Podcast
Writer's Routine
Hosted by Dan Simpson · EN
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.
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41episodes
Episodes
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Ajay Chowdhury, author of 'Eden Falls' - Thriller writer discusses creating with AI, finishing things off, and writing in different genre
2d ago00:52:11Tap to summarizeAjay Chowdhury was the first winner of the Harvill Secker Bloody Scotland Prize. His 'Kamil Rahman' crime stories are incredibly successful, works on various boards, ran a global deep-tech business, and co-founded Shazam! Also he runs a few groups, and is a theatre director. He's a busy man. He's back with 'Eden Falls', a thriller about Adam and Aisha, who are about to go on their honey. Only, Adam disappears at the airport along with Aisha's passport, simply leaving behind the message, 'I'm sorry'. What follows is a chase across the USA, diving into the shadowy world of weaponised AI.Ajay is very open about how he uses AI when writing - to bounce ideas off, for quick searching - and in a world in which many authors are scared of AI's place in creativity, Ajay thinks that it's here to stay, so he may aswell make the most of it.We discuss how he balances creativity with business, and has the energy to stick with ideas through to the finish. We also talk about changing his writing style, how he gets to know his characters, and the simple letters he remembers to get things done.Get a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Cathy Bramley, author of 'Somewhere Only We Know' - Sunday Times Bestseller discusses inspiration from location, being particular, and embracing being an author
1w ago00:50:35Tap to summarizeCathy Bramley has published 18 novels, and sold over 2 million of them. Since her debut in 2015, it's taken a while to finalise she is actually an author. Cathy writes light-hearted romantic uplit, often focused on ordinary women doing extraordinary things.Her new novel is 'Somewhere Only We Know', telling the story of Magnolia Jones, who sets off on the gap year trip her daughter so wanted to do... and she finds a bit of herself along the way.We talk about her busy, busy location, and the software that stops her panicking. Also you can hear how she navigated life moving from being a self-published writer, to a more traditionally published author, and all the unexpected work that comes with it.Get a copy at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineThis week's episode is supported by Philippa Hall's 'Quick Book Reviews' podcast. Take a listen wherever you've found this.Support the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Julie Owen Moylan, author of 'Elizabeth and Marilyn' - Historical fiction writer discusses thorough research, her path to publication, and remembering you've done the hard stuff before
2w ago00:41:11Tap to summarizeJulie Owen Moylan's debut novel, 'That Green Eyed Girl', was a Waterstones' Welsh Book of the Month and a runner up for the Paul Torday Memorial Prize. She followed that up with '73 Dove Street' and 'Circus of Mirrors'. Her short film, 'Baby Cakes', won the Celtic Media Award and won at the Swansea Film Festival. She's inspired by finding the fiction in history, thoroughly researching a time, so she can dive right in and create her own world. Her new novel is 'Elizabeth and Marilyn', which takes us back to the summer of 1956. It looks at the intertwining lives of Queen Elizabeth II and Marilyn Monroe, two of the 20th Century's biggest icons, and why for a brief moment they were neighbours. We discuss how art inspires her writing, and reminds her she's done the hard stuff before. You can hear why she doesn't believe in writers' block, why the idea came from, and how she has figured out her best writing process.Get a copy at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Joseph Eckert, author of 'The Traveller' - Sci-fi writer discusses great hooks, 15 years of planning, and editorial push-back
3w ago00:49:34Tap to summarizeThis week, we're chatting to Joseph Eckert whose debut novel has been 15 years in the making, and almost took him to Hollywood.It's an incredible hook, about Scott Treder who finds himself thrown forwards in time by a day. Then by 2 days. Then 4, 8 16, months, and years. You can hear how it all came from a childhood fascination with exponents and a pocket-money pact.Joseph lives on the USA's west coast, but works east coast hours - we discuss how that affects his writing day. Also hear about his dream den, how his novel began directly on the big screen, and his very thorough first reader. We discuss how time-travel novels often ask more questions of the author, than providing solutions, how he planned the future of humanity, and his scope for editorial push-back.Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Foluso Agbaje, author of 'The Talk of the Party' - Thriller writer discusses writing in Dubai, worldwide influences, and her pursuit of perfection
Jun 1800:50:33Tap to summarizeThis week, we chat to Foluso Agbaje. Her debut, 'The Parlour Wife', was published to widespread acclaim in 2024. She's following it up with 'The Talk of the Party'. It tells the story of a 60th Birthday Party, the envy of Lagos. However, the dream of Bukola Obanile's perfection comes at a price, and this one glorious night could shatter and detroy a family buily on deception.We talk about why she gets fussier in her pursuit of perfection in each book, also why she uses Canva to write her novel, and why she went back to school to learn to write. You can hear about the energy of Dubai influencing her storytelling, how she's trying to unpick Nigerian culture, and why she's always across how everything looks.Get a copy at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineThis week's episode is sponsored by Philippa Hall's 'Quick Book Reviews' Podcast. Support the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Sara Sheridan, author of 'The Jewel Keepers' - Book of the Year winner discusses treasure hunt thrillers, long lunches, and the role of a writer
Jun 1100:52:18Tap to summarizeSara Sheridan's 2022 novel, 'The Botanists', was the Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year, and was a pick for 'The Queen's Reading Room'. Her debut, 'Truth or Rare', won the Scottish Library Award. 'On Starlit Seas', was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Prize, and she's been shortlisted for the Saltire Prize and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. Sara's published 20 novels, spanning crime, thrillers, TV tie-ins, ghostwriting and historical fiction.Her new novel is 'The Jewel Keepers'. It tells the story of 25 year old Amarinta McKenzie-Moore, who in 1837 is summoned to her great-aunt's deathbed, and learns the family secret... that she is a Jewel Keeper to the Scottish Crown. She's thrust into a high-stakes treasure hunt that could change the lives of every woman alive. We discuss comparisons to 'The Da Vinci Code', how public-speaking helps her writing, and how she gets into the mind of real people who lived so long ago. You can hear how she's realised exactly what he role as a writer is, what she needs to start, and about long-lunches that lead to exciting ideas.Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineRead the newsletter - writersroutine.substack.comSupport the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Ollie George Clark, author of 'Youngest Faircrest and the Search for a Sorcerer’ - Award-winning writer discusses making reading accessible, why strict word-counts help the pace, and finding the audience
