Writer's Routine

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.

Laurie L. Dove, an accomplished author and a former mayor, dives into her latest mystery thriller, 'Mask of the Deer Woman'. She shares her energetic approach to juggling journalism and fiction writing. The discussion explores the challenges of magical realism, character development through grief, and the process of ‘sneaking up on the story’. Laurie reveals her structured yet improvisational writing routine, showcasing her creative spaces and the importance of an emotional connection in storytelling. Her insights on balancing freelance work with personal passion are both inspiring and relatable.

Peyton Corinne is a love story enthusiast. As a teenager, she would write fan-fiction about her favourite series, then she self-published her own writing whilst working as a teacher, because she hit it big on TikTok.The episode is a full break-down on why if you market yourself smartly and keep up with social trends, your book will find an audience, and traditional publishers will find you. Her new novel is 'Unloved', it tells the story of star hockey player Matt 'Freddy' Fredderic, who can do everything at school but pass his exams. When he gets a tutor to help him out... a pining love story starts to develop between them.We discuss why there will always be a happy ending, and how Peyton works the rest of her story out to reach that conclusion. Also, hear why she likes to write in long-hand, the little annoyances of writing full-time, and why getting a good editor can solve every problem.You can watch the episode fully visualised on YouTube - www.youtube.com/@writersroutineGet a copy of the novel - 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.

Eowyn Ivey, acclaimed author and Pulitzer Prize finalist, shares her journey from bookseller to bestselling novelist. She discusses the inspiration behind her latest work, 'Black Woods, Blue Sky,' reflecting on personal hardships and the deep impact of her Alaskan roots. Eowyn reveals her struggle with the temptation to write amidst past traumas and explores the complexities of narrating magical realism. She also contemplates the true meaning of success in storytelling and how her unique identity shapes her work.

This week, we're chatting to Stephen Spotswood. Stephen is an acclaimed author and playwright celebrated for his mastery of mystery and suspense. Best known for his 'Pentecost and Parker' series, Spotswood reimagines the noir genre with sharp wit, dynamic characters, and intricate storytelling. He's a Nero Award Winner, a New Blood Dagger Award finalist, an Edgar Award Nominee, wrote the NYT Book Review Best Crime and Mystery of the Year. His new novel is 'Dead in the Frame', it's the 5th in the 'Pentecost and Parker' series. It sees the sleuthing duo Willowjean Park and Lillian Pentecost make a name for themselves as the premier detective outfit in 1940s New York City. However, when an old enemy is killed... Lillian is the prime suspect. She finds herself locked away in the notorious Women's House of Detention, and the race is on to get free and find the real killer.We discuss the first seed of the duo, and how he pays attention to the little details of period writing. We discuss how physical fitness helps mention output, why he writes almost exclusively for female performers, and how much a location influences creativity.You can hear how he approaches writing mysteries quite loosely and is fine to discover the solution at the same time as the reader. We discuss what he's learned from writing players, and how he knows whether it'll be a good work day.Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.com/shop/writersroutineSupport the show:patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of 'Writer's Routine', the show that takes a look inside an author's working day, we're chatting to horror writer, Grady Hendrix. Grady is the bestselling author of "The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires", "Horrorstör", and "My Best Friend’s Exorcism". He blends horror and humour with incredibly inventive plots and creative ways of creating terror.His new novel is 'Witchcraft for Wayward Girls'. It tells the story of a home for unwed expecting mothers, who can have their baby in secret whilst their family figures out what to do next, and how to forget the whole thing. Every moment of the girls' waking day is controlled by adults who "know what's best for them", that's until the girl Fern finds a book of the occult, all about witchcraft... suddenly the power is in the girls' hands.We discuss how it was partly inspired by his family history and why he sat on the idea for more than 4 years. You can hear what he thought about when he finally decided to write it, and how he managed to plot and plan such a character-heavy story.Grady reveals what he remembers to make horror fiction scary, who inspires him, and what a day in the life of his novel-writing looks like.Support the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineGet a copy of the book - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineThis episode is sponsored by Faber Academy's 'Writing a Novel' course. Find out more - https://faberacademy.com/writing-a-novel@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're chatting to Cathy Hayward.Cathy is busy. She runs an award-winning PR agency, bought a bookshop in Brighton on a whim, runs a 5 AM writing club, and manages a creative writing programme. Amongst all that she's just re-released her debut novel, 'The Girl in the Midnight Maze', and has just published her new novel, 'The Secret of the Brighton House'.The novel is all about Jackie, who always thought her mother died in childbirth. However, when she's preparing for her own, much longed-for, child, she discovers a truth that will change everything. It explores trauma, history and psychosis, and you can hear how Cathy's own experience as a new mother inspired and influenced the story.We discuss why she writes in dual timeline, and how she plans her space round that. Also, when characters develop tics, the mechanics of a plot twist, and how to go again after a rejected book.Get a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.org/store/writersroutineThis week's episode is sponsored by Faber Academy. Enroll in 2025's Writing a Novel course - faberacademy.com/writing-a-novelSupport the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Sellers is the bestselling author behind the 'Detective Lola Harris' series. Each involves a mysterious crime set across Scotland. The new one is 'Murder on Skye', which sees Lola track a potential murderous reality TV star out to the remote, windswept island. It starts as Lola discovers the body of a woman pulled from the river. Instantly, she knows it's Kathryn Main, who has been missing for a while, and was on the juror which convicted reality star Carter Craig of a double murder. When his conviction was overturned, people started disappearing... Kathryn is the latest body to be found.We discuss why readers have taken to Detective Lola Harris so well, and how he brings to life evocative locations around Scotland. You can hear why he has a tight schedule, how precise he is with word-count, and what he does to try and write THREE BOOKS A YEAR.It took Daniel many. years to finally get published, and you can hear what, after years of rejection, he changed to finally get signed.You can watch the episode fully visualised on the Writer's Routine YouTube channel.This week's episode is sponsored by Faber Academy's 'Writing a Novel' course. Find out more - faberacademy.com/writing-a-novelSupport 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.