The Failing Writers Podcast
Episodes
S6 Ep0: Season 6 trailer!
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Not long until we get this show back on the road!! Join us for season 6 when we interview some amazing writers, get stuck into some proper writing cra...
S5 Ep24: Doug Johnstone
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you give your readers everything they're looking for?And your agent? You have to feed the beast don't you? (Is calling agents 'The Beast' too o...
S5 Ep23: The Scottish Literary Legends
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The second stop on our literary whistle stop tour of Edinburgh is The Writers Museum in Makars Court.Focussing on the three writers generally consider...
S5 Ep22: Michael Pederson
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ahoy there, you weary word-wanderer. You found us. Finally! Thank goodness.Welcome to the Failing Writers Podcast. Think of us as your writ...
S5 Ep21: Flash Fiction Contest Runners Up 2025
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello writers. Just when you thought the competition was all wrapped up… this week we look at the almost-winners of our big annual comp.Yep, these a...
S5 Ep20: 2025 Flash Fiction Contest FINAL!
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lovers of flash fiction… prepare to have your ears blown into absolute blummin smithereens, because this episode is the big reveal of the winners of...
S5 Ep19: Talking self publishing with a very special guest
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
So, here we are again for the actually now offically award winning Failing Writers Podcast.You were perhaps hoping this was the competition reveal epi...
S5 Ep18: Map Men (Map Men Map Map Map Men Men)
19 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Maps? What's that got to do with writing?Men? How are they relevant in 2025? Oh no… wait … Er.OK... let me explain what’s going on today... by i...
S5 Ep17: Autumn Woods - How to go viral on TikTok
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You know those writers who seem to have managed effortlessly to harness the awesome power of social media to hook increasing numbers of readers into t...
S5 Ep16: FLASH FICTION COMPETITION!
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Finally.I know, I know.It's that time of year we all look forward to.The leaves begin to loosen their grip. The sky is pregnant with it's autumnal off...
S5 Ep15: Small Publishers Pt2 (From the brilliant BlueMoose Books - to those nasty scammers)
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Aaaaand PART 2:This week we're looking at the extremes of the indie publishing industry.From the fantastic BlueMoose Books...https://bluemoosebooks.co...
S5 Ep14: Small Independent Publishers Pt1
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
PART 1… it’s double-bill time!It suddenly occurred to us that we didn’t know much about independent publishers. And that doesn’t sit well with...
S5 Ep13: Doug Naylor on Red Dwarf & Writing for Children
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Bbbrrbuummmbbbb....Lift off...fffwwoooooooooshhhhhhh.This week we launch into a good ole' natter with the brilliant...
S5 Ep12: Ben Aaronovitch
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've got Ben Aaronovitch on the pod this week.I mean, what else do you need to know?That's the important bit.Just that.Ben Aaronovitch.On this podcas...
S5 Ep11: Hamilton Nolan - Publishing laid bare
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For many, the idea of having their book published is an actual dream. A beautiful, glorious, waking dream. But for others, perhaps even most writers, ...
S5 Ep10: A natter with Knappett - Jessica Knappett interview
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Well oh my gosh, haven’t we got a right proper banger for you today?I know. We spoil you.But it’s only cos you’ve been so good recently.Yea...
S5 Ep9: Putting on an Edinburgh festival show - with Samia Rida
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
OK, first things first, before you read any more of this, go to https://www.literatureandlatte.com and get yaself 20% off Scrivener right no...
S5 Ep8: Thomas Taylor
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello Children, welcome to another lovely wuvvly episode of The Failing Writers Podcast in association with Scrivener, a podcast for people who love t...
S5 Ep7: Open Mic Poetry Night
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Poetry, as Percy Bysshe Shelley once said, lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not famil...
S5 Ep6: Libbie Hawker: 10 years of Taking Off Your Pants
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Right.This week you're in for a treat. Cos, this week on the Failing Writers Podcast in association with Scrivener.... we've got a fantastic guest.......
