The Writers’ Gym Podcast

Dr Kim Fleet, prize-winning author and Writers’ Gym member  Dr Rachel Knightley’s guest at the Writers’ Gym is prize-winning published author, developmental editor and book coach, Kim Fleet.   Dr Kim Fleet's work in indigenous land rights in Australia inspired her first two novels, Sacred Site and Featherfoot. She then turned to crime closer to home, and wrote the series of novels Paternoster, Holy Blood and Devil's Chimney set in Cheltenham and featuring feisty private investigator Eden Grey. Over eighty of her short stories have appeared in magazines in the UK and Australia, including People's Friend, Woman's Weekly, Take a Break and That's Life Fast Fiction. She has won or been shortlisted in over twenty literary competitions, including the Asham Award. She's written twenty-four articles on social history, genealogy and well-being for magazines including Discover Your Ancestors, Family Tree Magazine and Planet Mindful. She also wrote two monologues for the End of the Line podcast about women who choose not to have children. Kim has an MA and PhD in Anthropology, and MAs in English Literature and Screenwriting. She enjoys gardening, patchwork, exploring old buildings and reading historical true crime. Instagram: @KimFleetSubstack: Outpacktopaperback.substack.com Website: drkimfleet.co.ukIf you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

Showing up in the public sphere can feel overwhelming, but by noticing the messaging inside our heads, we start to enjoy showing up one authentic thing at a time. If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our websites at www.writersgym.com, www.rachelknightleycoaching.com, and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym @rachelknightleycoaching

Graham Bartlett, bestselling fiction and non-fiction author Dr Rachel Knightley is joined at the Writers' Gym by ex homicide detective, crime writing mentor and bestselling crime author GrahamBartlett.  After thirty years of policing, whereby Graham Bartlett became Brighton and Hove police's chief superintendent, a senior homicide detective and a public order and firearms commander, he is now a best-selling crime fiction and non-fiction author, and police and crime advisor.His debut non-fiction, Death Comes Knocking, written with Peter James, was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, and Peter and Grahamfollowed this up with the critically acclaimed Babes in the Wood. Since then, Graham has had three solo crime novels published; Bad for Good (Sunday Times Top Ten Best Seller, Winner of Crime Fiction Lover Editors' Choice Award 2022 and Nominated for Specsavers Debut of the Year 2022), Force of Hate, and City on Fire.As a police procedure and crime advisor, Graham works with over 200 authors and TV writers (including Peter James, William Shaw, Elly Griffiths, Anthony Horowitz, Ruth Ware, Mark Billingham and the BBC), helping them inject authenticity into their work. He is a crime writing mentor with Jericho Writers, runs live and online crime writing courses is a regular speaker at crime writing festivals and appears in many true crime TV documentaries.Learn more about Graham Bartlett here: https://policeadvisor.co.uk, https://linktr.ee/grahambartlettInstagram: @gbpoliceadvisorIf you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

Rachel shares her experience of rejection, and how to move through it by acknowledging this is the middle of a story, not the end, encouraging us to create the next chapter. 
 
If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our websites at www.writersgym.com, www.rachelknightleycoaching.com, and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym @rachelknightleycoaching
 

Victoria Dowd, bestselling crime writer and Vice Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association Dr Rachel Knightley is joined at the Writers' Gym by prize and award-winning author, Victoria Dowd.  Victoria is the award-winning author of the bestselling Smart Woman’s Mystery series and has been shortlisted for the CWA Dagger. Her novel, The Smart Woman’s Guide to Murder, won The People’s Book Prize for fiction and was In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel’s Book of the Year. Her novel Murder Most Cold won the Grand Puzzly award. Victoria was awarded the Gothic Fiction prize for her short fiction and The Syke House International Film Silken Noose Award. Victoria is the Vice Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association and before becoming a writer was a criminal defence barrister for many years.Her historical crime novel, Death in the Aviary, was released this year and is the first book in a new series. Her standalone novel, The New Rules of Murder, will be published by Sphere in April next year.Learn more about Victoria Dowd here: https://victoriadowd.com/Instagram: @dowdvictoriaIf you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

What’s the most damaging advice you’ve ever received as a writer? Dr Rachel Knightley reflects on what the wrong and right ‘shoulds’ can do to our ability to make time for our writing and ourselves, and how to take control of our reactions to the messaging we receive. Rachel provides a creative confidence and writing ‘Think On The Page’ Writers’ Gym exercise to create the time and writing that works for you.
If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

Dr Rachel Knightley’s guest at the Writers’ Gym this episode is award-winning author Nathan Newman. 
Nathan is a novelist and filmmaker based in London. Their short stories have won awards, including the James Knudsen Prize for Fiction, and been published in literary journals and anthologies.
Their debut novel, How To Leave The House was released to critical acclaim, and was a New Yorker and New York Times best book of the year.
Learn more about Nathan here: https://www.nathannewmanrules.com/
Instagram: @nathanfnewman
If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com an

Showing up for yourself and sharing your achievements can be scary, but instead of waiting for the feelings to change we can shift the focus to action that empowers.If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our websites at www.writersgym.com, www.rachelknightleycoaching.com, and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym @rachelknightleycoaching

Lucy Kate Barnes, Trustee and Co-Founder of Lawyers Who Care
Dr Rachel Knightley’s guest at the Writers’ Gym is her coaching client, award-winning advocate Lucy Kate Barnes.
Lucy grew up on council estates. She went into care at 13 and fell off the "care cliff" at 16. Aged 18, she studies law at Surrey. She is now a barrister. Alongside her legal career, she set up charity Lawyers Who Care and is a vocal advocate for children's rights and social mobility for disadvantaged young people. She won Diversity Champion of the Year 2025 and was one of the Universities UK 100 Faces Campaign to celebrate the first in families to go to university. 
Learn more about Lucy here: 
Website: Lucykatebarnes.co.ukSubstack: Theadvocatewithin.substack.co.uk Instagram: @lucykatebarnes
If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our website at www.writersgym.com and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym

Rachel shares how a common phrase helps us cut through what we fear and focus on what we want — instead of getting caught up in unhelpful ‘what-ifs’ that suppress the creative ones. If you enjoyed listening to the Writers' Gym Podcast, head to our websites at www.writersgym.com, www.rachelknightleycoaching.com, and follow us on instagram: @jointhewritersgym @rachelknightleycoaching