Writer's Routine

Dan Simpson
  • 5,0 (7)
  • BÖCKER
  • VARANNAN VECKA

How do the best writers get to work? In every episode, we'll chat to an author about their writing 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. −6 D

    Sam Sedgman, author of 'The Galileo Heist' - Children's author discusses finding magic in the real world, being confident with curiosity, and getting it finished

    Sam Sedgman is a 'British Book Award' winning author, who writes fantastic adventure stories for children. He started co-writing with MG Leonard, who has also been a guest on this show, working on the 'Adventures on Trains' series. She was a published author, he was a train nerd, it worked perfectly. In the process they won and were nominated for many awards. Now, he's writing on his own. 'The Galileo Heist' is the new novel in the 'Isaac Turner Investigates' series, which sees Isaac on a quest across Italy, to discover the wonder of light. Sam loves to take an interest, learn every strange fact he can about it, and then use it for a gripping adventure. In the series, he's explored time with 'The Clockwork Conspiracy', maps in 'The Forbidden Atlas', and now light in 'The Galileo Heist'. Sam has also published two non-fiction books - 'Epic Adventures' and 'Epic Cities'. You can hear why he struggles to get things finished, also how he managed moving from co-writing to solo-writing, and why he builds words around a quirk of numbers. If you know a child who needs to read more, you'd do well to introduce them to Sam's work. Get a copy - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine This week's episode is sponsored by Philippa Hall's 'Quick Book Reviews' podcast. Take a listen wherever you've got this. Support the show -  patreon.com/writersroutine ko-fi.com/writersroutine Subscribe to the newsletter - https://writersroutine.substack.com/ @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 tim 1 min

  2. 30 JAN.

    Sally-Anne Martyn, author of 'The Beauty Queen' - Creepy thriller writer discusses 5 am starts, trying to improve, and discovering the plot when the characters do

    In this week's episode, we chat to creepy thriller writer Sally-Anne Martyn. Sally-Anne didn't grow up wanting to be a writer. She studied performing arts, working in film and TV, before working many different jobs in many different places, even a stint as a carer in one of England's last asylums. In her 40's, she had the epiphany that perhaps writing had always been waiting for her. She took that realisation very seriously, enrolling on writing courses, and life-coaching seminars, all to try and make her dream of being published come true. When it finally happened, she was shocked at how quickly the realities of being a writer set in. You can hear all about that in the chat. She's published 'The Clinic', 'The Home', and her new novel is 'The Beauty Queen'. It's all about the journalist Zoe Kincade, who arrives in the rundown seaside town of Sunshine Sands to report on the local talent show. Within moments, it brings up memories of her sister, and the last place she was seen alive, when she was also crowned Miss Sunshine Sands. We discuss dark thrillers, and how she's always improving her routine. You can hear why Sally-Anne is envious of old-school writers, how different jobs have influenced her novel ideas, and why she's a member of the 5am club. Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine This week's episode is sponsored by 'Whale Cemetery', the 12th instalment in the 'DCI Finnegan Yorkshire Crime Thriller' series by Ely North. Get a free book here - https://elynorthcrimefiction.com/ Support the show - patreon.com/writersroutine ko-fi.com/writersroutine Subscribe to the newsletter - writersroutine.substack.com @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min

  3. 23 JAN.

    Georgie Codd, author of 'Never Had a Dad' - Memoir writer discusses making people care, planning an adventure, and finding a father figure

    Georgie Codd is a writer of all-sorts. She's dabbled in fiction, written for publications, created the 'BookBound' literary festival, and now focuses on narrative non-fiction. Her first book, 'We Swim to the Shark', came out in 2020, and followed Georgie’s quest to overcome her deepest fears by crossing the planet, learning to scuba dive, and attempting to swim with the largest fish in the world: an adult whale shark. She's followed it up with 'Never Had a Dad', which sees Georgie advertise for a father figure. It was inspired by a strange meeting with an older man on holiday with her mum. We talk about how she expanded on that idea, and how much she can plan and plot an adventure memoir. You can hear about the differences in the process of fiction and narrative non-fiction, and how she decides what her next adventure should be. We chat about how she makes a reader care, being trained to write prose fiction, and how she works on the go whilst being easily distracted. Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine This week's podcast is sponsored by 'Whale Cemetery: Murder On A Smuggler's Tide', the new book in the 'DCI Finnegan Yorkshire Crime Thriller' series by Ely North. Find out more and get a free book at elynorthcrimefiction.com Support the show - patreon.com/writersroutine ko-fi.com/writersroutine Subscribe to our newsletter - writersroutine.substack.com @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 tim 6 min

  4. 16 JAN.

