Writer's Routine
357 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 263 ratingsIn every episode we look inside the daily diary of a writer, to peak at the secrets of their success. How do they plan their day and maximise their creativity, in order to plot and publish a bestseller?Some are frantic night-owls, others roll out of bed into their desks, and a few lock themselves away for days in the woods - but none have a regular 9 to 5, and we'll find out how they've managed it.
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Episodes
Nigel Farndale, author of 'The Dictator's Muse' - Award-winning journalist and author discusses getting on with it, finding the balance between work and fun, and writing real life.
July 09, 2021 14:32 - 42 minutes - 58.6 MBNigel 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 an...
Random Routine - Ian Rankin talks to a day in the life of a crime writing phenomenon.
July 05, 2021 23:00 - 8 minutes - 11.2 MBIan 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/writersroutine. @writerspod writersroutine.com See ac...
Random Routine - Ian Rankin talks a day in the life of a crime writing phenomenon.
July 05, 2021 23:00 - 8 minutes - 11.2 MBIan 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/writersroutine. @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on A...
Janet Skeslien-Charles, author of 'The Paris Library' - Writer discusses dual time-frames, research and why thorough plotting doesn't mean complete understanding.
July 01, 2021 23:00 - 37 minutes - 51.9 MBJanet 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 ...
Random Routine - Bestselling thriller writer Shari Lapena discusses writing years, quiet houses and 1500 words.
June 29, 2021 23:00 - 11 minutes - 16.1 MBShari 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. I...
Random Routine - Bestselling thriller writer Shari Lapena discusses writing years, quiet houses and 1500 words.
June 29, 2021 23:00 - 11 minutes - 16.1 MBShari 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. I...
Greg Buchanan, author of 'Sixteen Horses' - Debut crime author discusses bending genre, plot functions, and being kind to yourself.
June 24, 2021 23:00 - 54 minutes - 74.5 MBGreg 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 trav...
Greg Buchanan, author of 'Sixteen Horses' - Debut crime author discusses bending genre, plot functions, and being kind to yourself.
June 24, 2021 23:00 - 54 minutes - 74.5 MBGreg 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 trav...
Random Routine - Louise Candlish takes us through a year in the life of an award-winning author.
June 21, 2021 23:00 - 10 minutes - 14.2 MBLouise 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 aro...
Niamh Campbell, author of 'This Happy' - Award-winning writer discusses literary fiction, being purposeful with language, and extroverted work.
June 18, 2021 10:36 - 55 minutes - 75.9 MBNiamh 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 lan...
Niamh Campbell, author of 'This Happy' - Award-winning writer discusses literary fiction, being purposeful with language, and extroverted work.
June 18, 2021 10:36 - 55 minutes - 75.9 MBNiamh 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 lan...
Random Routine - Anthony Horowitz discusses why he wants to make every day different.
June 15, 2021 10:21 - 9 minutes - 13.3 MBBONUS 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 reluc...
Lesley Kara, author of 'The Dare' - Crime writer talks about the process of discovery, themes, and TV adaptations
June 10, 2021 23:00 - 43 minutes - 59.6 MBLesley 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 ab...
Tim Adler, author of 'Dead Already' - Thriller writer talks about thorough plotting, irony, and always being a student.
June 03, 2021 23:00 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBTim 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 hi...
Tim Adler, author of 'Dead Already' - Thriller writer talks about thorough plotting, irony, and always being a student.
June 03, 2021 23:00 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBTim 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 hi...
Rosie Wilby, author of 'The Breakup Monologues' - Comic talks about pets, podcasting and peripatetic writing.
May 27, 2021 23:00 - 39 minutes - 54 MBRosie 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 t...
Bryan Christy, author of 'In the Company of Killers' - Thriller writer talks masterplans and diagrams, writing dreams, and discovering your characters.
May 20, 2021 23:00 - 32 minutes - 44.3 MBBryan 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 mindm...