S5 Ep5: Mur Lafferty - Facing Down the Demons
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the Failing Writers Podcast - Sponsored by the brilliant and indispensable writing software: Scrivener.Get 20% off Scrivener right now...
S5 Ep4: Adam Buxton: The ups and downs of memoir writing
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
First of all, thank you SCRIVENER for sponsoring Season 5!You can try Scrivener free for 30 days. And if you love it, (which you will) you can use the...
S5 Ep3: Lyrical Waxings With Paul Armfield
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We nattered and we caterwauled 'bout lyrics, punk and bands,and we shed a little light upon how melody can expand,and we talked of books and words and...
S5 Ep2: C.J. Tudor is back
20 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello.Come here.A little closer.Closer.Don’t be afraid.There. That’s it.I’m going to tell you a story.A story about an author called C.J. Tudor....
S5 Ep1: Jennie Godfrey
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Aaaaaaand we're back.Bet you missed us. Ah come on. Just a little bit?Oh.Well we're here now, so let's make the best of it.Now... let's look at the ...
Anything 4 U - Ep6 - Finished
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello Worldwrights, The Failing Writers are now on a little sabbatical, plotting, (or possibly pantsing) the next season of the podcast and maybe... m...
Anything 4 U - Ep5 - Tipped
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello Worldwrights, The Failing Writers are now on a little sabbatical, plotting, (or possibly pantsing) the next season of the podcast and maybe... m...
Anything 4 U - Ep4 - Swabbed
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello Worldwrights, The Failing Writers are now on a little sabbatical, plotting, (or possibly pantsing) the next season of the podcast and maybe... m...
Anything 4 U - Ep3 - Catered
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello Worldwrights, The Failing Writers are now on a little sabbatical, plotting, (or possibly pantsing) the next season of the podcast and maybe... m...
Anything 4 U - Ep2 - Dumped
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello Worldwrights, The Failing Writers are now on a little sabbatical, plotting, (or possibly pantsing) the next season of the podcast and maybe... m...
Anything 4 U - Ep1 - Stripped
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello Worldwrights, The Failing Writers are now on a little sabbatical, plotting, (or possibly pantsing) the next season of the podcast and maybe... m...
S4 Ep27 A Stroll Down Memory Lane
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hello and happy new year, you lovely lot.Please allow us a moment of self indulgence now, as all three of us bring you a bonus episode looking back on...
S4 Ep26 Flash Fiction Competition Runners Up 2024
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have a look at the rest of our festive flash fiction competition shortlist.Warning: They’re upsettingly good.Any one of them...
S4 Ep25 Festive Flash Fiction WINNER
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Winners winners, turkey dinners!Thanks to the absolute legends at SCRIVENER - https://www.literatureandlatte.com/You can get 20% off a copy by using t...
S4 Ep24 The Lost Art Of Letter Writing
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Don't forget you can still get 20% off SCRIVENER using the code 'failing' until the new year - so do that first before you get side-tracked with all t...
S4 Ep23 Resuscitating The Subject of English (pt2)
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Time to finish our letter to Bridget Phillipson, and once again thank the incredible teachers we spoke to, and the pupils for their fabulous creative ...
S4 Ep22 Resuscitating The Subject of English (pt1)
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Thank goodness for the Failing Writers."A phrase you've no doubt overheard people say quite a lot over the years. At bus stops. Maybe in libraries? A...
S4 Ep21: Henry Normal & Performing Poetry
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If Tom & Jon wrote poems‘spose it will be assumedThey won’t be as good as Henry’sNormal service will be resumed.In this episode, we meet up ...
S4 Ep 20: The Failing Writers Festive Flash Fiction Competition
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sorry? Did you just say you'd love to enter an almost free* festive flash fiction competition to win £500?I thought you did!Well as coincidence would...
