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
Kerry Chaput, author of 'Chasing Eleanor' - Historical fiction writer discusses dealing with anxiety, returning to writing, and ditching 80,000 words
Kerry Chaput is an award-winning historical fiction author. Her 'Defying the Crown' series has had much success, and her new book is 'Chasing Eleanor'. Set in 1935, it's all about Magnolia Parker, wh…
JP Rieger, author of 'Clonk!' - How to make detective fiction funny, mixing creativity, and writing out of order
This week, we're joined by JP Rieger, whose brand new novel, 'Clonk!' is out now.
Paul worked as an attorney, and now spends his time as an amateur musician, and writing novels. We talk about how his …
Rebecca McKanna, author of 'Don't Forget the Girl' - Debut writer discusses fictional true-crime, getting sucked into the story, and what being published feels like
Rebecca McKanna has published short stories in anthologies and quarterlies. Something about one idea made her want to write a full novel. 'Don't Forget the Girl' is about Bree and Chelsea, trying to …
Tim Lott, author of 'Yes! No! But Wait! - The One Thing You Need to Know to Write a Novel' - Award-winner discusses why spaces don't matter, why plot is everything and dealing with guilt
Over Tim Lott's 10 novels, he's won the Whitbread First Novel Award, been shortlisted for The Guardian Kids Book Award and the Costa Award. He's been published in 16 countries, works as a screenwrite…
Corie Adjmi, author of 'The Marriage Box' - Award-winning writer discusses writing by hand, short stories, and should you always write what you know?
Corie Adjmi's debut novel, 'Life and Other Shortcomings' won a whole bunch of prizes, and has steamrollered her towards the new novel, 'The Marriage Box'.
It's all about Casey Cohen, a 16 year old in …
John Wray, author of 'Gone to the Wolves' - Award-winning writer talks about working to hide, switching genre, and taking your time
John Wray is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Award, he was named as one of the Best Young American Novelists in 2007. He's just published his 6th novel, 'Gone to the Wolves'.
It’s…
J.D. Kirk, author of 'The One That Got Away' - Prolific writer discusses self-publishing, staying healthy, and his very busy year
J.D. Kirk is a prolific writer. He's written comics and screenplays, under the name Barry Hutchison he's published over 170 children's books, and is back with a new crime novel, 'The One That Got Awa…
Senta Rich, author of 'Hotel 21' - Screenwriter and author discusses creative collaboration, character arcs, and how to keep believing
Senta Rich is busy. She has the energy to keep up with everything. She has worked in philosophy, psychology, written radio plays, has a film and TV series in the works, and her new novel, 'Hotel 21' …
Jude Yawson, author of 'Rise Up - The #Merky Story So Far' - First LIVE Podcast with Stormzy's co-author about inspiration, commitment and creative spaces
Jude Yawson edits '14 Magazine', writes film and music reviews, and has co-authored 'Rise Up - The #Merky Story So Far' with Stormzy. It looks behind the scenes at Stormzy's life, the story of his te…
Becky Hunter, author of 'One Moment' - A look inside the world of publishing, why thinking about what sells doesn't always work, and dealing with rejection
Becky Hunter's debut novel is 'One Moment'. It looks at best friends Scarlet and Evie, incredibly close until a tragic accident changes everything. It talks about why just one moment makes a huge dif…
Tim Weaver, author of 'The Blackbird' - Thriller writer talks about learning from your second book, welcoming the worry, and making people disappear
Tim Weaver is a Sunday Times million copy bestseller, he's been nominated for a National Book Award, is a Richard and Judy Book Club Pick, and has been shortlisted for a CWA Dagger Award.
He's just pu…
Danya Kukafka, author of 'Notes on an Execution' - Writer talks about the pressure of the second book, the process journal and how to feel the plot
This week, we chat to Danya Kukafka. Her first debut, 'Girl in the Snow', was released in 2017 and was extremely successful. It was a national bestseller, translated in many languages, and then the p…
LC North, author of 'The Ugly Truth' - Psychological thriller writer talks about the calmer part of the process, commercial hooks, and celebrity fascination
LC North's new book is 'The Ugly Truth'. It tells the story of Melanie, trapped and convinced she's kidnapped... meanwhile her father says she is in danger and thinking of her own safety. It's inspir…
Abdulrazak Gurnah, author of 'Afterlives' - 2021 Nobel Prize winner discusses distractions, why reading is as important as writing, and needing blank walls
Abdulrazak Gurnah was forced to flee Zanzibar when he was 18. He draws on that experience to write stories that address colonialism from different angles. His book 'Paradise' was shortlisted for the …
Eva Rice, author of 'This Could Be Everything' - Why noise helps work, how characters decide when to appear, and how energy ebbs and flows
Eva Rice has returned with a new novel, 'This Could Be Everything', after a little while away. Her book, 'The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets', was a runner up in the Richard and Judy Book of the Year Pr…
Sally Page, author of 'The Keeper of Stories' - Hugely successful debut writer on detailed research, the 'book club' genre, and how old work helps the future
Sally Page's debut is 'The Keeper of Stories'. It's been extremely successful, tapping into book clubs across the country. It's about Janice, who is used to hearing other people's stories, until the …
Ava Glass, author of 'The Chase' - Thriller writer discusses unknown London, switching up timelines, and finding character through flashback
Ava Glass has worked with spies and understands the mechanics of their job. She has taken all that experience and written 'The Chase'. It's the first in the 'Alias Emma' series, and tells the story o…
Gregg Hurwitz, author of 'The Last Orphan' - New York Times bestseller discusses diving into research, fixing the small things, and advice from James Patterson
This week, we chat to multi-million New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, Gregg Hurwitz. He's written many screenplays, comic books, took charge of Batman, and is known for the 'Orphan X' serie…
Georgina Moore, author of 'The Garnett Girls' - Making characters similar but different, how the plot sorts itself out, and why characters do their own thing
Georgina Moore has worked in PR and publishing throughout her career. She understands how books are sold, where they are place and what makes them commercial. She has just published her first novel, …
Tom Hindle, author of 'The Murder Game' - Murder mystery writer talks switching between work, learning from the best, and childhood heroes
Tom Hindle published his successful debut, 'A Fatal Crossing', in 2022. It drew comparisons to Agatha Christie and propelled him to the list of mystery writers to watch. He's back with a second whodu…