Writer's Routine

Comedy writer and now bonafide author Paul A. Mendelson tells us his working day.Paul has written for everything, pretty much. Starting in advertising, he has scripted radio drama, movies, TV drama, and is the creator of BBC's 'My Hero'. You know, with Ardal O'Hanlon off Father Ted, Hugh Dennis and that moody receptionist.This year he has dived into novels, releasing an adults book, 'In the Matter of Isabel', and his first children's novel 'Losing Arthur' has just been published. The latter is the story of a boy whose infuriated mother posts his imaginary friend to Scotland, and devastated at missing his best mate Arthur, Zack goes on an adventure to get him back. The ep features top writing tips like how to work on your 'vomit draft', why writing broadly is harder than you'd believe, and where the perfect Costa Coffee is.Our Distinguished Diary this week features Truman Capote, the writer of 'In Cold Blood' and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', who enjoyed a nice lie down.writersroutine.comwritersroutine@gmail.com@writerspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crime-writing extraordinaire and gruesome guru DM Mark is this week's guest!DM is David. David is DM. After his 'McAvoy' crime series are bestsellers and critically acclaimed, David became bored of murders in the 21st century and took a dive back in time, travelling to the 1800s. Hull is ravaged by cholera, you can barely walk along the streets for the dying, and the grass over graves is hardly sealed when it gets broken again for another corpse. It is into this already bleak world, that David has thrown a serial killer. Because, crime novels, right?'The Zealot's Bones' tells this gory, sorry tale, and in this episode you can hear why David chose the past, how he researched the 1800s thoroughly and why he thinks it's a time that probably suited him more than now.Kurt Vonnegut gives us our 'Distinguished Diary, there's Harry Potter mentions finally, and you can hear what the car-park of a Liverpudlian Travellodge really sounds like.writersroutine.comwritersroutine@gmail.com@writerspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An ex-copper turned crime author give us today's writing routine!Paul Finch used to work for the Greater Manchester Police, and upon leaving found that everything the force taught him and the stories he saw along the way might have another use.First, Paul wrote for 'The Bill', and has since gone on to write may scripts across film, TV and animation. He pens horror fiction, loads of sci-fi too and has even given his ideas to the Doctor's (Doctor Who? Doctor Who!) universe.It's with crime fiction that he's found most success. He's six novels in to his 'Heck' novels about DS Mark Heckenberg, and release's the second in his 'PC Lucy Clayburn' series, 'Shadows', is out on the 19th October.Paul's writing routine is... unusual. It's not the humdrum sit down in front of a laptop and get irate when a masterpiece doesn't flow from your fingertips; it involves a tape recorder, a dog, and a landscape of Lancashirian hills.Our 'Distinguished Diary' today features not only a weird and wonderful writing routine from history, but also 11 commandments of creativity to help you along the way - you can hear how Henry Miller got his books down on paper during the show.AND WE HAVE A WEBSITE. I know, 21st Century right? Tell your friends about this thing called the internet... if they can't find it, look out for our AOL keyword in Ask Jeeves.writersroutine.com@writerspodwritersroutine@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The author of a brand new book on gender equality shares his writing routine!David deVire has had a busy life. He's been an armed policer officer, worked with the University of Oxford on exams, and went from being a property millionaire to homeless... almost overnight.He's always had a fascination with people, the relationships between everyone and how we can learn more about the role of men and women in history. So, with all the free time that he had because of the homeless thing I mentioned earlier, he wrote about it.David interviewed hundreds of women from different backgrounds, class and ethnicity to find out what they really thought about gender equality, to write an informative look on what everyone's view is different. His book 'Tail of the Tigress' is just that. It covers everyone from Queen Victoria to the Pankhursts. It talks about the difference in the brains of men and women, and even how gender-stereotyped degree courses usually end up with a widely different salary.For today's Distinguished Diary, we get the wierd and wonderful writing routine of 'Catch-22' author, Joseph Heller.And if you love your music to be befitting of a coffee shop in southern Paris, and in a particularly jazzy style... what an intro track you've got on the way.@writerspodwritersroutine@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling thriller writer Simon Toyne explores his writing routine! In 2007, bored in a job and dreaming of telling stories, Simon quit to finally get one down. Only, he didn't do things by halves. Simon moved his whole family across the channel for a French adventure with the idea that in 7 months, he would finish his first book. The slight issue was... he had no idea what it would be about. Cue a stormy sea crossing, a last-minute hotel booking to get any sleep they could manage, the spindly spire of a cathedral, and an image of a story that he would dedicate the next year to writing. His novel 'Sanctus' was the bestselling debut thriller of 2011, and has been translated into over 20 languages. It's the tale of an old religious order, a secret that could change the world, and a race against time to discover it. Simon talks about how his writing style has changed over the years, how he analysed other books to make sure his sold well, and how he planned his new series 'Solomon Creed' in a completely different way. Our Distinguished Diary today is the weird and wonderful writing routine of Charles Dickens, where we learn how one of the greatest authors in history energised his imagination. And you've just tucked into your second pain au chocolat of the day, while someone is screaming Edith Piaf lyrics into your ears, although you're desperately trying to listen to the random, coffee-shop jazz that's slowly floating from the speakers in the corner. @writerspod