The Write and Wrong Podcast | Writing Tips, Book Publishing and Literary Agents

Sunday Times best-selling author C.J. Tudor joins the podcast to chat about her seventh novel, Serenity Falls. CJ discusses the book's premise—a supposedly perfect, crime-free Florida town with a suspiciously high mortality rate—and why it breaks her tradition of starting titles with the word "The". Whether you want to know how a "vomit draft" works or are curious about the realities of TV adaptations, this episode is packed with writing insights and publishing truths.
In this episode:
The plot of Serenity Falls, following a UK father and daughter who inherit a house in a disturbingly cheery Florida community with strict curfews and a dead body in their swimming pool.
Why Tudor considers herself a "pantser" who writes messy 30,000-word vomit drafts without planning, rather than meticulously plotting her novels.
Her experience having her novel The Burning Girls adapted into a television series by Paramount+ starring Samantha Morton, and why she prefers to leave screenwriting to the experts.
Tudor's unconventional path to publishing, from leaving school at 16 to working as a radio copywriter and dog walker before The Chalk Man sparked a massive publishing auction.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & The Disturbingly Cheery Town of Serenity Falls
05:04 - Breaking Title Traditions & The "Vomit Draft" Process
15:58 - The Realities of Being a Debut Author vs. Career Longevity
21:39 - The Cabin Book Choice: The Shining by Stephen King
24:17 - Adapting The Burning Girls for Television
33:10 - From Radio Copywriter and Dog Walker to Bestselling Author
49:26 - Final Advice: Write What You Love and Don't Chase Trends
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Epic fantasy author Marvellous Michael Anson joins the podcast to discuss Heir of the Shadow, the highly anticipated sequel to Firstborn of the Sun coming out on November 26th. Marve breaks down how she built her Yoruba-inspired fantasy world where characters harness the power of the sun, and how a flight over the snow-capped Sahara Desert sparked the entire magic system. From navigating the transition between indie self-publishing and traditional publishing to querying Curtis Brown with a targeted spreadsheet, this episode offers a deep dive into the business and craft of writing.
In This Episode, We Cover:
How Marve uses anime like Fire Force and Avatar: The Last Airbender as visual research to create grounded, everyday magic systems involving heat and cold energy.
The immense challenge of writing a middle book and why plotting the complex succession timeline of her Yoruba-inspired court required massive whiteboards at her publisher's office.
The harsh realities of the publishing industry, including treating a book like a product rather than a precious baby, and the rollercoaster of losing an agent and a day job in the same summer.
Actionable querying strategies, including using Publishers Marketplace to build a targeted spreadsheet that ultimately landed her dual representation with Curtis Brown.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & The World of Firstborn of the Sun
04:01 - Worldbuilding, the Sahara Desert & Anime Magic Systems
17:58 - "Middle Child Syndrome" & Writing Heir of the Shadow
30:36 - The Cabin Book Choice: Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola
32:01 - Boarding School Journals & Self-Publishing His Dark Reflections
44:19 - Losing an Agent, Querying Dystopian Fiction & Signing with Curtis Brown
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Veteran game writer and Netflix Find Your Voice Award winner Max Doty joins us to discuss his debut horror novel, The House that Eats the Dead. Max shares how his viral short stories on the r/NoSleep subreddit caught the eye of a literary agent and led to a two-book publishing deal. He also details his transition from writing interactive mobile game narratives to traditional publishing, and why learning to take collaborative feedback is essential for a long writing career.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The genesis of The House that Eats the Dead, a story about a house that consumes dead things and erases them from existence, and how it evolved from a Reddit post into a full-length novel.
Max's background writing interactive narratives for mobile games like Surviving High School and Choices, and his surreal experience winning a Netflix screenwriting contest.
The differences between the immediate validation of posting on internet forums versus the long, solitary process of traditional publishing.
Actionable writing advice, including how to use spreadsheet gamification to hit a 2,000-word daily goal and why you should never be "Dr. No" in a creative brainstorm.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & The Premise of The House that Eats the Dead
05:37 - Going Viral on Reddit's NoSleep & Landing an Agent
14:55 - Winning a Netflix Screenwriting Contest
20:53 - Writing Advice: Collaboration and Taking Feedback
25:42 - The Cabin Book Choice: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
31:00 - Writing for EA, Surviving High School, and Mobile Games
36:30 - The Rules of r/NoSleep and the Psychology of Internet Publishing
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Literary agent Mia Dakin joins us this week to chat about her start in publishing and building her list of authors from scratch at Greene & Heaton. Mia tells us about finding her first author through Instagram, the specific fiction genres she is looking for, and the influx of AI submissions to the agency. Whether you are an aspiring writer trying to perfect your cover letter or just curious about the literary agenting process, this episode is packed with behind-the-scenes insights.
In This Episode, We Cover:
How Mia transitioned from a publishing master's at UCL to a full-time agenting role at Greene & Heaton.
What she is actively looking for in submissions, including multi-generational sagas, clever retellings, and locked-room mysteries.
The agency's strict stance on AI-generated submissions, why AI flattens creative work, and how publisher contracts are explicitly adapting to prohibit AI use.
Actionable advice for querying writers, including how to effectively use comparative titles by explaining their relevance, and why you should always have beta readers proofread your cover letter and synopsis.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & Getting into Publishing
06:22 - Building an Author List & Finding Writers on Instagram
11:40 - Genres, Retellings, and Manuscript Wishlists
24:43 - The Cabin Book Choice: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
30:00 - AI in Submissions and Publishing Contracts
39:23 - Cover Letter Tips, Comp Titles & Synopsis Advice
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Hugo Award-winning fantasy author Alix E. Harrow joins us this week to chat about her novel, The Everlasting, coming out in paperback on October 8th. Alix talks about how she taught herself to write through short fiction, which lead to landing a two-book deal after one of her short stories caught the eye of an editor, and why authors need to recognise how much luck is involved with publishing.
Whether you are an aspiring writer trying to navigate the submission process or a devoted reader curious about how your favourite fantasy books hit the shelves, this episode is packed with behind-the-scenes insights.
How Alix uses short stories as "training wheels" to experiment with different tones, perspectives, and concepts before committing to a full-length novel.
The psychological realities of writing, including why first drafts are genuinely bad and how commercial success can actually tighten the internal pressure to perform.
The incredible luck and timing of getting direct messages from an agent and an editor on Twitter that led to her first book deal.
Actionable advice for writers looking to get published, including why you must prioritise improving your craft and forming sincere friendships with fellow authors.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & Deconstructing Knighthood in The Everlasting
04:10 - Navigating Author Anxiety and the Writing Process
13:24 - The Freedom and Experimentation of Short Fiction
24:14 - Finding Ambition and Early Sci-Fi Influences
30:35 - Submitting to Magazines and Landing an Agent
52:33 - Final Advice for Writers and Navigating the Industry
Support the show on Patreon! 💖 And get extended episodes, ad-free and a week ahead of everyone else. 🙏
For audio listeners:
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Listen to The Chosen Ones and Other Tropes, Jamie's other podcast with Melissa Welliver and Naomi Gibson! 📚
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