Indie Writers Club

In this heartfelt exit interview, Cara Clare reflects on her journey as a co-host of the Indie Writers Club alongside James Blatch. They discuss the significance of the podcast in their personal and professional growth, the exciting announcement of the Novel Beginnings contest aimed at supporting new writers, and the transition to the Self-Publishing Show. The conversation also delves into the nuances of writing spice, the complexity of emotions in storytelling, and the challenges of exploring different genres. As they wrap up, both express gratitude for their time together and the friendships formed through the podcast.

USEFUL LINKS:
PWA Novel Beginnings: https://prowritingaid.com/novel-beginnings
Get 15% of annual plans at our sponsor ProWritingAid by using code IWC15
https://www.prowritingaid.com
 Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.
https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

Takeaways

The Indie Writers Club has reached its final episode after 73 episodes.
Novel Beginnings contest offers significant funding for new writers.
AI struggles with writing spice, leaving room for human creativity.
Emotions in writing should reflect complexity, not just surface feelings.
Navigating genre challenges can be daunting for writers.
The podcast has been a journey of personal growth for Cara.
Writing requires balancing showing and telling emotions effectively.
Friendships formed through the podcast have been invaluable.
Transitioning to the Self-Publishing Show marks a new chapter.
The importance of investing in craft alongside business in writing.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Exit Interview Context
02:59 Novel Beginnings Contest Announcement
05:39 Transition to Self-Publishing Show
08:41 Writing Spice and Emotional Depth
11:33 Show vs. Tell in Writing
17:25 Balancing Emotion and Plot
17:41 The Nature of Writing Questions
18:40 Exploring Genre Preferences
19:55 Challenges in Writing Crime Thrillers
21:22 Creating Your Own Rules in Fiction
22:57 The Role of AI in Writing
24:11 Reflections on Personal Growth and Writing
26:14 The Impact of Podcasting on Confidence
28:11 Feedback and Future Directions
29:26 Closing Thoughts and Farewell

In this episode of the Indie Writers Club podcast, James Blatch and Cara Claire discuss the transition of Cara's writing project, 'The Chatterley Affair', into the marketing phase. And delve into a detailed critique of the film adaptation of 'Hamlet', comparing it to the original book. 
The conversation highlights the importance of character development, emotional engagement, and the role of directors and authors in film adaptations, culminating in a discussion about audience reactions and the overall impact of the film.
USEFUL LINKS:
Hamnet 5 Star Review from The i: https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/sobbed-through-hamnet-gut-wrenching-4104154 ($)
I Hated Hamnet (Review) also from The i: https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/i-hated-hamnet-4167808 ($)
Get 15% of annual plans at our sponsor ProWritingAid by using code IWC15
https://www.prowritingaid.com
 Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.
https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

In this third-to-last episode of the IWC Podcast, we will look at the Anthropic (Claude AI) settlement on offer to some authors. We'll explain what needs to happen by you if your name is on the official list and what your options are.

This is the link I refer to in the show:

https://www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/ - this is the only official settlement website.

USEFUL LINKS:
Get 15% of annual plans at our sponsor ProWritingAid by using code IWC15
https://www.prowritingaid.com

Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.

https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

In this episode of the Indie Writers Club, Cara talks us through her launch strategy for a standalone book (a Chatterly retelling with vampires and spice!).
This is one of the toughest challenges for indies. Our process generally relies on series and readthrough, but with the many options emerging for exploiting your book (translations, special editions etc) might this be a future strategy we can all follow?
**** WARNING - NSFW - WE DO DISCUSS SPICE SCENES ****
USEFUL LINKS:
Join the AI Translations course waitlist:
https://www.learnselfpublishing.com/aitranslations
Get 15% of annual plans at our sponsor ProWritingAid by using code IWC15
https://www.prowritingaid.com
 Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.
https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support

This week Cara and I review the current happenings in the world of indie and we briefly discuss our own plans for 2026.
And at 43.47 (if you want to skip ahead) Cara makes a sad announcement :(
We both wish you a Happy New Year and here's to an enjoyable, fun 2026!
James.
USEFUL LINKS:
Get 15% of annual plans at our sponsor ProWritingAid by using code IWC15
https://www.prowritingaid.com
 Join our Patreon for exclusive access including Live Q&As with James & Cara and your chance to discuss your writing career.
https://www.indiewritersclub.com/support