Platypus Novel

This week we’re talking about writing a novel because guess what? Tom wrote a novel.

We also discuss some other guy who uses the pseudonym of Tom Reynolds, SAG name rules, the other Mark Wahlberg and maybe the most horrific episode of a game show ever thanks to Fox’s now canceled ‘Moment of Truth’.

After that’s out of the way attention is turned to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), where thousands and thousands of people around the world try to crank out a full length novel in just one month’s time. We give advice from famous writers whose names we cannot remember, talk about Stephen King’s thirst for revenge, and take a look at Amazon’s Top Ten Bestselling Books of 2012 and look at how to take elements from all of them to guarantee yourself a spot on 2014’s list.


This week's episode is brought to you by Audible. Get a free audiobook download and 30-day trial by signing up at tcgte.com/audible.

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Writing A Novel

An extract from the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of A Long Way Down,
Nick Hornby's hilarious bestseller about strangers and secrets, now a major motion picture starring Rosamund Pike and Pierce Brosnan. 

'Can I explain why I wanted to jump off the top of a tower block?'

For disgraced TV presenter Martin Sharp the answer's pretty simple: he has, in his own words, 'pissed his life away'. And on New Year's Eve, he's going to end it all ... But not, as it happens, alone. Because first single-mum Maureen, then eighteen-year-old Jess and lastly American rock-god JJ turn up and crash Martin's private party. They've stolen his idea - but brought their own reasons.

Yet it's hard to jump when you've got an audience queuing impatiently behind you. A few heated words and some slices of cold pizza later and these four strangers are suddenly allies. But is their unlikely friendship a good enough reason to carry on living?

Read by Nicky Henson, Pauline Mclynn, Beattie Edmondson and Christopher Ragland.

Nick Hornby: A Long Way Down (Audiobook extract) Read by Pauline McLynn

Swizzle your ears for some of the finest, most fantastic first words every written, spoken and dreamt. Stay tuned for more extracts from Roald Dahl’s best loved children’s stories and if you like what you hear then visit the Apple App. Store to download the Audiobooks App for free!
With fantastic features including free access to the first chapter of every title, in–app purchase to continue the story and the ability to stream the audiobooks, the Roald Dahl Audiobooks App is available from the App Store on iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.


Roald Dahl: Boy read by Dan Stevens

Michael Lewis, the Master of the Big Story, is back with Flash Boys

If you thought Wall Street was about alpha males standing in trading pits hollering at each other, think again. That world is dead.

Now, the world's money is traded by computer code, inside black boxes in heavily guarded buildings. Even the experts entrusted with your cash don't know what's happening to it. And the very few who do aren't about to tell - because they're making a killing.

This is a market that's rigged, out of control and out of sight; a market in which the chief need is for speed; and in which traders would sell their grandmothers for a microsecond. Blink, and you'll miss it.

In Flash Boys, Michael Lewis tells the explosive story of how one group of ingenious oddballs and misfits set out to expose what was going on. It's the story of what it's like to declare war on some of the richest and most powerful people in the world. It's about taking on an entire system. And it's about the madness that has taken hold of the financial markets today.

You won't believe it until you've read it.

'I read Michael Lewis for the same reasons I watch Tiger Woods. I'll never play like that. But it's good to be reminded every now and again what genius looks like' - Malcolm Gladwell

'Probably the best current writer in America' - Tom Wolfe

Michael Lewis was born in New Orleans and educated at Princeton University and the London School of Economics. He has written several books including the New York Times bestsellers Liar's Poker, widely considered the book that defined Wall Street during the 1980s, Boomerang and The Big Short, 'probably the single best piece of financial journalism ever written' (Reuters). Lewis is contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and also writes for Vanity Fair and Portfolio magazine.

You can buy the ebook <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/flash-boys/id822026099?mt=11">here</a>

Michael Lewis: Flash Boys (Audiobook extract) Read by Dylan Baker

This May, Pelican’s back!
 
What was this iconically blue bird all about? What did it publish? And most importantly, why do we need it today? 
 
We have the imprint’s editor Laura Stickney to tell us why we’re bringing back Pelican. We speak to our in-house designer Matthew Young, who has been a part of bringing Pelicans alive on the page, in bookshops and online. And finally, we fly off to the Bristol Festival of Ideas, to hear the economist Ha-Joon Chang. Enjoy.
 
Pelicans are now in stores around the world. Visit pelicanbooks.com to read the first chapters of the first five titles for free.


