For many aspiring writers, the challenge isn’t just learning the craft – it’s giving yourself permission to be a writer in the first place. In this episode, Katherine Pandora shares how she built a career in academia while quietly holding on to a long-standing desire to write fiction, and what changed to make her start taking her writing seriously.

We talk about the subtle expectations that can shape choices, the fear of putting your work out into the world, and how your children can inspire you. We also explore the influence of writing communities, science, and Sherlock Holmes.

All our guests this season are members of The History Quill. Learn more about our membership here: https://thehistoryquill.com/join-us/

Marketing your books can feel uncomfortable, especially if you’re an introvert who’d much rather stay behind the scenes. In this episode, Carol Amorosi shares her journey from avoiding visibility to gradually finding a way to market her books that works for her.

We talk about what makes social media feel so daunting, reframing marketing around passion rather than selling, and learning from the experiences of other authors. We also touch on the differences between traditional publishing and independent publishing, and writing two series in very different time periods.

All our guests this season are members of The History Quill. Learn more about our membership here: https://thehistoryquill.com/join-us/

What if the problem isn’t your creativity – but the way you’ve been trying to write? In this episode, Robert Dempsey shares how years of frustration with the ‘conventional’ way of writing left him stuck, convinced he simply wasn’t capable of doing it.

Robert talks about how being diagnosed with ADHD helped him understand how his brain works, and how discovering a different approach to writing allowed him to finally make real progress. We also talk about the differences between technical and creative writing, how your career can influence your stories, and proving your teachers wrong!

All our guests this season are members of The History Quill. Learn more about our membership here: https://thehistoryquill.com/join-us/

Why do so many writers tell themselves they 'just don’t have time' – and what’s really going on underneath that? In this episode, Emma Strangwayes-Booth talks about the stories she told herself about not having enough time to write and how they were tied up with self-doubt, fear of failure, and the pressure to write in the 'right' way.

Emma shares how a solo writing retreat and the confidence boost of a pitch party helped her break out of that spiral and build momentum again. Along the way, we talk about creative routines, the value of community, and what it really takes to get unstuck.

All our guests this season are members of The History Quill. Learn more about our membership here: https://thehistoryquill.com/join-us/

The books we read as children are hugely formative, shaping our tastes long after we’ve moved on to adult literature, and often drawing us back to old favourites to re-read to ourselves or future generations. 

It’s an opportunity and responsibility that Karen Inglis is well aware of. Karen talks about drawing inspiration from everyday life, digging beyond the moment of initial inspiration, and the importance of not preaching to or trying to teach children in fiction. The author-publisher of timeslip series The Secret Lake, among other books, also shares some of her recipe for success in self-publishing, while explaining how traditional publishing models have helped her sell overseas and in additional languages.

Go to https://thehistoryquill.com/bonus to get access to our special bonus podcast episode on how to succeed in historical fiction, available exclusively to our email subscribers. The episode features accomplished historical fiction authors Gill Paul and David Penny exploring how they’ve achieved success during their very different writing and publishing journeys and how you can achieve success on your own journey.

To get the transcript for this episode, visit https://thehistoryquill.com/12 for the episode page on our website.

Learn the secrets of writing great historical crime fiction with Vaseem Khan, international bestseller and winner of the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Historical Dagger. 

Vaseem, who is also the first non-white chair of the CWA, is a fount of knowledge on creating charismatic crime-solving characters who grow over the course of a series, how to adjust when you find your carefully planned plot shifting beneath you, and challenging the often risk-averse publishing industry. He’s also keenly interested in balancing familiar tropes and motifs with historical revisionism that challenges and informs readers in the West, as well as in markets like India, where his series are set. 

Go to https://thehistoryquill.com/bonus to get access to our special bonus podcast episode on how to succeed in historical fiction, available exclusively to our email subscribers. The episode features accomplished historical fiction authors Gill Paul and David Penny exploring how they’ve achieved success during their very different writing and publishing journeys and how you can achieve success on your own journey.

To get the transcript for this episode, visit https://thehistoryquill.com/11 for the episode page on our website.

