Episodes
-
All hail the queen, Marian Keyes.
Brace yourself it’s going full fan-girl in this week's episode as Harriet is joined by Author (and fellow Marian fan) Kate Leaver.
Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes is one of Harriet’s all-time favourite books, it’s adored by many and could be considered the benchmark of women's commercial fiction, this year is the 25th anniversary of the release and Marian has graced her readers with a sequel; Again Rachel. Harriet and Kate are excited and want to dive into it, celebrating this gem of the genre but also exploring how its tough themes show exactly why women’s Comercial is not to be underestimated.
Kate and Harriet talk about Marian’s You-Tube series on her writing advice you can see the first video in the series here.
A Truth Universally Acknowledged is taking a series break as Harriet finds more authors to speak to and tackles that word count, subscribe to get notified when the next episode is released.
~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode, you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Kate
On Twitter
Via her website
Buy The Friendship Cure
Buy Good Dog
-
This week the tables are turned, and Harriet gets her fair share of questioning!
Joining Harriet this week is prolific author Dorothy Koomson. Dorothy has written an incredible 17 books and as you’ll hear - she does NOT write books she isn’t wholly passionate about.
Dorothy gives Harriet some serious home truths about the writing and publishing process; what agents and publishers are looking for in a writer and why, even after many successful books, rejection can never be ruled out.
In this week’s creative exercise you’ll be looking back over all that you’ve achieved in the past year, celebrating both the small and big wins in a very unique way.
~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode, you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Dorothy
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Dorothy's books
-
Missing episodes?
-
“You take something good and make it really dark.”
A fellow Harriet is joining Harriet on this week’s A Truth Universally Acknowledged! Harriet Tyce writes crime fiction novels. She wrote her first book “Blood Orange”, which was a big hit, as a result of her MA in crime writing.
In this episode, you’ll hear how Harriet’s best-laid plans for her writing only ended up with her characters having different ideas for how the story was to end. A mistake she made in her proof also ended up changing the final twist completely.
The pair discuss the voyeuristic way that crime fiction is consumed and why readers actually find reading tales of chilling actions and poor decisions oddly comforting.
And to end this week’s episode - the creative exercise is taking inspiration from that very mistake in the proof of Harriet Tyce’s book. It challenges you to change the outcome of something you once created, be it a half knitted jumper or painting that could be spiced up a little, so go on, mix it up!
~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode, you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Harriet Tyce
On Twitter
Via her website
Pre-Order It Ends At Midnight
-
From blog to book, how “Yinka” came into being.
Lizzie Demilola Blackburn is a first-time author with her debut novel “Yinka Where is Your Husband?” out on 31st of March. Lizzie first created her main character on her blog and tells Harriet about the benefits of entering writing competitions.
Harriet and Lizzie discuss the reality of getting rid of some of your characters to help the narrative, why she wanted to portray a female character with a strong faith in women’s commercial fiction novel and give the black men in her book fair representation.
And hear why it’s important to remind yourself of the basics of writing when you’re deep into it and aren’t sure which way is up. Lizzie shares her trick to allow the magic to return to her writing process or as Lizzie calls it the “hum”
Bring a buddy for this week's creative exercise, Harriet is encouraging you to get social and try being creative in a group setting or with one other person and see what impact it has on your creativity, hopefully, it brings refreshing energy.
~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode, you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect With Lizzie
On Twitter
On Instagram
Pre-Order “Yinka Where is Your Husband?”
-
“It’s fucking rude not to give the reader a happy ending”
In this episode of A Truth Universally Acknowledged Harriet talks to Author Sarra Manning.
The pair discuss the need for a good romance novel in the world today and why people aren’t as damning towards men, who are at the end of the day, also just writing romance.
After years of writing for both magazines and women’s commercial fiction novels, Sarra has gotten her writing process down to a fine-tuned “don’t mess with this” art, she gives you the recipe for maintaining a solid writing practice.
And Your creative exercise this week is focused on the place you call home, taking inspiration from Sarra’s new book London with Love Harriet is tasking you with writing your own love letter to the place you live.
~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode, you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Ayisha
On Twitter
On Instagram
Pre-order London with Love
-
“Comedy is the glue that holds the pain together”
Joining Harriet in this episode is Ayisha Malik, described as “one of the most exciting authors writing today”.
Harriet and Ayisha discuss how they have both felt the need to write a wonderfully “literary” novel and why this pressure exists over being celebrated simply for writing a good old rom-com, a situation Ayisha found herself in when writing her first book which was later described as “the Muslim Bridget jones”
In her new book “This green and pleasant land” Ayisha Malik wants you to open yourself up to prejudices you may have and look at how certain possible realities make you feel, just like her characters did.
And to get your creative juices flowing Harriet’s creative exercise this week looks at how you can transform your space so that it inspires you to keep on making, painting, writing and doing.
~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode, you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Ayisha
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Buy This Green and Pleasant Land
-
"Loss is the price we pay for love."
Helen Paris is a theatre maker and author, her latest book Lost Property is "a portrait of loss in all its forms" for which she took on work experience at Baker Street's lost property building learning about the items which line the walls and stories they hold, from the mundane to the absurd as Helen says; "in this instance, truth is stranger than fiction".
In this episode, you'll hear how switching from third person to first person allowed Helen to find her character's voice, unique uniform and personality.
Taking inspiration from Helen’s work experience this week Harriet is encouraging you to think about your own character’s work-life in the creative exercise this week.
~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode, you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Helen
On Instagram
On Twitter
Buy Lost Property
-
Why do we write?
That’s one of the many questions host Harriet Minter is exploring in the second series of A Truth Universally Acknowledged. In this first episode, Harriet is joined by Writer and Broadcaster Christina Patterson, Christina’s latest book “Outside The Sky Is Blue” is a life-affirming family memoir. The pair discuss how the creative process is ultimately about the exploration of what it means to live, why creatives find it hard to recognise their success and the cathartic and joyful process of writing.
Harriet has a lovely creative activity for you this week which will re-ignite your senses through a dose of nature.
~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode, you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Christina
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Buy Outside The Sky is Blue
-
“I had to decimate the idea in my head that happiness is dependent on being in a relationship.”
Harriet is ending on the topic that started the podcast in a very satisfying full-circle moment (it’s like she’s been thinking about plot or something?!) Why is women’s fiction so overlooked? She is joined by an author who recently wrote an article on the subject and you can read that here. Emma Hughes’s first book No Such Thing As Perfect made her question where the love in her character’s life came from and did it really have to be from a relationship as the classic happily ever after story goes.
In your final creative exercise of the series, Harriet is taking inspiration from The London Writers Salon and their use of a quote from Neil Gaiman encouraging you to walk toward your own creative mountain.
Harriet will be back in the new year with a new series of A Truth Universally Acknowledged.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode, you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Emma
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Buy No Such Thing As Perfect
-
How can you be creative when life gets in the way; emotions are high and you’re just not in the right headspace?
Amanda Prowse wrote her first book at 43 after recovering from cancer. In this episode, Harriet and Amanda examine how “the right time” never really exists and how women are often led to believe they’ve missed the boat on being creative or realising certain dreams.
Amanda talks candidly about those times when she’s found it just too hard to write. You’ll also get to hear who she’s writing for and how Amanda knows that creativity is coming when she has what she calls “the woosh”.
This episode is full of emotion so Harriet’s creative exercise helps you move through them. Hopefully you’ll find some creativity at the end - inspired by Regena Thomashauer’s Pussy: A Reclamation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode, you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Amanda
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Buy Waiting to Begin
-
“How can I best give my characters hell? By knowing every single detail about them - including their inside leg measurement”
First time author Nikki May’s book Wahala is out in January. It’s set to be the most talked-about book of 2022. It’s even being adapted into a screenplay.
Harriet and Nikki discuss how useful it can be to get to know your characters incredibly well, from detailing their favourite colour, to their first dance.