Bethany Clift, author of 'Last One at the Party' - Dystopian debut author talks stealing time to write, learning from films, why editing saves the day.
May 13, 2021 23:00 - 55 minutes - 75.9 MBBethany 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 ...
Lisa Gardner, author of 'Before She Disappeared' - New York Times bestseller discusses the perils of pantsing, getting it done early, and her first standalone in 20 years.
May 06, 2021 23:00 - 31 minutes - 43 MBLisa 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 ...
Ericka Waller, author of 'Dog Days' - Debut author discusses the balance between light and shade, learning from loss, and keeping family time.
April 29, 2021 23:00 - 41 minutes - 56.8 MBEricka Waller's published debut is 'Dog Days', which tells the story of George, Dan, Lizzie and the dogs that bind their lives and emotions together. The word-play in the title gets to the heart of the book. It's a joyous and uplifting story about the heartbreak of mental illness, and it's about the small changing moments that occur when we let the light in. We talk about the times of tragedy that prompted Ericka to write the book, and how her favourite band helped her with the initial idea...
Ericka Waller, author of 'Dog Days' - Debut author discusses the balance between light and shade, learning from loss, and keeping family time.
April 29, 2021 23:00 - 41 minutes - 56.8 MBEricka Waller's published debut is 'Dog Days', which tells the story of George, Dan, Lizzie and the dogs that bind their lives and emotions together. The word-play in the title gets to the heart of the book. It's a joyous and uplifting story about the heartbreak of mental illness, and it's about the small changing moments that occur when we let the light in. We talk about the times of tragedy that prompted Ericka to write the book, and how her favourite band helped her with the initial idea...
Abigail Mann, author of 'The Sister Surprise' - Uplit and comedy writer talks about accountability, switching softwares, and writing funny.
April 22, 2021 23:00 - 56 minutes - 77.5 MBAbigail Mann has just released her second novel, very quickly after publishing her first. 'The Sister Surprise' tells us the story of Ava who discovers she has an unknown sister, and decides to pay her a secret visit. We talk about how she remembers how to write a book, when she between projects. We chat about public accountability with work, and how she's managed that through lockdown. Also, you can hear why she switches between writing softwares and word processors between drafts to keep ...
Chloe James, author of 'Love in Lockdown' - Debut uplit author discusses working to time, pseudonyms and making writing a priority.
April 15, 2021 23:00 - 46 minutes - 63.8 MBChloe James debut novel is so perfectly timed it must have been expertly planned. It was. Chloe James is also Fiona Woodifield, author of 'The Jane Austen Dating Agency' which received critical acclaim recently. Due to the success of that, she was asked by a publisher to write a book based on an idea they'd heard on the radio... what if two neighbours found love in lockdown? Chloe talks about the pressure of getting this done quickly, and being the first to get such an idea out. We chat abo...
Naomi Ishiguro, author of 'Common Ground' - Debut novelist talks about ideas from chaos, impersonal writing spaces, and pushing through to the end.
April 08, 2021 23:00 - 39 minutes - 54.2 MBNaomi Ishiguro's debut novel is something quite special. 'Common Ground' tells the story of Stan and Charlie, unlikely friends who meet during a turbulent time and change each others lives. Naomi had the idea during 2016, after the Brexit referendum changed how she saw the world, and the people in it. We discuss how she moved the idea along, how she gets through the difficult final third of the book, and why she likes her writing space to be completely neutral and lack any personality. Wri...
Nick Petrie, author of 'The Breaker' - Thriller writer talks about getting the first draft right, perfecting the space, and the inner drill sergeant.
April 01, 2021 23:00 - 33 minutes - 38.8 MBNick Petrie has just released the 6th Peter Ash novel, 'The Breaker'. It's all about the war vet with PTSD, trying to live a quiet life on the run, who cannot stand by when he sees an armed man walk into a crowd of people, and no-one knows what might happen next. His debut, 'The Drifter', won many thriller awards, he's award-winning for his short stories too, having gained MFA in fiction from the University of Washington and won a Hopwood Award while he was there. We talk about perfecting ...
