Episodes
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62. Writing the Slasher (with Tom Keane and Ryan Avery)
Whether you're a Wes Craven purist or prefer the modern instalments of the Scream franchise, the affection for the Slasher genre is an enduring one. But how do we, as writers, approach writing a Slasher? What tropes do we involve? What are the crucial components for the style and atmosphere? Can…
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61. Benefits of a Professional Editor (with Gary Dalkin)
As an author, have you ever wondered what an editor actually does? Or, indeed, should you be employing one yourself? Gary Dalkin from To the Last Word and Cadence Publishing comes along to the show to shed some light on what an author—editor relationship looks like, how an editor can aid your...
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[Bonus] Self-Publishing as a Legitimate Option (with Chloe Caldicott, Alex Colvin and Collin Glavac)
Is self-publishing still for vanity projects, or a last resort for authors who couldn’t make it on the traditional side? Obviously not, but what misconceptions and ignorance do they face these days? What challenges do they encounter in getting their work out there? And what opportunities have…
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60. How Memoir Can Shape Your Fiction (and Vice Versa) (with Cecilia Maddison)
On this show, we view creative non-fiction and life writing as a different beast to writing prose. But can the skills you use for one transfer well to the other? Or is there a bunch of bad habits you have to look out for? In this episode, we explore how memoir writing can assist you in your...
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59. The Gangster on Film (with Zak Fenning)
From the Mafioso to the East End heavy, the gangster has taken many forms across history. This episode takes the character, and the genre, of the gangster apart, exploring common traits, plotlines, and ways in which writers can tackle them moving forward. We’re joined on this occasion by director...
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58. Understanding Speculative Fiction (with Eve Smith)
What is Speculative Fiction and how does one approach writing it for the first time? Alternative histories and realities, world issues gone mad, all these things are encompassed under the Speculative Fiction umbrella. Acclaimed author Eve Smith joins us to lend her specialist knowledge. *** For...
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57. The Western (with Nathanael Hummel)
This week, we tackle the realm of sheriffs, saloons and (gun)slinging, as well as the less stereotypical elements of writing a Western, whether in prose or on screen. Author and fellow writing podcaster, Nathanael Hummel joins us to lend us his understanding. *** For more on Nathanael and his…
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56. Constructing Fantasy for Children (with Jacob North)
As a genre with its complexities, how do authors tackle making fantasy accessible and understandable to younger readers? Author of Ice Apprentices, Jacob North, lends his expertise in this Series 6 premiere. *** For more on Jacob and his work, follow him on Instagram @jacobnorthauthor *** Follow…
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Season 6 Trailer – The Dale Hurst Writing Show
The Dale Hurst Writing Show is back, once again deep diving into the worlds of writing, publishing and storytelling, with everything from fantasy for younger readers to character creation in tabletop role-playing games. Season 6 begins on Thursday 6 August. This is a public episode. If you would...
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55. A Conversation at Christmas (with A.J. West)
Changing up the Christmas episode come season finale format, we're joined by acclaimed author and journalist A.J. West for a chat about everything that went into his novel, The Betrayal of Thomas True, plus a mutual love of Dickens, and, of course, a little bit of Christmas. *** For more on A.J....
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54. Scriptwriting for Video Games (with Noe Sawaya)
After nearly five whole series, we've finally ticked something off our topic bucket list. How does one go about writing scripts for video games? What does a video game script even look like? And how easy is it to get into games publishing? These are just a handful of the questions put to our…
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53. The Essentials of Interactive Storytelling (with Bradford Gyori)
From Choose-Your-Own-Adventure stories all the way to Black Mirror's "Bandersnatch", where do we start when it comes to crafting immersive and interactive stories? Can we take it beyond the page, and indeed, even beyond the realms of fiction? Our guest expert for the episode is Dr Bradford Gyori,...
