The Iranian Embassy siege that unfolded in the UK in 1980 was a huge world event at the time, although perhaps lost in the fog of history today. Prolific British author Ben Macintyre brings it back into focus in his latest book, The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama and he joins us to discuss his writerly beginnings, turning real-world espionage into captivating reads and how he balances the personal and factual details in his stories.

00:00 Welcome
00:48 The power of constraints in writing
11:30 Writing tip: The iceberg theory
13:52 WIN!: Torn by Nicole Madigan
15:26 Word of the week: ‘Nonpareil’
16:11 Writer in residence: Ben Macintyre
17:05 Ben gives an overview of The Siege
21:00 His personal experience with the events
25:43 Ben’s background in writing
28:33 Exploring the SAS archive
32:05 The TV series Rogue Heroes
33:20 Character depth and authenticity
35:20 Challenges of taking an oral history
37:40 Pacing and structuring the book
40:15 Real life being stranger than fiction
42:18 Research and writing process
45:27 From book to screen
51:05 Advice for aspiring writers
54:22 Balancing sensory and factual details
57:12 Ben’s upcoming project
58:13 Final thoughts

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Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook
Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com

The Iranian Embassy siege that unfolded in the UK in 1980 was a huge world event at the time, although perhaps lost in the fog of history today. Prolific British author Ben Macintyre brings it back into focus in his latest book, The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama and he joins us to discuss his writerly beginnings, turning real-world espionage into captivating reads and how he balances the personal and factual details in his stories.
00:00 Welcome 00:48 The power of constraints in writing 11:30 Writing tip: The iceberg theory 13:52 WIN!: Torn by Nicole Madigan 15:26 Word of the week: &lsquo;Nonpareil&rsquo; 16:11 Writer in residence: Ben Macintyre 17:05 Ben gives an overview of The Siege 21:00 His personal experience with the events 25:43 Ben&rsquo;s background in writing 28:33 Exploring the SAS archive 32:05 The TV series Rogue Heroes 33:20 Character depth and authenticity 35:20 Challenges of taking an oral history 37:40 Pacing and structuring the book 40:15 Real life being stranger than fiction 42:18 Research and writing process 45:27 From book to screen 51:05 Advice for aspiring writers 54:22 Balancing sensory and factual details 57:12 Ben&rsquo;s upcoming project 58:13 Final thoughts
<a href="https://www.writerscentre.com.au/blog/ep-688/">Read the show notes</a>
Connect with Valerie and listeners in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2346749828883788/">the podcast community on Facebook</a> Visit <a href="https://www.writerscentre.com.au/">WritersCentre.com.au</a> |&nbsp;<a href="http://valeriekhoo.com/">ValerieKhoo.com</a>

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about succeeding in the world of writing and publishing. Learn practical writing techniques, go behind-the-scenes and discover how real-life authors got their big break. Uncover the creative processes of writers who have made it. Your host is Valerie Khoo – author, journalist, creative and CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre. 

Everything you&rsquo;ve always wanted to know about succeeding in the world of writing and publishing. Learn practical writing techniques, go behind-the-scenes and discover how real-life authors got their big break. Uncover the creative processes of writers who have made it. Your host is Valerie Khoo &ndash;&nbsp;author, journalist, creative and CEO of the Australian Writers&rsquo; Centre.&nbsp;

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