Writer's Routine

Dan Simpson
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  • EVERY TWO WEEKS
Writer's Routine

How do the best writers get to work? In every episode, we'll chat to an author about what they do through a day. Where do they work? What time do they start? How do they plan their time 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 in the woods - but none have a regular 9 to 5, and we'll find out how they've managed it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Steven Veerapen, author of the 'Anthony Blanke' series - Historical fiction author and academic discusses morbid curiosity, sparse writing environments, and Tudor love

    This week, we chat to the historical fiction author and academic, Steven Veerapen. He's best known for his Anthony Blanke series, set in the Tudor period, about the son of a black trumpeter, John Blanke, who was a real figure in the court of King Henry VIII. There's 'Of Blood Descended' and 'Of Judgement Fallen', which are out in print and just released as audiobooks. He's also written 3 in the 'Simon Danforth' series, and a few about the playwright Christopher Marlowe as a spy. We talk about the balance of writing academia and finding time for novels. Also about the morbid curiosity which gives him ideas, and why we all love the Tudors. You can hear about his sparse writing environment, how he plans a busy year, and what Tudor fiction needs to have in it. Get a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.com/shop/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min

  2. 8 NOV

    Alex Pavesi, author of 'Ink Ribbon Red' - Thriller writer discusses why his characters will do what he wants, the routine that finally got him published, and murder mysteries

    Alex Pavesi spent a long time writing many debut novels. He would write a few thousands words, get struck by a brilliant new idea, get bored, stop writing and the cycle would continue. Finally, he landed upon a way of storytelling that allowed him to write a finished book. That became 'Eight Detectives', which was a Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year and a smash-hit. He's followed it up with 'Ink Ribbon Red'. It tells the story of a group of old friends who meet for an annual birthday weekend away, deep in the English countryside. One of them suggests a parlour game in which they write murder mystery stories about each other... what happens when murders really start happening. Will you be able to tell the real murder, from the ones they're writing? It's a brilliant way of telling stories within stories, and twisting the murder mystery genre even further. We discuss how he landed on a writing routine that helped him finally get published, also how the success of the first novel changed what his second had to be, and why he's obsessed with pen and paper. You can hear about accidentally becoming a full-time writer, about the balance of plot and character, and why he doesn't agree with a classic piece of writing advice. If you'd like a copy of 'Ink Ribbon Red', please do take a look at our dedicated Writer's Routine bookstore at - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine You can get a writing tip everyday through NaNoWriMo on our TikTok and Instagram page. Support the show! Pledge - patreon.com/writersroutine Tip - ko-fi.com/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min

  3. 1 NOV

    Sarah Easter Collins, author of 'Things Don't Break on their Own' - Author and painter discusses showing and not telling, poetry focusing prose, and bringing themes together

    Sarah Easter Collins is an all-round creative. Alongside being a painter, she's just published her debut, 'Things Don't Break on their Own'. It tells the story of Willa, whose life shattered into tiny pieces when her sister disappeared on the way to school, and she has never been able to put them back together again. Willa sees Laika everywhere: on buses, at parties, in busy streets. It’s been twenty-five years, and the only thing that has kept her going is her belief that her sister is alive, somewhere. But when a dinner party conversation about childhood memories spirals out of control, a shattering revelation from one of the guests forces Willa to rethink everything she thought she knew about her past. It was inspired by many things - travelling around Africa and Thailand, teaching in the South West of England, the first dog in space, and also an obnoxious dinner party guest. We discuss bringing those themes together, also the art of showing without telling, and how her painting inspires her writing... and vice versa. You can hear how she knew the beats of a genreless novel, why she wakes up shockingly early, and how poetry helps her focus on prose. Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine Support the show: patreon.com/writersroutine https://ko-fi.com/writersroutine writersroutine.com @writerspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    48 min

  4. 24 OCT

    Louise Swanson, author of 'Lights Out' - Award-winning author discusses pseudonyms, being strict, and improving through rejections

    Louise Swanson is the pen-name of bestselling and award-winning author, Louise Beech. Louise has 8 novels out, a memoir, and has picked up all sorts of prizes for her work. She has written the play based on her debut novel, 'How to be Brave', which is currently touring the UK, and has written columns for local newspapers. She's back with a Louise Swanson novel, called 'Light's Out'. Set in a strange version of the UK, where a state of emergency is declared and all electricity cuts out at 8pm every night. So, what happens when Grace, terrified of the dark, wakes up every morning after the cut-off, to find a different note from the same intruder - one, seemingly getting closer to something drastic? We talk about getting to the end of a novel as a panster, and how perhaps she's been figuring out how it ends the whole time, but never realising that. Also you can hear how her work writing novels, plays and columns is a bit like riding a bike, and we discuss how one influences the other. We chat about how she was improving in-between rejections, why she needs a news programme on whilst writing, and why her strict routine comes from working class guilt, perhaps. You can watch this episode on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@writersroutine Get a copy of 'Lights Out' and support the show - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine Support us on with a monthly pledge - patreon.com/writersroutine Support us as a one-off donation - https://ko-fi.com/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min

