Imran Mahmood, author of 'Finding Sophie' - Crime writing lawyer discusses our changing attention span, pursuading a jury, and getting the words down
Feb 28, 2025
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Imran Mahmood, a criminal defence lawyer with three decades of experience, talks about his career as a crime writer. He shares how his work in law influences his storytelling, particularly in persuading a jury, and why he dedicates his precious free time to writing. The discussion delves into the evolving attention spans of modern audiences and the challenges of emotional storytelling, especially around themes of grief. Additionally, he explores how being a barrister enhances his ability to meet writing deadlines while balancing family life.
Imran Mahmood discusses the challenge of balancing his demanding legal career and family life with his passion for writing novels.
He emphasizes the need for modern narratives to quickly engage readers due to decreasing attention spans influenced by technology.
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The Challenge of Novel Writing
Imran Mahmood discusses how he navigates the complex intersections of his career as a barrister and his passion for writing novels, particularly his latest work, 'Finding Sophie.' He emphasizes the demanding nature of writing while balancing a high-pressure legal job and family responsibilities, often using small pockets of time to write whenever possible. Mahmood notes that he begins his writing process by setting the stage and creating a world that reflects the mental state he wants to convey, which naturally influences the characters and plot that emerge. This fluid interplay between environment and narrative structure reveals his creative process as organic and spontaneous.
Character-Driven Grief Exploration
In his new novel, 'Finding Sophie,' Mahmood explores the profound emotional impact on parents grappling with the disappearance of their child, navigating the delicate balance between hope and despair. He delves into the contrasting approaches of the two main characters, Harry and Zara, as they cope with the investigation and their fraught relationship. The narrative highlights how each parent's methods of searching for their daughter reflect their individual emotional landscapes – the mother seeking emotional connections while the father pursues tangible evidence. This exploration of grief serves to illustrate the varying ways people process loss and hope amidst uncertainty.
The Influence of Attention Span on Storytelling
Mahmood reflects on how storytelling must adapt to the modern reader's diminishing attention span influenced by technology and social media. He asserts that contemporary narratives must engage readers quickly, often requiring captivating hooks by the first line to retain interest. As a result, he acknowledges that while rapid pacing can enhance reader engagement, it might also sacrifice depth and emotional richness traditionally offered by longer, more meandering narratives. This philosophical consideration encourages writers to find a balance between maintaining reader attention and providing meaningful, immersive storytelling.
Imran Mahmood has 30 years experience as a criminal defence lawyer, working on all manner of high-profile cases. He's taken that knowledge and forged a successful 2nd career as a crime writer. His debut, 'You Don't Know Me', was presented as a closing argument to a jury. It was long-listed for the Theakston Crime Novel of the year, the CWA Gold Dagger in 2017, and was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club Choice. It's been adapted for a BBC/ Netflix Crime Drama.
He followed that up with 'I Know What I Saw', which was a Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Month, and is now back with 'Finding Sophie'. It's about Harry and Zara, parents struggling to come to terms with their daughter who is missing. The police are unable to find any leads and they're growing ever more frantic and obsessed with their supicious neighbour who won't answer the door.
We discuss his busy life as a barrister with a young family, and why he's chosen to spend what little free time he has writing novels. You can hear how both jobs have affected each other, why talking to a jury has helped novel writing, and why he thinks his greatest skill is simply getting words down.
This week's episode is supported by Scribe Shadow, a game-changing tool for writers trying to reach international readers. Find out more at app.scribeschadow.com
Get a copy of Imran's book at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine