TOPCWF 26 Creative Thursday - Old Swan Hotel

9.00am DOUBLE LIVES: WRITING AND WORKING Most writers have a second job, and the second job is writing. Four authors will share how their day jobs shape their storytelling and their unique paths to publication. Former pharmacist A.A. Dhand’s new novel The Kingpin is an explosive, no-holds barred, drugs war thriller. The new destination thriller from ex-journalist and therapist Nikki Allen is the twisty Below the Deck. Psychotherapist and addiction counsellor GR Halliday, king of rural Scottish noir, returns with the atmospheric From the Shadows. Professional gardener LC Winter makes a stunning debut with the devilishly dark Spider, Spider. Journalist Edel Coffey will chair.

10.15am THE PITCH How do you sell your idea to publishers, editors and agents? N.J. Cooper & Laura Sherlock deliver a whistlestop tour of useful techniques for pitching your ideas to industry professionals as delegates prepare to do just that in The Dragons’ Pen, later in the day. Short one-on-one Pitching Surgeries will also be available later in the day for anyone that wants extra inside knowledge.

11.00am & 2.00pm THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SUSPENSE (Workshop) With Becca Day & Sophie Flynn A workshop centred on emotional tension rather than plot mechanics alone. We’ll look at how fear, uncertainty, relationships, and unreliable perspectives create suspense, with practical exercises to help writers turn quieter scenes into gripping ones.

11.00am & 2.00pm IT’S A PLOT! (Workshop) With Julie Mae Cohen When it comes to plotting your novel, are you an impeccable Dexter Morgan, or more of an improvisational Villanelle? No matter how you approach writing, Julie will show you how to master the concepts of story structure to make your crime novel a page-turner, in this fun hands-on workshop.

4.15pm THE DRAGONS’ PEN Four brilliant publishing professionals, two minutes to convince them that your synopsis and first chapter are worth reading. One audience full of your fellow would-be writers. Our literary version of the popular TV show, Dragons’ Den, hosted by Mark Billingham, is not for the faint-hearted.