Crime-writer Mark Hill tells us how he goes about his day!

Radio-producer Mark Hill has a life-long love of crime fiction, and spotting the tricks and traits of the genre forced his hand to write a book of his own!

'Two O'Clock Boy' tells the story of a killer seemingly getting revenge on everyone in a children's home many years ago. It's the first of his 'Drake and Crowley' thriller series, and it's gone so well, that you can expect a second very shortly. In the show, we talk about what planning a series of books is like, after initially having a great idea for just the first. Also, we talk about how working as a radio producer has helped him talk to an audience, and how having a massive white-board and a few coloured post-it notes really helps the plotting.

Our Distinguished Diary features the weird and wonderful writing routine of Arthur Miller, one of the 20th century's greatest playwrights - and we'll find out the reckless manner that helped him pen 'A View from the Bridge', 'Death of a Salesman' and 'The Crucible'.

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Co-author of 'Sleeping Beauties', Owen King tells us this week's writer's routine!

In writing terms, Owen King could not have found himself in a better place. His dad, Stephen King, is one of the world's most successful authors, publishing over 50 books across horror and fantasy, he has sold over 350 million copies, and he's co-written the brand new 'Sleeping Beauties' with his son, Owen!

So, if you're here to get writing tips from the best, this week's guest has learned his craft from the absolute master.

'Sleeping Beauties' is a story about the aftermath of every woman on the world falling asleep, seemingly forever. No one knows why, or where they may have gone, and we find out how many different sets of characters react to the mystery, and what that means for modern gender politics. Owen talks about where the idea came from, why it was originally meant to be on the TV, and what the pressure of writing for a Stephen King level of fanbase is really like. Also, you can find out the only real struggle Owen and his dad had along the way, was who would hand in the final manuscript!

Our Distinguished Diary today is the weird and wonderful writing routine of WH Auden, and we'll find out exactly what helped him sleep for barely more than 6 hours, and still work for 10 hours a day - he did love his routine, but there's something... else in play too.

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Broadcaster, writer and award-winning podcaster Simon Mayo shows us how an extremely busy person fits in a writing routine!

Simon presents the drive-time show on BBC Radio 2, one of Europe's most popular radio stations. He is one half of 'Kermode and Mayo's Film Review' on BBC Radio 5 Live (Hello to Jason Isaacs), and used to present one of the most prestigious shows on the air, as the host of the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show. In amongst all this, he's found the time to publish 4 novels!

His 'Itch' trilogy tells the story of Itchingham Lofte, an element hunter and unlikely hero, and it's a series that places science at the heart of the tale. His most recent book 'Blame', explores the idea that children are punished for the crimes of their parents. We talk about how plotting a series is wildly different from a standalone novel, how it takes a lot of reworking, and how he only really picked up. a pen to give his son something to read.

There's also mention of his writing shed, how his 'radio voice' is different from his written one, and why he gets ideas from gravestones.

Our Distinguished Diary brings us the weird and wonderful writing routine of John Milton, civil servant and poet, who in 1667 published the 10,000 line magnum opus 'Paradise Lost' WHILE HE WAS BLIND. Compare that to what you did today, ey?

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Thriller-author, satirist and journalist Paul Burston digs deep in his writer's routine!

One of the founding editors of 'Attitude' Magazine, Paul published his first fiction book, 'Shameless', back in 2001. It detailed a single man's life in the Soho clubbing scene. So naturally, he had to partake in much research as a single man in the Soho clubbing scene.

2016 was a big year for Paul, he was featured in the British Council’s #FiveFilms4Freedom Global List, celebrating '33 

visionary people who are promoting freedom, equality and LGBT rights around the world', and moved into thriller-writing. His first of these 'The Black Path' tells the story of a small, angry army-town, and the lives of the people who live there.

Paul also actually teaches actual writing! His literary salon 'Polari' tours the country with top authors giving advice and tips on making your work better. HE IS THE PERFECT GUEST FOR THIS SHOW.

Our Distinguished Diary today features the weird and wonderful writing routine of Stephen King, we find out why the world's most successful horror author likes everything in exactly the same place, every day.

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'Man of Mercia' James Wilde shares the secrets of writing historical fiction!

In the most polite way possible, James Wilde seems like a man of another time. He lives in a family home in the forest, takes long walks across the fells, and camps in the black, barren night whilst dreaming of ideas. He also reads all them, and he always has. He reads tales of fantasy, tales of fact, and he dreamed of marrying the two in a historical fiction series.

He did just that with his best selling 'Hereward' Series, charting one freedom fighter's quest through the 11th century to claim the throne. James has just started a brand new historical series 'Pendragon', which tackles one of the most famous British legend, King Arthur.

Wilde writes a wide range of fiction under 'Mark Chadbourn', has been a journalist and a screenwriter too, so expect loads of chat about how writing styles different across genres.

Our Distinguished Diary today features Sylvia Plath, and there's news of EVEN MORE WAYS TO FOLLOW WRITER'S ROUTINE.

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Bonnie Scot Gerry Rose shares his Writer's Routine!

After spending a lifetime adoring books and stories, but limiting his bubbling creativity to bedtime stories to his kids, Gerry finally did something he was almost embarrassed to do - get his ideas down on to paper and write a book.

He has just released the second book in his 'Elliot' series, a trilogy of thriller books that look at one detective's life across three different eras. 'Rinsed' focuses on 2 weeks in summer 2005, when London was in olympic euphoria and terrorist devastation. Gerry claims this story is set in a time that could 'change the world forever'. It's a series of intertwining stories, where everyone is influencing everything.

Gerry also writes for kids! His Mole Man stories are 2 books deep already, and working in schools gave him the idea for his latest children's novel, 'Guitar Box Jorge'.

We chat about curiosity, holidays in Spain, and Urban Dictionary.

For Distinguished Diaries, we learn about the weird and wonderful writing routine of one of the biggest literary figures of the 20th century, Gertrude Stein, and her love of the farmyard.

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Comedy writer and now bonafide author Paul A. Mendelson tells us his working day.

Paul has written for everything, pretty much. Starting in advertising, he has scripted radio drama, movies, TV drama, and is the creator of BBC's 'My Hero'. You know, with Ardal O'Hanlon off Father Ted, Hugh Dennis and that moody receptionist.

This year he has dived into novels, releasing an adults book, 'In the Matter of Isabel', and his first children's novel 'Losing Arthur' has just been published. The latter is the story of a boy whose infuriated mother posts his imaginary friend to Scotland, and devastated at missing his best mate Arthur, Zack goes on an adventure to get him back.

The ep features top writing tips like how to work on your 'vomit draft', why writing broadly is harder than you'd believe, and where the perfect Costa Coffee is.

Our Distinguished Diary this week features Truman Capote, the writer of 'In Cold Blood' and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', who enjoyed a nice lie down.

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Crime-writing extraordinaire and gruesome guru DM Mark is this week's guest!

DM is David. David is DM. After his 'McAvoy' crime series are bestsellers and critically acclaimed, David became bored of murders in the 21st century and took a dive back in time, travelling to the 1800s. Hull is ravaged by cholera, you can barely walk along the streets for the dying, and the grass over graves is hardly sealed when it gets broken again for another corpse. It is into this already bleak world, that David has thrown a serial killer. Because, crime novels, right?

'The Zealot's Bones' tells this gory, sorry tale, and in this episode you can hear why David chose the past, how he researched the 1800s thoroughly and why he thinks it's a time that probably suited him more than now.

Kurt Vonnegut gives us our 'Distinguished Diary, there's Harry Potter mentions finally, and you can hear what the car-park of a Liverpudlian Travellodge really sounds like.

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

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