Writer's Routine

Paul Bradley Carr has spent his career as a journalist uncovering the dark side of Silicon Valley. He's reported on it for The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, Private Eye, and many more. He founded NSFWCorp in Las Vegas, and hosted the nightly NSFWLive radio show. Now he's taken that experience to pen his first work of fiction, '1414 Degrees'.It's not Paul's first published book. He's written memoirs 'The Upgrade', 'Bringing Nothing to the Party', Sober is my New Drunk', and 'We'll Always Have the Flamingo', which document his life travelling around the world, living in hotels and getting sober.'1414 Degrees' is a murder mystery set in Silicon Valley, with Lou McCarthy investigating someone murdering billionaires. We talk about why he leaves everything late, how he became a memoirist, what writing columns taught him about telling stories, and how much he knows about where the story is heading.You can support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're joined by Anna Kent, with her sort-of-debut novel, 'The House of Whispers'.See Anna Kent, is also Annabel Kantaria, who has already published 4 books. This is her first as Anna Kent. It's domestic noir, so treads the line between eerie psychological thriller, and chilling whodunnits at home. We talk about how she learned to write genre, and what she pays attention to when structuring the novel, also how she knows when to carry on writing.'The House of Whispers' tells the story of Grace and Abi, friends who parted ways at Uni. Then Grace returns into Abi's life... and they slip back into the comforts of each other's lethal charm and company.You can hear how she got published, about the contest she entered, and the meeting with a publisher that changed her life.You can support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Alderson is busy. Busy, busy, busy. So busy, she takes a break from her writing job to write the novels she loves. Sarah works as a screenwriter in LA for S.W.A.T on CBS, and finds tiny slithers of time to get books down. In the past, this has led her to getting a draft done in 10 days. She's written YA, psychological thrillers, her novel 'The Weekend Away' has been adapted for Netflix, published romance stories under a pseudonym, and her new novel 'The Stalker', is out now. It's about newlyweds Liam and Laura, honeymooning on a secluded island, who realise quickly... they aren't as alone as they thought.We talk about the quotes that help her carry on, also why she escaped the world to start her writing career, and why she's become strategic in her plotting in order to get stuff done quickly. You can hear about life in a bustling, competitive L.A writer's room, why she started planning after 10 novels of pantsing, and why she's begun saying no.You can support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our first guest of 2022 is Rosanna Amaka. Her debut novel is 'The Book of Echoes', which tells the story of 16 year old Michael, always in trouble, who falls in love with Ngozi, a young Nigerian immigrant. It was shortlisted for The Author's Club First Novel award, also the RSL Christopher Bland Prize, and the HWA Debut Crown Award. It's a story Rosanna has tried to get published for 20 years, and she reveals the secrets to how it finally happened.We talk about the creative buzz of the area she wrote the novel in, and how that affected things, also how the story drove her to write on, and why it's told through the eyes of the spirit of an African Slave.You can support the show on patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our last episode of the year, we chat to psychological thriller debutant Alice Hunter. Her book is 'The Serial Killer's Wife', and tells the story of Beth Hardcastle, whose perfect marriage is obliterated when the police show up and report her husband Tom is missing.Alice worked in prisons, part of a team offering rehabilitation courses to in-mates, often those who'd committed violent crimes. That, and her psychology degree, offered her vast experience to write the book. We talk about how conversations with in-mates wives prompted the idea for the book, and then how she streamlined the idea and worked on character.You can hear about Alice's working day, her chaotic work-space, and how lockdown affected her enthusiasm to write.You can support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're joined by Joanne Harris MBE. She became phenomenally successful over 20 years ago for her novel 'Chocolat', which became an Oscar nominated movie starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche.Her new one is called 'A Narrow Door', it tells the story of the first headmistress at a traditional school who discovers a body in the grounds. It's billed as 'magical realism', we discuss how much she considers genre while she's writing.She's best known for her novel, 'Chocolat', which changed everything. It let her leave work, write full time, but added an anxiety around work she'd never known before. We talk about the classic acting text that really helps her get into characters, what she needs to know before she starts writing, and how she uses scent to get into the story.Please support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Ken Follett shares his writer's routine. He's one of the UK's most successful authors, selling over 170 million books across 80 countries. He has a staff of over 20 working on all aspects of book selling, so he can concentrate on book writing. We talk about whether that puts pressure on his writing, knowing he has staff relying on him for a salary. Also, what his writing routine of a year looks like, and why his outline is the most important thing