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Writer's Routine

Writer's Routine

By: Dan Simpson
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How do the best writers get to work?


In every episode, we'll chat to an author about their writing 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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Dan Simpson
Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Foluso Agbaje, author of 'The Talk of the Party' - Thriller writer discusses writing in Dubai, worldwide influences, and her pursuit of perfection
    Jun 18 2026

    This week, we chat to Foluso Agbaje. Her debut, 'The Parlour Wife', was published to widespread acclaim in 2024.


    She's following it up with 'The Talk of the Party'. It tells the story of a 60th Birthday Party, the envy of Lagos. However, the dream of Bukola Obanile's perfection comes at a price, and this one glorious night could shatter and detroy a family buily on deception.


    We talk about why she gets fussier in her pursuit of perfection in each book, also why she uses Canva to write her novel, and why she went back to school to learn to write. You can hear about the energy of Dubai influencing her storytelling, how she's trying to unpick Nigerian culture, and why she's always across how everything looks.


    Get a copy at uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine


    This week's episode is sponsored by Philippa Hall's 'Quick Book Reviews' Podcast.


    Support the show -

    patreon.com/writersroutine

    ko-fi.com/writersroutine


    @writerspod

    writersroutine.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    51 mins
  • Sara Sheridan, author of 'The Jewel Keepers' - Book of the Year winner discusses treasure hunt thrillers, long lunches, and the role of a writer
    Jun 11 2026

    Sara Sheridan's 2022 novel, 'The Botanists', was the Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year, and was a pick for 'The Queen's Reading Room'. Her debut, 'Truth or Rare', won the Scottish Library Award. 'On Starlit Seas', was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Prize, and she's been shortlisted for the Saltire Prize and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. Sara's published 20 novels, spanning crime, thrillers, TV tie-ins, ghostwriting and historical fiction.


    Her new novel is 'The Jewel Keepers'. It tells the story of 25 year old Amarinta McKenzie-Moore, who in 1837 is summoned to her great-aunt's deathbed, and learns the family secret... that she is a Jewel Keeper to the Scottish Crown. She's thrust into a high-stakes treasure hunt that could change the lives of every woman alive.


    We discuss comparisons to 'The Da Vinci Code', how public-speaking helps her writing, and how she gets into the mind of real people who lived so long ago. You can hear how she's realised exactly what he role as a writer is, what she needs to start, and about long-lunches that lead to exciting ideas.


    Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine


    Read the newsletter - writersroutine.substack.com


    Support the show -

    patreon.com/writersroutine

    ko-fi.com/writersroutine


    @writerspod

    writersroutine.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • Ollie George Clark, author of 'Youngest Faircrest and the Search for a Sorcerer’ - Award-winning writer discusses making reading accessible, why strict word-counts help the pace, and finding the audience
    Jun 4 2026

    Ollie George Clark is an award-winning right, who is having a moment. He's got 3 new TV comedy-dramas under commission. He's written plays that have been performed across the UK, had criticially-acclaimed stories broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and won the 'British Comedy Guide Sitcom Competition'.


    His new novel is 'Youngest Faircrest and the Search for a Sorcerer'. It's the start of a new middle-grade trilogy, about Youngest who on the day of the Deciding, during which every 12 year old learns who they'll be forever, decides to take his future into his own hands.


    We talk about setting it in a different world, and making it relatable to a younger audience. Also you can hear about his path to publication, and how much pressure he feels having signed a contract for a trilogy of stories. You can hear about how he finds the funny later on, how much he analyses his writing day, and why his word-count is so strict.


    Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine


    This week's episode is sponsored by the 'Quick Book Reviews Podcast'. Listen in to Philippa Hall and her fantastic guests wherever you've got this show.


    Support us -

    patreon.com/writersroutine

    ko-fi.com/writersroutine


    @writerspod

    writersroutine.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
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look forward to a new writers interview every week

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