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
Alison Stockham, author of 'The Cuckoo Sister' - Thriller writer talks about overcoming doubt, reading aloud and finding the right word
Alison Stockham's new book is 'The Cuckoo Sister'. It tells the story of Maggie, who has a seemingly perfect life, only... she's cracking under the strain of it all. One day, when Maggie walks out on…
Writer's Routine Revisited: Hugh Montgomery, author of 'Control' - Professor talks making time to write, what makes you creative, and the joy of trying something new.
Hugh Montgomery is a someone who, if he wasn't so darned lovely, you'd probably have to envy quite a lot. He's a practicing clinician, a UK lead on climate change, he's written screen-plays, runs ult…
Eleanor Shearer, author of 'River Sing Me Home' - Why plotting is emotional, parking downhill, and post-memory
Eleanor Shearer's debut is the acclaimed, 'River Sing Me Home'. It follows Rachel, a slave set free in 1834, and now searching the Caribbean to find her children, stolen from her and sold to other pl…
Cailean Steed, author of 'Home' - Thriller writer talks about grand teenage ideas, why writing is discovery not creation, and swapping around an entire story
Cailean Steed began writing short stories and audio dramas. She won the 2020 Pen to Print Audio Play Award, and decided to go back to school to learn how to tackle a full novel.
They ended up taking …
Rosie Andrews, author of 'The Leviathan' - Genre-bending writer talks historical fiction, flexible routines, and how to build your own space
Rosie Andrews' debut novel, 'The Leviathan' was first published last year to much acclaim. It has just come out in paperback. It tells the story of Thomas Treadwater, a soldier who holds a very deep,…
Richard Armitage, author of 'Geneva' - Actor talks writing audiobooks, creative exhaustion and what TV taught him about storytelling
Richard Armitage is a very successful actor, appearing in 'The Hobbit' movies, the Harlan Coben Netflix thrillers, and many more besides. He's also one of the most popular narrators for Audible audio…
Jonathan Whitelaw, author of 'The Bingo Hall Detectives' - Cosy crime writer talks about getting things done early, being less picky with writing, the 2 page synopsis
Jonathan Whitelaw worked as a journalist in Scotland, covering sport, politics, and everything in between. He's recently moved to the wilderness of Canada, and we talk about the move, and keeping in …
Lucy Hooft, author of 'The King's Pawn' - Why writing flash fiction really helps, thinking about your genre, and plotting like a mini-series
This week we chat to Lucy Hooft. She's had an incredible, interesting career travelling the world. She worked in the UK's Foreign Office and for the Department of International Development, going to …
Mark Pawlosky, author of 'Hack' - Journalist talks using experience for thrillers, why good writing is re-writing, and keeping a style guide handy
Mark Pawlosky worked as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was an editor for CNBC.com, and is now using that experience of sourcing scoops to write the Nik Byron Investigation series.
The first i…
Melvin Burgess, author of 'Loki' - Carnegie Medal winner discusses returning after a break, writing about teenagers, and enjoying yourself
Melvin Burgess had critical acclaim with his novel, 'Junk'. It looks at heroin use among teens in Bristol. It's a hard-hitting novel for teenagers, and won the Carnegie Medal, a prestigious award for…
S.K. Tremayne, author of 'The Drowning Hour' - Travel writer and author discusses working anywhere, escaping to write, and why discipline is key
This week, we're chatting to S.K. Tremayne. He's a travel writer and novelist, whose new novel is 'The Drowning Hour'.
Sean has written many books, under many different names. He had success during th…
Philip Wilding, author of 'The Death and Life of Red Henley' - Ghostwriting, changing how you write, and different parts of your brain
Philip Wilding is a fantastic storyteller, and a brilliant talker of storytelling. He's worked as a radio producer for many national stations, written as a journalist following bands across the world…
Cristina Bendek, author of 'Salt Crystals' - Caribbean writer talks about needing the rain, writing to discover identity, and how poetry reminds her of what's important
This week, we chat to Cristina Bendek. Her novel 'Salt Crystals' was published in 2018, and won the Elisa Mujica National Novel Prize. It's about the island of San Andres, and Victoria trying to make…
Felix Francis, author of 'Hands Down' - Bestselling writer talks about learning at the fiction factory, taking over from his dad, and challenging himself
This week, we chat to Felix Francis. His new book is the next in the 'Dick Francis Series', it's called 'Hands Down' and features Sid Halley looking into a conspiracy that threatens the heart of hors…
Pascal Engman, author of 'Femicide' - Bestselling Swedish writer discusses planning pressure, the international audience, and the perfect first draft
Pascal Engman is the bestselling Swedish novelist of his generation, called 'the next Steig Larsson'. He has sold plenty of books around the world, and they're now being published in the UK. His new …
Marthe Jocelyn, author of 'The Seaside Corpse' - Children's writer discusses getting 50 books done, plotting mystery, and writing exercises
Marthe Jocelyn is about to publish her 50th book. It's called 'The Seaside Corpse', and is the 4th in the Aggie Morton Mystery Queen series. It's based on a young Agatha Christie, who solves crimes w…
David Bell, author of 'The Finalists' - Author and lecturer discusses whether deadlines help, making locked-room stories engaging, and why he loves a routine
This week, we chat to author and lecturer David Bell. He's just published his 12th book, 'The Finalists'. It looks at a group of prospective college students, and the lengths they might go to gain a …
Gordon J. Brown, author of 'Six Wounds' - Crime writer discusses pseudonyms, writing anywhere, and words you know will be cut
Gordon J. Brown has just published his 9th novel, it's called 'Six Wounds' and is published under the name Morgan Cry. We talk about why he's started writing under a different name, and how a certain…
Emily Houghton, author of 'Last Time We Met' - Re-drafting, making rom-com unique, and how to write an entire book on your phone
Emily Houghton managed to write the entire draft of her very first novel on her phone, whilst travelling around the world. That novel, 'Before I Saw You', was a huge success and she's followed it up …
Robert Murphy, author of 'To Hunt a Killer ' - News reporter talks about co-writing, telling stories from real-crime, and hitting deadlines
Robert Murphy has worked as a news reporter for many years. Over the last decade or so, Robert followed the tragic story of Melanie Road. Melanie was murdered in Bath in 1984, after a year long enqui…