Writer's Routine

This week, we're chatting to Robert Whitlow, prolific writer of over 20 bestselling novels. His new one is 'Guilty Until Innocent', a legal thriller that looks an an old case being reopened, and the two lawyers who have to prove the convicted's innocence against the odds. His debut novel, 'The List', was adapted into a successful movie starring Malcolm McDowell. In fact, four of Robert's novels have been adapted for the big screen, and Robert still divides his time between writing and working as a local attorney. You can hear how he seperates his day, energy and creativity for that, and why he thinks the secret is to relax and be consistent... it's to discover your 'writing bio-rhythm'Faith plays a huge part in Robert's work, and we figure out why that is, how organic it can ever be, and whether he's bothered about how a reader's opinion towards religion might change with his writing. It's led him to win the prestigious 'Christy Award for Contemporary Writing' in 2001. He reveals why he loves editing, how he wrestles characters back to his ideas, and why he needs a few drafts to really figure out who his protagonist is.Get a copy of the novel - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineSubscribe to the weekly newsletter - writersroutine.substack.com@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer Saint worked as an English teacher in a secondary school for thirteen years, when all of a sudden, with an unexpected confidence, she felt the urge to write a novel. It wasn't just the confidence she could do it that surprised her, but the belief that it would do well. She was inspired by Greek mythology, and wanted to emphasise their relevance for the 21st Century. Her debut was 'Ariadne', which tells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur from a female prespective. It was a Sunday Times Bestseller, a Waterstones Book of the Month, and was nominated for as their Book of the Year. She's also published 'Elektra' and 'Atalanta', also Sunday Times Bestsellers.Jennifer's new novel is 'Hera', who is Zeus' brother. Together, they overthrow their tyrannical father Titan Cronos... only Hera becomes confused with thoughts of power and leading. She is often portrayed as the jealous wife and wicked stepmother - Jennifer explains why she decided to spend a year with one of Greek mythology's most hated figures.We discuss how she picks her next retelling, also why as a teacher she wouldn't have liked how she gets to work as a writer, and what the point of Greek mythology is in 2025.Subscribe to the newsletter - writersroutine.substack.comSupport us on -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineGet a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul S. Edwards is a lawyer, a family man with two children, and has just published his first sci-fi novel, 'The Triton Run'. He found time to write it... anywhere. If he was early at a football game, he'd get words down. If he was at a gig with a few minutes to spare, he'd write. On the sofa with his family watching TV, he will get down it it. His new novel is 'The Triton Run', the start of a new sci-fi series which spans planets and, Paul hopes, does something a bit different in the genre. We discuss how it's important to be inspired by what's come before, but not derivative of it... and there's a fine line in sci-fi. You can hear why he's trying to brand and market not just the novel, but also himself. He's made a short-life website to help with that - paulsedwards.comWe discuss how he changes writing his second novel which his publisher was quite keen for, after taking a while on the debut, what he knows needs to be in sci-fi, and how he found his publishers, Northodox Press.Subscribe to the Substack and let me know what you like to hear in the podcast - writersroutine.substack.comSupport the show at patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Raeside is a journalist and broadcaster, who has written for The Times, The Guardian, The Big Issue and many others, and appeared across the BBC. Her new novel is 'Don't Make Me Laugh', which looks at the culture within the world of comedy... an industry which is rapidly approaching a #MeToo moment. It tells the story of Ali Lauder, a radio producer enlisted to hire Paul Bonatti to host a show. It could be her career breakthrough. Bonatti is a comedian who is thought to be cosy, warm, cool, and a fun feminist... turns out he's anything but.We talk about how the idea developed from experiencing life at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, covering it as a journalist, and then thinking there was more to be discussed as a novel. You can hear why being a journalist isn't always helpful to novel writing, why she had to trick herself to write, and whether she was ever worried it wasn't her story to tell.You can get a copy of the novel at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show at patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we chat to Rosaria Girorgi, a mystery writer whose life has been as busy as one of her plots. Whilst studying in Denmark, she got a job working for who she thought was an antique dealer. He turned out to be 'The Umbrella Assassin', a cold war legend, who assassinated the Bulgarian dissident journalist Georgi Markov, with a poison pellet discharged from an umbrella.It's inspired her novel,'The Less Unkind', which tells the story of Pico, a young woman making