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Writing Without Limits, with Christian Toms-Arbel
“If you want to be a writer for money, you’re in the wrong place. The authors who last are the ones who truly love the craft.” — Christian Toms-Arbel
Christian Toms-Arbel has been telling stories since childhood. Born with a disability that required multiple surgeries, he spent long stretches in hospital wards immersed in books—and eventually began writing his own stories. Years later, after earning a degree and master’s in creative writing, he published his debut psychological thriller The Mannequins.
In this episode of Uncorking a Story, Christian shares the personal experiences that shaped his writing, how trauma can fuel storytelling, and the unconventional path that led him to publish his first novel.
Key Takeaways:
Early hardship sparked a love of storytelling. Spending time in hospitals as a child introduced Christian to books and ultimately inspired him to begin writing horror stories at just eight years old.
A teacher’s encouragement can change everything. One supportive teacher’s feedback convinced him he had real potential as a writer—helping set him on the path to studying creative writing.
Trauma can become creative fuel. Christian believes writing dark fiction is partly a way of processing personal trauma and exploring difficult emotions in a safe creative space.
The Mannequins takes a different approach to crime fiction. Rather than focusing only on the investigation, the novel explores how a killer is made, weaving the murderer’s upbringing into the narrative.
Indie publishing requires entrepreneurial thinking. Christian built an ARC reader team, generated early reviews, and treated publishing like running a small business.
Writing outside your identity can build empathy. His novel features a mixed-heritage female detective—a perspective he carefully developed with help from his wife as editor and advisor.
Persistence matters more than perfection. Even after being caught in a publishing scam, Christian continued forward and successfully launched his book independently.
Buy The Mannequins
Amazon: https://amzn.to/46QmsE4
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9781919216201
Connect with Christian
Website: https://www.ctomsarbel.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.tomsarbel/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@c.tomsarbel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580209287042
Connect with Mike
Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@uncorkingastory
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uncorkingastory
Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/
#WritingCommunity #IndieAuthor #CrimeThriller #PsychologicalThriller #AmWriting #AuthorInterview #UncorkingAStory
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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By Michael Carlon
4.9
6565 ratings
“If you want to be a writer for money, you’re in the wrong place. The authors who last are the ones who truly love the craft.” — Christian Toms-Arbel
Christian Toms-Arbel has been telling stories since childhood. Born with a disability that required multiple surgeries, he spent long stretches in hospital wards immersed in books—and eventually began writing his own stories. Years later, after earning a degree and master’s in creative writing, he published his debut psychological thriller The Mannequins.
In this episode of Uncorking a Story, Christian shares the personal experiences that shaped his writing, how trauma can fuel storytelling, and the unconventional path that led him to publish his first novel.
Key Takeaways:
Early hardship sparked a love of storytelling. Spending time in hospitals as a child introduced Christian to books and ultimately inspired him to begin writing horror stories at just eight years old.
A teacher’s encouragement can change everything. One supportive teacher’s feedback convinced him he had real potential as a writer—helping set him on the path to studying creative writing.
Trauma can become creative fuel. Christian believes writing dark fiction is partly a way of processing personal trauma and exploring difficult emotions in a safe creative space.
The Mannequins takes a different approach to crime fiction. Rather than focusing only on the investigation, the novel explores how a killer is made, weaving the murderer’s upbringing into the narrative.
Indie publishing requires entrepreneurial thinking. Christian built an ARC reader team, generated early reviews, and treated publishing like running a small business.
Writing outside your identity can build empathy. His novel features a mixed-heritage female detective—a perspective he carefully developed with help from his wife as editor and advisor.
Persistence matters more than perfection. Even after being caught in a publishing scam, Christian continued forward and successfully launched his book independently.
Buy The Mannequins
Amazon: https://amzn.to/46QmsE4
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9781919216201
Connect with Christian
Website: https://www.ctomsarbel.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c.tomsarbel/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@c.tomsarbel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580209287042
Connect with Mike
Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@uncorkingastory
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uncorkingastory
Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/
#WritingCommunity #IndieAuthor #CrimeThriller #PsychologicalThriller #AmWriting #AuthorInterview #UncorkingAStory
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices