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.
