The Writers’ Gym Podcast

Rejection is part of a writing life — but what’s more important than winning every time is learning success is about so much more. Dr Rachel Knightley reflects on how clients have come back from rejection as stronger writers, and the opportunities they start to recognise when their resilience builds. If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

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    

Every so often, an editor will need to tell a writer they’ve used a stock phrase (or cliche). Dr Rachel Knightley shares the crises-come-opportunities of realising your character is hiding behind stock phrases, and how to make them still come across as a character all their own.   If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

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  

What do Count Duckula, Bagpuss and your first draft have in common? They only get to exist if their writer stops blocking themselves with ‘what if this idea is too weird?’ or ‘what if this doesn’t work?’ Dr Rachel Knightley shares Writers’ Gym exercises as reminders for why, the more unafraid we are of a messy first draft, the more we bring into the world.   If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

Johnny Mains, British Fantasy Award-winning author, editor and genre researcher Dr Rachel Knightley’s guest at the Writers’ Gym is Johnny Mains. Johnny is an editor, author and genre researcher who specialises in finding 'lost' works of genre fiction. His first book as editor was Back from the Dead: The Legacy of the Pan Book of Horror Stories (2010). It won the 'Best Anthology' category at the 2011 British Fantasy Awards. He was then appointed Project Editor for Pan Book's reissue of The Pan Book of Horror Stories (1959/2010). He created the Dead Funny: Horror Stories by Comedians series (co-edited with Robin Ince), edited several volumes of Best British Horror and in 2019 with Black Shuck Books, published two volumes of 'lost' stories by forgotten Victorian female authors. He has been working with the British Library since 2022, editing books for their Gilded Nightmares range, and in 2025 discovered and introduced the lost novel of the occult, Possessed, by Rosalie and Edward Synton. Mains also runs the imprint Mislaid Books, with Trevor Kennedy, where they reproduce lost and obscure novels. Learn more about Johnny Mains here: https://apersonalanthology.com/category/johnny-mains/, https://titanbooks.com/creators/johnny-mains/ Instagram: @johnnymains If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

  ‘Liminal’ is much more than the name of award-winning author, journalist and Ovarian cancer wrangler Jennifer Steil’s Substack newsletter. In this extended episode, the winner of the Grand Prize in the international Eyelands 2020 Book Awards and Finalist for the 2021 Lambda Literary Lesbian Fiction Award for Exile Music,talks about the kidnap experience and resulting ‘what if’s that inspired her first novel, The Ambassador’s Wife,and how writing has become even more important to mental health during her cancer treatment. Liminal spaces she discusses with Dr Rachel Knightley include ‘home’, and how that truly means wherever her husband and daughter are – whatever country or even hospital room that is today.   Discover more about Jennifer by subscribing to Liminal: https://jennifersteil.substack.com Visit the Writers’ Gym: https://www.writersgym.com/

One of the most magical things about working with writing prompts is we can find a new story every day in exactly the same piece of stimulus. And if it’s true for one prompt, it’s even more true for a bank of them. Dr Rachel Knightley gifts recipes for evergreen writing prompts to return to again and again. If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

Eliza Chan, Sunday Times bestseller Dr Rachel Knightley’s guest at the Writers’ Gym is speculative fiction author, Eliza Chan. Eliza is a Scottish-born speculative fiction author who writes about East Asian mythology, British folklore and reclaiming the dragon lady. Her debut fantasy novel FATHOMFOLK, published in 2024, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Set in a semi-submerged city, revolution is brewing between the humans and the sea folk who live in its waters. TIDEBORN completed the duology in 2025. Her next novel, HARBOUR OF HUNGRY GHOSTS, a historical fantasy set in mid-Opium War era Hong Kong, is forthcoming in July 2026. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the British Fantasy Awards and has featured in various magazine and anthologies including The Secret Romantic’s Book of Magic and The Best of British Fantasy. She has been a medical school drop-out, a kilt shop assistant, an English teacher and a speech and language therapist, but currently spends her time collecting weapons, crafting, watching animation and trying to eat her way around the entire world. She lives in Manchester with her family and dragon collection. Instagram: @elizachanwrites Website: www.elizachan.co.uk Representation: Alex Cochran of Greyhound Literary If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

Writing prompts aren’t just spread over workshop tables: they’re how we experience the world around us. Dr Rachel Knightley shares how interaction over introspection improves our writing and creative confidence — but also combats our anxiety and our experience of other people and the world. If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym