Leigh Turner writing

What’s full-time writing like? What are the pitfalls? How do you make the most of it? And what did I do wrong?

Any sane person wants to end wars. Many people have argued that a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war might help reduce suffering. Others say that supplying arms to Ukraine simply prolongs the war. Here's why they are wrong. The situation is grim: but both a ceasefire or reducing arms supplies would be counterproductive - including for those who seek peace and want to end the suffering. 

"John Savage, formerly First Secretary, British Embassy Moscow: Transcript of trauma counselling, session 12". 

Why is John Savage, the hero of my Istanbul thriller, "Palladium", such a damaged character? Have a listen to this interview between him and his psychotherapist, Dr Bergbaum, about events in Moscow some 15 years earlier, and how he was thrown out of the Secret Intelligence Service as a result.

Resources to help writers. We look at how to write articles and blogs; how to write a novel; dealing with rejections; a selection of writing courses - and much more. Have a listen to some friendly advice.

A summer 2022 update on what is happening in Russia's war on Ukraine. Why it matters - and why what we must do next won't be easy. The picture shows Sverdlovsk, in eastern Ukraine, when I visited in 2010. It has been occupied by Russia since 2014. 

Top journalist Misty Anderson interviews Turkish archaeology professor Elif Mutlu about the mysterious Palladium. Why, Misty asks, do many people believe it protects Istanbul, while others argue it does not exist? 

My Istanbul thriller "Palladium" has been eleven years in the making. This podcast introduces the cover art: how it came to be designed, what input I made, and how the results came out. Find out how an author gets involved in the cover of the book - or not!

"Ulysses" matters: 100 years after Joyce's great masterpiece first appeared, you can read and enjoy it on many levels. A quotation shows why you have nothing to be afraid of.

"Of course, Mr B proceeded to stipulate, you must look at both sides of the question."

A discussion of James Joyce and "Ulysses", illustrated by a few quotes. My main messages: a) Ulysses matters, and b) it's not necessarily hard to read.

In "He Knew He Was Right", Anthony Trollope shows he is an outstanding writer on relationships between the sexes.  Lessons on gender from 1869 are 100% relevant today.

How men think, how women think and whether there is a difference is one of the abiding puzzles of life.  We all want to understand other people.  Many of us want to understand the opposite sex.

How to understand women, or men?  You can do worse than start with Trollope’s "He Knew He Was Right". The novel also contains one of the great studies of stubbornness in literature. Ask yourself: are you sure you're right?

"The Second Phial" is a complete short story set in the Moscow of 1993. It is a horror story - I hope. 

This podcast is not suitable for children.

Friends sometimes ask me: 'where do your ideas come from?' When they read, or listen to, "The Second Phial", they tend to ask 'I don't want to know where you get your ideas from'. Don't read it if you are easily disturbed. But please do subscribe to my podcasts either way!

I lived in Moscow from 1992 to 1995, heading up the Economic Section of the British Embassy. I met a lot of scientists, and witnessed how they struggled to survive in the chaos that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. But "The Second Phial" springs entirely from my imagination.

Sick and tired of Amazon? The UK firm Heywood Hill offers a suspiciously brilliant book service I've enjoyed immensely this year. It may be worth a look if you're searching for Christmas gifts for book lovers.

Mr Smith is a top manager who thinks he knows better than any woman. When he comes to the hotel of top hotelier Ms N and her beautiful but naive ally Tatiana, they must fight to overcome him. How can they succeed? Listen to an excerpt as Mr Smith confronts Ms Gentle, a visitor to the hotel.

Counter-terrorism expert Helen Gale has one job: to protect world leaders at a summit at the Berlin Reichstag.  But terrorists take hostage presidents, prime ministers, one hundred innocent children – and Helen’s husband.

Then the executions start.

In his book "On Writing", Stephen King explains how he never plans his books, but just gets started.  Should you plan a novel in advance, or not?  A few tips.