Writer's Routine

• A.F. Steadman, author of the 'Skandar ' series - Bestselling children's author discusses why experience makes things tough, a frantic five years, and trying to find your voices

  This week we chat to A.F Steadman, the bestselling author behind the phenomenal 'Skandar series'. The fantasy saga has taken the literary world by storm, was reported to have sold for a seven-figure deal, and was believed to be the biggest advance ever given to a debut childrens author. The series is praised as the biggest children's fantasy since Harry Potter.In this episode, we dive into her journey from practicing law to becoming a celebrated writer, explore the inspirations behind her imaginative world of bloodthirsty unicorns, and look inside her working day.The first, 'Skandar and the Unicorn Thief', was selected as the Waterstones Children's Book of Year 2022, and won an Indie Book Award in 2023. The 3rd, 'Skandar and the Chaos Trials' is out in paperback right now, and the 5th and final book is released in August 2025.You can hear why it was inspired by a train journey listening to James Blunt, and why she sat on it for years simply drawing ideas before finally getting the first book out in a frantic rush. We discuss her busy 5 years, sometimes working on 3 books at the same time, in a rush to get these stories published. Annabel runs through why big screens don't work for her, how she knows she's good in the morning... but struggles to get up and make the most of it, and whether she's found her voice yet.You can get a copy of the books here - https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the showpatreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineSUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER - https://writersroutine.substack.com/@writerspodwritersroutine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Laurie L. Dove, author of 'Mask of the Deer Woman' - Mystery Thriller writer discusses keeping busy, magical realism, and sneaking up on the story.

  Laurie Dove is a do-er. She likes to keep busy. Alongside writing for numerous places like CNN, Animal Planet, the LA Business Journal, and many more, Laurie was elected local Mayor back in 2015, has a Masters Degree from Harvard, and has just published 'Mask of the Deer Woman'.It tells the story of Carrie Starr. Once a detective in Chicago, Carrie has hit rock-bottom after a personal tragedy and returned to the reservation in which she grew up to be their local Marshal. When a college student goes missing, Carrie must wrestle with the reasons why her own daughter disappeared.We discuss why Laurie has found time to write for pleasure when she makes money writing for other people, also how she dealt with the ambiguity of magical realism, and why she likes to sneak up on the story. You can hear how fiction comes from character, how hard it is to find an organic ending to the first novel in a series, and why the only way to find out how to write novels... is to write novels.This week's episode is sponsored by the 'Charley Scott Mysteries', by Vanessa Westermann. To find out more about these feel-good thrillers set in the stunning Canadian countryside, head here - www.vanessa-westermann.info/Support the showpatreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/writersroutineGet copies of the novels we feature on the podcast - uk.bookshop.org/shop/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Peyton Corinne, author of 'Unloved' - Romance author discusses becoming a BookTok bestseller, marketing yourself, and happy endings

  Peyton Corinne is a love story enthusiast. As a teenager, she would write fan-fiction about her favourite series, then she self-published her own writing whilst working as a teacher, because she hit it big on TikTok.The episode is a full break-down on why if you market yourself smartly and keep up with social trends, your book will find an audience, and traditional publishers will find you. Her new novel is 'Unloved', it tells the story of star hockey player Matt 'Freddy' Fredderic, who can do everything at school but pass his exams. When he gets a tutor to help him out... a pining love story starts to develop between them.We discuss why there will always be a happy ending, and how Peyton works the rest of her story out to reach that conclusion. Also, hear why she likes to write in long-hand, the little annoyances of writing full-time, and why getting a good editor can solve every problem.You can watch the episode fully visualised on YouTube - www.youtube.com/@writersroutineGet a copy of the novel - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Eowyn Ivey, author of 'Black Woods, Blue Sky' - Pulitzer Prize finalist discusses magical realism, why success isn't relevant, and being tempted to write again

  This week we chat with Eowyn Ivey, the acclaimed author of The Snow Child and To the Bright Edge of the World, ahead of her new novel Black Woods, Blue Sky. We explore the inspiration behind her vivid Alaskan settings, her journey from bookseller to bestselling novelist, and the themes of resilience and wonder that thread through her work.Black Woods, Blue Sky, tells the story of Birdie and Emaleen, mother and daughter travelling through the Alaskan wilderness, until they meet the timid Arthur. They soon form a close-knit group and move in with him, only to discover that he came transform into a Grizzly Bear.It's a story inspired by a difficult childhood, and Eowyn explored how she was effected by her father's brutality through the story. We discuss how she managed to keep a plot going and grounded, when unpacking what had happened to her. You can hear why she has published just 3 books in 14 years, and how she keeps saying she's done with writing... only to be tempted back to the page.Eowyn reveals how much she thinks about genre, why the benegits of success don't apply to storytelling, and when she started to understand that the novel was drawing to a close.You can get a copy of the book here - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutineSupport the show -patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Stephen Spotswood, author of 'Dead in the Frame' - New York Times award winner reveals what he learned from writing plays, solving mysteries like a reader, and physical fitness helping mental creativity

  This week, we're chatting to Stephen Spotswood. Stephen is an acclaimed author and playwright celebrated for his mastery of mystery and suspense. Best known for his 'Pentecost and Parker' series, Spotswood reimagines the noir genre with sharp wit, dynamic characters, and intricate storytelling. He's a Nero Award Winner, a New Blood Dagger Award finalist, an Edgar Award Nominee, wrote the NYT Book Review Best Crime and Mystery of the Year. His new novel is 'Dead in the Frame', it's the 5th in the 'Pentecost and Parker' series. It sees the sleuthing duo Willowjean Park and Lillian Pentecost make a name for themselves as the premier detective outfit in 1940s New York City. However, when an old enemy is killed... Lillian is the prime suspect. She finds herself locked away in the notorious Women's House of Detention, and the race is on to get free and find the real killer.We discuss the first seed of the duo, and how he pays attention to the little details of period writing. We discuss how physical fitness helps mention output, why he writes almost exclusively for female performers, and how much a location influences creativity.You can hear how he approaches writing mysteries quite loosely and is fine to discover the solution at the same time as the reader. We discuss what he's learned from writing players, and how he knows whether it'll be a good work day.Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.com/shop/writersroutineSupport the show:patreon.com/writersroutineko-fi.com/[email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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