Nick Petrie, author of 'The Breaker' - Thriller writer talks about getting the first draft right, perfecting the space, and the inner drill sergeant.
April 01, 2021 23:00 - 33 minutes - 38.8 MBNick Petrie has just released the 6th Peter Ash novel, 'The Breaker'. It's all about the war vet with PTSD, trying to live a quiet life on the run, who cannot stand by when he sees an armed man walk into a crowd of people, and no-one knows what might happen next. His debut, 'The Drifter', won many thriller awards, he's award-winning for his short stories too, having gained MFA in fiction from the University of Washington and won a Hopwood Award while he was there. We talk about perfecting ...
Sarah Leipciger, author of 'Coming Up For Air' - Writer discusses teaching creativity, thorough research, and unexplored mysteries.
March 26, 2021 00:00 - 39 minutes - 54.3 MBSarah Leipciger's second novel features a strange, poetic mystery than spans 3 time-frames across different parts of the world. Her critically-acclaimed debut 'The Mountain Can Wait' came out in 2015, and she has been short-listed for many awards for her short stories. Sarah also teaches creative writing to prisoners. We discuss how lockdown has affected creativity, also how she gets things done early to be there for her family, and how she doesn't understand the word-count fascination. You...
Lucy Clarke, author of 'The Castaways' - Thriller writer talks writing spaces, getting it done early, and travelling to research.
March 19, 2021 11:15 - 1 hour - 84.1 MBLucy Clarke is the bestselling author of six psychological thrillers, which have been sold in over 20 territories. Her new novel is 'The Castaways', which tells the story of two sisters on holiday who have a fight at the airport right before boarding. One gets on the plane, the other doesn't, and when the airplane seemingly crashes, the sister left behind determines to get to the bottom of the mystery. We talk about mulling over the idea, and how she researched the story, facts and events of...
Shane Dunphy, author of 'Stories from the Margins' - Inspirational Memoir and Crime author talks the perfect place to write, walking to work, and the responsibility of stories.
March 12, 2021 00:00 - 53 minutes - 73.6 MBThis week's guest is the inspirational memoir and crime writer Shane Dunphy. Shane worked as a child protection worker for 15 years, the things he experienced gave him the ideas to begin life as an author, something he'd always wanted. His first nine titles dealt with his time on the frontline of social care work, and include the number one bestseller 'Wednesday’s Child'. Under the name SA Dunphy, he's published a series of crime novels about the emotionally damaged criminologist David Dun...
Abigail Dean, author of 'Girl A' - Instant Sunday Times Bestseller talks writing around full-time work, starting the day, and debut dreams.
March 05, 2021 11:56 - 44 minutes - 60.9 MBAbigail Dean's 'Girl A' is the talk of the book world at the moment. It's been one of the biggest releases of 2021, and shot her straight onto the Sunday Times Bestseller list. It tells the story of Lex and her sister Evie, trying to fix their lives and future after growing up in a house of horrors. You can hear how she plans her day to get the words down, how she figured out writing as a passion around full-time work, and how that might all have to change after its instant success. We also...
Cherie Jones, author of 'How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House' - Debut novelist talks about waking up early, fitting everything in, and asking her characters questions.
February 26, 2021 00:00 - 44 minutes - 60.6 MBCherie Jones is a busy lady. She is a full time lawyer, a single mother of 4 children, is currently finishing a PhD, and has found the time to publish her first novel, 'How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House'. It's about four people the legacy of violence in the Bahamas, a place so many look on as paradise. Here's the blurb: In Baxter Beach, Barbados, moneyed ex-pats clash with the locals who often end up serving them: braiding their hair, minding their children, and selling them drugs....
Susie Donkin, author of 'Zeus is a Dick' - Comedy writer on reimagining ancient myths, learning from screenplays, and keeping keen to be lean.