he works on.Ken's made a career publishing thick historical novels, 'The Pillars of the Earth' from the 'Kingsbridge' series sold bucket-loads, got him critical acclaim, and spawned a TV series. His new novel is 'Never', about events that could lead to WW3.We talk about research, planning, sentences, keeping things simple and how he starts.You can support the show on patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest is Helen Paris. She's worked in performing arts, writing, performing and directing, for 2 decades, and has just published her debut novel, 'The Lost Property'. It's all about Dot, who strives to reunite lost property with their owners.It all came from a spell of unusual research she undertook at the London Transport Lost Property Office, the characters she met there, and their poetic conversations.We discuss memories, how the characters drove the story, and why she had to escape from her routine through lockdown.To support the show, head to patreon.com/writersroutine.Also, you can follow us on twitter, and leave us a review on Apple [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're chatting to Steve Cavanagh. He's won the CWA Gold Dagger Award, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, has published many Sunday Times Top 10 Bestsellers, and his new book has just been named as one of the Best Crime and Thriller Books of the Year by Waterstones.It's called 'The Devil's Advocate', and is the newest Eddie Flynn book. Telling the story of Andy Dubois, sent up for a killing Alabama, and the lawyer who tries to get him free. He talks about the jaw-dropping statistic which gave him the idea for the book. We discuss his ideal writing day and why he's not quite managed it yet, also how he's always trying to learn and grow, why he's tried to be a plotter but always returns to his pantsing routes, and what makes crime authors different from each other.Support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucy Foley joined us back at the start of 2020... pre-pandemic!She spoke about her 2nd mystery thriller, 'The Guest List'. It's set at a dream wedding, on a remote island, where someone gets killed and everyone has a motive. We talk about the fundamentals you need to include in writing whodunnits, and how to flip the tradition on its head.It comes after the huge success of her first whodunnit, 'The Hunting Party'. It was also set on an island, and we chat about where she got that idea from, why she likes the idea of locking her characters away, and how she brought such stunning scenery to life using just her words.Also, Lucy once wrote historical thrillers and we learn why she made the switch of genre, AND she used to work in publishing as an editor, so we chat about what that taught her about which books sell and why.Lucy's writing day is fairly chaotic and decadent, working furiously in the morning before popping to the cinema in the afternoon. It works for her, and she's fantastic at describing it.This is just the routine, but please do scroll back in your feed and listen to her full episode when you get a chance - it's a belter.Support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xanthi Barker has published novelettes and short stories, penned columns and articles, and has just released her debut book, 'Will This House Last Forever'.It's a memoir of her time with her dying father, the poet Sebastian Barker. She is also the granddaughter of George Barker and the cult novelist, Elizabeth Smart. We discuss whether because of her highly and successfully creative family, she was destined to be a writer.Her relationship with her father was troubled, and we talk about whether his view of the world passed down to her. Also, you can hear how she planned such a personal book, how her writing routine has changed dramatically in the last year, and why her flatmate is a hero.Get the book here - https://amzn.to/3qaqx1wSupport the show here - patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's Random Routine, we chat to Rob Hart, who came on back in 2019 to talk about 'The Warehouse'.'The Warehouse' is in the mold of 'Farenheit 451' and '1984', and focuses on one big business that suffocates all others, and the stories of 3 people who work there. Because of this, his characterisation needs to be truly believable and authentic, we talk about this struggle and how he became his characters in writing. It's also his first proper foray into standalone novels, having made his way with the 'Ash McKenna' series.The first full episode dropped in August 2019, and you can listen in by scrolling back in your podcast feed.If you can, please do support the show over at patreon.com/writersroutine.If you want to buy the book, please use this link! - https://amzn.to/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're joined by Joe Thomas. He's just released the 4th in his 'Sao Paulo Quartet', with 'Paradise City', 'Gringa', 'Playboy' and the new one 'Brazilian Psycho'.He grew up in Hackney, before spending 10 years in Sao Paulo, and being inspired to tell its story. It mixes fiction, true crime, historical fact, and high literature, in an utterly compelling style.We talk about how his routine has changed since having a child, where he likes to escape to write, how perfect his first draft is, and how editing has changed over 10 years of writing novels.You can get a copy of 'Brazilian Psycho' here - https://amzn.to/2ZOVUDVYou can support the show here - https://amzn.to/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's random routine, our bitesize chunk of inspiration, comes from Trent Dalton who came on the show back in 2019.Not many authors have debut success like Trent Dalton. His book 'Boy Swallows Universe' won