Jun 401:03:53Tap to summarizeOllie George Clark is an award-winning right, who is having a moment. He's got 3 new TV comedy-dramas under commission. He's written plays that have been performed across the UK, had criticially-acclaimed stories broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and won the 'British Comedy Guide Sitcom Competition'.His new novel is 'Youngest Faircrest and the Search for a Sorcerer'. It's the start of a new middle-grade trilogy, about Youngest who on the day of the Deciding, during which every 12 year old learns who they'll be forever, decides to take his future into his own hands.We talk about setting it in a different world, and making it relatable to a younger audience. Also you can hear about his path to publication, and how much pressure he feels having signed a contract for a trilogy of stories. You can hear about how he finds the funny later on, how much he analyses his writing day, and why his word-count is so strict.Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineThis week's episode is sponsored by the 'Quick Book Reviews Podcast'. Listen in to Philippa Hall and her fantastic guests wherever you've got this show.Support us - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Kate Lord Brown, author of 'The Silver Thread' - Historical fiction bestseller talks about writing out of order, fact or fiction, and thorough research
May 2800:47:42Tap to summarizeKate Lord Brown is a bestselling historical fiction author. She was a finalist in ITV's 'The People's Author Contest', has been shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year, and is read all over the world. Her books travel fantastically well, that could be because she has travelled far and wide too. She worked as an art consultant across Europe, and was part of the first book club in the Middle East for 2 years.'The Golden Hour', 'The House of Dreams', 'The Perfume Garden', and many more, have all been loved by readers. Her new one is 'The Silver Thread', it's a globetrotting and history-travelling story.Here's the blurb...London, 1875. Bel has secured a design job at the newly opened Liberty store, where Japonisme is all the rage. When Hiro, a fellow designer, travels with her to Tokyo to source silks and inspiration, little does she know it will be the start of an unforgettable love story. Paris, 1985. Mira, a recently qualified art curator, is hired to catalogue the contents of an apartment which has been closed for decades. As she works through the treasures it reveals, she longs to discover what happened to famed designer Isobel Bright – and why her apartment has been locked for so many years. . .We discuss writing out of order, how she steers clear of blind alleys and has learned what her characters want, and why its so easy to get lost in research.You can hear about Kate's civilised writing routine, about the online writing club that's changed everything, and how she deals with the battle between historical fact and fiction.Get a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.com/shop/writersroutineRead the newsletter at writersroutine.substack.comThis week's episode is sponsored by IngramSpark, get 15% off your first 15 books with the code ROUTINE15 at ingramspark.comSupport the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Lucy Ashe, author of 'The Model Patient' - Historical Thriller writer discusses finding control, why a book deal changes things, and unpacking therapy
May 2101:00:07Tap to summarizeThis week, we're chatting to Lucy Ashe. Lucy trained at the Royal Ballet school, and now works as a teacher in Brooklyn, whilst writing brilliant books. Her debut, 'Clara and Olivia', was shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger Award. Her follow up, 'The Sleeping Beauties', was also set in the world of ballet. The new novel is 'The Model Patient'. Set in 1960s London, it explores obsession and betrayal. In the quiet hush of her therapists office, Evelyn Westbrook finds herself revealing secrets she'd prefer to stay hidden. When her sessions with the enigmatic Dr. Daley starts to give more questions than answers, she finds her interest in him turn into an obsession. It was inspired by Lucy's own traumatic relationship with a therapist, and it helped her find some control in that strange situation.We talk about Lucy's writing life, after recently having her first child, and how that's changed how much time she thought she'd have to write. Also, hear how a book deal changes how you write... does it add confidence or pressure? And, how it's a slight diversion from her normal historical fiction book - she's found the psychological thriller in this one.Get a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineThis week's episode is sponsored by IngramSpark. Get 15% off your first 15 books when you use the code ROUTINE15 at ingramspark.comAlso, this week we're supported by the Quick Book Reviews podcast with Philippa Hall. Take a listen wherever you've got this show.Support us at patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Deepa Anappara, author of 'The Last of Earth' - Multi-award-winner discusses dealing with success, writing by hand, and keeping track of characters
May 1400:59:41Tap to summarizeDeepa Anappara's debut, 'Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line' was a critically-acclaimed bestseller. It was named as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, the Washington Post, The Guardian and National Public Radio. Time Magazine included it in its list of 'The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time'. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, was shortlised for the JCB Prize fo Indian Literature, and has been translated into over 20 languages.Her new one looks set to be an equal smash. 'The Last of Earth', has already been named as one of the BBC's 12 books to read in 2026. It tells the story of an Indian school teacher and a British explorer, attempting to undertake a treacherous journey across Tibet.We discuss why writing by hand helps Deepa unlock an unknown connection. Also, how she wrestles themes and ideas into one plot-driven thread. You can hear her fascination with Tibet, keeping characters on the right path, and her thoughts on AI coming for creativity.This episode is supported by IngramSpark. Get 15% off 15 books or more at ingramspark.com, use the code ROUTINE15.Get a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.com/shop/writersroutineSupport the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutinewritersroutine.com@writerspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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