First Graft Podcast
Heidi James
Join writer Heidi James as she chats with a special guest to explore the creative process from scratch. From the first idea, the first marks on the blank page, wrong turns, successes, making a mess and completing the first draft. Listen to conversations about craft, the creative process, fear, procrastination and the hard graft behind the artwork we love.
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Top 10 First Graft Podcast Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best First Graft Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to First Graft Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite First Graft Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Prologue
First Graft Podcast
10/10/18 • 2 min
Welcome to First Graft! This is the mini-episode where I introduce myself.
Chapter one: The Mess
First Graft Podcast
10/12/18 • 12 min
Talking about making the mess, getting started, procrastination and reading a sneak peek of The Sound Mirror. Simone de Beauvoir and Susan Griffin get a mention (worshipped) and I confess my one of my fears.
04/12/19 • 60 min
Join me as I chat with Rónán about his novel, music, silence, making meaning, translation, writing and the wild creativity of family lexicons and fibs.
Read this book!
https://www.bluemoosebooks.com/books/leonard-and-hungry-paul
Chapter Thirteen -Incurring the Wrath of a Spiteful and Minor God
First Graft Podcast
03/29/19 • 16 min
Hey,
How're you?
This chapter we talk about writing in a colloquial voice; it's importance in reflecting diverse characters, but not misrepresenting or diminishing them. How do we do it? And do it well?
I share a short extract of the first draft of The Sound Mirror, where I'm working on voice.
Also I chat about the following books:
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan
The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
and
Lucia by Alex Pheby
Murmur by Will Eaves
Let me know what you're working on, who you'd like hear on the podcast and what you think about writing in a character's idiom.
Next chapter I have a special guest!
twitter - @heidipearljames
Facebook - First Graft
Chapter sixteen - Katherine Angel
First Graft Podcast
07/16/19 • 55 min
In this chapter I talk to the wonderful Katherine Angel, the author of Daddy Issues (Peninsula Press, 2019), and Unmastered: A Book On Desire, Most Difficult To Tell (Penguin, 2012). Her next book is called Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again, and will be published by Verso. Katherine teaches creative and critical writing at Birkbeck College, University of London, and has a PhD in the history and philosophy of sexuality and psychiatry from the University of Cambridge.
We talk about consent, complexity, Stranger Things, relationships, inspiration, Sophie MacKintosh's The Water Cure, Adam Phillips on Winnicott, writing ourselves into being, trusting the process and so much more.
See links below:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/unmastered/katherine-angel/9780718194772
https://www.waterstones.com/book/daddy-issues/katherine-angel/9781999922399
https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-water-cure/sophie-mackintosh/9780241983010
First Graft with Wendy Erskine
First Graft Podcast
12/02/24 • 58 min
In this episode I talk about make believe, dialogue, the minute ways characters (and all of us!) reveal themselves and paying close attention with Wendy Erskine.
Wendy Erskine is the author of two short story collections, Sweet Home and Dance Move, She has been listed for the Gordon Burn Prize, the Republic of Consciousness Prize, the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award and the Edge Hill Prize. She was awarded the Butler Prize for Literature and the Edge Hill Readers’ Prize. Dance Move was a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime. Her writing on arts of all kinds, from sculpture to body-building, has been published in the Guardian and the Quietus among others, and for PVA Books she edited well I just kind of like it, an anthology about art in the home and the home as art. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, she is a frequent broadcaster, interviewer and willing collaborator on all manner of projects. She is also a secondary school teacher in Belfast. Her debut novel The Benefactors will be published in June 2025.
https://cwagency.co.uk/client/wendy-erskine
https://www.instagram.com/wednesdayerskin/?hl=en-gb
Chapter fifteen: Chatting with Hetha Duffy, Editor and Co-owner of Bluemoose Books
First Graft Podcast
05/03/19 • 35 min
In this chapter I share some news... and chat with my editor Hetha Duffy about editing, our process, what to look out for in your work, what Hetha loves to read and she also gives us top tips on submitting your work and the intricacies of writing, editing and publishing.
Chapter Twelve: First Draft of Section One is Done
First Graft Podcast
02/07/19 • 18 min
Triumph, wobbles, anxiety and first draft trials...
So, had recorded the charming and talented Ronan Hession, author of Leonard and Hungry Paul but the quality wasn't good enough for you beauties... hence just me this chapter. I will be recording Ronan when he's in London promoting his book. Sorry Ronan!
If you would like to come on and discuss your work (ANY creative process not just literary endeavours) let me know, get in touch!
Books I mention this chapter are:
Dogwood by Lindsay Parnell
Mothlight by Adam Scovell
Union Street by Pat Barker
Chapter Eleven: Chatting with Sharon Duggal
First Graft Podcast
01/23/19 • 63 min
I chat with Sharon about writing her novel The Handsworth Times and her forthcoming novel, Should I Fall Behind, process, confidence, social media, empathy, appropriation, Nick Cave, music playlists, swearing and more...
We mention writers:
Janet Frame
Kit de Waal
(check out their work if you haven't already)
Sharon's book is available here:
http://www.bluemoosebooks.com/books/handsworth-times
First Graft with Noemi Kiss-Deaki
First Graft Podcast
12/30/24 • 35 min
In this episode I talk to author of Mary and the Rabbit Dream, Noemi Kiss-Deaki about writing as a form of exorcism after a long pause, indulging in playfulness and anger as a fuel for creativity.
https://www.galleybeggar.co.uk/noemi-kissdeaki-author-bio
https://www.instagram.com/noemikissdeaki_author/
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FAQ
How many episodes does First Graft Podcast have?
First Graft Podcast currently has 23 episodes available.
What topics does First Graft Podcast cover?
The podcast is about Writer, Fiction, Artist, First, Creative, Writing, Podcasts, Support, Draft, Arts and Novel.
What is the most popular episode on First Graft Podcast?
The episode title 'Chapter fifteen: Chatting with Hetha Duffy, Editor and Co-owner of Bluemoose Books' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on First Graft Podcast?
The average episode length on First Graft Podcast is 36 minutes.
How often are episodes of First Graft Podcast released?
Episodes of First Graft Podcast are typically released every 7 days, 8 hours.
When was the first episode of First Graft Podcast?
The first episode of First Graft Podcast was released on Oct 10, 2018.
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