES FROM A TRAGEDY by CAROLE HAILEY

THE CHILTERN KILLS CRIME FESTIVAL

THE HANDMAID'S TALE

THREE BODY PROBLEM ON NETFLIX

SLOW HORSES ON APPLE+

BAD MONKEY ON APPLE+

DAVID GILMOUR'S LUCK AND STRANGE

Thanks to:
Emily Stay for production assistance
Kai Newton for the edit
Dominic Currie for the jingle

Support the show

Thanks to:

Dom Currie for the jingle

Emily Stay-Newton and Kai Stay-Newton for the edit

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there's more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/

Welcome to the first episode of Creative Differences with my special guest SC Gowland. We discuss curating the short story anthology The Law of Consequences, how to write a short story, and Steve reveals the little things that have made a big difference to his writing career.

I also launch the GREEN ROOM: twice-monthly live Zoom sessions with me, exclusive for Green Room members on my Kofi page.

Links:
SC Gowland's website where you can get the first book in the Souls' Abyss trilogy for free: https://scgowland.com/
Grab a copy of the Law of Consequences here: https://books2read.com/u/mvzrW2
The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Otoboke Beaver's song Yakitori.

The Following are affiliate links and I earn commission if you buy after clicking:
The Blues Brothers by Daniel De Visé
Feeding the Monster by Anna Bogutskaya
Thank you, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse

Support the show

Thanks to:

Dom Currie for the jingle

Emily Stay-Newton and Kai Stay-Newton for the edit

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/
Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers
Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop
And there's more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/