Tag: Writing

Julie Wassmer: Libraries have a Special Meaning for me | Creative Differences LIVE

I speak to Julie Wassmer, author of the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries and screenwriter on shows like Eastenders in a special episode, recorded LIVE at the Staines Library Hub as part of the Escalate Arts Festival.

We Discuss: 

How Julie’s TV experience affected the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries

Using dictation and writing by hand

The role that libraries played in Julie’s writing journey 

And much more! (And there’s a lovely bit with some horsies) 

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Or watch it on Youtube (best choice for the horsey bit)…

LINKS

https://juliewassmer.com

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

And a very special thank you to the team at the Staines Library Hub, Susan Dinmore at Surrey Arts and everyone who came to the recording on the day. 

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/

Kathleen Whyman on the Creative Differences Livestream

Join me and Kathleen Whyman bestselling humorous women’s fiction author whose new book THE MOTHER OF ALL COMEBACKS is out now!

Kathleen writes for all the multi-tasking, mentally-overloaded women, who put themselves on the subs bench for the sake of their family, and are beginning to realise that they don’t have it all – they do it all!

Kathleen’s books, one of which was shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print prize, are inspired by her own struggle to juggle a career with children, housework, life admin and never-ending laundry. The laundry’s winning.

Join the conversation LIVE on Monday 23rd March, 8pm GMT

Please note that the date has changed from the one advertised on the previous episode of the podcast.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

Or join us Youtube…

Things People Say to Authors at Comic Cons: March 2026

How about another round of Things People Say to Authors at Comic Cons…?

I’m going to be popping up in Staines (with Julie Wassmer!), Peterborough, Bournemouth, The British Library (with Ben Aaronovitch!), Fort Amherst, Cardiff, Herne Bay and Scarborough. More details here.

And if you like this, there’s a whole playlist of them on Youtube here…

Things PEOPLE SAY TO AUTHORS AT COMIC CONS PLAYLIST

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

And his experiences of Worldcon in China

And much more!

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

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…😁

Jeremy Szal on the Creative Differences Livestream

Join me and Jeremy Szal, who was born in the outback of Australia and raised by wild dingos (it says here!). He is the author of the Common trilogy, a dark space opera, and was a guest of honour at the 81st Worldcon in China. We’ll be discussing writing epic science fiction, forging a career as a writer in an uncertain world and much more! 

Join in the conversation live on TUESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY, 8PM GMT

Join Us ON FACEBOOK

Or join us on Youtube…

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.

Join me and JULIE WASSMER for a LIVE recording of the podcast

As part of the Escalate Arts Literature Festival, I’m going to be interviewing bestselling author and screenwriter JULIE WASSMER at the Staines Library Hub on Saturday 14th March, 2026 from 3-4pm… and we’re recording it for the Creative Differences podcast! And you can join us live!

Julie wrote for Eastenders for over 20 years and is the author of Whitstable Pearl mysteries, which is now a hit TV series starring Kerry Godliman, and I can tell you from past experience that Julie is a brilliant guest, so generous with advice and very funny: you don’t want to miss this! 

Join us in person…

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Who Am I, anyway…?

Who is this Mark Stay person, anyway? A quick hello/introduction to any news followers after that libraries vid went a bit popular…