Caroline Dunford, author of 'The Augmentors' - Prolific writer discusses plotting over a series, switching genres, and reaching for the perfect novel
Writer's Routine
Dan Simpson
4.9 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 23 February 2024
⏱️ 58 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Caroline Dunford has published over 30 books across many genres. Her best loved is the 'Euphemia Martins' Mysteries', which solves crimes set one hundred years ago. Her latest release is 'The Augmentors', a Young Adult novel published under the name Gemini Gibson.
We get quite philosophical, talking about the big picture of writing, and why she feels the need to carry on. She has a story-telling infection, and has published many books, even though she's never got down that 'perfect' novel which sells millions upon millions.
We discuss why sometimes she writes under contract, and other times there are stories that have be written regardless, and how she structures a year around that. You can hear how plot development changes in a series of books, how she figures out the tone of a book as she flits between genre, and how she decides what book comes next.
This week's episode is sponsored by 'Who is the Cheese Wire Killer?', a true-crime podcast available wherever you get your shows.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, welcome along to a brand new episode of writers' routine. This week we're chatting to |
| 0:13.4 | Caroline Dunford, an author who is prolific. She's published over 30 books, spanning all genres, |
| 0:20.6 | wartime mysteries, romance, |
| 0:22.2 | Y.A. We talk about how, with so many ideas floating about, how does she decide what she's |
| 0:29.0 | writing next? Also, you can hear how she plans a year to write three books in it, and after |
| 0:35.0 | writing so many books, what has she learned about what her stories need to be in the future? |
| 0:40.9 | It's made me realise that the only things I will write are stories where I am totally in love with the characters |
| 0:51.4 | and where I really want to be in that journey with them. |
| 0:56.9 | I mean, if I could, I would step into that book and be doing whatever they're doing alongside |
| 1:02.8 | them. |
| 1:03.6 | I used to get touches of that earlier on in stories where there were bits where I really |
| 1:08.7 | felt immersed. |
| 1:09.8 | But now I recognise that feeling of excitement |
| 1:13.7 | and the feeling that several hours will go by |
| 1:17.2 | and it'll be like 10 minutes. |
| 1:18.7 | I've just been writing away. |
| 1:20.0 | There is more with Caroline Dunford in this week's writers' routine. |
| 1:45.5 | Yes. Yes, welcome along. My name is Dan Simpson. This is writer's routine. I'm very thankful that you are there. It's the show where we take a route through an author's working day. We see how, when and where they get to work. There's a lot of why in there too. |
| 1:51.8 | This week's episode is brought to you by the new True Crime podcast, Who is the Cheese Wire Killer? |
| 1:55.9 | Now, if you love writing, which I think you do, if you love storytelling, I reckon you probably do. If you love podcasts, well, I hope you do, then you will really enjoy this. |
| 2:02.8 | It's right up your street. Who is cheese wire killer is all about a murder back in 1983 unsolved it's regarded as one of scotland's |
| 2:10.3 | most gruesome unsolved murders and across five episodes told through a mixture of documentary and drama |
... |
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