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The Creative Writer's Toolbelt

Andrew Chamberlain

The Creative Writers Toolbelt gives practical accessible advice and encouragement to Creative writers.
Each episode explores an aspect of creative writing technique, with examples, allowing you to apply what you learn immediately to your writing. We also throw in the occasional interview with writers and other artists, exploring their wisdom on subjects like story, style, character and the writing process

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20 episodes
Avg 46 min
English

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#181
Oct 14, 2022 · 35 min
Do you know your dead salmon from your downpipe?
Hello and welcome to one of my occasional episodes of the Creative Writers Toolbelt, this is episode 181, and I want to ask you a question - Do you know your dead salmon from your downpipe? If you know what these phrases mean, well done! But whether you do or don't, please do keep listening. In any event, I hope you found that title amusing, and that would be entirely appropriate as the subject of this episode is comedic writing, the subtle art of writing something funny. And to join me to explo
#180
Aug 31, 2022 · 56 min
Getting the marketing basics right with Written Word Media's Clayton Noblit
This episode is a conversation with Written Word Media's Senior Marketing Manager, Clayton Noblit. In this episode we talk about what basics an author needs to focus on, using our own email lists, Facebook pages, and social media, and web pages, we also talk about how Written Word Media can take away some of the pain that authors at every level of success will feel.
#179
Jul 20, 2022 · 59 min
Episode 179: Escaping the submissions treadmill: could a service like Submitit be the way forward?
Erik Harper Klass is the founder of Submitit, a company that directly addresses the stress and uncertainty of the submissions treadmill. Submitting your work, again and again, can be time-consuming and exhaustive, especially if you get more than enough rejection slips to cover the walls of your bathroom. Submitit is a company that takes on the job of reviewing the journals to which writers might submit their work and decides on the best places to make a submission. Submitit will select the jour
#178
Jul 1, 2022 · 48 min
Episode 178: Trust the process that gives you joy! With Jessie Kwak
My guest for this episode is the non-fiction and science fiction writer Jessie Kwak. In this episode, we talk about the different writing processes that people use, how to choose the right one, and why some writers have found the pandemic such a difficult time. We discuss the importance of finding a writing process that brings us joy, how essential it is for us to know ourselves as writers, and when and how to hire the right professionals to help you with your writing. I had a great time talkin
#177
Jun 3, 2022 · 46 min
Episode 177: The mind of the warrior. A conversation with Nick Narbutovskih of the US Air Force Special Operations Command
Nick Narbutovskih grew up knowing that he wanted to be a pilot in the military, now Assistant Operations Officer Narbutovskih with Air Force Special Operations Command, and he now trains others who are going to be pilots in the US Air Force. On the day of our conversation, Nick was supposed to be able to talk to me from the comfort of his own home but the military being what it is he was required at the base that day so we conducted the conversation with Nick stepping out for a few minutes to hi
#176
May 13, 2022 · 31 min
Episode 176: Making peace with the internet. Practical advice for your digital presence, with Jason Smith of Social Shapes
In this episode, my guest is the Digital Marketing expert Jason Smith. In this conversation, we talk about the essentials of setting up a web and managing social media accounts for your brand as a writer. We talk about the best platform to use to design a first website, the importance of design aesthetics, and what the author needs to use their website for. We also talk about social media, how to make it not scary, what the functions of social media engagement are, how to choose the right platfo
#175
Apr 21, 2022 · 36 min
Episode 175: A guest at the reader's table, with veteran publisher and literary agent Tony Collins
My guest for this episode is someone who has spent nearly 50 years in publishing. Tony Collins has worked for a number of publishing houses, owned three magazines, published an astonishing 1,400 books, and is now a literary agent. In this conversation, we talk about the lessons he’s learned in his career. We talk about the most common error that writers make when with their work, how the author must remember they are a guest at the reader's table, and there are many other things for readers to d
#174
Apr 3, 2022 · 55 min
Episode 174: Writing your novel is part of your heart - with Lynn Hightower
Welcome to Ep 174, my guest for this episode is the writer and writing coach Lynn Hightower. Lynn writers thriller with a darkly paranormal twist. In this conversation, we discuss why we do need to tell as well as show, especially in terms of plot, why we need to hear the character’s voice in our head rather than try to pick and mix their traits and characteristics. We also talk about why clarity in your prose is so important, what do you do to keep the reader hooked, and why every writer need
#173
Mar 26, 2022 · 48 min
Episode 173: Make your reader feel smart, with Jessica Brody
Suppose you discovered that nearly all of the great stories written conform to a particular structure, a structure that would help to guide you in your writing and that, subconsciously at least, your readers are expecting to see in your work. This is the contention of my guest today, the writer and creative writing tutor, Jessica Brody. Jessica took the classic screenwriting text “Save the cat” and applied it to the process of writing a novel, producing the appropriately titled “Save the cat wri
#172
Mar 11, 2022 · 51 min
Episode 172: Immersed in the sensorium: how we can enjoy, and learn from poetry, with Aaron Poochigian.
