Writer's Routine

Xanthi Barker has published novelettes and short stories, penned columns and articles, and has just released her debut book, 'Will This House Last Forever'.It's a memoir of her time with her dying father, the poet Sebastian Barker. She is also the granddaughter of George Barker and the cult novelist, Elizabeth Smart. We discuss whether because of her highly and successfully creative family, she was destined to be a writer.Her relationship with her father was troubled, and we talk about whether his view of the world passed down to her. Also, you can hear how she planned such a personal book, how her writing routine has changed dramatically in the last year, and why her flatmate is a hero.Get the book here - https://amzn.to/3qaqx1wSupport the show here - patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's Random Routine, we chat to Rob Hart, who came on back in 2019 to talk about 'The Warehouse'.'The Warehouse' is in the mold of 'Farenheit 451' and '1984', and focuses on one big business that suffocates all others, and the stories of 3 people who work there. Because of this, his characterisation needs to be truly believable and authentic, we talk about this struggle and how he became his characters in writing. It's also his first proper foray into standalone novels, having made his way with the 'Ash McKenna' series.The first full episode dropped in August 2019, and you can listen in by scrolling back in your podcast feed.If you can, please do support the show over at patreon.com/writersroutine.If you want to buy the book, please use this link! - https://amzn.to/32yhXKL@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're joined by Joe Thomas. He's just released the 4th in his 'Sao Paulo Quartet', with 'Paradise City', 'Gringa', 'Playboy' and the new one 'Brazilian Psycho'.He grew up in Hackney, before spending 10 years in Sao Paulo, and being inspired to tell its story. It mixes fiction, true crime, historical fact, and high literature, in an utterly compelling style.We talk about how his routine has changed since having a child, where he likes to escape to write, how perfect his first draft is, and how editing has changed over 10 years of writing novels.You can get a copy of 'Brazilian Psycho' here - https://amzn.to/2ZOVUDVYou can support the show here - https://amzn.to/2ZshCNp@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's random routine, our bitesize chunk of inspiration, comes from Trent Dalton who came on the show back in 2019.Not many authors have debut success like Trent Dalton. His book 'Boy Swallows Universe' won the 'Debut Fiction Prize' and 'Book of the Year' at the Australian Indie Awards, and went straight into the top 10, selling over 100,000 copies. It's a semi-autobiographical story about all Eli, in Brisbane in 1983, muddling through family life, trying to not be coaxed into drug-dealing, and having to save his mum from prison. The book has since sold many, many copies, more accolades, and even be turned into a play.He's also written 'All Our Shimmering Skies', about a gravedigger's daughter, Molly Hook.Listen to the full episode by following the show and scanning back in your podcast feed.You can get a copy of his work here - https://amzn.to/317dxz9Support the show at patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.coom Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zen Cho is a multi-award nominated and winning author. She's published 3 novels and many short stories, and is back with her first ghost story... although that's not what she thought it'd be at the start.It's called 'Black Water Sister', and all came from one word she read in the dictionary. It's based on ancient Malaysian folklore, and Zen has taken great joy in playing with old language, and presenting it in a ghostly manner.We talk about switching genre, and how having a baby helped with that, also about how much she knows what's coming next, and how she divides things up being a full-time lawyer, and part-time writer.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3aRpDOlIf you can, please support us at patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Along with Dan Gillespie-Sells, from The Feeling, Tom MacRae wrote the hit musical 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie'. It follows Jamie New who is determined to wear a dress to his school prom night. It's based on a a real story, explored in a BBC documentary. The musical is now a film, also written by Tom, which you can watch on Amazon Prime now. In this bitesize chunk, you can hear about his writing routine in the sun, how exercise gives him space to think, and why weekends are sacred.You can listen to the full episode from 2019, by flicking back in your podcast feed.Please do support the show at patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we chat to Claire Allan. Her new book is 'Ask No Questions', a psychological thriller about Ingrid Devlin, on the search to find the truth of her best friend's disappearance 25 years ago.Claire started her career as a journalist, has written women's fiction under the name Freya Kennedy', and is back with a brand new psych thriller. She's written almost 20 books across different genres.We talk about how switching genre changes style and method of plotting and planning, also about her routine of the year, and how she feels when time is tight... and the idea isn't there.You can get a copy of 'Ask No Questions' here - https://amzn.to/3j0yx0oSupport the show on patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a BOOKSHOP DAY SPECIAL. Bookshop Day is on Saturday 9th October, and Books Are My Bag are encouraging you to spend time in your local bookshop, be it big or small.This week, we're chatting to children's author Piers Torday. He's published 7 books, they've been translated into 14 languages, he's won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and been nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.His new book is 'The Wild Before'. It's a prequel to 'The Last Wild' trilogy, and tells the story of Little Hare who must round up all the other animals to help save the world. It's about climate change, standing up for your beliefs and working together. We talk about the differences in writing for kids and adults, also about copying and being inspired, about planning, plotting and rhythm, and what bookshops mean to him.You can get a copy of Piers' book here - https://amzn.to/3ApAd9vSupport the show at patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bella Osborne has had a busy year. In the last 3 months, she's had 2 different books out with 2 different publishers. 'The Promise of Summer' is a romance novel with Avon. 'The Library' is a bookclub read with Aria. We try to talk about both of those, but it's mainly about the former.All in, Bella has published 9 books. 'The Promise of Summer' is about Ruby and Curtis, trying to reunite a engagement ring with its owner, and find love along the way. We talk about how these two characters wouldn't go away, so she ahd to tell a part of their story, and leave them on a bench waiting for her to come back again. You can hear why her family hates NaNoWriMo, about her post-it note obsession, why her work day revolves around cats, and about the best types of tea. You can get a copy of 'The Promise of Summer' here - https://amzn.to/2Yh1dep and 'The Library' here - https://amzn.to/39TN8pIYou can support the show at patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Michaelides is the only ever UK debut writer to go straight in at number 1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. His novel, 'The Silent Patient', was the 2nd bestselling novel on Amazon in 2019, they named it their 'thriller of the year'.He's followed it up with 'The Maidens', about an exclusive set of students at a University under the influence of a sinister Professor, and a murder he knows more about than he lets on.We discuss his screenwriting career in Hollywood, why that didn't work, how he moved on with it and discovered he was a novelist, not a dramatist. Also, how mediation helps him write, why he gives up the booze to tell stories, and how he got published when he moved back to the UK.Please do support us on patreon.com/writersroutine.@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.