Nikki says this helped her understand how to cause her characters Ronke, Simi and Boo some trouble! You’ll also get to hear why Nikki thinks she owes half her royalties to her dogs.
In this episode, you’ll learn about the power of the edit and how to view your work objectively.
Harriet is taking inspiration from the author of Eat Pray Love this week in your creative exercise, it doesn’t directly involve pasta, but it can if you want it to!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Nikki
On Twitter
Buy Wahala
-
“I constantly exist in two worlds; this and in the one in my head with my characters.”
In her 21 years of writing Adele Parks has published 21 books. Her 22nd is out next year - and she’s currently working on book 23! So what’s her secret to this mammoth back catalogue? In this episode of A Truth Universally Acknowledged, Adele shares the secrets of her prolific writing schedule.
Adele gave up watching soaps so she could make time to write, alongside her full-time job. Her advice to you is to take yourself seriously and commit to yourself as a writer. Harriet and Adele also discuss how to discover your brand as a writer and how to take readers with you, when moving to a different genre.
Adele has a habit of talking to her characters in her head, so Harriet has taken inspiration from this for this week’s creative exercise. Be prepared to interview yours!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On Twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Adele
On Twitter
Via her Website
Buy Both Of You
-
“I am my dream reader - and I’m doing this for me.”
How often have you read a chick-lit novel and thought “I bet this lead character is just like the author in real life!” But - does this happen more often to female authors? Radhika Sanghani thinks so.
Radhika joins Harriet on this episode of A Truth Universally Acknowledged. Radhika wrote her first book “Virgin” at nineteen and her second is due out in February 2022. You’ll hear as Radhika shares the event that led her to write her first novel. It’s such a story, it might inspire you to start THAT creative project you’ve been daydreaming about too.
The pair also discuss why it’s important to write just for your own enjoyment; whether you can write outside your own lived experiences and whether it’s ok to borrow other people's life experiences, to write into your characters. Or does that make you a “bad art friend”?
In this week’s creative exercise Harriet is encouraging you to keep things interesting and take yourself out on a date!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up for her newsletter
Connect with Radhika
On Twitter
On Instagram
Buy Virgin
Pre - Order Thirty Things I Love About Myself
-
Sex scenes are omnipresent in chick-lit. If it hasn’t happened yet, it most probably will at some point - OR at least one character is thinking about it! So - how do you even begin to write one?
Harriet’s first guest on A Truth Universally Acknowledged is Daisy Buchanan. Daisy has written several non-fiction books, but her most recent release “Insatiable” was her first foray into fiction. As Harriet describes “it’s a total romp”. The pair break down the intimate details of writing a sex scene, including how to take your character from one place to the next, without getting too lost in the romance of it all.
Harriet and Daisy reminisce over their shared love of Jilly Cooper novels, and ask the question; if Jilly can do it - can you?
Plus - each week Harriet gives you a creative exercise to get some of those juices flowing and she’s starting with a chocolate-based activity - Hurrah!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman at the start of a midlife crisis needs a creative project. So writer, journalist and broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book….. A “chick-lit” novel (don’t worry, we’ll be discussing that term). A genre that is both critiqued and loved in equal parts.
Join Harriet for the writing journey, as she navigates story arcs, character traits and plots. In every episode you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it and friends who can help crack problems that Harriet has been dealing with in her novel each week.
Connect with Harriet and help keep her accountable
On twitter
On Instagram
Via her website
Sign up to her newsletter
Connect with Daisy
On Twitter
On Instagram
Buy Insatiable
Pre-order Careering
-
Author, Journalist and Broadcaster Harriet Minter is writing a book…..
A chick-lit novel, (arguably) the best and most critiqued genre.
First-time fiction writer Harriet will take you along for her writing journey. Every week you’ll hear from authors who have been there and done it, as they share their processes and tips with Harriet and help her with problems she comes up against in her writing.
How do you create a compelling, funny, emotive, heartwarming page-turner? A Truth Universally Acknowledged is here to find out. It’s launching in November so - follow now to hear the first episode.