    Sam Mills, author of 'The Watermark' - Speculative fiction author discusses playing with genre, switching projects, and teasing burnout

    Sam Mills is an innovative and wildly creative writer, who has always wanted to publish books. She's written non-fiction books, 'Uneven', 'The Fragments of my Father', and others, also crossover, genre-bending novels like 'Blackout', and 'The Quiddity of Will Self'. She's written for The Guardian, The Independent, the New Humanist and more, along with running 'Dodo Ink', a small indie press that publishes daring and difficult literary fiction. Her new novel is 'The Watermark'. Inspired by 'Inception', it tells the story of Rachel and Jaime, who become trapped by Augustus Fate, a once-lauded novelist, in his latest creation. They must find their way back home through a labyrinthine network of novels, flitting from a harsh Russian Winter, to Victorian Oxford, from a utopian metropolis to an AI-dominated future. We discuss why she likes the romance of being a writer, and that helps her deal with the instability of it. Also, you can hear how she creeps close to the line of burnout, yet knows exactly when to pull back. Sam shares pen opinions, and how she's developed the cafe-writer's sense of when to leave. Get a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine This week's episode is sponsored by the 'Quick Books Reviews Podcast', take a listen wherever you get your shows. Support 'Writer's Routine' - patreon.com/writersroutine ko-fi.com/writersroutine Subscribe to the newsletter - writersroutine.substack.com @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min

  5. 9 JAN.

    Dan Houser, author of 'A Better Paradise - Volume 1: An Aftermath' - Rockstar Games co-founder discusses writing for 'Grand Theft Auto', different places for different stories, and the weight of expectation

    Dan Houser was the lead writer, creative director and co-founder of Rockstar Games. Rockstar are the studio behind the 'Grand Theft Auto' and 'Red Dead Redemption' series. They're responsible for over half a billion video game sales. 'GTA V' and 'Red Dead Redemption 2' are both in the top 5 bestselling video games ever... and Dan wrote them. Since leaving Rockstar, he's set up Absurd Ventures, a studio he says will create new universes in video games, podcasts, animation, and now it's spawned his debut novel. 'A Better Paradise - Volume 1: An Aftermath' is the start of a world of stories across different forms of media. Here's the blurb - Mark Tyburn dreams of building the perfect video game. Kurt Fischer dreams of being a rich and successful executive. Daisy Tyburn dreams of having the ideal father. John Tyburn Smith dreams of fitting in. NigelDave just dreams of becoming human. Set in the near future, A BETTER PARADISE tells the story of the ill-fated development of an ambitious but addictive video game project that goes very wrong. As the software they developed starts to produce unexpected and disturbing results, the project is shut down and abandoned. Until now. We discuss what he's learned from writing his first novel and how that'll influence future stories. Also you can hear how he dealt with the weight of expectation while working on the biggest video games around, how he's trying to build boundaries, and how he knows where a story idea will live. There's also a good amount of chat about GTA's fantastic radio stations. Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to https://ulys.app/writeabook to download Ulysses, and use the code ROUTINE at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription. Also, this episode is supported by Faber Academy. Make the most of their fantastic writing courses in 2026 at https://faberacademy.com/writing-a-novel/ You can support the show at - patreon.com/writersroutine ko-fi.com/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min

  6. 2 JAN.

