Writer's Routine

Jane Doughtery writes magical, often apocalyptic fiction. She's been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and is inspired by myth, history and classical tradition. Also, she's a poet, seeking to capture the moment in a spark of creativity. Her new novel is 'Pasiphae'. It's a re-imagining of the Greek minotaur myth, a bid to reclaim one of its most maligned women. From the perspective of his mother, it's inspired by how women's roles are distored in Irish and Greek mythology. Jane is putting that right.We talk about why she's detached from technology, also about the intention of poetry and what living in the country means for her idea.You can hear why she just wants to live in the world of her novels, what she needs to know to start, and how she wrestles with the fear of rejection.Get a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineRead the newsletter - writersroutine.substack.comThis episode is supported by the 'Quick Book Reviews Podcast' by Philippa Hall. @writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carmel Harrington is an Irish bestselling author of 13 novels. Her latests, 'The Stolen Child', was shortlisted for an Irish Book Award and won Good Housekeeping's 'Good Books Autumn Collection'. She left it late to start. After wanting to be an author for so long, it was a conversation with her husband, and a dream for her daughter, that pushed her to start.She's written family dramas, a tie-in with the hit TV show, 'Cold Feet', and has now switched to straight-up thrillers. Her new novel, 'The Nowhere Girls', tells the story of two children abandoned at a train station, and the investigative journalist 30 years later, who wants to find out where they ended up. It was inspired by a news-piece, which led her to wonder... 'what if this happened in Ireland, where everyone knows everyone?'We talk about her path to publication, also why she started off with no idea at all, and how switching genre has changed her writing. You can hear about her love of notebooks, her ego-wall, and how she's trained to get better.Get a copy of 'The Nowhere Girls' - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineSubscribe to the newsletter - [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Dramis is a Sunday Times Bestselling author, having writing the epic 'The Curse of Saints' fantasy trilogy. However, after a bout of writer's block and shiny-new-idea syndrome, she was inspired on a plane journey to write romance.'The Odds of You' tells the story of Sage Collins, a bestselling author en route to Comic Con, who is distracted on her flight by Theo Sharpe, the infuriatingly charming British actor who just won't stop talking. The chance meeting leds Sage to question everything... it's a romance novel after all.We discuss the sprints of writing on, and then writing off, that takes her through the day. Also, you can hear how she avoids reviews but still knew readers were fine with her switching genre, and how she made her publishers agree, and you can hear about the 10 major plot points she likes before starting to write.Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineThis week's episode is sponsored by the Quick Book Reviews Podcast, take a listen wherever you get your shows.Read the newsletter - writersroutine.substack.comSupport the show - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Farah Naz Rishi is a busy do-er with fingers in many creative pies. She's worked as a lawyer, a video-game journalist, a voice actor and is a bestselling author. Farah has written memoir, 'Sorry for the Inconvenience', which details her experience as a Pakistan-American Muslim Woman, also has published many Young Adult books, including 'If You're Not The One', and 'It All Comes Back to You'.Now, Farah has published, 'The Flightless Birds of New Hope'. Here's the blurb...We follow Aden Shah—who has made a career of running away when things get hard— as he reunites with his estranged siblings in the wake of their parents’ death. Tensions flare. And in a single moment of resentment, Aden sets free their parents’ favorite “child”: their prize-winning Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, Coco Chanel. What follows is a reluctant, chaotic road trip in a beat-up RV as the three Shah siblings chase Coco across the country. Along the way, they crash headlong into the eccentric world of birders, and into the unfamiliar people they’ve become. We discuss exploring connections, nature and sibling relationships. Also, you can hear how her work as a voice-actor influences her ability to get into character, and why she's ditched word-counts.You can hear how Farah shuts off her anxiety with wallpaper, how she tricks herself into writing, and about the first idea she had for her story.Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineThis week's episode is sponsored by 'Minding Toby', the new novel by M.M. Rodeheaver. Find out more - https://margaretrodeheaver.com/Read the newsletter - writersroutine.substack.comSupport the show - patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fergus Craig is a stand-up comic and actor who has appeared across shows on the BBC and Disney Plus. In 2009, he was named 'Hackney Empire's New Act of the Year'. Through lockdown, he found internet fame with his videos parodying bad crime writers. He starred in both series of the BBC show 'Hoff the Record', and won a Chortle Comedy Award. He would read 'Detective Roger le Carre' stories, filled with pomp and cliche. They drew in an audience, and spawned a novel-writing career. He published 'One Upon a Crime' and 'Murder at Crime Manor', bringing Detective Roger le Carre to life. We discuss the challenges of writing parody, where readers come for the funny, and need to stay for the plot.His new novel is 'I'm Not The Only Murderer In My Retirement Home'.It tells the story of serial killer Carol Quinn, who is out of prison and looking to relax in her retirement home. However, when a dead body is found, she needs to find the culprit before all eyes turn on her.We discuss why plotting is like playing snooker, also how much he knows before he starts, and why he's enjoying not having to be relentlessly funny in the novel.You can get a copy of the book at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineThis week's episode is sponsored by M.M. Rodeheaver's new novel, 'Minding Toby'. If you know a child who needs an inspiring new story to read, find out more at https://margaretrodeheaver.com/Subscribe to the newsletter - writersroutine.substack.comSupport the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.