Writer's Routine
How do the best writers get to work?
In every episode, we'll chat to an author about what they do through a day. Where do they work? What time do they start? How do they plan their time and maximise their creativity, in order to plot and publish a bestseller?
Some are frantic night-owls, others roll out of bed into their desks, and a few lock themselves away in the woods - but none have a regular 9 to 5, and we'll find out how they've managed it.
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- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 43 minutes
- Episodes
- 371
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
Random Routine - Award-winning Trent Dalton runs through a day as a journalist and a novelist
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 …
Zen Cho, author of 'Black Water Sister' - Ghost storyteller talks about switching genre, playing with language, and words spawning ideas
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 s…
Random Routine - Screenwriter Tom MacRae runs through a day in the life of writing a movie
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. …
Claire Allan, author of 'Ask No Questions' - USA Today Bestseller talks genre-switching, 10k word starts, and planning a year of writing
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.
C…
Piers Torday, author of 'The Wild Before' - Children's author talks about bookshops, prequels, and being a magpie.
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 ch…
Bella Obsorne, author of 'The Promise of Summer' - Romantic writer talks about how characters meet genre, about busy years, and NaNoWriMo
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…
Alex Michaelides, author of 'The Maidens' - Critically acclaimed writer discusses following up on success, pushing through at a low point, and discovering he wasn't a screenwriter.
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…
Paul Rudnick, author of 'Playing the Palace' - Screenwriter discusses changing the script on set, writing for your heroes, and the precious writing space.
Paul Rudnick is an acclaimed Hollywood scriptwriter. He's worked on 'Addams Family Values', 'The Stepford Wives' and the 'Sister Act' movies. Now, he's just published his 3rd novel, 'Playing the Pala…
Random Routine - Critically-acclaimed author Bridget Collins runs us through her space and day
A few years ago, Bridget Collins came on the show to talk us through her novel, 'The Binding'. It was a huge, genre-defying success, and she's gone on to publish 'The Betrayals' to equal acclaim.
Bef…
Christina Sweeney-Baird, author of 'The End of Men' - Debut writer talks about speculative fiction, editing pandemics, and writing sprints.
Christina Sweeney-Baird works as a lawyer. It's a busy full-on job, working all hours under the sun, and she had barely any time to write. Until a life-changing moment changed everything, and forced …
Random Routine - Crime and historical thriller author Helen Fields takes us through a day writing around her family
Helen Fields first came on the show back in 2018.
Starting with 6 DI Callanach thrillers, Helen has written standalones, and her newest novel introduces a new cahracter, Dr Connie Woolwine, an America…
Jamie O'Connell, author of 'Diving for Pearls' - Debutant talks places as characters, refining structure, and the 500 word limit
This week's guest taking us inside their working day is Jamie O'Connell. He's published short stories before, runs an editing and mentoring site called 'Blackwater Writing', and his debut novel, 'Div…
Random Routine - Crime supremo Mark Billingham likes to get things done whenever he can
This week's Random Routine comes from Mark Billingham.
His new book is 'Rabbit Hole', his 4th standalone thriller, which comes after his 15th Tom Thorne novel, the series he's best known for.
Mark join…
Claire McGowan, author of 'The Vanishing Triangle' - Crime writer talks about planning the twists, switching genres, and stepping into true crime.
Claire McGowan goes by two names. Claire for crime thrillers, Eva Woods for women's fiction. We talk about how she switches between the two, and how thoroughly she thinks through style and different …
Random Routine - Bestselling geopolitical genius Tim Marshall on starting the day luxuriously
This week's Random Routine comes from bestselling Tim Marshall. He came on the show back in November 2018.
Tim Marshall worked for some years as the Diplomatic Editor for Sky News, travelling and livi…
Michael Arditti, author of 'The Anointed' - Award-winning author talks about being a morning person, unpacking religion, and being told what he can't write.
Michael Arditti is an award-winning author of 11 novels, he's written short stories, and worked as a theatre critic and book reviewer for national newspapers.
His new novel is 'The Anointed'. It's a r…
Random Routine - Irish Book Award Winner Liz Nugent takes us through her writing day
Liz Nugent is an Irish Book Award Winner, whose 4th Novel is 'Our Little Cruelties', which is out right now.
She came on the show back in 2018 to take us through a day writing her 3rd novel 'Skin Deep…
Joy Ellis, author of 'The Patient Man' - Crime bestseller talks about starting new series, checking in with characters, and how she finally got published.
There was a time when Joy Ellis couldn't get her books anywhere near a shelf, one sale, anywhere. She was living in her car, she managed a bookshop, she had many almosts with publishers. She carried …
Random Routine - Carnegie Medal Winner Frank Cottrell-Boyce talks about hating writing... but loving re-writing.
This week's Random Routine is with Frank Cottrell-Boyce.
Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a Carnegie Medal Award winning author - his 2004 novel 'Millions' is incredibly successful, and was turned into a film …
Hayley Doyle, author of 'Love, Almost' - West End actress turned writer talks about juggling life and work, overwriting, and playing with genre.
This week we're chatting to Hayley Doyle! She's an actor who has starred in the West End, appearing in Mamma Mia and others. Recently, she's turned her hand to writing, publishing two novels, 'Never …