The Writers’ Gym Podcast

Dr Rachel Knightley

Build creative confidence and beat the inspiration addiction with Dr Rachel Knightley. Every episode, we’ll discuss key writing topics while exploring the goals, exercises, tools and techniques to discover what you really want from your writing — and what your writing really needs from you.

  1. 2d ago

    Nigel Planer in conversation with Dr Rachel Knightley

    Acclaimed actor, poet and novelist Nigel Planer joins Dr Rachel Knightley at The Writers’ Gym.    Nigel was an original member of the Comedy Store and Comic Strip groups at the centre of ‘Alternative Comedy’ in the 1980s and is one of the stars of the TV series The Young Ones, and The Comic Strip Presents, creating the character of ‘Neil the hippy’ who has developed national treasure status. His Memoir ‘Young Once’ will be out in Paperback in June 2026 He won a BRIT award in 1984 and has been nominated for Olivier, TMA, What’s on Stage, and BAFTA awards.  He is also the voice of the first 15 of Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ books.  He created the actor character ‘Nicholas Craig’, who has featured in TV and radio series and the best-selling spoof autobiography, ‘I, An Actor’.   He has written plays for the theatre, 3 novels, and the best-selling ‘A Good Enough Dad’ about becoming a father, as well as radio and TV scripts and over one hundred episodes of ‘The Magic Roundabout’ for Channel 4.  He is currently touring as a poet to celebrate the publication in 2026 of his latest collection of poetry; ‘Travelling Light’ after the success of his first collection ‘Making Other Plans’ in 2023. Learn more about Nigel Planer here: https://nigelplaner.co.uk   Instagram: @nigelplaner1   If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

  2. Oct 19

    Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane in conversation with Dr Rachel Knightley

    Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane, award-winning and bestselling authors Dr Rachel Knightley’s guests at the Writers’ Gym are award-nominated author and editor, Marie O’Regan and #1 bestselling author, Paul Kane. Marie O’Regan is a Shirley Jackson, Australian Shadows and British Fantasy Award-nominated author and editor, based in Derbyshire. In 2022 she was awarded the British Fantasy Society ‘Legends of FantasyCon’ award. Her short fiction has appeared in many genre magazines and anthologies in the UK and abroad, she is the author of three collections:  Mirror Mere, In Times of Want, and The Last Ghost and Other Stories, the novellas, Bury Them Deep and Resurrection Blues, and her first novel, the internationally best-selling Celeste, was published in 2022. Her genre journalism has appeared in magazines like The Dark Side, Rue Morgue and Fortean Times, and she co-authored an interview book with prominent figures from the horror genre, Voices in the Dark. An essay on ‘The Changeling’ was published in PS Publishing’s Cinema Macabre, edited by Mark Morris. She is co-editor of the bestselling Hellbound Hearts, Mammoth Book of Body Horror, A Carnivàle of Horror – Dark Tales from the Fairground, Exit Wounds, Wonderland, Cursed, Twice Cursed, Beyond & Within: Folk Horror Short Stories, In These Hallowed Halls, Death Comes at Christmas and The Secret Romantic’s Book of Magic as well as the charity anthology Trickster’s Treats #3. She is also the editor of bestselling The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women and Phantoms. Marie is Managing Editor of PS Publishing’s novella imprint, Absinthe Books, and she also ran ChillerCon UK, which took place in Scarborough in May 2022. See more at www.marieoregan.net Paul Kane is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author and editor of over a hundred and sixty books – such as the sellout Hooded Man omnibus, Hellbound Hearts, Wonderland (a Shirley Jackson Award finalist) and The Gemini Factor. His non-fiction books include The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy and Voices in the Dark and he has been a Guest at many conventions, like Thought Bubble, The Dublin Ghost Story Festival andIMATS Olympia. His work has been optioned and adapted for the big andsmall screen, including for US network primetime television and as the feature Sacrifice starring Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, You’re Next). His audio work includes the full cast adaptation of The Hellbound Heart starring Neve McIntosh (Doctor Who) and Alice Lowe (Prevenge), and the Robin of Sherwood adventure The Red Lord for Spiteful Puppet/ITV narrated by Ian Ogilvy (Return of the Saint). He has also contributed to the Warhammer 40k universe for Games Workshop. Paul’s most recent novels include the award-winning hit Sherlock Holmes & the Servants of Hell, Before, Arcana and The Storm, plus thrillers for HQ/HarperCollins as PL Kane, Her Last Secret, Her Husband’s Grave andThe Family Lie (all three Amazon sellouts). Find out more at his site www.shadow-writer.co.uk which has featured Guest Writers such as Stephen King, Olivie Blake and Guillermo del Toro. Learn more about Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane here: https://www.marieoregan.net https://www.shadow-writer.co.uk Instagram: @paul.kane.376 @marieoregan8101 If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

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Build creative confidence and beat the inspiration addiction with Dr Rachel Knightley. Every episode, we’ll discuss key writing topics while exploring the goals, exercises, tools and techniques to discover what you really want from your writing — and what your writing really needs from you.

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