the 'Debut Fiction Prize' and 'Book of the Year' at the Australian Indie Awards, and went straight into the top 10, selling over 100,000 copies. It's a semi-autobiographical story about all Eli, in Brisbane in 1983, muddling through family life, trying to not be coaxed into drug-dealing, and having to save his mum from prison. The book has since sold many, many copies, more accolades, and even be turned into a play.He's also written 'All Our Shimmering Skies', about a gravedigger's daughter, Molly Hook.Listen to the full episode by following the show and scanning back in your podcast feed.You can get a copy of his work here - https://amzn.to/317dxz9Support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zen Cho is a multi-award nominated and winning author. She's published 3 novels and many short stories, and is back with her first ghost story... although that's not what she thought it'd be at the start.It's called 'Black Water Sister', and all came from one word she read in the dictionary. It's based on ancient Malaysian folklore, and Zen has taken great joy in playing with old language, and presenting it in a ghostly manner.We talk about switching genre, and how having a baby helped with that, also about how much she knows what's coming next, and how she divides things up being a full-time lawyer, and part-time writer.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3aRpDOlIf you can, please support us at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Along with Dan Gillespie-Sells, from The Feeling, Tom MacRae wrote the hit musical 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie'. It follows Jamie New who is determined to wear a dress to his school prom night. It's based on a a real story, explored in a BBC documentary. The musical is now a film, also written by Tom, which you can watch on Amazon Prime now. In this bitesize chunk, you can hear about his writing routine in the sun, how exercise gives him space to think, and why weekends are sacred.You can listen to the full episode from 2019, by flicking back in your podcast feed.Please do support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we chat to Claire Allan. Her new book is 'Ask No Questions', a psychological thriller about Ingrid Devlin, on the search to find the truth of her best friend's disappearance 25 years ago.Claire started her career as a journalist, has written women's fiction under the name Freya Kennedy', and is back with a brand new psych thriller. She's written almost 20 books across different genres.We talk about how switching genre changes style and method of plotting and planning, also about her routine of the year, and how she feels when time is tight... and the idea isn't there.You can get a copy of 'Ask No Questions' here - https://amzn.to/3j0yx0oSupport the show on patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a BOOKSHOP DAY SPECIAL. Bookshop Day is on Saturday 9th October, and Books Are My Bag are encouraging you to spend time in your local bookshop, be it big or small.This week, we're chatting to children's author Piers Torday. He's published 7 books, they've been translated into 14 languages, he's won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and been nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.His new book is 'The Wild Before'. It's a prequel to 'The Last Wild' trilogy, and tells the story of Little Hare who must round up all the other animals to help save the world. It's about climate change, standing up for your beliefs and working together. We talk about the differences in writing for kids and adults, also about copying and being inspired, about planning, plotting and rhythm, and what bookshops mean to him.You can get a copy of Piers' book here - https://amzn.to/3ApAd9vSupport the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bella Osborne has had a busy year. In the last 3 months, she's had 2 different books out with 2 different publishers. 'The Promise of Summer' is a romance novel with Avon. 'The Library' is a bookclub read with Aria. We try to talk about both of those, but it's mainly about the former.All in, Bella has published 9 books. 'The Promise of Summer' is about Ruby and Curtis, trying to reunite a engagement ring with its owner, and find love along the way. We talk about how these two characters wouldn't go away, so she ahd to tell a part of their story, and leave them on a bench waiting for her to come back again. You can hear why her family hates NaNoWriMo, about her post-it note obsession, why her work day revolves around cats, and about the best types of tea. You can get a copy of 'The Promise of Summer' here - https://amzn.to/2Yh1dep and 'The Library' here - https://amzn.to/39TN8pIYou can support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Michaelides is the only ever UK debut writer to go straight in at number 1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. His novel, 'The Silent Patient', was the 2nd bestselling novel on Amazon in 2019, they named it their 'thriller of the year'.He's followed it up with 'The Maidens', about an exclusive set of students at a University under the influence of a sinister Professor, and a murder he knows more about than he lets on.We discuss his screenwriting career in Hollywood, why that didn't work, how he moved on with it and discovered he was a novelist, not a dramatist. Also, how mediation helps him write, why he gives up the booze to tell stories, and how he got published when he moved back to the UK.Please do support us on patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Rudnick is an acclaimed Hollywood scriptwriter. He's worked on 'Addams Family Values', 'The Stepford Wives' and the 'Sister