S4 Ep19: Ergodic Fiction
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is ergodic literature? Well, it's when a story becomes more than just something you read, and you become part of it.But pretend you haven't read ...
S4 Ep18: What do we think of writing retreats?
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Should you treat yourself to a writing retreat?If you did it twice would you be re-treating yourself to a writing retreat?If you tweeted about treatin...
S4 Ep17: A Shortcut To Querying Success
22 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are you querying? or nearly querying? Maybe you’re fearing querying? Or merely getting weary and a bit teary querying? Well let’s hear from t...
S4 Ep16: Let's put off procrastinating, with Oliver Burkeman
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
... What? Did 2 weeks just fly by since the last episode? No flippin' way.Time, I think, we had a chat about time. The fact that there's never enough ...
S4 Ep15: How do you know if your writing is good enough?
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Well, that’s the summer hiatus done with - and we're back with an episode which asks the question, "how do you know if your writing is good enough?"...
S4 Ep14: How to become a full-time author... maybe
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have what it takes to quit your day job and follow your dreams to become a full time author?Well, there's only one way to find out...and that's...
S4 Ep 13: Tune that name! All about pseudonyms
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet...but would he have written that line if he wasn't called Shakespeare?This week Jon, Tom and Dave ...
S4 Ep 12: Mike Gayle
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A change is in the air here at Failing HQ. A scent on the wind, a signal that the new dawn will herald the arrival of long overdue success.This week, ...
S4 Ep11: Samuel Burr & The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If we were really clever, we'd have written the show notes for this week's episode in the form of a cryptic crossword clue in honour of our guest, Sam...
S4 Ep10: Does Age Matter? with Aline Dufflocq & Babette Hughes
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The average age of our guests this week is 64. Nothing too amazing about that you might say… until you find out the first of our two guests is in he...
S4 Ep9: Darren Walsh - He Knows His Punions
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Would you like a pun? Well, that's handy because this week we've been punning for gold and ended up with a bucket load.Director, writer and stand up c...
S4 Ep8: A tour of Scarfolk, with Richard Littler
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been to Scarfolk? It's a strange, yet hauntingly familiar place. Join us as we take a bus trip into the mind of the man who dreamt it al...
S4 Ep7: Robert Popper
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If comedy writing is your thing, we've got a real treat for you. This week we talk to the super talented and rather prolific Robert Popper. From how h...
S4 Ep6: Improv Your Writing - with Ruth Bratt
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The great Carl Reiner once said “Improvisation is just writing in front of an audience”. So we figured if we could brush up on our improv skills ...
S4 Ep5: The Interview That Went A Bit Wrong
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Unfortunately we're not able to include show notes this week, for legal reasons.Thanks for listening.www.floraopil.comFind out more about Flora here H...
S4 Ep4: Writers Unite! with Sarah from Writers' HQ & Debut Novelist Samuel Burr
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Writing can be a solitary business. All those hours spent with nothing but a blank page and a bottomless coffee cup.On reflection we reckon it's proba...
S4 Ep3: The Full Brontë
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join Tom & Jon on another rambly exploration.This time we're off back to the 1840s to take a good, hard look at the Brontë sisters. Who were Char...
S4 Ep2: Jessica Bull - Miss Austen Investigates
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As an aspiring young writer it's easy to be put off by even the most well intentioned constructive criticism...what's not so easy is to revisit that c...
S4 Ep1: Danny Wallace
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Aaaaaand we're back!The Failing Writers return for what some are calling the fourth season of this spectacular podcast. We look forward to a whole new...
S3 Ep27: Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas (pt2)
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year Folks! We continue our seasonal ghost stories with a handful of listener-written tales. So gather around the hearth with us again as ...
S3 Ep26: Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas (pt1)
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Please accept this as a most cordial invitation to accompany Jon, Tom and as yet unnamed guests for an evening of traditional ghost story telling. We ...