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52. Cypriot Gothic (with Minos Papas and Jordan Walters)
In time for spooky season, it's our annual trip into the horror genre. Or rather, on this occasion, the gothic. Specifically the part of gothic that centres around Cypriot folklore. For this, we look into the defining text, "Motherwitch", a film by our first guest, writer and director Minos…
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[Bonus] A Conversation with Zayden Lindsay
In this bonus edition, we catch up with performance poet Zayden Lindsay, tapping into his experiences as a poet writing specifically for performance. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains performances of poetry that tackle themes that some listeners may find distressing. This is a public…
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51. The Art of Spy Fiction (with Terrance Layhew)
Forgive us in advance: a lot of James Bond talk is incoming... Author Terrance Layhew discusses the keys to a successful piece of espionage fiction, the need for a flawed protagonist, for cars, cocktails and casinos, and more. CONTENT WARNING: Contains some strong language. *** For more on…
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50. Unanswered Questions and Silhouettes (with special guest presenters James Boxall and Aaron Hayes)
A milestone for The Dale Hurst Writing Show, as we present this, our 50th episode. Former podcasting pals James Boxall and Aaron Hayes kick Dale out of the presenter's chair and into the guest hotseat for a special interview, looking back on the podcast as it stands, and find out more about the...
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49. Influencers and Social Media Stars (with Max James Walker)
Just to note, this isn't an episode advising how to achieve social media stardom. Rather, we're examining how influencers and social media "personalities" can be used as characters and what narrative opportunities they can present. We're joined by the award-winning filmmaker, director and writer...
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48. Mixing Magic and Politics (with Fin Cattanach)
It might not be obvious from the outset how much of a role politics plays in some of your favourite magical fantasy stories, but it's there. How can we, as writers, use this to our advantage? Whether to advance the development of our characters, both heroic and villainous, but also to enrich our...
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47. The Dos and Don'ts of Character Development (with Iqbal Hussain)
One of the most important -- if not THE most important -- element of any fiction writing is character development. A key pain point in the mind of every practising author, and, especially these days, a target for criticism from readers of every calibre. So, what is correct character development...
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46. World War II Stories (with Matt Hardman)
Now in association with The Bournemouth Journal 2025 marks 80 years since the end of World War II, that notoriously bloody and multifaceted conflict spanning 1939–45, encompassing infamous battles, political machinations and, of course, the Holocaust. So, how do we tackle this period from a…
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Season 5 Trailer – The Dale Hurst Writing Show
The Dale Hurst Writing Show is returning with yet another series of discussions about the things that fascinate and frustrate in the worlds of writing, publishing and storytelling. Season 5 begins Thursday 31 July. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers...
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45. Christmas Reunion III (with Ryan Avery, Mariia Brega, Dan Buckley and Jordan Pace)
It's time for another Christmas reunion episode as we bring yet another season to a close. This year, we bring you three wise mini-subjects, and insights from three former guests and one brand-new visitor! First, we welcome back screenwriter Ryan Avery, along with newcomer producer Mariia Brega…
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44. "Do Any of Your Characters Die Normally?" (with Oscar Mendoza)
A question that dates beyond this podcast's inception, and an episode that's been on the docket since Season 1. And now, we bring author Oscar Mendoza (Memories of Baphomet) to help us answer how to kill characters off, and is there such a thing as too dramatic a death scene? This is a public...
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43. The Storytelling Side of Drag (with Zack of all Tradezzz)
For our annual left-field visit, we're examining the parallels between storytelling and character creation techniques and the creating of a Drag persona and act. Here to help us delve into the details is Drag King Zack of all Tradezzz. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...
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42. Writing Difficult Topics: Eating Disorders (with Alfie James)
We're in serious territory again as we learn about writing another more potentially challenging subject. This time around, it's eating disorders, and to shed light on this, we invited playwright, actor and theatre maker Alfie James, the mind behind the play "What's Eating Gilbert?" that ran…
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41. Scaring on Screen (with Andrea M Catinella)
In time for spooky season, we're back on the horror genre. We've covered the horror novel and the horror play... but what about the horror movie? Director, screenwriter and producer Andrea M Catinella joins to discuss the filmmaking techniques that go into making something scary on the screen....
