How do you take a promising story idea and develop it into a novel? Adrian Tchaikovsky, the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of Children of Time and Shadows of the Apt, joins Richie Billing to explore his writing process, from the first spark to building worlds and creating characters.
We discuss where Adrian finds his ideas, how he develops them into complete stories, and how worldbuilding, character creation, plotting and theme influence one another. For writers imagining alien minds or unfamiliar creatures, we also explore the challenge of making non-human characters believable and memorable.
Beyond the writing itself, Adrian shares his experience of traditional publishing, including what it’s like to work with editors and literary agents.
You’ll discover:
• How Adrian generates story ideas and develops them into novels.
• How he approaches worldbuilding for fantasy and science fiction.
• Ways to create memorable characters, including non-human ones.
• How plot and theme work together to strengthen a story.
• The roles editors and literary agents play in an author’s career.
Whether you’re struggling to develop an idea or working through the complexities of a fantasy world, this conversation offers an insight into how a prolific author approaches the craft.
ABOUT ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY
Adrian Tchaikovsky is a British science fiction and fantasy author whose books include Children of Time, the ten-book Shadows of the Apt series and The Final Architecture trilogy. Children of Time won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2016, and his work has also received British Science Fiction and British Fantasy awards. His fiction frequently explores evolution, artificial intelligence and non-human perspectives. He studied zoology and psychology, worked as a legal executive and became a full-time writer in 2018.
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