her way in the world and forging new friendships, when she takes a job with a strange antique dealer... who turns out to be something different than he first seemed.Rosaria has lived all over, after being born in Tuscany, moving to Denmark, she founded a fashion start-up in Ireland, and is now living in Canada. We discuss how much where you live inspires what you write and how you write it. You can hear why she writes non-linearly and without a plot, which leads to a tricky edit smoothing the gaps of where chapters should join seemlessly.Also we chat about how to start your second novel when the first mines so much of your life, why a plot is like a flock of birds, and all about her day.Get a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the showpatreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Alistair Henry has had a hand in writing some seismic shows across T.V. He is a BAFTA award winning writer for the comedy, 'Green Wing', worked on the sketch show, 'Smack the Pony', and his diverse career has seen him write for 'Bob the Builder', 'Hey Duggee', and 'Shaun the Sheep'. He's just published his debut novel, 'Pagans', which has already been optioned for Apple TV. It's set in an alternative Britain, threatened with political turmoil to unite the Celtic West, the Saxon East, and the powerful Nordic Kingdom of Scotland. It's inspired by a blend of Icelandic mythology, 'Game of Thrones', and scandi noir classics.We talk about why he started writing this kind of story as a complete reverse of what he'd worked on before, and how he tried to blend the comedy he knows with a darker story. Also, hear about what he learned from writing sitcoms that he could use in novels, and we get quite theoretical with discussions of rules and what stories need to include.You can hear why he's happy to chill, writing on the sofa, also what he's learned from the first novel that he can take into the second, and find out why one of his main motivations was simply to finish something.This week's episode is sponsored by Scribe Shadow, find out more about what they do at app.scribeshadow.comSupport the show at patreon.com/writersroutine OR ko-fi.com/writersroutineGet a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSubscribe to the newsletter at writersroutine.substack.com@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're chatting to Maz Evans, a celebrated Children's author who has taken the plunge into Adult fiction, publishing her second cosy crime book.Maz is a Carnegie Award and CWA Golden Dagger Shortlisted writer. 'Who Let the Gods Out', 'Vi Spy', and her 'Scarlett Fife' series are loved by kids across the world. Her new adult novel is 'That'll Teach Her', it's a multi-media novel telling the story of a group of parents trying to solve a murder over their WhatsApp group. It's the perfect blend of Richard Osman and Janice Hallett. We discuss the intricate plotting of crime novels - setting up the character, laying enough red herrings, and making everything believable. You can hear why everything comes from character, why she's mindful of taking care of herself, and about the only rule she has.Maz is busy writing multiple books a year across different genre, for different audiences, and she brilliantly takes us through twelve months in her writing life. We dissect the business of writing, and why celebrities think they've got what it takes to instantly write a bestseller.This week's episode is sponsored by Scribe Shadow, find out more at app.scribeshadow.com.Get a copy of the book on uk.bookshop.com/writersroutineSupport the show on -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineWatch the video in full technicolour glory on www.youtube.com/@writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

Nick Newman is an award-nominated author, who as Nicholas Bowling has published 4 genre-defying books for children. Now, he's written his debut adult novel, called 'The Garden'. It's an other-worldly retelling of 'The Secret Garden', inspired by Cormac McCarthy. It tells the story of Lily, Evelyn and a nameless boy who wanders into their vast and flourishing garden.We discuss the balance of getting the plot down, whilst also writing some lovely words. Also, why he tells himself one thing about what works best for him... whilst knowing the opposite is true, hear about a recent location switch which has changed everything, and whether he thinks he's a writer or a story-teller (there is a difference)This week's episode is sponsored by Scribe Shadow, a game-changing tool for writers trying to reach international readers. It uses advanced AI to translate your work into other languages, helping you reach a global audience quickly and affordably. Find out more at app.scribeshadow.comSupport the show - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineGet a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A.F. Steadman, a bestselling children's author known for the 'Skandar' series, shares her transition from law to writing fantasy since it took the literary world by storm. She talks about the frantic five years of juggling multiple books and her struggles to find the perfect writing routine, emphasizing the challenges of experience. A memorable train journey inspired her debut, and she reveals how humor helps navigate the pressures of authorship. Steadman reflects on the unique magic of children's literature that allows for playful world-building.