Writer's Routine

• Claire Douglas, author of 'The New Neighbours' - Thriller writer discusses character USPs, the routine of the year, and knowing your brand

  Claire Douglas is a bestselling thriller author. Her work has been published across the world, sold many copies everywhere, and she's been a Richard and Judy Book Club Pick. She's just published her 11th novel in 10 years, 'The New Neighbours'. It's about Lena who overhears a conversation between her kind, retired neighbours... that must be a mistake. It sounded like they were planning something awful. Lena can't stop thinking about it, it creeps into memories of her past, and she is consumed by choices of whether to do something.We discuss how Claire discovers her character's unique selling points, and how much she outlines their movements... knowing they're likely to do what they want regardless. You can hear her routine of the year, why she finishes one day thinking of the next, and how useful it is knowing what the 'Claire Douglas' brand is.Get a copy at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show at - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Guy Jenkin, author of 'Murder Most Foul' - BAFTA winning writer discusses alluring research, finally writing a novel, and playing with the past

  Guy Jenkin is a multi Emmy and Bafta winning writer. Along with Andy Hamilton, he co-wrote the sitcoms 'Drop the Dead Donkey' and 'Outnumbered'. He also worked on the films 'What We Did On Our Holiday', and 'The Sleeping Dictionary'.His new novel is called 'Murder Most Foul', a witty and fast-paced Tudor detective novel that plays with fact and fiction. In the middle of a deadly plague outbreak in 1593, William Shakespeare is implicated in the murder of his friend and rival, Christopher Marlowe. Teaming up with Marlowe's sister and his former flame Ann, they embark on a quest to clear his name, uncovering a web of treachery and corruption that inspires Shakespeare's future masterpieces.You can hear how much he enjoyed the research, so much so that he had to drag himself away to finally write the story. He reveals why it's normally the smallest, hardest to find details, that bring the story to life. We discuss why it's taken him so long to write a novel, after a long career in screenwriting, and how he learned to actually do it.We talk about 'Outnumbered', and why it was much more scripted than many believed, and what it taught him about writing novels.You can support the show at -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineGet a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Lucy Foley, author of 'The Midnight Feast' - Mystery bestseller reveals her quick first drafts, keeping in close contact with the story, and

  Lucy Foley is a mystery behemoth. She's sold 5 million copies of her novels which have been translated in over 40 countries. All of them are currently being made for film and TV right now. Following the success of 'The Hunting Party', 'The Guest List', and 'The Paris Apartment', 'The Midnight Feast' is out now in paperback, and focuses on the opening weekend of a luxury countryside retreat. Only, under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. When a body is found, old friends and enemies are trapped in the countryside, trying to discover whodunnit.It's the second time Lucy has been on the show, and she's our first ever returning guest. She originally talked us through her writing day in February 2020, and I was keen to figure out what had changed in the last 5 years, what with 2 children and a global pandemic chucked in to stir up her routine. Lucy is currently writing a new Miss Marple novel, after being asked by the Agatha Christie Estate.You can hear how success has brought the changes, along with some imposter syndrome, also about her quick first draft, why she focuses on quantity over quality, and how she's discovering her very own Miss Marple.You can get a copy of the book, and support your local independent bookshop, at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineWatch the episode in glorious technicolour at youtube.com/@writersroutineSupport us at - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Frances Quinn, author of 'The Lost Passenger' - Historical Fiction author discusses advice from ABBA, what other markets want, and the privilege of an editor

  Frances Quinn is a journalist, copywriter and bestselling author. Her new novel, 'The Lost Passenger', tells the story of Elinor Coombes, who boards the Titanic trapped in an unhappy marriage to a controlling husband. When it starts to go down, she sees an opportunity to escape for a new life.Frances began writing after winning a place on the Curtis Brown Creative Novel Writing Course, which led through a meandering path toward publication in 2021. Her debut was 'The Smallest Man'. She followed that up with 'That Bonesetter Woman', which both sold well, yet didn't manage to secure international rights. You can hear what Frances did to learn about foreign markets, in order to get her newest novel sold overseas.As a journalist and copywriter, Frances has written for 'Good Housekeeping', 'Woman's Weekly', and 'Ideal Home', also producing words for Waitrose and Easyjet. We discuss how this has influenced the novels she writes, and why she's forever thankful to her editor.We discuss genre, research, and how Frances learns about her character while having decided exactly what they're up to.You can hear why she's a moany writer, why she likes to exercise early, and why she still keeps office hours.Support the show at - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineGet a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineIf you have science-mad kids, come and see my science-mad show this summer - funkidslive.com/tourSubscribe to the newsletter - [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Mike Gayle, author of 'The One That Got Away' - Romance award-winner discusses starting loose, being pigeon-holed, and novellas

  Mike Gayle is a prolific author. He's published 20 novels, many of which land on the Sunday Times Bestseller List, and has been translated in over 30 countries. He was the first male writer, and writer of colour, to win the Romantic Novelist Association's Outstanding Achievement Award. He's back with a new novella called 'The One That Got Away'.It tells the story of Reuben and the love of his life who is getting married... only to someone else. He has a day full of activities planned to take his mind of the wedding, only when a phone call changes everything, he must face the truth about what he's trying to outrun. It's a novella written for Amazon's 'Original Stories' imprint, and was the perfect place to put this small seed of a story he was mulling over. You can get a copy here - https://shorturl.at/khaDIMike's career started as an Agony Uncle, and writing for teen magazines during the 90s and 00s, in their pomp. We discuss how writing for such a specific audience made him learn key secrets for writing novels. You can hear what else he has learned in a 26 year long writing career, why his chair tells a lot of stories, how his collection habit distracts him, and what he thinks about being pigeon-holed as a 'romance writer'.Find more of Mike's stuff here - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutinewritersroutine.com@writerspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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