February 19, 2021 00:00 - 36 minutes - 50.8 MBSusie Donkin has been a writer on the award-winning show, 'Horrible Histories', since it debuted on TV in 2009. She has now used that experience of hilariously retelling history for her new book, 'Zeus is a Dick'. It uses influences from Comedy Central's 'Drunk History' and Stephen Fry's 'Mythos' to reimagine ancient myths in a modern, edgy and fantastic way. Susie has also written on Channel 4's award-winning, 'Smack the Donkey', and plenty of radio. As Artistic Director of Spitz & Co she ...
Will Dean, author of 'The Last Thing to Burn' - Thriller writer talks about frantically thrashing out the words, paying justice to characters, and writing in the wilderness.
February 12, 2021 00:00 - 40 minutes - 55.2 MBWill Dean appears to have a glorious writing life. Hidden away in the Swedish wilderness, in a house that he built, he dreams up stories and thrashes them out in a few weeks. In reality, it's the product of years of sitting on ideas, mulling them over, and a zombie-like fuge state when he finally knows enough to tell it. After the success of his Tuva Moodyson series, he's released a tense standalone thriller called 'The Last Thing to Burn'. It focuses on 'Jane', a mystery woman locked up in...
C.K. McDonnell, author of 'The Stranger Times' - Comedian and writer talks about how stand-up comedy made writing easier, about jokes getting in the way of the story, and why he annoys his characters.
February 05, 2021 00:00 - 47 minutes - 65.5 MBCaimh McDonnell used to be a stand-up comedian, gigging all over the country and writing for television. Now, he's a full-time storyteller working out of his own office in his garden. His new novel, 'The Stranger Times', investigates life in a newspaper which reports on the weirdest stories... which sometimes turn out to be true. It's the start of a brand new comic supernatural thriller series from C.K. We talk about the post-it notes all over the office that let him know when he's taken a ...
Kate Mosse, author of 'The City of Tears' - Multi-million selling author talks thorough research, learning to write anywhere and building on the success of 'Labyrinth'
January 29, 2021 11:21 - 54 minutes - 75.5 MBKate Mosse is the author of nine novels & short story collections, including the No 1 multimillion selling 'Languedoc Trilogy'. Her historical thriller 'Labyrinth' was one of the biggest selling novel of the 2000s and propelled her to success, she followed it with 'Sepulchre' and 'Citadel'. She's written bestselling Gothic fiction, non-fiction, plays, plus contributed essays and introductions to classic novels and collections. Her books have been translated into 38 languages and published in...
Jeff Lindsay, author of 'Fool Me Twice' - 'Dexter' creator talks intricate plotting, finding your vocation, and starting again after a huge series.
January 22, 2021 03:28 - 34 minutes - 47 MBJeff Lindsay's new book is 'Fool Me Twice', the second 'Riley Wolfe' thriller about the master thief that targets the world's wealthiest. Jeff is best known for his 8 'Dexter Morgan' novels, which became the hit Showtime series 'Dexter', about everyone's favourite neighbourhood serial killer. We discuss the pressure on his new series after the success of 'Dexter', and how he found starting all over again. Also, you can hear why his 'Riley Wolfe' thrillers are so much harder to plot and rese...
Emily Schultz, author of 'Little Threats' - Thriller writer talks creating a work space, thrashing ideas about, and switching genre.
January 15, 2021 00:00 - 58 minutes - 80.8 MBEmily Schultz new novel, 'Little Threats', follows twin sisters in the 1990s, in an age of rebellion, when a night of partying goes very wrong, and one of them ends up under suspicion for murder... and she can't remember whether she did it or not. We talk about how she got into the 90s mindset with music, how she tackles the first draft, and whether she's fine with being it sloppy at the start. Initially, the book started as a work of literary fiction, but when Emily figured if she brought ...
Emily Schultz, author of 'Little Threats' - Thriller writer talks creating a work space, thrashing ideas about, and switching genre.