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40. Mapping your Fantasy Realms (with Lee Dawson)
Fantasy fans know where to find Mordor, Rivendell, Casterly Rock and Winterfell in their heads, but where do they fall on maps of their respective realms? How does a fantasy author go about plotting the locations of their cities, rivers, mountains and more? And how are these locations crucial to...
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39. Independently Publishing Poetry (with Karishma Natu and Ben Whittall)
Combining two favourite themes for this week's episode, we apply experiences of independent publishing to poetry specifically. And who better to lend their insights to two recently published poets? Karishma Natu, whose second book "Under Orange Blossom" will be released imminently, while Ben...
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38. Fresh Spins on Sci-Fi (with D.C. Eastman)
It seems like absolutely forever since we did an episode on the science fiction genre, so here we are, pontificating fresh spins on a saturated area of creative writing. Author D.C. Eastman joins us for a discussion that includes some psychological musings, thoughts on lucid dreams, and the curse...
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37. Writing the Anthology Format (with Asad Moghal)
Ever wondered how writers construct series like Black Mirror and American Horror Story? Screenwriter Asad Moghal brings along insights from his own comedy series, Patterns (available on Amazon Prime), to discuss writing the anthology format for screen. This is a public episode. If you would like…
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36. Crafting Adventure Fiction (with L.S. Goozdich)
We're kicking our Season 4 proceedings off by taking you on an adventure. Or at least delving into the ins and outs of writing adventure stories. The author of Vipers and Red Rocks and Retaliation Mountain, as well as the pulp series The Noah Redford Adventures, L.S. Goozdich is the one steering...
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Season 4 Trailer – The Dale Hurst Writing Show
We can't stop podcasting this year. A brand-new season – our fourth, to be precise – is on its way to your ears in just a few days. Here's a taste of what's to come in The Dale Hurst Writing Show in Season 4. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or…
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[Bonus] Q&A Compilation #2 (with special guest presenters Amber Collins and Prajvi Mandhani) (at Bournemouth Writing Festival)
Some more mini-interviews with the varied and talented creatives that visited The Dale Hurst Writing Show at Bournemouth Writing Festival 2024. They speak to our special guest presenters Prajvi and Amber about what they write, why the writer, their favourite characters and scenes, and their...
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[Bonus] Q&A Compilation #1 (with special guest presenters Amber Collins and Prajvi Mandhani) (at Bournemouth Writing Festival)
To round off our mini series taking place at Bournemouth Writing Festival 2024, we bring you two bonus episodes featuring special guest presenters Amber Collins and Prajvi Mandhani. They put The Dale Hurst Writing Show's Q&A questions to some of the varied and talented creatives that they met...
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35. Writing Your Memoirs (with Beverley Glick) (at Bournemouth Writing Festival)
In a first for The Dale Hurst Writing Show, we welcomed Beverley Glick, author of "In Your Own Words", just after her talk at Bournemouth Writing Festival 2024 to discuss writing memoirs. What is the distinction between memoir and autobiography? And what, if anything, is off-limits for life...
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34. Defining the Poetic Voice (with Emilie Fiirgaard Rasmussen) (at Bournemouth Writing Festival)
Poet and my fellow Bournemouth University alum Emilie Fiirgaard Rasmussen joined The Dale Hurst Writing Show to talk about the considerations that go into defining one's poetic voice. ********** Presenter: Dale Hurst Production Assistants: Amber Collins, Prajvi Mandhani This is a public episode.…
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33. Describing Smells (with Liam R Findlay) (at Bournemouth Writing Festival)
Author and scent expert Liam R Findlay dropped by our digs at Bournemouth Writing Festival 2024 to discuss the oft-forgotten smell sense and its role in descriptive writing. Featuring a tiny snippet of his book "The Doomtown Dummies". ********** Presenter: Dale Hurst Production Assistants: Amber...