writersroutine@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Publishing editor and now published author Phoebe Morgan explores her writing routine!After years of working as an editor in a publishing house, making other writer's work better, Phoebe sat down to tell her own story. Her debut novel, 'The Doll House' is a psychological thriller about 2 sisters who, after just losing their much-loved father, find their life disturbed and intruded upon by someone seeking revenge. It's inspired by a doll house she used to played with, and the story has been bubbling away since childhood. Phoebe chats about how her agent helped the book take shape, if working for a publisher and looking at books everyday affected her story, and what her ultimate aim is as an author.Literary legend and the funniest writer EVER P.G Wodehouse is the subject of our Distinguished Diaries this week (and for those who like to imagine him as a languid lover of cocktails and all things British, it doesn't disappoint) so we'll get his writing routine too.Musically, we've got as far as Dijon this week. So, expect a feast of scatty, French-coffee-shop jazz, and mustard with weird seedy things in it. You know that thing you can do where you review the show on iTunes and give it 5 stars and tell all your mates to do the same? DO IT NOW@writerspodwritersroutine@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hay 30 list-making author Jaroslav Kalfar shares his writing routine! In 2017, to celebrate their 30th birthday the Hay Festival selected 30 people they think will shape the world in the next 30 years, and today's Czech debutant made the cut! Jaroslav's acclaimed novel 'Spaceman of Bohemia' gives us a Czech astronaut who, while sent on a mission he will probably never return from, sees his marriage break-down, starts to go insane, and meets a gigantic alien spider with an obsession for bacon. It's a philosophical sci-fi tale of isolation, love and self-discovery When Jaroslav was 15, he moved to Florida with a tiny, glimmer of an idea. Over the next year he turned this into a short story, before enrolling in New York University with the sole aim of turning it into a full novel - now it's published, and critics love it. Still in the States, he is most creative while working in manic, fanciful writing bursts overnight, while partying with friends in the day. There's a fantastic book recommendation in here too, and if you're struggling with an idea yourself, it will really help you get it down on paper. Our Distinguished Diary this week is social activist, producer, director, actress and writer Maya Angelou - we'll talk about where she jotted down her SEVEN AUTOBIOGRAPHIES. Music-wise, we're further south than Paris today. We've arrived in Auxerre and stopped at a quirky, boutique hotel to rest for the night - where you'll find the jazz in the reception hall sounds remarkably similar. writersroutine@gmail.com @writerspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crime author Angela Clarke gives us another writer's routine! 'Trust Me' is the third book in her 'Social Media Murders Series', and has just been released to critical and commercial acclaim, but to simply call Angela a 'crime writer' is a bit of a disservice. Angela is a Sunday Times best-selling author, playwright, columnist, screenwriter and public speaker. Her memoir 'Confessions of a Fashionista' is an Amazon Chart best-seller. She is a frequent contributor across radio and in newspapers. She hosts writing seminars, events and masterclasses and studied 'Advances in Scriptwriting' at RADA. RADA! Sir Kenneth Branagh, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Dame Diana Rigg went there! So did Steve McFadden! Her daily routine involves a writing at most available hours, having a few naps, and a truly bizarre audiobook ritual - and as she teaches writing, perhaps we'll get a few hints and tips for getting our own ideas finally down on paper. Our Distinguished Diary this week comes from Patricia Highsmith, as we get the daily plan of a psychological thriller legend with a curious obsession with snails. The background music this week comes from a quaint, candle-lit boulangerie opposite Gard du Nord, as you shovel one last croissant into your mouth before sprinting for the Eurostar home. @writerspod writersroutine@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's children's fiction king-pin Steven Butler, with his writing routine!Steven is an actor, a singer, a voice-over artist, a passionate cook and somehow finds time to jot down some best-selling books. In this episode, we'll find out how he organises his day to keep creative and focused, while doing about a billion different projects.Steven writes brand new books in the world-famous and loved 'Dennis the Menace' series, has penned 'World Book Day' titles, and was shortlisted for the prestigious 'Roald Dahl Funny Prize'.We chat about how an old headmaster gave him the inspiration to write for kids, why getting out a first draft is vital, and how a bit of luck always helps.Also, you can learn how F. Scott Fitzgerald managed to get his work done amongst all that drinking and dancing in our Distinguished Diaries feature. Plus, you'll need to find a baguette and necklace of garlic to keep up with how delightfully Parisian the backing music is getting.@writerspodwritersroutine@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crime-writing behemoth Karin Slaughter is here with our first ever writer's routine! With over 35 million copies of 17 books sold, in over 36 languages, Karin is one of the world's most popular thriller writers. Her new novel, 'The Good Daughter', focuses on a woman's attempt to come to terms with a traumatising childhood, and explores what being a defence lawyer is like in small-town America. Although the subject of the book is pretty harrowing, the interview is mainly about over-used words, Willy Wonka and how she gets her work done. Also, the first of our Distinguished Diaries feature sees us look at how Founding Father Benjamin Franklin got his work done. PLUS, there's some music on in the background that will hopefully transport you to a back-street French cafe, where you mumble out something that sounds like, 'Croque Monsieur, s'il vous plait', but you'll get served 2 packets of crisps and a glass of apple juice. @writerspod writersroutine@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.