Imagination, Editing, and Writing with Steve Cole

My guest this week is Steve Cole, a bestselling children’s author of more than 200 books.  Those books cover many styles and children’s genres, with titles including the Astrosaurs and Young Bond ranges, Go to Sleep or I Let Loose the Leopard, and most recently, Drowning in my Bedroom. Steve is also the creative consultant for BBC Books' Doctor Who list, as well as project editing and writing titles. Steve and I talk about how TV influenced him as a child, beginning his career in editing, how he moved into writing—and how his editing background influences his writing—and more. Read this week's post, The World is Your Creative Fuel, here.   Episode breakdown: 00:00 Introduction 01:56 Creative child, loved words, invented imaginative worlds. 05:24 Teacher encouraged imaginative storytelling. 07:39 Writing became unexpected career path. 10:43 Fascination with Incredible Hulk, from production to details. 15:05 Influential writer Enid Blyton's office and typewriter. 16:59 Published short poems on aliens in space. 22:35 Manage 22 novels, videos, audios, and more for BBC Doctor Who range. 25:18 Transitioned from editing to writing children's books. 29:53 Managing editor at Ladybird, facing challenges. 32:13 Writing books on various popular children's shows. 36:48 Pitch: "Star Trek with dinosaurs. Instant publisher interest." 40:21 Authors be clever, editors be wise. 41:57 Juggling edits for US and UK publishers. 47:38 Doctor Who authors now pursue other endeavors. 50:06 Editing for renowned authors was thrilling and intimidating.   Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack. Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks! If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend. Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in Doctor Who and writing.