January 15, 2021 00:00 - 58 minutes - 80.8 MBEmily Schultz new novel, 'Little Threats', follows twin sisters in the 1990s, in an age of rebellion, when a night of partying goes very wrong, and one of them ends up under suspicion for murder... and she can't remember whether she did it or not. We talk about how she got into the 90s mindset with music, how she tackles the first draft, and whether she's fine with being it sloppy at the start. Initially, the book started as a work of literary fiction, but when Emily figured if she brought ...
Rosie Nixon, author of 'Just Between Friends' - Magazine editor talks escaping to write, getting to know characters, and beating deadlines.
January 08, 2021 00:00 - 48 minutes - 66.9 MBRosie Nixon is busy. She is the Editor-in-Chief of HELLO! Magazine, she's worked as a journalist for many years, she's a mum of two, and has just published her third novel, 'Just Between Friends'. We discuss how she splits up her time wearing many different work hats, and why she loves to escape to tell stories. You can hear what editing a national media brand has taught her about novel-writing, and how working as a journalist has made her determined to beat the deadlines. 'Just Between Fr...
Ross Sutherland, creator of 'The Golden House' - Poet, writer and podcaster explains how rules help creativity, why he loves the editing, and putting puzzles in podcasts.
December 18, 2020 08:51 - 59 minutes - 81.5 MBRoss Sutherland is a jack of all writing trades. He is a poet, a playwright, has written for radio, TV and film, and is now an award-winning podcaster. His experimental storytelling podcast 'Imaginary Advice' won gold at the British Podcast Awards in 2018, and his new series is 'The Golden House'. It's a 6 part puzzle of a podcast, presented as a corporate show for a fictional tech company, in which the presenter is trying to reveal some of the firm's darkest secrets without them realising. ...
Ross Sutherland, creator of 'The Golden House' - Poet, writer and podcaster explains how rules help creativity, why he loves the editing, and putting puzzles in podcasts.
December 18, 2020 08:51 - 59 minutes - 81.5 MBRoss Sutherland is a jack of all writing trades. He is a poet, a playwright, has written for radio, TV and film, and is now an award-winning podcaster. His experimental storytelling podcast 'Imaginary Advice' won gold at the British Podcast Awards in 2018, and his new series is 'The Golden House'. It's a 6 part puzzle of a podcast, presented as a corporate show for a fictional tech company, in which the presenter is trying to reveal some of the firm's darkest secrets without them realising. ...
Sibéal Pounder, author of 'Tinsel: The Girls Who Invented Christmas' - Children's author talks writing courses, finding the tone and writing a sense of magic.
December 11, 2020 00:00 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MBSibéal Pounder's debut 'Witch Wars' was shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Children's Book Award and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. She then wrote 'The Bad Mermaids' series which was a World Book Day 2019 title and a Sunday Times Bestseller and has been optioned by Sony Animation. Her newest novel is 'Tinsel: The Girls Who Invented Christmas', which figures out if Santa might be a bit different to the person everyone thinks they are. We talk about writing for kids and capturing the mag...
CJ Cooke, author of 'The Nesting' - Gothic suspense author talks about getting the atmosphere right, stopping the editing knot, and writing to frighten.
December 04, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 57.2 MBCJ Cooke is a poet, a successful horror and suspense author, and a senior lecturer in creative writing at the University of Glasgow. She's been published in 23 countries, and her new novel is 'The Nesting'. It's set in the fjords and forests of Norway, where down on her luck Lexi becomes a nanny in a strange, high-concept house, and peculiar things start happening. We talk about why it's set there, and how CJ worked on getting the chilling atmosphere right. You can hear how the tone and pa...
CJ Cooke, author of 'The Nesting' - Gothic suspense author talks about getting the atmosphere right, stopping the editing knot, and writing to frighten.
December 04, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 57.2 MBCJ Cooke is a poet, a successful horror and suspense author, and a senior lecturer in creative writing at the University of Glasgow. She's been published in 23 countries, and her new novel is 'The Nesting'. It's set in the fjords and forests of Norway, where down on her luck Lexi becomes a nanny in a strange, high-concept house, and peculiar things start happening. We talk about why it's set there, and how CJ worked on getting the chilling atmosphere right. You can hear how the tone and pa...