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32. Transferring Novelist and Screenwriter Techniques (with Lucy V Hay) (at Bournemouth Writing Festival)
Novelist and founder of Bang2Write Lucy V Hay popped along to The Dale Hurst Writing Show at Bournemouth Writing Festival 2024 for a little chat about what skills and techniques that transfer well between writing prose and writing for screen. ********** Presenter: Dale Hurst Production…
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31. Why Take Part in a Writing Festival? (with Dominic Wong) (for Bournemouth Writing Festival)
We've brought The Dale Hurst Writing Show to Bournemouth Writing Festival 2024, with a special mini-series of episodes featuring writers, facilitators and more. And we find out much more about what's to come at the end of April from the festival's director and founder, marketing consultant and...
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30. Christmas Reunion II (with Alex Colvin, Tazy Harrison-Moore, Conor Ó'Cuinn, Daniel Riccio and Jamie Webb)
Drawing a line under another season by reuniting with some old friends from previous episodes. We talk with all of them about their favourite Christmas stories, as well as: Author Alex Colvin joins us to talk about his new work-in-progress, Electric Heist, and we muse on the rises of…
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29. Storytelling with a Soundtrack (with Jordan Pace)
Something a little different for the last real discussion episode of the season. The podcast has had musicians on before, but this time, we're joined by award-nominated composer and producer Jordan Pace, who sheds light on the ways that soundtracks and scores are used to assist the storytelling...
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28. Conception to Completion: Scripting a TV Series (with Ryan Avery)
How do you go from a story idea to the formation of an entire TV series? An ambition for our host and a reality for our guest. Screenwriter Ryan Avery reflects on the writing process of over 400 pages of TV series script. Plus debunking the storytelling and character development flaws in certain...
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27. Scaring on Stage (with Justin McDevitt)
We all know a good horror movie when we see one, and we heard last season about how to write horror in novels and short stories. But what about in theatre? What are the creative considerations required to successfully write something scary for the stage? As our Halloween special for the season…
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26. How Much Magic is Too Much? (with E.B. Hunter)
In the realms of fantasy and science fiction (among other genres), magic is the sort of thing that, without observing a few rules, could risk being overused (or underused). The question is, where does the line get drawn? Fantasy and horror author E.B. Hunter is our guest helping to answer this....
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25. Writing Difficult Topics: Knife Crime and County Lines (with Ashley Hickson-Lovence)
Hitting the halfway point of the season and once again turning our attention to some tougher topics that we writers sometimes try to cover in our work. Novelist and academic Ashley Hickson-Lovence joins to discuss the themes of knife crime and county lines, which are prevalent in his upcoming…
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24. The Commissioning Department (with Abbie Rutherford)
Ever wondered how to get past the commissioning department at a publishing company, at the first stages of the publishing process? Freelance editor and proofreader Abbie Rutherford, who at one time also worked as commissioning assistant at Bloodhound Books, lends her expertise to the inner…
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23. Filmmaking at an Independent Level (with Bertie Brosnan)
It's a film-based episode this time around, discussing how to navigate the writing and production processes for creating films at an independent level. Helping answer these questions is special guest Bertie Brosnan, who draws on his diverse expertise and experience as a screenwriter, filmmaker,...
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22. Channelling the Cost of Living Crisis (with Winston "Mayor" Lindsay, ft. Zayden Lindsay)
We know you may be thinking we want to NOT think about the ongoing cost of living crisis. But don't worry... we've kept it writing-centric. Nationally acclaimed poet Winston "Mayor" Lindsay joins us for a chat about his recent work, which channels themes of the cost of living crisis. His son and...
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21. Writing Difficult Topics: Female Honour (with Awais Khan)
To kick off the third season premiere of The Dale Hurst Writing Show, Dale examines writing about the challenging subject of female honour and honour killings. Novelist Awais Khan, whose book No Honour covers such themes, offers his insights and experiences. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains...
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Season 3 Trailer – The Dale Hurst Writing Show
The Dale Hurst Writing Show is back for a third season – have a listen to find out what you can expect. Or for more information, visit www.dale-hurst.com/podcast This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...