Anxiety and Panic Survey Hey friends. So if you listen to my podcast, Death Of 1000 Cuts, follow me on social media or know me in real life, you’ll probably know that I manage pretty bad anxiety and panic disorders. I’m working on a potential book about my experiences, and about my trying to finally … Read more

3 WEEKS IN THE LIFE OF A NEW BOOK A few listeners to the podcast have asked me for an update on how my new novel, The Ice House, has been selling. I thought it might be useful to break it down so you can see one example of what it’s like being an author … Read more

10 CHATS WITH AMAZING FANTASY AUTHORS Since my new Fantasy novel The Ice House is coming out (yes, this is a link to where you can buy it), I thought I’d share some of my favourite chats with Fantasy authors who’ve come on my podcast for writers, Death Of 1000 Cuts. I’ve always felt a … Read more

In today’s episode I answer a listener’s question about character motivation and stakes. How do you know whether the stakes in your story are enough to carry a whole novel? How do you stress test your protagonist’s motivation before writing the entire book? Why do some character goals seem to matter more than others? This … Read more

In this episode, author Tim Clare (that’s me) talks about what’s been going on in fiction writing this week. I discuss the dangers of writers’ semi-jokey fixation on productivity and ‘laziness’, and why I think it makes us sad while creating the very problem it claims to tackle. Then I dive into a topic I’ve … Read more

I hate ‘books of the year’ lists. Collectively, they read as a flurry of smug nepotism and glib, superficial blurb-swapping – an easy way to fill column space while Britain’s few remaining arts journalists wind down for the Christmas break. I don’t think that, individually, any of the authors polled are being deliberately back-slappy or … Read more

So with video games off the menu until the end of Lent, I just finished reading Northern Lights, the first book in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. Yes, yes, I know I’m way behind the times, but better late than never, eh? My verdict on the first book? Loved it. After years of editing … Read more