Me. Julie Wassmer. Staines. Live!

I’ll be chatting to Julie Wassmer, author of the brilliant Whitstable Pearl series, and screenwriter for shows likes EastEnders about her incredible career live and in person at the Staines Library Hub on Saturday 14th March from 3pm!

If you want to know about writing for TV, writing a series that gets made into a TV series (surely the Holy Grail for every novelist!) then join us before the tickets sell out! Like, now!! Click on the big picture below…

Jeremy Szal: I Grew Up With The Book | Mark Stay’s Creative Differences ep20

Jeremy Szal tells us how he has grown as a writer while creating the Common Trilogy, an epic space opera with ‘messy, difficult emotional conflicts’. 

WE ALSO DISCUSS: 

Tips for writing short stories

Stand-offs with copy editors

And his experiences of Worldcon in China

And much more!



Or watch it on Youtube…


LINKS


Jeremy’s website
Tickets for the live show with Julie Wassmer

Ghost of Yotei
Stardew Valley
Attack on Titan
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Marty Supreme
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky (this is an affiliate link and I can earn commission if you use it)
Strength of the Few by James Islington (this is an affiliate link and I can earn commission if you use it)
Beastars (manga) (this is an affiliate link and I can earn commission if you use it)
Mono (band)
Sigur Ros (band)
Oasis (band)
Small Prophets
SPECTATORS BY Brian K Vaughan and artist Niko Henrichon

A huge thanks to Emily Stay-Newton for production assistance, to Kai Stay-Newton for the edit, and Dominic Currie for the jingle.

Support the show:

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/

The Rule That Drives Book Sales…

Someone in publishing went on a business course in the early 2000s and got very excited by one particular principle…😁

The Crow Folk is Five Years Old…

Crikey, is it really five years since my little book was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world?



Me, Ben Aaronovitch, British Library, 30th March…

This promises to be fun! I’ll be chatting to Ben Aaronovitch about Stone Sky at the actual British Library on 30th March. Get your tickets here.

Authors Get Money When You Use the Library

Did you know that every time someone borrows a book from a library in the UK or Ireland that the author gets money?! Guess who just got his PLR statement!

Book Dedications: Where do they come from (part two)

Those little dedications authors put at the start of their books: why do we do it? What do they mean? Here’s a quick tour of my Witches of Woodville books…

You can find all these books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/the-village-bookshop/

The End of Gods Unboxing Video

It’s here! THE END OF GODS is out today! And what better way to celebrate its publication, than a simple unboxing video. One in which I use actual magic!



Here are all the buy links…







Video Credits:

No Ai was used in the making of this video.

Camera, Sound, Edit & VFX: Kai Newton-Stay

Assistant Director: Emily Newton-Stay

Author’s Unfortunate Helper: George Stay

Music: Dom Currie

Staff crafted by Merlin Boorman

End of Gods cover art by Alejandro Colucci

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

MARK: I’ve done a few book unboxing videos in my time, but this is the first one where I’ll be using actual magic.

I commissioned this magical staff — a replica of one used by Rosheen Katell in THE END OF MAGIC — it was made by a man called Merlin…

Yes, really — who has only just now revealed to me that it actually works…

George!

(George drops the box with the books)

Merlin told me that the staff opens portals to magical experiences and that includes boxes with books. He’s given me a ritual which I am now going to recite from a safe distance.

EdWil… sonSim… onSpan…

TonLi… saRog… ersJu…

lianBarr-i… AnSains… buryAle… jandro…

Colucci!!

(George coughs)

I guess we’ll just have to put a graphic up…

Anyway, The End of Gods is available from all good bookstores, of course, if you want a signed copy you can come to my online store… the address will be scrolling across the bottom there…

GEORGE: Dad…

MARK: Yes?

GEORGE: I can’t see…

MARK: Thumbs up. You’ll have to wait for the audiobook…

Caimh McDonnell: Notice When You’re Doing Your Best Writing | Mark Stay’s Creative Differences Ep 18

Caimh McDonnell is the author of the Bunny McGarry trilogy (not a trilogy) and the Stranger Times series (definitely a series) and his latest RING THE BELLS is one of my favourite books of the year.

In this festive special, we discuss:
How travel triggers story ideas
The value of short stories
Why calling something a trilogy is a bad idea
And why it’s crucial to take note of when you’re writing good stuff, and much more!



Or watch it on Youtube…

LINKS
Caimh’s website

Pre-Order The End of Gods paperback

Joe Abercrombie backlist
Down Cemetery Road
Raye: Where is my husband?
Scriptnotes book
Death by Lightning
Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary

A huge thanks to Emily Stay-Newton for production assistance, to Kai Stay-Newton for the edit, and Dominic Currie for the jingle.

Support the show:
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/

Gavin G Smith: Know Your Own Worth | Mark Stay’s Creative Differences Episode 17

Gavin G Smith writes gripping science fiction and his latest is ALIEN CULT, a terrific murder mystery noir set in the ALIENS universe. 


We Discuss:
Writing for other people’s IP, including games and film novelisations
The crucial difference between a consistent universe and fan service
Why he might enjoy research too much
And why it’s more important than ever for authors to value their work…



Or watch it on Youtube…



LINKS

Gavin’s website
Pre-Order The End of Gods paperback
Mark’s comic con playlist 

WHAT’S GIVING US JOY
Baldur’s Gate 3  
Where Eagles Dare
Bond
Paddington
The Holiday
Die Hard
Young Sherlock Holmes
Roofworld: (I earn commission if you buy via this link)

The Holly King by Kate Rusby

The Holdovers

The Beatles Anthology

A huge thanks to Emily Stay-Newton for production assistance, to Kai Stay-Newton for the edit, and Dominic Currie for the va-jingle.

Support the show:

Join The Green Room

Buy my books here

And there’s more about me here