Act' movies. Now, he's just published his 3rd novel, 'Playing the Palace'. It's about a New York event planner who falls in love with England's gay Crown Prince, Edgar. It's a satirical look at romance stories and Royal life. We talk about writing for movies, working with improvising actors, changing things on set and coming up with at least 10 jokes for every line.Also, he talks about why life revolves around the writing, and his writing revolves around his life, in a syncopated way. Paul discusses his very private writing space that he is very protective of, and what happened after he had his initial idea for the story.You can get a copy here - https://amzn.to/3gYsqsFYou can support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few years ago, Bridget Collins came on the show to talk us through her novel, 'The Binding'. It was a huge, genre-defying success, and she's gone on to publish 'The Betrayals' to equal acclaim. Before then, Bridget published 7 Young Adult books, a few plays, and she's beavering away on her 3rd book right now. Here's a little snippet from our chat, as Bridget runs us through her writing space and working day. Scan back in your podcast feed to hear the full episode.You can support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christina Sweeney-Baird works as a lawyer. It's a busy full-on job, working all hours under the sun, and she had barely any time to write. Until a life-changing moment changed everything, and forced to her sit up, to sit down and write.'The End of Men' is her debut novel. It tells the story of a pandemic that wipes out 90% of the male population. We talk about the idea, how she developed it, planned it, and at one point had to cut 30 characters from it. We also chat what it was like writing and editing a story about a pandemic, during a pandemic, and how she figures out the confusing aspects of genre and gets to the heart of the story.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/2Y047UFSupport the show at Patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Fields first came on the show back in 2018.Starting with 6 DI Callanach thrillers, Helen has written standalones, and her newest novel introduces a new cahracter, Dr Connie Woolwine, an American Psycological Profiler who arrives in Edinburgh to pursue the Shadow Man.After working in Law with police, social services and Doctors for many years, Helen has a peculiarly accurate insight into the crimes she writes. She's also told stories using every method available to her, running a film production company and even self-publishing two fantasy books before signing up to the big leagues.You can get a copy of her newest book, 'The Shadow Man', here - https://amzn.to/3gsxvsMPlease do support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest taking us inside their working day is Jamie O'Connell. He's published short stories before, runs an editing and mentoring site called 'Blackwater Writing', and his debut novel, 'Diving for Pearls', is out now.It's a story set in Dubai, a mystical, alluring, divisive and controversial place. It's about a woman's death which influences a whole cast of strange and inter-connected characters. The most important character is Dubai itself, we talk about how he brought the place to life in his story.Also, we talk about how he gets himself going everyday, how talismans help him write, why story-telling is like tuning a radio, and at what point you absolutely should change your font.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3D2W2ypSupport the show - Patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's Random Routine comes from Mark Billingham.His new book is 'Rabbit Hole', his 4th standalone thriller, which comes after his 15th Tom Thorne novel, the series he's best known for.Mark joined us back in 2018 to take us through his writing day. Where we chatted about how Mark's writing style and method has changed in the 17-or-so years since he published his first novel 'Sleepyhead', which was later made into a TV show starring David Morrissey. Also, we found out if seeing his hero on the screen affected his view of story-telling too. We also discussed how being a obsessive crime-fiction fan turned him into one of the genre's best, and why the name of this fine podcast gives him the shivers. Flick back in your podcast feed to catch up on the full episode.You can support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Claire McGowan goes by two names. Claire for crime thrillers, Eva Woods for women's fiction. We talk about how she switches between the two, and how thoroughly she thinks through style and different readerships when she writes different genre.Her new work is an audiobook series exclusive to Audible, called 'The Vanishing Triangle'. It shines a light on the unsolved disappearance of at least eight women from mid-nineties Dublin; their bodies were never found, and no suspect was ever charged. To understand why these crimes remain unsolved, Claire explores what life was like in nineties Ireland, and investigates how a shifting political landscape and Irish society’s views on the treatment of women impacted the investigation.We talk about how writing true crime is different to writing crime stories from your imagination, how she researched and planned her work, and why she wanted to narrate the series.You can hear why her writing routine is pretty loose, how she doesn't plan much, and how she managed to write 4 books in 18 months through lockdowns.Grab a copy of 'The Vanishing Triangle' here - https://amzn.to/3jNujZASupport the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's Random Routine comes from bestselling Tim Marshall. He came on the show back in November 2018.Tim