The Offcuts Drawer - Successful Writers Share Their Best Worst Ideas podcast

The Offcuts Drawer - Successful Writers Share Their Best Worst Ideas

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  Speakable  

Tips, Truths & Lessons Learned, From Top Writers’ Unproduced Work.Novelists, screenwriters, authors, playwrights, journalists, writer-performers, columnists, poets…Every writer has a virtual bottom drawer where they keep the bits of writing they never finished, had rejected or can’t quite find a home for – the unfinished novel, the cut scene, the rejected script, sometimes even the childhood essay…In each episode of The Offcuts Drawer actors perform these pieces and the writer talks to host Laura Shavin about the story behind them, sharing the often surprising twists and turns of their career that led them to where they are today.More details about the writers, the offcuts and the actors performing them plus full episode transcripts at offcutsdrawer.com

Tips, Truths & Lessons Learned, From Top Writers’ Unproduced Work.Novelists, screenwriters, authors, playwrights, journalists, writer-performers, columnists, poets…Every writer has a virtual bottom drawer where they keep the bits of writing they never finished, had rejected or can’t quite find a home for – the unfinished novel, the cut scene, the rejected script, sometimes even the childhood essay…In each episode of The Offcuts Drawer actors perform these pieces and the writer talks to host Laura Shavin about the story behind them, sharing the often surprising twists and turns of their career that led them to where they are today.More details about the writers, the offcuts and the actors performing them plus full episode transcripts at offcutsdrawer.com

 

#42

Charlie Higson Pt 2 - Screenwriter, Novelist & Actor

This is part 2 of my interview with Charlie and in this episode his offcuts include an epi... more

14 Dec 2025

54 MINS

54:15

14 Dec 2025


#41

Charlie Higson Pt 1 - Screenwriter, Novelist & Actor

Screenwriter, comedian, showrunner, actor, novelist, podcaster, musician, singer... Charli... more

07 Dec 2025

58 MINS

58:06

07 Dec 2025


#40

Jonathan Lynn - Screenwriter, Director & Playwright

The creator of Yes Minister shares clips of his abandoned screenplays and theatre scripts ... more

23 Nov 2025

55 MINS

55:44

23 Nov 2025


#39

Bernadette Strachan - Novelist & Playwright

Bernadette, who writes under - at time of recording - seven different pen names, shares so... more

09 Nov 2025

51 MINS

51:50

09 Nov 2025


#38

Christopher Douglas - Comedy Writer & Actor

The writer & voice of BBC Radio 4's Ed Reardon shares the comedy scripts that missed the m... more

21 Sep 2025

54 MINS

54:44

21 Sep 2025


#37

Piers Torday - Children's Author & Playwright

A former television writer now an award-winning children’s novelist and playwright, Piers’... more

06 Sep 2025

51 MINS

51:14

06 Sep 2025


#36

Adele Parks MBE - Novelist

Top Author & Writer Adele Parks shares clips of her writing that never made it to publicat... more

23 Aug 2025

51 MINS

51:29

23 Aug 2025


#35

Lucy V Hay - Author, Novelist & Script Editor

Novelist, blogger & script editor Lucy V Hay shares her writing that failed before she bec... more

09 Aug 2025

53 MINS

53:24

09 Aug 2025


#34

Dan Maier - Comedy Writer

TV, film and radio comedy writer Dan Maier reveals a cornucopia of different formats for h... more

26 Jul 2025

53 MINS

53:37

26 Jul 2025


#33

Louise Candlish - Author & Novelist

Best-selling thriller novelist and author Louise Candlish shares her writing offcuts which... more

12 Jul 2025

53 MINS

53:37

12 Jul 2025


#32

Paul Burke - Advertising Copywriter & Novelist

Advertising copywriter and novelist Paul shares rejected scripts that include a screenplay... more

28 Jun 2025

49 MINS

49:22

28 Jun 2025


#31

Lynn Ferguson - Screenwriter & Storyteller

Writer and storyteller Lynn Ferguson shares a mixed bag of offcuts that include a London l... more

15 Jun 2025

53 MINS

53:53

15 Jun 2025


#30

Ian Martin - Screenwriter

"Swearing consultant", screenwriter and producer Ian Martin shares a combination of film s... more

31 May 2025

49 MINS

49:43

31 May 2025


#29

Lisa Jewell - Novelist

Best-selling thriller writer Lisa ("Then She Was Gone", "The Family Upstairs", "Watching Y... more

08 Dec 2021

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:09

08 Dec 2021


#28

Caimh McDonnell - Novelist & Screenwriter

"Dublin Trilogy" novelist and former comedian Caimh (CK) McDonnell shares his sitcom set a... more

24 Nov 2021

50 MINS

50:20

24 Nov 2021


#27

Georgia Pritchett - Screenwriter & Producer

A rap musical set in a US prison based on a Noel Coward play, a sitcom about IVF and a sto... more

10 Nov 2021

59 MINS

59:45

10 Nov 2021


#26

Miranda Kane - Writer & Performer

Raconteuse Miranda shares the bits of writing that didn't quite make it, along with tales ... more

27 Oct 2021

52 MINS

52:41

27 Oct 2021


#25

FEED DROP - In Writing With Hattie Crisell

This is not a normal episode of The Offcuts Drawer but a taster of the excellent podcast I... more

24 Oct 2021

53 MINS

53:39

24 Oct 2021


#24

Isy Suttie - Writer, Actor & Comedian

An investigation into the Mole-man of Hackney, standup material about pond-dipping and a b... more

13 Oct 2021

55 MINS

55:48

13 Oct 2021


#23

Val McDermid - Crime Novelist & Writer

Scotland's "Queen of Crime" shares some stonking bits of early writing, including her atte... more

19 Apr 2021

52 MINS

52:27

19 Apr 2021


#22

Francesca Simon - Children‘s Author

The "Horrid Henry" creator gives us an out-take from her successful opera, unpublished art... more

05 Apr 2021

49 MINS

49:35

05 Apr 2021


#21

Robert Popper - Writer, Producer & Performer

"Friday Night Dinner" writer Popper shares some truly bizarre offcuts including the fake C... more

22 Mar 2021

56 MINS

56:53

22 Mar 2021