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
Sarah Easter Collins, author of 'Things Don't Break on their Own' - Author and painter discusses showing and not telling, poetry focusing prose, and bringing themes together
Sarah Easter Collins is an all-round creative. Alongside being a painter, she's just published her debut, 'Things Don't Break on their Own'. It tells the story of Willa, whose life shattered into tin…
Louise Swanson, author of 'Lights Out' - Award-winning author discusses pseudonyms, being strict, and improving through rejections
Louise Swanson is the pen-name of bestselling and award-winning author, Louise Beech. Louise has 8 novels out, a memoir, and has picked up all sorts of prizes for her work. She has written the play b…
Gareth Rubin, author of 'Holmes and Moriarty' - Mystery thriller writer discusses getting Sherlock Holmes right, playing with timelines, and getting bored of the craft
Gareth Rubin is back with one of the few Sherlock Holmes books officially authorised and certified by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle estate. It's called 'Holmes and Moriarty', and tells the story of two …
Molly Green, author of 'Courage for the Cabinet Girl' - Wartime novelist discusses starting early, honouring women, and building a train carriage
Molly Green writes wartime novels that celebrate the women who stayed home and served their country. Her new novel is 'Courage for the Cabinet Girl'. Set in 19412, with Britain in the throes of the S…
Jodi Picoult, author of 'By Any Other Name' - Forty million copy Bestseller discusses writing for therapy, forgetting your readers, and who Shakespeare really was
Jodi Picoult is one of the world's most successful authors. She's written over 30 books, been translated into 34 languages, and has sold more than 40 MILLION books. Her novel, 'My Sister's Keeper', w…
Ciar Byrne, author of 'A Deadly Discovery' - Gardening journalist and author discusses balancing work, starting early, and a strange path to publication
Ciar Byrne has worked as a journalist for 25 years, usually as a gardening journalist, she's written for The Independent, The Guardian, Private Eye and many more. It turns out that all that experienc…
Jack Strange, author of 'Look Up, Handsome' - Rom-com author discusses finding the right genre, representation, and being inspired by Hallmark movies
Jack Strange's debut is 'Look Up, Handsome'. It's a festive rom-com about bookshop owner Quinn, who is trying to save his business, only when romantic novelist Noah comes to town, he might provide an…
Catherine Gray, author of 'Versions of a Girl' - Award-winning journalist talks switching to fiction, giving characters flexibility, and why taking a break from alcohol boosts creativity
Catherine Gray is an award-winning journalist who has written for The Guardian, Stylist, The Telegraph, Grazia, and many more. She's published 4 non-fiction books, which have sold over a million copi…
J.M. Hall, author of 'A Clock Stopped Dead' - Cosy Crime writer discusses working in long-hand, retirement changing things, and how working as a teacher helps tell stories
This week's guest is J.M. Hall, who has worked as a playwright, a primary school teacher, and is now a published novelist.
Through lockdown he wrote 'A Spoonful of Murder', as a way to deal with a tr…
Santa Montefiore, author of 'The Deverill Chronicles' - World-renowned bestseller discusses finally finding success at home, getting it written before getting it right, and why she needs spirituality
This week, we're joined by Santa Montefiore. A bestselling author, published across the world, who has sold millions of copies of her 31 novels. She's known for her richly drawn characters, intricate…
Alan Rhode, author of 'The Eagle and the Cockerel' - Journalist, Lawyer and Author discusses political thrillers, writing in a second language and why concentration is subjective
Alan Rhode is a busy man. Working as a lawyer, with a full family, he's recently self-published his first novel. It's called 'The Eagle and the Cockerel', and was shortlisted for a 2024 Selfie Award.
…
Catherine Steadman, author of 'Look in the Mirror' - Actor turned bestselling thriller writer discusses career pivots, character nuances, and why word count doesn't matter
Catherine Steadman had a very successful acting career, starring in 'Downton Abbey', 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen', 'Fearless' and many more. In her early 30s, she started to think about how her futu…
Milly Johnson, author of 'The Happiest Ever After' - Bestselling Romance Writer discusses keeping the concentration up, why greeting cards help novels, and how to keep the plates spinning
Milly Johnson is one of the top 10 Female Fiction authors in the UK, with over 3 million sales in the country alone, and many more across the world as she's been published in more than 20 different c…
B.P. Walter, author of 'The Garden Party' - Crime writer discusses escaping and being distracted, publishing horror, and making characters nuanced
Crime writer B.P. Walter has always been around books. From beng submerged in reading growing up, to studying storytelling, to working in bookshops, it makes perfect sense that he's now a full-time a…
Amy Neff, author of 'The Days I Loved You Most' - Debut writer discusses spending 10 years with characters, getting over rejection, and why editing needs help
Amy Neff's new novel is 'The Days I Loved You Most'. It's taken 10 years to get to shelves. Amy has spent 10 years refining the story, sending it to publishers, even hiring her own editor to help get…
Julietta Henderson, author of 'How to Get a Life' - Richard and Judy Book Club pick talks scattered scenes, finding the story thread, and why writing doesn't get any easier
Julietta Henderson's debut novel, 'The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman', was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and sold around the world.
Her second is, 'How to Get a Life'. It tells the story of Da…
Shaun Bythell, author of 'The Diary of a Bookseller' - Scotland's most famous bookseller discusses editing diaries, why everyone loves a bookshop, and style guides
Shaun Bythell runs 'The Bookshop' in Wigtown, it's Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop, and is now incredibly popular.
Back in 2017, Shaun published, 'The Diary of a Bookseller', a book filled wi…
Jonny Sweet, author of 'The Kellerby Code' - Screenwriter and Author discusses jokes influencing novels, why guilt is useless, and dealing with praise
Jonny Sweet won the 'Best Newcomer' Prize at the 2009 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, created a sketch group with 'The Inbetweeners' Simon Bird and Joe Thomas, and appeared in many TV Comedies, including …
Kate Storey, author of 'The Memory Library' - Book Club author discusses why a change of genre means a change of name, whether outlining curbs creativity, and why she watches for jokes
Our special guest this week is Kate Storey. Under the name Lisa Timoney, she's published 3 books, 'Her Daughter's Secret', 'Her Mother's Lies' and 'His Secret Wife'... but a change of genre means a c…
Alina Khawaja, author of 'Maya's Laws of Love' - How to avoid tangents which block your ideas, dealing with rejections, and trying to get better
After writing around 7 books and getting many rejections or near-misses, Alina Khawaja finally has a published novel. It's called 'Maya's Laws of Love', and tells the story of Maya on her way to Paki…