Marshall worked for some years as the Diplomatic Editor for Sky News, travelling and living all over the world to get the stories. His book 'Shadowplay: The Overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic' is widely regarded as one of the best accounts of life in the former Yugoslavia. Tim reported in the field from Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia during the Balkan Wars of the 1990s, and has since found huge writing success for his book 'Prisoners of Geography'. It looks at how maps of the world can predict political situations, it's the first of a trilogy of books that discuss the affect of nationalism on identity politics - his others look at flags and walls.His newest book is The Power of Geography, which looks at what maps really mean. Grab a copy of it here - https://amzn.to/3CzkWVWSupport the show at Patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Arditti is an award-winning author of 11 novels, he's written short stories, and worked as a theatre critic and book reviewer for national newspapers.His new novel is 'The Anointed'. It's a retelling of the biblical King David, as told through his 3 wives, Michal, Abigail and Bathsheba. We talk about how he put his own spin on history, and why he chose to write about such a specific time, and retell a famous story.His novel, 'Easter', won the first Waterstones Mardi Gras Award, he's also penned 'The Celibate', 'Of Men and Angels', 'The Enemy', and others. All of his books explore the theme of religion, and why some believe and others don't. We talk about why he constantly unpacks that in his stories, and how he comes up with new ideas for ways to explore the theme in prose. Michael talks about why he's a morning person, and how he fits his day around that, what he thinks about originality and wasting-words, and why he doesn't like being told what he can't write simply because he's a male in London.You can get a copy of 'The Anointed' here - https://amzn.to/3AdwLzbYou can support the show on Patreon here - patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liz Nugent is an Irish Book Award Winner, whose 4th Novel is 'Our Little Cruelties', which is out right now.She came on the show back in 2018 to take us through a day writing her 3rd novel 'Skin Deep'.After working as a stage manager, running all over the place in a theatre, then being shackled to the desk writing for soap operas, Liz Nugent became bored with dull, desk-driven office work, and became an author. Well... became an author over 6 years of writing her first book 'Unravelling Oliver'. It won an Irish Book Award, became a bestseller and gave her a career of being a proper writer.If you like the chat, flick back in your podcast feeds to her full episode from back in November 2018.You can get a copy of 'Our Little Cruelties' here - https://amzn.to/3fm28PYPlease do support us at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There was a time when Joy Ellis couldn't get her books anywhere near a shelf, one sale, anywhere. She was living in her car, she managed a bookshop, she had many almosts with publishers. She carried on, kept writing, self-published, and was finally tracked down by a publisher who stumbled across her in a newspaper.Now, she's sold over 2 million books, is an Amazon bestseller, and was nominated for 'Crime/ Thriller Book of the Year' at the Nibbies a few months ago.She's published over 20 books across many different characters. Her new one is 'The Patient Man'. It's a Jackman and Evans novel, about a serial killer who returns for the last time.We talk about how she decides which of her many characters will solve the crime this time, why she comes up with new characters, and how she checks in with them from time to time.You can hear more about her fantastic, winding route to publication. Also, we chat about how ideas for her future stories come at completely random times, which means she sits on them for a while, and get a complete run through of her writing day.Get a copy of 'The Patient Man' here - https://amzn.to/3zJ62KJSupport the show on patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's Random Routine is with Frank Cottrell-Boyce.Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a Carnegie Medal Award winning author - his 2004 novel 'Millions' is incredibly successful, and was turned into a film by Danny Boyle, for which Frank wrote the script. It was even Danny's idea that Frank should write the novel in the first place. He's published 10 novels, brought back 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', and wrote the Opening Ceremony to the 2012 Olympic Games. We chat quite a bit about scriptwriting - along with 'Millions', Frank has written many scripts for Michael Winterbottom, including '24 Hour Party People' and 'A Cock and Bull Story'. He tells us the difference between writing screenplays and novels, the story points you need to hit, and the simple forms an idea can take. His newest novel is 'Noah's Gold', grab a copy here - https://amzn.to/3y8GciVSupport us at patreon.com/writersroutine.@writerspod writersroutine.