S3 Ep25: Alec Worley: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Horror & Comics.
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alec Worley is an award-lacking (his own words!) author from South London. He writes comics, fiction and audio drama about swords, fangs and lasers. H...
S3 Ep24: Word Games: The League of the Lexicon
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Out of the blue, someone sent us a game. A game all about words and etymology and language - the very stuff we LOVE. So, we decided that we'd get toge...
S3 Ep23: The Runners Up
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We couldn't let the amazing stories that made it to the final short-list go un-read and un-heard... so here they are. Plus there's a nice little chat ...
S3 Ep22: Nanowrimo Special: How NOT to write a novel with Howard Mittelmark
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NaNoWrimOhNo! It's that time of year again when words-per-day becomes the currency. So we thought we'd bring you even more words... Words of novel-...
S3 Ep21: Writing Ghost Stories: with Stephen Volk & Ciaran O'Keeffe
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the help of two expert spookologists: Stephen Volk - horror writer & mastermind behind the BBCs infamous 'GHOSTWATCH', and Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe...
S3 Ep20: How to write a book using ChatGPT - Andy Stanton
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Well... there's a lot of talk about whether it's right or wrong to use AI to write your book for you. But that's not what this episode is about really...
S3 Ep19: 2023 Flash Fiction Competition Winners!
15 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AND THE WINNER IS......... announced in the podcast. Plus the runners up and some highly commended entries, and as many of the superb entries that we ...
S3 Ep18: The Bookshop Episode
08 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
October 14th is BOOKSHOP DAY! So here's a little episode... well... it started out as a little episode... to celebrate the humble bookshop. Jon visi...
S3 Ep17: A Simon Armitage, Stanza Stone Special. For National Poetry Day 2023
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're out and about tracking down poetry for National Poetry Day 2023. We take to the Yorkshire hills in search of the Stanza Stones. Join u...
S3 Ep16: Oliver Mol - Train Lord
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine being a writer and not actually writing!Oh wait. That's us.Imagine being a writer and NOT BEING ABLE TO WRITE!That was Oli. He had a 10 mo...
S3 Ep15: Emma Healey
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello again. This time out we're having a nice sit down with author Emma Healey. Her debut novel, Elizabeth is Missing, (which has been described as "...
S3 Ep14: £500 flash fiction contest - entry details!
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
DO YOU LIKE WRITING?DO YOU LIKE FREE MONEY?WHAT ABOUT HILARIOUS AND GOBSMACKING PODCASTING?Yeah? Well then blummin' well enter the Failing Writers Pod...
S3 Ep13: A chat with Patrick Ness
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This time out we chat with award-winning, best-selling Patrick Ness. Author of young adult books, including The Chaos Walking trilogy and A Monster Ca...
S3 Ep12: Where does the word etymology come from?
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Well, in answer to the question in the title... we're not sure. We should have asked our guests really - because they are self-confessed word-nerds. A...
S3 Ep11: Storytime!
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello there. Welcome to our little podcast. Do you like stories? Would you like to hear some now? Well click play, and you'll get to listen to load...
S3 Ep10: Crime Writing with Mark Billingham
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You might know Mark Billingham as the prolific and award winning crime fiction author. We know him as a really nice bloke who we had a really lovely c...
S3 Ep9: Jack Meggitt-Phillips
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This time out we talk to middle-grade kids' author Jack Meggitt-Phillips. We chat about his big break, about badgers and sexy fizzy drinks bottles. Yo...
S3 Ep8: A (Joanna) Frank Discussion About The World Of Publishing
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week we talked to Louise Voss, who spoke to us about her first agent, Joanna Frank. So, this week we talk to Joanna Frank, who speaks to us about...
S3 Ep7: That's it, I quit...
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello. Look at you reading the show notes! So... what have we got to tell you about? Erm, well, I guess the main bit is that we're talking to author L...