The Penguin Podcast: Pelican Books

Debbie Millman reads from Dani Shapiro's "Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life" – more here: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/06/02/dani-shapiro-design-matters-interview

Excerpted from https://soundcloud.com/designmatters

MORE / TRANSCRIPT

Debbie Millman reads Dani Shapiro's advice to writers

This summer we're hitting the road with #penguinjourneys, and the Penguin Podcast is coming along for the ride. The wonderful Clare Balding, author of My Animals and Other Family and new book Walking Home (out this autumn), introduces this jet-setting episode. 

We have also teamed up with our friends at Rough Guides to give you top travel tips for each continent along the way. Head over to http://www.roughguides.com/ for more summer travel inspiration and join us on Twitter for an #askapenguin #penguinjourneys special with the expert travel team at Rough Guides on the 8th August. 

Now settle down and listen to the amazing journeys and the audiobooks we've matched them to. Let us know where your #penguinjourneys are taking you this summer, and what books you're taking with you, over on Twitter and Facebook. 

You can pre-order Clare's new book, Walking Home here: http://www.clarebalding.co.uk/news/walking-home-my-family-and-other-rambles and you can buy all the books featured in the campaign over on iTunes (opens in iTunes): http://po.st/PenguinJourneysiTunes

Keep up with all our travels this summer and follow the #penguinjourneys board over on Pinterest: http://po.st/PJpins

Join the #penguinjourneys discussion on Penguin Facebook and Twitter:

https://www.facebook.com/penguinbooks

https://twitter.com/PenguinUKBooks

Happy travels listener!

The Penguin Podcast: Penguin Journeys feat. Clare Balding, Gruff Rhys and a Roald Dahl short story

Transcript and background: http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/09/25/william-faulkner-university-of-virginia-recording/

TRANSCRIPT / DETAILS

William Faulkner on writing

Exclusive listen of the new thriller from bestselling author and creator of Netflix's Fool Me Once, Harlan Coben. Narrated by Steven Weber.

Think Twice by Harlan Coben - EXCLUSIVE CLIP

Alan Bennett reads five much-loved stories by Kenneth Grahame, Lewis Carroll and AA Milne.

Alan Bennett’s distinctive readings of these cherished children’s stories have become classics in their own right. Portraying each character in his own inimitable fashion, his delightfully expressive voice perfectly conveys the sparkling humour, charm and magic of these timeless tales.

The Wind in the Willows tells the classic story of Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad (of Toad Hall) and their waterside adventures.

Alice in Wonderland sees Alice following a white rabbit down a hole and embarking on a series of adventures with some of the most weird and wonderful characters ever encountered.

Through the Looking Glass continues Alice’s adventures, as she sees another world in the looking glass and wishes she could go there.

In a selection of stories from Winnie-the-Pooh, Pooh goes visiting and gets into a tight place, Eeyore loses a tail, Piglet meets a Heffalump, Eeyore has a birthday, and an ‘expotition’ to the North Pole is mounted. T

he House at Pooh Corner finds Pooh and Piglet building a house for Eeyore, whilst Tigger comes to the forest and has breakfast. Piglet nearly meets the Heffalump again, Pooh invents a new game, and Owl moves house.

Duration: 7 hours 50 mins approx.


Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1113083/alan-bennett-reads-childhood-classics/#pv49LerKlhMlYSs9.99

Alan Bennett Reads Childhood Classics (BBC Audiobook Extract)

On this episode I chat to author Nate Crowley about ideas - specifically the incubation, hatching and rearing thereof. Lots of discussion of how to generate ideas, how you know when an idea is ready, how to turn an idea into a story, as well as in-depth chat about world-building, good and bad. We go quite deep into a lot of SF, Fantasy and genre chat, but the talk should be accessible for all authors who care about ideas and originality and giving their readers an experience they won't soon forget.

If you enjoy this episode and want to read work by Nate Crowley(as well as supporting him and the podcast) then use the links below:

100 Best Video Games (That Never Existed): https://wordery.com/100-best-video-games-that-never-existed-nate-crawley-9781781086148#oid=1908_1

The Death and Life Of Schneider Wrack: https://wordery.com/the-death-and-life-of-schneider-wrack-nate-crowley-9781781085561#oid=1908_1

We also mention China Mieville's Perdido Street Station: https://wordery.com/perdido-street-station-china-mieville-9780330534239#oid=1908_1

And Lauren Beukes' Zoo City: https://wordery.com/zoo-city-lauren-beukes-9780316267922#=oid1908_1

If you haven't read either, check them out!

