The Mannequins: Turning Childhood Trauma into Dark Fiction
“Every single person you walk past on the street has a cross to bear. No one's had a perfect life. Everyone's been through some really serious shit most of the time — and that's what makes them more resilient.”— Christian Toms-Arbel
About This Episode
Christian Toms-Arbel is a debut novelist, English teacher, and lifelong storyteller who turned childhood trauma into creative fuel. Born with a condition called talipes, Christian spent much of his early years in hospitals — and found his escape in books and writing.
His debut novel, The Mannequins, is a psychological crime thriller with a dual timeline that doesn't just chase a serial killer — it shows you how one is made. Mike and Christian talk about writing dark fiction from a light-hearted place, surviving a publishing scam, the power of ARC readers, and why there should be no limits on what fiction can explore.
Key Takeaways
- Childhood adversity can become creative fuel. Christian's time in hospitals as a kid led him to reading, then writing — and ultimately shaped the dark, empathetic fiction he creates today.
- Emotional pain outlasts physical pain. It wasn't the surgeries Christian remembers most — it was the orthopedic boots on sports day and the feeling of being different.
- One teacher's encouragement can change a life. A single piece of feedback from a respected A-level teacher sent Christian down the path to a creative writing degree and eventually a published novel.
- Killers are made, not born. The Mannequins uses a dual timeline to show the environment that creates a serial killer — not to excuse the behavior, but to give the full picture.
- Writing from a different perspective builds empathy. Christian wrote his protagonist as a mixed-heritage woman, leaning on his wife's lived experience to get it right — and readers have praised the authenticity.
- Publishing scams are real — and devastating. Christian lost a year and £1,500 to a fraudulent publisher before getting his money back and going indie. His advice: if they ask you to pay, dig deeper.
- ARC readers are an indie author's best friend. Christian built a base of 40-50 advance readers who generated 25-30 Goodreads reviews by launch day — a strategy any indie author can replicate.
The Mannequins
Connect with Christian
More conversations
From Newsroom to Novelist
Former Wall Street Journal deputy editor-in-chief Neal Lipschutz on turning to fiction full-time after retirement, being edited after decades as an editor, and his new Scott Morgan suspense novel, Long Arm of the Past.
Listen →
The Answer 500 Authors Keep Giving
For the 500th episode, Mike Carlon turns the mic on himself: where writing careers begin, why there are no overnight successes, grief, and the 3 a.m. download that became The Waiting Room.
Listen →
Bouncing Back
Ellen Holtzman on her award-winning debut Bouncing Back, teaching herself to write, why you can't tell the story while you're still in the wound, and how women lose and find themselves in marriage and divorce.
Listen →