I have always believed that there are important lessons for prose writers to learn from poetry, and I also think we can always gain something from the joy and discipline of listening to good poetry. To test and prove this belief, in this episode, I am talking to the teacher, poet, and translator Aaron Poochigian. Aaron has a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in Poetry from Columbia University. In this episode, we talk about the rise of the prose form over poetry, wh
#171
Feb 18, 2022 · 52 min
Episode 171: The layers of character with H. Claire Taylor
Welcome to episode 171 of the Creative Writers Toolbelt. My guest today is the author, writing consultant, and presenter Claire Taylor. Claire will be known to many of you as one-half of the team at the Sell More Books Show with her co-presenter, Bryan Cohen. In this episode we talk about what narrative cohesion is and why it matters, the way in which characters operate on a physical, emotional, and philosophical level, and how to use, (and how not to use) tropes, this was a really fun conversat
#170
Jan 31, 2022 · 42 min
Episode 170: Be the hero of your own story, with Donna Lichaw
Those of you who have read the book that accompanies this podcast will know that, in my opinion, one of the best explanations and representations of the way story works comes from the executive coach, speaker, and author Donna Lichaw. Donna is not a creative writing professor, nor is she a best-selling fiction author. She comes from the world of tech, she knows about leadership development, product development, user experience, and how companies can create excellent products for their customers,
#169
Jan 13, 2022 · 23 min
Episode 169: Creating stories that work: content and structure
Welcome to episode 169 of the Creative Writer’s Toolbelt. In the next few episodes, I am going to be exploring the fundamentals of story structure. We’re going to look at different perspectives on story and story structure with the help of a number of guests and I am looking forward to hearing what they have to say and sharing those insights with you. By way of an introduction, in this episode I want to ask a deceptively simple question, and it’s this: what does a really good story look like? An
#168
Dec 23, 2021 · 44 min
Episode 168. Passion Focus and Discipline with Dave Chesson
Welcome to Ep 168 of the Creative Writer’s Toolbelt podcast. My guest for this episode is Dave Chesson. Dave is an author, entrepreneur and something of a famous name in the self-publishing scene. For many years he has been creating free courses and articles as well as applications that help writers to publish and promote their work, applications like publisher rocket and the newly arrived Atticus, which combines editing, sharing, and formatting functionality. I have been using Dave’s publishing
#167
Dec 16, 2021 · 28 min
Episode 167. Building your authority as a writer, with Bryan Collins
Welcome to episode 167 of the Creative Writer’s Toolbelt podcast. My guest for this episode is the writer, journalist and blogger Bryan Collins. Bryan has written for Forbes, the Huffington Post, and Fast Company. He has published 16 books on creativity, non-fiction, and being a productive writer. Bryan loves stories and is especially interested in how the power of story can be applied to non-fiction. In this episode, we talk about how telling a story is much more powerful than talking about fea
#166
Oct 30, 2021 · 46 min
Episode 166 From Aristotle to Hollywood with Susan Isaacs
Welcome to episode 166 of the creative writer’s toolbelt podcast. My guest for this episode is the actor and writer and Lutheran Susan Isaacs. Susan has worked in TV, and got a Masters degree in screen writing. She moved to New York, and worked in comedy there before moving back to California to be close to her mother, who had dementia. She turned some of the most difficult times of her life into a one-woman stage show and that led to a publishing deal. She is now Professor of Screenwriting a
#165
Oct 17, 2021 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 165. Flightpath to publication with James Blatch
Welcome to episode 165 of the Creative Writer’s Toolbelt My guest for this episode is the author, James Blatch. Some of you will know James as one half of the team who present the hugely popular Self Publishing Show with Mark Dawson. James is a former radio and television journalist, he has worked for the BBFC, the British Board of Film Classification, so the organisation here in the UK the UK that decides what certificate a film gets. James’ family has a long relationship with the Royal Air Fo
#164
Oct 1, 2021 · 41 min
Episode 164. A citizen of two worlds. Juggling writing and life with Sam Mills and Michael J. Harvey
The American writers Joyce Carol Oates famously said: “The biggest obstacle for writers is distraction from other people." And it’s substantially true. But those who say we should exclude these distracting people are offering a solution that is both naïve and selfish, and doesn’t really allow for the reality of our lives. In truth, it’s usually the people that we love who are the most distracting, and we choose to continue to love them and engage with them rather than cut ourselves off from t
#163
Sep 17, 2021 · 56 min
Episode 163. Getting in touch with our own inner champion - with Cami Ostman
So much of how we engage with our writing is bound up with the disciplines, good and bad, we apply to ourselves, and how we feel about ourselves as writers. In this episode I tackle these issues, together with the thorny subject of dealing with our own inner critic, with speaker writer and marathon runner, Cami Ostman.
Sep 3, 2021 · 55 min
Episode 162. Keep the faith! With Sarah Moorhead
Yes! The Creative Writer’s Toolbelt is back after a hiatus of about 18 months and it’s a delight to talking to you again. If you haven't subscribed you can do so at: https://the-creative-writers-toolbelt.castos.com/ My guest for this first episode of the relaunched podcast is the author and teacher Sarah Moorhead. Sarah is every inch the the scouser that she sounds, she's funny and honest and determined, all qualities that I think we need to have in big quantities as writers. In our conversation

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