Writer's Routine

This week's guest is the inspirational memoir and crime writer Shane Dunphy. Shane worked as a child protection worker for 15 years, the things he experienced gave him the ideas to begin life as an author, something he'd always wanted. His first nine titles dealt with his time on the frontline of social care work, and include the number one bestseller 'Wednesday’s Child'. Under the name SA Dunphy, he's published a series of crime novels about the emotionally damaged criminologist David Dunnigan, and is back with a new true crime series with Audible, 'Stories from the Margins', again recalling experiences from life in social care work.We talk about where he works every day, how he created his perfect writing space, why his short walk to work gets him in the perfect frame of mind to tell stories, and why walking with a dictaphone really helps him out too. You can hear how his writing started as a childhood challenge from his mum, and what he thinks of the responsibility he feels when telling other peoples stories. We also chat about how he feels people view the inspirational memoir genre, and whether he cares at all.Listen to 'Stories from the Margins' on Audible here - https://amzn.to/3rEvX2nThis episode is supported by Faber Academy, to get 10% off any online course or manuscript assessment until September 2021, use the code WRITERSROUTINE21 when checking out at faberacademy.co.uk@writerspodpatreon.com/writersroutinewritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abigail Dean's 'Girl A' is the talk of the book world at the moment. It's been one of the biggest releases of 2021, and shot her straight onto the Sunday Times Bestseller list. It tells the story of Lex and her sister Evie, trying to fix their lives and future after growing up in a house of horrors.You can hear how she plans her day to get the words down, how she figured out writing as a passion around full-time work, and how that might all have to change after its instant success. We also talk about how working on the second book is different to getting the debut down, and how she makes sure she's ready to write when she gets a chance. We also deep dive into her writer's routine, and where she worksYou can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/2OlbTn4This episode of the show is sponsored by Faber Academy. To get money off industry-level tuition and advice on your manuscript, use the code WRITERSROUTINE21 when buying any online course or manuscript assessment at faberacademy.co.uk.@writerspodpatreon.com/writersroutinewritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cherie Jones is a busy lady. She is a full time lawyer, a single mother of 4 children, is currently finishing a PhD, and has found the time to publish her first novel, 'How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House'.It's about four people the legacy of violence in the Bahamas, a place so many look on as paradise.Here's the blurb: In Baxter Beach, Barbados, moneyed ex-pats clash with the locals who often end up serving them: braiding their hair, minding their children, and selling them drugs. Lala lives on the beach with her husband, Adan, a petty criminal with endless charisma whose thwarted burglary of one of the Baxter Beach mansions sets off a chain of events with terrible consequences. A gunshot no one was meant to witness. A new mother whose baby is found lifeless on the beach. A woman torn between two worlds and incapacitated by grief. And two men driven by desperation and greed who attempt a crime that will risk thier freedom.We discuss how she fit everything in whilst being so busy, why she wanted to write the novel to reflect on a side of Barbados many don't know, and why she asks her characters questions.You can hear how the story came to her on a sodden London commute, rather than a sunny Barbadian beach, and what she needs around her to help her write.We chat about where, when and why she writes, and what she has learned from working on her debut.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3qVsPiqPlease do support the show on Patreon.com/writersroutine, give us a follow on Twitter, and take a second to leave a review on your podcast provider.@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susie Donkin has been a writer on the award-winning show, 'Horrible Histories', since it debuted on TV in 2009. She has now used that experience of hilariously retelling history for her new book, 'Zeus is a Dick'. It uses influences from Comedy Central's 'Drunk History' and Stephen Fry's 'Mythos' to reimagine ancient myths in a modern, edgy and fantastic way.Susie has also written on Channel 4's award-winning, 'Smack the Donkey', and plenty of radio. As Artistic Director of Spitz & Co she has created three successful rural touring comedy shows all of which have toured extensively throughout the UK.We discuss what she's learned from writing comedy which helped her work on the book, why she's keen to be lean, and how she worked on this with her daughter during lockdown.You can also hear what it's like to work with a commission, writing to someone else's tone, narrative and even chapter titles. We chat about why pace was so important to her, and about the radio producer that taught her what she knows about comedy writing.You can get a copy of Susie's brilliant book here - https://amzn.to/2NkcbdN@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will Dean appears to have a glorious writing life. Hidden away in the Swedish wilderness, in a house that he built, he dreams up stories and thrashes them out in a few weeks. In reality, it's the product of years of sitting on ideas, mulling them over, and a zombie-like fuge state when he finally knows enough to tell it.After the success of his Tuva Moodyson series, he's released a tense standalone thriller called 'The Last Thing to Burn'. It focuses on 'Jane', a mystery woman locked up in the UK, and her desperate bids for freedom. We talk about how he got the idea suddenly one night and immediately made as many notes as possible, you can hear about the time he blocks out for himself to get the words down as quickly as possible, as why he thinks it's most vital he does justice to the characters.'The Last Thing to Burn' is one of the most anticipated releases of 2021 - here's the blurb...'she lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen. Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn't like what he sees, she is punished. For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting'You can get a copy here - https://amzn.to/3d2f2CxIf you'd like to help the show, please support us at patreon.com/writersroutine@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caimh McDonnell used to be a stand-up comedian, gigging all over the country and writing for television. Now, he's a full-time storyteller working out of his own office in his garden. His new novel, 'The Stranger Times', investigates life in a newspaper which reports on the weirdest stories... which sometimes turn out to be true. It's the start of a brand new comic supernatural thriller series from C.K.We talk about the post-it notes all over the office that let him know when he's taken a wrong turn, how jokes sometimes get in the way of the plot and why he watches out for that constantly. You can hear about a writing year for Caimh, and why he's been so productive since stopping stand-up, and also about the difference between craft and inspiration.You can grab a copy of 'The Stranger Times' here - https://amzn.to/3pRMZczAlso, please have a look at the wonderful book 'The Pink Coffee Shop' by podcast fan Ellie Barker. She's acknowledged this show in it, so it'd be nice if you checked it out - https://amzn.to/2MV692wAND, support us on Patreon.com/writersroutine, if you can!@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Mosse is the author of nine novels & short story collections, including the No 1 multimillion selling 'Languedoc Trilogy'. Her historical thriller 'Labyrinth' was one of the biggest selling novel of the 2000s and propelled her to success, she followed it with 'Sepulchre' and 'Citadel'. She's written bestselling Gothic fiction, non-fiction, plays, plus contributed essays and introductions to classic novels and collections. Her books have been translated into 38 languages and published in more than 40 countries.Her newest book is 'The City of Tears', it's the second in 'The Burning Chambers' series set in France in the 1500s. It focuses on a vital wedding that might finally reunited divided France, only for a terrible moment to threaten everything.We talk about much she researches her stories and how she even starts with that, also how much she knows about the entire series before she starts, and why she likes a solid base of plot before she sprints off with the adventure. You can hear how factual history affects her fictional characters, why she can't really be in full charge of her writing routine, and why you need to learn to write anywhere possible.You can buy a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3apwXjEIf you enjoy, why not support us on patreon.com/writersroutine ?@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Lindsay's new book is 'Fool Me Twice', the second 'Riley Wolfe' thriller about the master thief that targets the world's wealthiest. Jeff is best known for his 8 'Dexter Morgan' novels, which became the hit Showtime series 'Dexter', about everyone's favourite neighbourhood serial killer.We discuss the pressure on his new series after the success of 'Dexter', and how he found starting all over again. Also, you can hear why his 'Riley Wolfe' thrillers are so much harder to plot and research, and how he begins that part of the process. Jeff talks about his writing day hidden away in the American wilderness, why he likes to get up early to trick his subconscious, and how signs and talismans energise his creativity.Get a copy of 'Fool Me Twice' here - https://amzn.to/2XZS6esThis episode of the show is sponsored by 'Promptly Written: Vol 2'. It's a book of stories written in the 'Promptly Written' podcast, during which the author Matt Sugerik and Ian Lewis write a story a month based on a listener prompt.Listen to the show here - https://pod.link/1437554933Buy a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3iykRZj@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Schultz new novel, 'Little Threats', follows twin sisters in the 1990s, in an age of rebellion, when a night of partying goes very wrong, and one of them ends up under suspicion for murder... and she can't remember whether she did it or not.We talk about how she got into the 90s mindset with music, how she tackles the first draft, and whether she's fine with being it sloppy at the start. Initially, the book started as a work of literary fiction, but when Emily figured if she brought the mystery to the fore it would become a thriller, she didn't look back. We chat about that decision, how much she thinks about genre, and to what extent she keeps the reader in her mind when she's writing.In this episode we also chat to the founder of 'Script Sirens', Scarlett Kefford. They're a female and non-binary script-writing group from the West Midlands, UK, and have just released a brand new six-part horror audio series called, 'Siren Screams'. Scarlett tells us more about the project, and why she set up the group. You can listen to the series in most good podcast places, and if you'd like to join the group, head here - https://scriptsirens.wordpress.com/.You can grab a copy of Emily's new book, 'Little Threats' here - https://amzn.to/2XF34WDPlease do support us at patreon.com/writersroutine, and leave us a review on Apple if you can.@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rosie Nixon is busy. She is the Editor-in-Chief of HELLO! Magazine, she's worked as a journalist for many years, she's a mum of two, and has just published her third novel, 'Just Between Friends'. We discuss how she splits up her time wearing many different work hats, and why she loves to escape to tell stories.You can hear what editing a national media brand has taught her about novel-writing, and how working as a journalist has made her determined to beat the deadlines.'Just Between Friends' is about Aisha and Lucy, expectant mothers who meet at a baby group, and shared secrets cause chaos. We talk about how she got the idea, why she wanted to mix things up a bit for her third book, and how she got to know the characters so well.You can get a copy of the book here - https://amzn.to/3ns1gL0This episode is supported by Script Sirens, a female and non-binary writing group from West Midlands, UK. There new audio series 'Siren Screams' is out now, listen to it where you get your podcasts, and find out more here - https://scriptsirens.wordpress.com/@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.