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're chatting to Hayley Doyle! She's an actor who has starred in the West End, appearing in Mamma Mia and others. Recently, she's turned her hand to writing, publishing two novels, 'Never Saw You Coming' and her newest one, 'Love, Almost'.It tells the story of Chloe, whose boyfriend of just 5 months dies, so to come to terms with things, she does all the many things they had planned to do together, alone. We talk about when she first had the idea for the story, how it came to her quickly and almost fully-formed. You can hear how she plays with what readers expect from genre fiction, giving them it but also pulling some surprises along the way.We discuss how she juggles work, family and lockdown, and how things have radically changed over the last year. Also, how music helps her ideas, and how acting influences her writing. Hayley is a Liverpudlian, and we chat about how heritage affects the way you tell stories, and particularly why Scousers are so good at it!You can get a copy of 'Love, Almost' here - https://amzn.to/3xXMEczSupport the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's bonus bite comes from crime writing behemoth Jeffery Deaver!Jeffery Deaver has published over 40 novels. He's a globally renowned author, writing crime and thrillers. To him, they're not lauded works of art, they're intricate puzzles, fun and games for the reader - and we talk about how he builds these. Jeffery works anywhere he can - any chance he gets to type away, if that's at home, on the plane, perhaps at a dog show, he will. We chat about how he finds time and space to work no matter where he is. Listen to the full episode from a couple of years ago earlier on in the feed.You can always support us at patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspod writersroutine.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexis Landau's new book 'Those Who Are Saved' builds on the true story of Los Angeles during World War II. It was a safe haven for artists, and was home to many exiled Europeans. It tells the tale of Vera, who is forced to leave her daughter and flee, and explores her path to find the girl she left behind.We discuss how Alexis writes around family time, how it all starts in a flurry of ideas and research, and how she blends factual history with her own creativity. We also chat about why moving around helps her focus, how she picked the messages she wanted to write very carefully, and how the very first idea for the story after a walk to the beach with her husband.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/2UNdl4ZIf you can, please support the show on Patreon - patreon.com/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's Random Routine comes from the 'Queen of Crime' Val McDermid. She appeared on the show back in April 2019 to run us through her working day.Val McDermid is one of the most successful crime authors in the world. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages, they've sold over 15 million copies and show no sign of letting up. She has written procedural crime, cold-case crime, and even penned the first ever 'cynical, socialist, lesbian, feminist journalist'.We talk about how her method of writing has changed over the course of 38 books, moving from heavy plotting to hardly plotting at all. Also we chat about how much she cares about her readers, and how she knows which of her characters will solve the crime currently swirling around her mind.Grab a copy of her newest novel, 'Still Life' here - https://amzn.to/3B17SIuYou can support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nigel Farndale is an award-winning journalist whose interviewing prowess has seen him chat to the Dalai Lama, Prince Charles, Henry Kissenger, Hilary Clinton, and many more. He's written for The Observer, the FT, The Sunday Times and many more. His last book, 'The Blasphemer' was nominated for a Costa Book Award back in 2010, and he's just released 'The Dictator's Muse'.It tells the story of 1930's Europe, as Hitler's grip tightens and his power grows. We follow a film-maker, an athlete and a Welsh communist as their relationships in this strange time entangle.We discuss the random scatterings in his writing room, and how that changes between books. Also why amateurs wait for inspiration, and professionals get on with it. You can hear how he balances writing journalism and novels, also how he goes about writing real-life people from history, and we discuss unreliable narrators.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3AOztMASupport the show if you can on patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Rankin came on the show in 2018 to discuss his 22nd Detective John Rebus book, 'In a House of Lies'. Since then he's published the 23rd, 'A Song for the Dark Times'.Here is just his routine, it's full of procrastination and puzzles. You can hear why he doesn't know what the story is until he's finished it, also why a good writing day can start at 8pm, and why he's writing all over the place.Support the show on patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Janet Skeslien-Charles new novel is 'The Paris Library', inspired by the true stories of the librarians who risked their lives during the Nazi's war on words. We talk about when she heard that tale, how she knew there was a book in it, and she'd be the one to write it.It comes off the back of her stunning debut, 'Moonlight in Odessa', which took 10 years to write. We discuss why she brooded over the idea for such a time, and how place and environment have given her the inspiration for her stories so far.We discuss research, on Google and in the library, why she likes to know everything as she plots, but why that doesn't mean there aren't surprises along the way. You can hear why she changes the structure of her sentences between characters to highlight their differences, and what it's like writing and thinking in two languages.Grab a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3y8reZLYou can also support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shari Lapena shared her writer's routine with us back in 2019, when she came on to chat about her 4th novel 'Someone We Know'.Shari's first book, 'The Couple Next Door', was the number 1 adult fiction title for the UK back in 2017. 