The Failing Writers Podcast

Competitions, as previously discussed on this pod, are an amazing way of giving you an opportunity to both really think about your novel and your pitch... but also potentially to bag yourself a chance to get in front of some big, powerful, important, cape-wearing Mavel-comic-like-superheros of the industry.
Today we focus on The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize. An award that's launched the career of many a successful writer.
So let's have a chat with some of those people... those caped crusaders on the inside. Because.... don't know about you.... but Tommy and I feel like the more you know... the more you get a sense of what you need to do to get on in this biz!
Here's the link:
https://www.lucy.cam.ac.uk/fictionprize
So get the first few chapters of your manuscript licked into shape... perfect your blurb... and your synopsis... and get ON IT!
Listen to these people! They want to read your stuff! And you've got good stuff!

Check out Sarah Brooks's beautiful novel here
Janet Todd's array of excellent books here
And Molly Aitken's 2 fantastic books here

Oh, and thanks to everyone who has been so generous as to pop a few coins in our begging cap - you have no idea how much we appreciate it. And that money goes straight back into the podcast to allow us to keep going. So THANK YOU!! (If you want to donate, just click here)
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Our £500 flash fiction competition sponsored by the lovely folk at SCRIVENER is in full swing and requires your urgent involvement!
If you fancy having a go at a 300 word, birthday-themed story, listen to episode 15 of this series, for the lowdown. Then go to https://www.failingwriterspodcast.com and click on the competition banner for all the finer details. Deadline is Monday 19th of October, midday GMT!
Also, the first 150 entries will get a free audiobook from the ethical audiobook company: Libro.fm
For 20% off Scrivener, go to https://www.literatureandlatte.com and use the code failing

So what’s on the menu for the rest of the show?
Well I’ll tell you.
A delightful chat with actor, presenter and writer, Robert Llewellyn. You know - Him with the rubber robot mask off-of Red Dwarf.
It turns out Robert is somewhat of a failing writer himself. (As well as a massively successful one! – as we know these things are rarely simple once you start digging.)
So hear our lovely rambley-natter about Robots, AI, writing, fringe theatre and being let down by a publisher who folded and left him having to fulfil orders from his kitchen table, at his own expense.

If you like the sound of Robert’s books, give em a shot! Click

https://robertsmodernbookshop.bigcartel.com/products

and dive into his home-made online book shop!
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First things first. Our Big Flash Fiction Competition is Awaaaaaay!
And a special big ole THANK YOU to Scrivener for sponsoring it!
If you fancy 20% off their wonderful and frankly invaluable writing app, git yourself to https://www.literatureandlatte.com Pop in the code ‘failing’ and Bob’s yer nuncle!

So get cracking – and get yourself a free audiobook courtesy of the beautiful folk at https://libro.fm the ethical audiobook alternative, just for taking part!

Now…
Jon has been a big admirer of Benjamin Myers’s writing for a while now. So you can imagine he was pretty blummin thrilled when the opportunity to chat to him arose.
Of course, as usual, Jon played it very calm, cool and collected on meeting one of his literary heroes.
Didn’t he?
Presumably?
I mean, that’s what a professional would do.

Well… No. He didn’t. Not especially. No.

So come and hang out with Benjamin Myers with us. Get the skinny on the slog to get his writing career launched, how he tricks himself into writing an entire book and even the story of his punk band Sour Face’s first big gig… plus a whole ancient cathedral-full of other fascinating facts about this frankly brilliant writer.
And yes, Jon did write that bit. The big bum-suck.

Here’s a link to Ben’s website:
https://www.benjaminmyerswriter.com

And here’s a link to his amazing books:
https://uk.bookshop.org/beta-search?bkshp-astro=t&keywords=benjamin+Myers

This week on our Hypewriter feature we have… another writer called Ben…
Ben Chase.
Hither be Ben Chase’s substack: https://ratracereleases.substack.com/ for all his writing bits n bobs,
and here’s Ben’s website for all things… you know… Ben Chase: https://benchasewrites.com/
Finally check out the excellent vocal athleticism of Ben Chase's Voice-Over friend, Dawn Falato here: https://dawnfalato.com
Great job! Thank you Dawn! x
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Ya know what they say. When one door closes another door opens.
And following the joyful culmination of our poetry competition
comes....
OUR MASSIVE ANNUAL £500 FLASH FICTION COMPETITION - Sponsored by
Scrivener!
Scrivener?
Yes, of course. The wonderful writing software Scrivener.
Which you should quickly go and buy a copy of, before you do anything else, in order to make the writing of things easier, more intuitive and less brain-hurty.
It's an invaluable writing tool trusted by top writers for 20 odd years! (And also us two… but, you know… don't let that put you off - it's not Scrivener's fault, is it?!)
Well OK then.
Sure, why not? We'll let you use our special secret code and get 20% off...
Just go to: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/
and use the code: failing
No problem.
Now, where were we? Ah yes! Our big, annual, £500 flash fiction competition…
Which we're renaming The AMAZING writers flash fiction competition, in honour of our frankly magnificent listeners.
YOU. Yes! I'm talking about YOU!
If you're up for getting involved, which of course you are, just
go to https://www.failingwriterspodcast.com/flashentry
And don't forget to listen to this episode for all the
details including the special phrase you must include in your story!

Right about now, I'd like to give a big shout out to our star judge… David Gaffney!
Thank you David, for some great advice and a couple of beautiful little bits of short prose…
For all things Gaffney click here

And to buy David’s excellent short story collection, Concrete Fields, you’ll want to click here.

Finally... check out Tommy on the excellent Hellish podcast … here.
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It's time for us to reveal the winners in our rather spontanious poetry competition.

Huge thanks to Rowan McCabe for being head judge and helping us choose the winning poems. If you want to see him live on his new tour, check out https://rowanthepoet.com/home/upcoming-gigs/

Thanks to everyone who entered - and a MASSIVE thanks to our prize sponsors - in particular Libro.fm and WritersHQ. Please do check out their stuff.

Right, without further ado, get listening and find out who's won... 'cos no-one likes all that fake tension build up stuff do they??

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