Oh, and buy my novel, The Honours: https://wordery.com/the-honours-tim-clare-9781782114765?cTrk#oid=1908_1

Death OF 1000 Cuts - Season 2 Episode 6 - Chat With Nate Crowley

Sick Rap/Trap Beat (Prod.Ahtisham Emcee)
FREE for NON-PROFIT ONLY

Mask on

Sick Rap/Trap Beat | Hard Rap Beat Instrumental 2019 (prod.PaKi BeAtS)

Digital - http://smarturl.it/pelicans-we
CD/12" Vinyl: https://www.musicglue.com/cosmosheldrake/

Recorded by Cosmo Sheldrake. Mixed by alalal and mastered at The Exchange London.

Website - www.cosmosheldrake.com/
Facebook - www.facebook.com/cosmosheldrakemusic
Twitter - twitter.com/cosmosheldrake
YouTube - www.youtube.com/user/comsosheldrake

Download/Stream

Rich (Ft. Anndreyah Vargas)

Narrated by Charlie Mackesy.

Brought to you by Penguin.

Discover the universal tale of four unlikely friends that has captured the hearts of readers of all ages, now available in audio.

Charlie Mackesy's mesmerizing debut combines the simplicity of "The Giving Tree", magic of "The Velveteen Rabbit" and the curiosity of "Paddington" - Elisabeth Egan, New York Times

Experience the world of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love.

Charlie's words and illustrations have brought comfort to many and have been shared online by readers around the world, as well as on t-shirts for Comic Relief, on magazine covers, on street lampposts in lockdown, in school classrooms, local cafés, and hospital ward walls. They've even been used as screensavers for NHS hospital computers in difficult times.

The shared adventures and important conversations between the four friends are full of life lessons that have connected with readers of all ages.

Enjoy the journey of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse brought to life in audio by its author and illustrator Charlie Mackesy, with a beautiful music score and the real wildlife sounds of rural England.

© Charlie Mackesy 2019 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse - Introduction

This episode is all about the writing process, so naturally we've talked to a lot of our authors to find out what it is that inspires them, how they start off their writing day and what keeps them motivated.  Our authors are certainly kept busy, going on book tours and having interviews with journalists, all whilst they're writing another bestseller, so it was up to us to bring these special podcast interviews to them in a variety of different situations.

We telephoned Joanna Rossiter, author of The Sea Change, whilst she was having a quick break during a creative writing course she was teaching at in Dorset.  She's standing outside by the sea so there is quite a bit of wind, but we like to think it's atmospheric and very fitting with the title and themes of the book.

Next we grabbed Giovanna Fletcher, when she came to Penguin's offices for meetings, to tell us about her average day as a writer.  Her debut novel, Billy and Me, is a gorgeously romantic story about the redemptive power of love, and we couldn't help but all fall a little bit in love with Giovanna!

We also snuck in and asked Graeme Simsion about his writing methods when he was over from Australia promoting his hilarious book The Rosie Project, which features perhaps one of the most endearing characters of all time - Professor Don Tilman.  If you haven't "met" Don already, head over to Twitter and say Hi! @ProfDonTillman

We then have a reading from a rather unusual book by Latin America's greatest living writer Eduardo Galeano.  He provides a literary calendar in Children of the Days where each day brings with a story that really happened on that date, from all possible years and all corners of the world.  This reading is from today's (June 27th) entry entitled "We are all Guilty".

Next we have three of John Yorke's top tips for writing a screenplay.  John Yorke is the man behind some of the greatest UK dramas including Skins, Shameless, The White Queen and Wolf Hall and has recently written Into the Woods - a revelation of the fundamental structure and meaning of stories.

Finally, at this year's Puffin Party we went armed with a mic and recorder to ask a couple of quick questions to some of the best Children's authors of our time, including Jacqueline Wilson, Juliet Donaldson, Jeremy Strong, Meg Rosoff, Charlie Higson, Phil Earle, Michelle Paver and Cathy Cassidy.

The Penguin Podcast: The Writing Process feat. Graeme Simsion, Giovanna Fletcher and Meg Rosoff

Penguin Books publishes blockbusting, prize-winning, celebrated, controversial, heart-warming, thought-provoking and inspiring books by a range of authors from Ali Smith to Zadie Smith, Jeremy Clarkson to Jeremy Paxman and Jamie Oliver to Oliver Goldsmith.

The Penguin Podcast: The Writing Process feat. Graeme Simsion, Giovanna Fletcher and Meg Rosoff

Penguin Books UK

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