'Someone We Know', a twisting tale of a teenager so desperate for wi-fi he breaks into homes, and then strange things start happening all over the neighbourhood. She has published two more since then, her newest is 'Not A Happy Family' which is out in August.In this bonus episode we hear about the writing routine of a day and a year, why she likes a quiet house, needs to get admin out of the way, and how she settled on a 1500 word goal.Follow the show wherever you get your podcasts from, and support us at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greg Buchanan's debut 'Sixteen Horses' has been lauded as one of the best books of the year, and there's already a major TV series of it in the works. However, the stunning hook of the plot only came to him as a device to explore the characters.Here's the blurb - 'Near the dying English seaside town of Ilmarsh, local police detective Alec Nichols discovers sixteen horses' heads on a farm, each buried with a single eye facing the low winter sun. After forensic veterinarian Cooper Allen travels to the scene, the investigators soon uncover evidence of a chain of crimes in the community – disappearances, arson, and mutilations – all culminating in the reveal of something deadly lurking in the ground itself. In the dark days that follow, the town slips into panic and paranoia. Everything is not as it seems. Anyone could be a suspect. And as Cooper finds herself unable to leave town, Alec is stalked by an unseen threat. The two investigators race to uncover the truth behind these frightening and insidious mysteries – no matter the cost.Sixteen Horses is a story of enduring guilt, trauma and punishment, set in a small seaside community the rest of the world has left behind...'We discuss genre - how much you learn the rules, when you break them, why it's good to stick to the conventions at the start. Also you can hear what writing in video games and comics has taught him about novels, and why a good shower sometimes does the trick.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3zP6msfAlso, you can my seminar at the London Book Fair, 'Playing with Prose' on Tuesday 29th June, here - https://lbf-2021.reg.buzz/?utm_campaign=organic_traffic&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google&_ga=2.122484687.557753863.1624463973-1654159128.1623150846&utm_campaign=organic_traffic&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=googleAnd support the show at Patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louise Candlish shared her writer's routine with us in 2019.Louise Candlish's 'Our House' was one of the biggest books of 2018, it's sold more than 200,000 copies, been read all over the world and won 'Best Crime and Thriller Fiction' at the 'British Book Awards'. It so nearly wasn't the case though. A few years ago, disappointed with her success and publisher, Louise almost gave up - until the kernel of a story came to her, something that had never been done before, a thriller centred around property fraud. We talk about that spark during the episode, and how she grew it to become an award-winning novel.Since this episode was released 2 years ago, she's published 'Those People' and 'The Other Passenger', and she'll be back with another novel later in the summer.You can get a copy of 'The Other Passenger' here - https://amzn.to/3cX6gVMSupport us on patreon.com/writersroutine, if you [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Niamh Campbell has always been around words, studying them, teaching them, constantly writing them. Her short story 'Love Many' won an Irish Times writing prize, and from that success she's published her debut novel, 'This Happy'.It tells the story of Allanah, who falls in love with an older man, and it unpacks the way that impacts her life. It's a novel of exploration, of description and words. We discuss how she worked through the plot from that, and how she works around her focus on language.We chat about why she finds characters boring, and how that influences much of what she writes. Also, why she's pretentious about genre, and how lockdown has made her reassess whether she's an introvert or an extrovert.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3gDNDIFAlso, please do support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BONUS EPISODE!Here's something new I'm trying, hopefully every week. Taking a look back at some fantastic authors from our archive, and remembering just the routine, hopefully injecting a bitesize chunk of inspiration that might help you plan your day.Anthony Horowitz joined us back in 2018, as he was in the process of writing some Alex Rider short-stories. The teenage spy launched him to national attention in the early 00s, with school kids across the world being transfixed by the reluctant agent. More recently, Anthony has moved into adult-fiction, writing murder mysteries, James Bond novels and Sherlock Holmes stories. Listen back to Anthony's full episode here - https://podfollow.com/writersroutine/episode/d5b03e49f25f370347d9fd71ef31ad0eb886f702/viewYou can support the show on patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lesley Kara's debut, 'The Rumour', was the bestselling crime thriller debut of 2019. She's back with her third novel, 'The Dare', it tells the story of Lizzie, who is suspected of being involved in the death of a friend years earlier, and someone is out to get revenge.We discuss her writing routine, and how it's a waiting game, and a process of discovery. Also you can hear why she likes to read aloud, what she likes to know before starting, and how precise she is with her words. We chat about why it's good to be bored as a writer, how she links ideas together in the theme