Research is so important to piecing together the material world of your novel. Not only are archives an important tool in helping you avoid anachronisms that can be jarring for readers, but good archival research can have a huge positive impact, helping you access primary details that make your setting and characters come alive.

In this episode, Julia and Theo speak with Steve Dacus, founder of The Research Arsenal, which offers keyword searchable access to thousands of American Civil War documents including photographs, letters, diaries, ordnance returns, quartermaster specifications and more. 

Steve is passionate about helping authors bring the past to life. Listen in to get over the intimidation factor when conducting primary research and to learn how primary materials can help you capture characters’ sentiment and reactions to major events and daily life, adding nuance to your characterisation and description. 

Go to https://thehistoryquill.com/bonus to get access to our special bonus podcast episode on how to succeed in historical fiction, available exclusively to our email subscribers. The episode features accomplished historical fiction authors Gill Paul and David Penny exploring how they’ve achieved success during their very different writing and publishing journeys and how you can achieve success on your own journey.

Hazel Gaynor, bestselling author on both sides of the Atlantic, joins Theo and Julia to talk about the processes and priorities for writers of dual-timelines. She explains how weaving back and forth between characters and eras can create mystery and allow the author to provide both light and shade in order to ensure variety in tone and mood. 

Having written novels set both close to home and far afield, Hazel is also eager to talk about how to find the right story for you. She explains how she finds her stories and characters and explores what it feels like to find the nugget of gold that becomes the foundation for a story. 

This episode also explores Hazel’s ongoing collaboration with co-author Heather Webb and the unique demands of co-writing historical fiction.

Go to https://thehistoryquill.com/bonus to get access to our special bonus podcast episode on how to succeed in historical fiction, available exclusively to our email subscribers. The episode features accomplished historical fiction authors Gill Paul and David Penny exploring how they’ve achieved success during their very different writing and publishing journeys and how you can achieve success on your own journey.

Join bestselling novelist and writing coach Katherine Clements as she discusses the deep, human connection between reader and characters that distinguishes historical fiction from history. This episode also takes in topics including how to remain teachable as a writer, following your gut, and what a meaningful and bold writing career looks like.

Those wanting more detail on this crucial topic or to learn directly from Katherine in an interactive setting can also join her upcoming masterclass of the same name. Taking place on Friday 1 March 2024 and exclusive to The History Quill members, the Creating compelling characters masterclass will give you practical tools for developing major and minor characters and then transferring them to the page. For more information, visit our masterclasses page at https://thehistoryquill.com/masterclasses/. Members can join live or access the recording after the event.

Go to https://thehistoryquill.com/bonus to get access to our special bonus podcast episode on how to succeed in historical fiction, available exclusively to our email subscribers. The episode features accomplished historical fiction authors Gill Paul and David Penny exploring how they’ve achieved success during their very different writing and publishing journeys and how you can achieve success on your own journey.

To get the transcript for this episode, visit https://thehistoryquill.com/8 for the episode page on our website.

For the first episode of season two, returning hosts Theo and Julia are joined by bestselling author of Lancelot, Camelot and the Raven and Sigurd trilogies, Giles Kristian. 

Although best known for writing bloodthirsty but heartfelt, lyrical tales set in the Dark Ages, the former pop star is a renaissance man. His many talents have seen him collaborate with Wilbur Smith, release the captivating contemporary thriller Where Blood Runs Cold, and put the expertise forged while working on novels into use on video game scripting.

In this rousing and thought provoking episode, Giles discusses writing historical epics, how his style and focus has changed over time, and how to deal with loneliness while writing. He also explains his hopes and fears for the future of the novel, with discussion on how writers might diversify and tell stories through different media.

Go to https://thehistoryquill.com/bonus to get access to our special bonus episode on how to succeed in historical fiction, available exclusively to our email subscribers. The episode features accomplished historical fiction authors Gill Paul and David Penny exploring how they’ve achieved success during their very different writing and publishing journeys and how you can achieve success on your own journey.

To get the transcript for this episode, visit https://thehistoryquill.com/7 for the episode page on our website.