    Zoe Apostolides, author of 'The Homecoming' - Horror writer disscusses getting the atmosphere right, traditional tropes, and chats with her Grandmother

    Zoe Apostolides is a journalist and columnist, writing for The Guardian, The Telegraph and the Financial Times. Her new novel is 'The Homecoming', born out of conversations with her Grandmother. When she transcribed these, she thought... could I spin a sinister story out of this? It follows Ellen, a young ghost-writer, who is sent from London all the way to a rural manor house in Northumberland. When she finally arrives at the crumbling Elver Hall, urgently knocking on the door in the midst of a biblical storm, Ellen's never felt more alone. Her phone has no signal and the local taxi-driver refuses to take her further than the bottom of the lane. When Miss Carey suddenly appears on the stairwell in her white dressing gown, it’s enough to make Ellen want to run back to London as fast as she can. We talk about how her career taught her wide and be interested in everything, which is great grounding for novel writing. Also, hear why as a city girl, much of the story came from her fetishing the countryside. You can hear how she delicately plays with the traditional tropes of horror, how to get the atmosphere right, and how she makes someone scared in writing. This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to https://ulys.app/writeabook to download Ulysses, and use the code ROUTINE at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription. Also, this episode is supported by Faber Academy. Make the most of their fantastic writing courses in 2026 at https://faberacademy.com/writing-a-novel/ Support the show -  patreon.com/writersroutine ko-fi.com/writersroutine Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.com/shop/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min

  7. 2025-12-19

    Adam Skolnick, author of 'American Tiger' - Podcaster and novelist discusses creative burnout, ghostwriting, and different drafts for different characters

    Adam Skolnick earned his writing chops as a travel and adventure sports journalist for the New York Times, ESPN, the BBC and Lonely Planet. It taught him the vital skills of getting the words out immediately, and writing fast. He was the ghostwriter for David Goggins' memoirs 'Can't Hurt Me' and 'Never Finished'. Also published 'One Breath', about the world of free-diving, which was turned into a Netflix documentary, and 'Forever Swim', about open-water swimming legend Antonio Arguelles. Adam also appears in Rich Roll's fantastic podcast, discussing health and wellbeing. His new novel is 'American Tiger', about Bell Tern who, when on the school bus, sports a tiger roaming around the streets of suburban Los Angeles. It's rooted in the stunning southern Californian landscape and stacked with vivid characters. We discusses his attempts to 'de-sacredise' his space and day, also the different passes he does for each individual character, and what an idea needs to be to get him excited. You can hear about his new cue-card process, how the idea came during a free-diving competition, and how he deals with the fine line between creative burnout and being productive. This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to https://ulys.app/writeabook to download Ulysses, and use the code ROUTINE at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription. Also, this episode is supported by Faber Academy. Make the most of their fantastic writing courses in 2026 at https://faberacademy.com/writing-a-novel/ Support the show -  patreon.com/writersroutine ko-fi.com/writersroutine Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.com/shop/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min

  8. 2025-12-12

    Catherine Mayer, author of 'Time/ Life' - Prolific writer discusses eclectic interests, inspirational poetry, and grief

    Catherine Mayer is a busy do-er. One of those prolific writers, political party founders, and music producers that fills every moment of the day with something. She's inspirational with it. Catherine was the Europe Editor for Time Magazine, which has taught her to work at all hours of the day on various time-zones. She's written memoirs, journalism, royal biographies. She runs the estate of her late husband, Andy Gill from the band 'Gang of Four', and even finished and executive-produced his posthumous album, 'The Problem of Leisure'. She co-founded the Women's Equality Party and the Primadonna Festival. In 2020, Catherine was named in GQ Magazine's '50 Most Influential People in Britain'. Her new novel is 'Time/ Life', a feminist retelling of H.G. Wells' 'The Time Machine', as a story of love and grief. We cover everything about the writing side of her life, how she juggles the abundance of things that are going on, and how much her view of creativity has changed since her partner passed away. This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to https://ulys.app/writeabook to download Ulysses, and use the code ROUTINE at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription. Also, this episode is supported by Faber Academy. Make the most of their fantastic writing courses in 2026 at https://faberacademy.com/writing-a-novel/ Support the show - patreon.com/writersroutine ko-fi.com/writersroutine Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.com/shop/writersroutine @writerspod writersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 tim 2 min
Visa alla (390)

Betyg och recensioner

5
av 5
7 betyg

Om

How do the best writers get to work? In every episode, we'll chat to an author about their writing 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

  • Skapad av
    Dan Simpson
  • Aktiva år
    2017 - 2026
  • Avsnitt
    390
  • Åldersgräns
    Vuxet innehåll
  • Copyright
    © Dan Simpson
  • Programmets webbplats
    Writer's Routine

Du kanske också gillar