S3 Ep6: Laura Barton Interview
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fancy going for a spin with us? ‘Cos we’re about to head off in this ole, beat up Cadillac. Laura Barton is at the wheel and she’s got the windo...
S3 Ep5: There was a podcast about limericks...
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello. Welcome to our limerick special! In celebration of National Limerick Day, on the 12th of May, we’ve had a good delve into where limericks cam...
S3 Ep4: Ian McMillan
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eh up Chucks. Int’ episode this week, we bants wit’ Bard o’ Barnsley ‘imsen, like.Ye know the fella: that one who does all that poetry, and is...
S3 Ep3: ChatGPT, Kasim Ali and Orcs
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This time out, we talk about Andy Stanton working with AI on his next book - and discuss whether that's a bit naughty of him or not. We also take a lo...
S3 Ep2: Stuart Turton
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hello again! This week we're having a chat with Stuart Turton, author of "The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" and "The Devil and the Dark Water". W...
S3 Ep1: Elaborating on collaborating
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just a little episode, to say "Welcome to season 3". This week join Jon and Tom to have a chat about what it was like to (try and) work together on ou...
S2 Ep31: Finally... we pitch Poker Night
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are you ready for a BRAND NEW SEASON of the Failing Writers Podcast? Of course you are!! Well... you'll need to wait a bit longer. We've got to finish...
S2 Ep30: End of season-ish
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some will be sad. Some may be happy for what has been. Many will call it an “end of an error”. Well, you know what, they might all be right. This ...
S2 Ep29: Lucy Porter interview
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Comedy star Lucy Porter joins us this week, to have a good old natter about comedy, quiz shows and cephaloporn. Plus she throws a few shiny pearls of ...
S2 Ep28: Halloween and Sunyi Dean
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A little bit of a spooky special this week, as we reveal the winner of our Trick or Tweet Halloween writing competition and we welcome author of The B...
S2 Ep27: Talking Pitching with TV Exec Saskia Schuster
23 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're after some tips and tricks to help us when we pitch our Poker Night idea. So, we've asked Sakia Schuster to come on. She's worked for ...
S2 Ep26: The Episode That Was Never Meant To Be
16 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Well, we weren't actually going to do an episode this week. What with our various domestic dramas and general time shortages, we thought our time woul...
S2 Ep25: National Poetry Day 2022
09 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We celebrate National Poetry Day with some “free writing”, as we go for a little paddle in the stream of consciousness. Four minutes of furious wr...
S2 Ep24: We have a winner!
02 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our love story flash fiction competition (in association with the delightful folk at Scrivener) comes to a thrilling finale as we announce the two run...
S2 Ep23: Quite a long longlist
25 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you entered our Love story flash fiction competition? Well, we're announcing the winner next week, but this week we're giving you a sneek peak of...
S2 Ep22: An enthricing chat about not much
18 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a guest we're expecting doesn't show up... and we've got no other time to record the show. So, we just have to go with it, put our big boy ...
S2 Ep21: Talking with Evan S Smith
11 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We thought it was time we got a bit of expert advice from a professor of sitcomology, to help us progress our Poker Night project (which we've been re...
S2 Ep20: Developing Characters
04 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Having trouble developing your characters in your writing? Well, we are too. Thankfully though, Jon has had a clever little idea that we explore in th...
S2 Ep19: On the other Rand (plus the competition entry details!)
28 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Looking for all the info on how to enter our £300 competition, brought to you in association with Scrivener? Well, you’ll find it right here - alon...
S2 Ep18: Benjamin Stevenson - AND ANOTHER BIG COMPETITION!!
21 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Interviewees. Every podcast needs good interviewees. And with a little understanding, you can find the perfect chap - that's when good interviewees, b...
S2 Ep17: Janice Horton - The Backpacking Housewife
24 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As well as having a lovely, lovely chat with Janice about her romantic fiction work, we also subject her to our own "love" stories. She's kind enough ...