Back in early November 2020, Will Storr spoke to me from a solo writing retreat in Spain, where he was working, sleeping and doing nothing else. This turns out to be Will's process: he also tells me about his zero-distractions writing routine at home, which involves a black-out blind and total immersion.

I first discovered Will's work through the brilliant book The Science of Storytelling; he's also the author of Selfie, The Heretics and Will Storr Vs The Supernatural, plus the novel The Hunger and the Howling of Killian Lone – and several very successful ghost-written autobiographies. Will also won the Amnesty International Award and a One World Press Award for reporting on sexual violence against men. In this episode we discuss his method for creating a three-dimensional character; how he approached interviews in Uganda on the highly sensitive subject of sexual trauma; and the indispensable writing advice he once received from Jon Ronson.

This episode of In Writing is sponsored by Curtis Brown Creative. Use code INWRITING20 for £20 off one of their four, six, or ten-week online writing courses. Go to curtisbrowncreative.co.uk to find out more.

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