  5. 17 OCT

    Gareth Rubin, author of 'Holmes and Moriarty' - Mystery thriller writer discusses getting Sherlock Holmes right, playing with timelines, and getting bored of the craft

    Gareth Rubin is back with one of the few Sherlock Holmes books officially authorised and certified by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle estate. It's called 'Holmes and Moriarty', and tells the story of two of fiction's greatest adversaries being forced to form an alliance, to face a threat bigger than anything that's gone before. It's Gareth's 4th published novel, coming after 'Liberation Square', 'The Winter Agent', and 'The Turnglass'. They're high-concept historical thrillers that twist the way stories are told. We talk about the pressure of writing a Holmes story, and how concerned he was with getting the small details correct. You can hear how he went about planning the clues, the tricks and the mystery, and why he has to escape to somewhere incredibly dull to write. Also we discuss how, surprisingly, for a published author... Gareth doesn't enjoy writing. He likes being published... but not the act of getting words down. It's your last chance to get 10% off Writer's Rising 2024, one of the biggest writing retreats of the year. Use the code 'wr10' at writersrising.com. Support your local independent bookshop, and get a copy of Gareth's book in the dedicated Writer's Routine shop at Bookshop.org - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    58 min

  6. 10 OCT

    Molly Green, author of 'Courage for the Cabinet Girl' - Wartime novelist discusses starting early, honouring women, and building a train carriage

    Molly Green writes wartime novels that celebrate the women who stayed home and served their country. Her new novel is 'Courage for the Cabinet Girl'. Set in 19412, with Britain in the throes of the Second World War, it's about Katharina Valentine who feels sidelined. Employed as a shorthand-typist in the War Office, she is transferred to the basement below – home of the top-secret Cabinet War Rooms. Unexpected staff shortages present an opportunity to work directly for Winston Churchill himself, and Katie jumps at the chance.  We talk about her working writing under 3 different names, why a job she had 40 years ago still makes her start early, and why she gets angry when people think she's wrong. To save money on one of the biggest writing retreats of the year, head to writersrising.com and use the code 'wr10'. Support your favourite authors, local bookshops and this podcast by buying books on our dedicated site over at https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min

  7. 3 OCT

    Jodi Picoult, author of 'By Any Other Name' - Forty million copy Bestseller discusses writing for therapy, forgetting your readers, and who Shakespeare really was

    Jodi Picoult is one of the world's most successful authors. She's written over 30 books, been translated into 34 languages, and has sold more than 40 MILLION books. Her novel, 'My Sister's Keeper', was turned into a huge film starring Cameron Diaz, and she's written as a librettist, with pieces performed across the world. Her new novel is 'By Any Other Name', which tells the story of Emilia Bassano, who back in 1581, like most women of the day, isn't allowed a voice of her own. When she starts writing dramatic masterpieces, she decides to pay a man for the use of his name... then what happens 500 years later, when the man becomes one of the most famous who ever lived? We discuss her thorough research which hasn't changed much in 30 years, also how she divides her time with so many projects going on and so many book tours planned. You can hear about the book she wrote as therapy during lockdown and never thought would release, and why she has a voodoo doll of her competitors. The book is released in the UK on October 10th, get a copy with our brand new Bookshop.org Writer's Routine store! Find lots of books we've featured on the show too - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine Support the podcast - patreon.com/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min

  8. 26 SEPT

    Ciar Byrne, author of 'A Deadly Discovery' - Gardening journalist and author discusses balancing work, starting early, and a strange path to publication

    Ciar Byrne has worked as a journalist for 25 years, usually as a gardening journalist, she's written for The Independent, The Guardian, Private Eye and many more. It turns out that all that experience, didn't make it easier to get published. Ciar wrote 6 books before she got a deal. When it eventually arrived, it came through the strange route of a random email after a Twitter Submission Window she'd entered half-heartedely. After waiting so long to get a contract, when she was finally offered one, what did she do? How did she immediately get to work to make her project the best it could be? We try and find out. The debut is 'A Deadly Discovery', which stars Virginia Woolf and her sister, Vanessa Bell, from the Bloomsbury Set, as a pair of unlikely amateur sleuths. It's set around the historic country town of Lewes, in the south of England, where Ciar lives, and incorporates murder, historic buildings, and a touch of gardening too. You can hear why she's had to slow down her writing to forget some journalistic practices, also the brilliant advice she's got about bad writing days, and why she likes to start early. This week's episode is sponsored by 'Peace Lilies: A Sweet Ghostly Novella' by Margaret Rodeheaver. It's all about Birdie and Martin who return froom vacation to discover they're dead. Get a copy here - books2read.com/peacelilies Support the show at patreon.com/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min
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About

How do the best writers get to work? In every episode, we'll chat to an author about what they do through a day. Where do they work? What time do they start? How do they plan their time 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 in the woods - but none have a regular 9 to 5, and we'll find out how they've managed it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Simpson
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2024
  • Episodes
    333
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dan Simpson
  • Show Website
    Writer's Routine

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