of the story, and why she thinks she's sold so many books.Get a copy of 'The Dare' here - https://amzn.to/3g2eRYZAlso, Lesley studied at Faber Academy. To get 10% off any online course at faberacademy.co.uk, just use the code WRITERSROUTINE21 when you checkout.Support the show on patreon.com/writersroutine, and follow us where you get your [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Adler has always been around words. He's a journalist who has written for The Times and the FT, been a commissioning editor at The Daily Telegraph, and edited magazines. His fourth novel is 'Dead Already', it's a psychological thriller that crosses both the gangster and ghost-story genres.'Dead Already' is the story of an East End Gangster who becomes haunted by the ghost of his dead daughter. We talk about where the idea came from, how he got on crossing genres, and why writing for him... is mostly problem solving.Even with a career constantly being around words, before becoming a novelist Tim went back to school, and he chats about why he believes people, particularly writers, should always be learning.We talk about how he revisits drafts with a fresh eye before editing, why he believes irony is the linchpin of storytelling, and how he leaves space for change whilst being a thorough plotter.If you'd like to support the show, please do pledge at patreon.com/writersroutine.Also you can leave us a review on Apple [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rosie Wilby is a comedian, writer and podcaster. Her new book, 'The Breakup Monologues', is based on the podcast of the same name. It's non-fiction and looks at sexuality, stories, dating....breaking up.We talk about why the idea for the story changed as she worked on it, why she used ideas from fiction to plot and plan it, and how it's now affected her podcasting.You can hear why pets keep her going, how exercise helped her ideas, and as a comic, why lockdown was actually sweet relief to get work done.Rosie has appeared many times on BBC Radio 4 programmes including Woman’s Hour, Loose Ends, The Human Zoo and Four Thought, and at major festivals including Latitude and Glastonbury and in the finals of several major comedy competitions.Her first book 'Is Monogamy Dead?' was shortlisted for the Diva Literary Awards 2017, long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize 2018 and followed her TEDx talk of the same name. Her trilogy of solo shows investigating love and relationships began with The Science of Sex, which has been performed all over the UK, in New York, Los Angeles, Sydney and Berlin, and ended with The Conscious Uncoupling, which toured to venues including London's Southbank Centre and was shortlisted for Funny Women Best Show.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/2SyscPCListen (when you've finished this one) to Rosie's podcast here - https://podfollow.com/breakupmonologuesSupport us at Patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bryan Christy was the Head of Special Operations for National Geographic. He'd travel around the world uncovering crimes and reporting on the underworld. He's now an author.They say write what you know. Bryan's debut fiction is called 'In the Company of Killers', and it tells the story of Tom Klay, a spy undercover as a wildlife reporter. We talk about Bryan re-inventing real life into stories, and how he got to know Tom enough to tell his tale. Also, the criminal investigation style mindmaps that he made to plot the narrative, and we discuss what he learned from his non-fiction book, 'The Lizard King', which has influenced his new one.There's also a surprising amount of knife-throwing chat.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3f5hjh4Also, support the show at patreon.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bethany Clift's debut has come out at JUST the write time. 'Last One at the Party' tells the story of a woman alone on Earth, after humanity has been wiped out by a virus. We talk about how the idea came on a long, lonely journey, and how she got to know the character that readers would be spending so much time with.It's one of the publisher's lead titles this year, and the film rights have already been sold, so it's set for success. We discuss how her background in film production helped her visualise and plan the story slightly differently, and why she owes so much to her editor. You can hear how much she knew about the story before she started, and why the first sentence was so important.We have a good run through her writing space and working day, and how things are changing as she moves on to her second book.Get a copy of 'Last One at the Party' here - https://amzn.to/3fh5145You can support the show, and get involved at Patreon.com/writersroutine [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa Gardner is a prolific author. She's published 11 'DD Warren' novels, 2 'Tessa Leoni' books, and is back with her first standalone in 20 years. 'Before She Disappeared' tells the story of Frankie Elkin who spends her life doing what no one else will, searching for missing people the world has forgotten about.We talking about why she likes to get things done in the morning, and how she figured out how she works best. Also, how the characters figure themselves out in her down time which drives the story, although it seems to change between books. We talk about being a pantser, who likes to plot at the start, and why she hates the actual words on the page.To get a copy of the book, click here - https://amzn.to/3uF0Mp6We're having lots of lovely chats over on patreon.com/writersroutine, sign up and get involved to share some writing [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.