Sareeta Domingo, author of 'If I Don't Have You' - Romantic fiction writer talks tricks of the genre, juggling full-time work with part-time passion, and getting ideas from dreams.
November 27, 2020 00:00 - 44 minutes - 61.7 MBSareeta Domingo has an incredibly busy working. She works as an editor for Mills and Boon, helping other writers construct and improve their work. In order to do that and tell her own stories, she wakes up early and goes to bed late, sandwiching writing-time around work and family life. She has published 5 books, a story-story collection, a series of erotic short stories, and her novel, 'If I Don't Have You', is now an audio-book from Audible.Through 3 acts it tells the story of Ren and Kay...
Sareeta Domingo, author of 'If I Don't Have You' - Romantic fiction writer talks tricks of the genre, juggling full-time work with part-time passion, and getting ideas from dreams.
November 27, 2020 00:00 - 44 minutes - 61.7 MBSareeta Domingo has an incredibly busy working. She works as an editor for Mills and Boon, helping other writers construct and improve their work. In order to do that and tell her own stories, she wakes up early and goes to bed late, sandwiching writing-time around work and family life. She has published 5 books, a story-story collection, a series of erotic short stories, and her novel, 'If I Don't Have You', is now an audio-book from Audible.Through 3 acts it tells the story of Ren and Kay...
Mark Watson, author of 'Contacts' - Comedian talks about changing voices, writing on the road, and why he loves the bustle.
November 20, 2020 08:37 - 41 minutes - 56.4 MBMark Watson is a hugely successful comedian, known for his marathon shows in which he'll perform for over 24 hours at a time. He's just published his 6th novel, 'Contacts', all about how technology and social media could perhaps save a life. It's almost in direct contrast to a lot of the tech narrative you hear the moment, the story is about the joys and wonder of the possibilities of the internet. We talk about why Mark loves getting fully absorbed in writing, taking time anywhere to get t...
Sally Gardner, author of 'The Snow Song' - Multi award-winning bestseller talks about having a visual mind, knowing everything about your characters, and reluctant readers.
November 13, 2020 00:00 - 44 minutes - 61.5 MBSally Gardner has sold over 2 MILLION books. She is a Costa Kids Book Award winner, a Carnegie Medal winner, and she's back with her 3rd adult novel, 'The Snow Song'. We talk about why stories are the most important thing to everyone's life, and how she keeps that at the front of her mind always. You can hear about why her visual imagination lets her know when she's off-track with her plotting, and why she's the patron saint of reluctant readers. 'The Snow Song' is about Edith, who lives a...
Gillian McAllister, author of 'How to Disappear' - Psychological thriller writer talks researching the unresearchable, mixing plotting and pantsing, and getting the first draft done quickly.
November 06, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 57 MBGillian McAllister is a Sunday Times Top 10 bestselling author, who has just published her 5th novel, 'How to Disappear'. It's a romantic psychological thriller set in witness protection. It's about Lauren whose daughter Zara sees a terrible crime, and together they must disappear and leave everything behind... including the man Lauren loves. It comes off the back of phenomenal success for her other novels, 'Everything But The Truth', 'Anything You Do Say', 'No Further Questions' and 'The ...
Gillian McAllister, author of 'How to Disappear' - Psychological thriller writer talks researching the unresearchable, mixing plotting and pantsing, and getting the first draft done quickly.
November 06, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 57 MBGillian McAllister is a Sunday Times Top 10 bestselling author, who has just published her 5th novel, 'How to Disappear'. It's a romantic psychological thriller set in witness protection. It's about Lauren whose daughter Zara sees a terrible crime, and together they must disappear and leave everything behind... including the man Lauren loves. It comes off the back of phenomenal success for her other novels, 'Everything But The Truth', 'Anything You Do Say', 'No Further Questions' and 'The E...