Writing – Page 2 – Mark Stay Writes

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…

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!

A Quick Tour of My Notebooks

Here’s a tour of my “live” notebooks…

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/

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!

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

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…

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Or watch it on Youtube…