Writer's Routine

Catherine Steadman, author of 'Look in the Mirror' - Actor turned bestselling thriller writer discusses career pivots, character nuances, and why word count doesn't matter


Listen Later

Catherine Steadman had a very successful acting career, starring in 'Downton Abbey', 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen', 'Fearless' and many more. In her early 30s, she started to think about how her future as an actor might pan out. It's been well documented that roles for older women are depressingly stark, and often frustratingly uninspired. Giving that some thought, Catherine decide to switch things around, and trusting that her story-telling and improvisational abilities learned from acting would transfer well, started writing fiction.


Her debut was 'Something in the Water', it became a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, which launched her to success. She's a New York Times Bestseller, has sold millions of copies and been published around the world.


Her newest novel is 'Look in the Mirror', which looks at the lives of Nina and Maria, and how their lives become entangled with a huge house in the British Virgin Islands. It's a mysterious thriller which Catherine was keen to keep speculative, and not let it creep into being gritty or grimy.


Catherine talks about how acting has helped her writing, why she feels able to understand the nuances of characters well, also why novelty is key to her day, and how she keeps grounded after sudden success.


You can support the show at patreon.com/writersroutine


@writerspod

writersroutine.com

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

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Writer's RoutineBy Dan Simpson

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

289 ratings


More shows like Writer's Routine

View all
The New Yorker: Fiction by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: Fiction

3,308 Listeners

The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers by Joanna Penn

The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers

611 Listeners

Helping Writers Become Authors by K.M. Weiland

Helping Writers Become Authors

964 Listeners

Books and Authors by BBC Radio 4

Books and Authors

384 Listeners

Otherppl with Brad Listi by Brad Listi

Otherppl with Brad Listi

502 Listeners

Bookclub by BBC Radio 4

Bookclub

229 Listeners

The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience by Kelton Reid

The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

212 Listeners

Writing Excuses by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler

Writing Excuses

1,289 Listeners

The Waterstones Podcast by Waterstones

The Waterstones Podcast

34 Listeners

You're Booked by Daisy Buchanan

You're Booked

51 Listeners

Fiction Writing Made Easy by Savannah Gilbo

Fiction Writing Made Easy

1,370 Listeners

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing by Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

722 Listeners

Poured Over by Barnes & Noble

Poured Over

289 Listeners

Essential Guide to Writing a Novel by James Thayer

Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

355 Listeners

Writers on Writing by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone

Writers on Writing

58 Listeners