Dan Houser, author of 'A Better Paradise - Volume 1: An Aftermath' - Rockstar Games co-founder discusses writing for 'Grand Theft Auto', different places for different stories, and the weight of expectation

Writer's Routine

Dan Simpson

Arts, Hobbies, Books, Leisure

4.9 • 599 Ratings

🗓️ 9 January 2026

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dan Houser was the lead writer, creative director and co-founder of Rockstar Games. Rockstar are the studio behind the 'Grand Theft Auto' and 'Red Dead Redemption' series. They're responsible for over half a billion video game sales. 'GTA V' and 'Red Dead Redemption 2' are both in the top 5 bestselling video games ever... and Dan wrote them.

Since leaving Rockstar, he's set up Absurd Ventures, a studio he says will create new universes in video games, podcasts, animation, and now it's spawned his debut novel. 'A Better Paradise - Volume 1: An Aftermath' is the start of a world of stories across different forms of media.

Here's the blurb - Mark Tyburn dreams of building the perfect video game. Kurt Fischer dreams of being a rich and successful executive. Daisy Tyburn dreams of having the ideal father. John Tyburn Smith dreams of fitting in. NigelDave just dreams of becoming human. Set in the near future, A BETTER PARADISE tells the story of the ill-fated development of an ambitious but addictive video game project that goes very wrong. As the software they developed starts to produce unexpected and disturbing results, the project is shut down and abandoned. Until now.

We discuss what he's learned from writing his first novel and how that'll influence future stories. Also you can hear how he dealt with the weight of expectation while working on the biggest video games around, how he's trying to build boundaries, and how he knows where a story idea will live. There's also a good amount of chat about GTA's fantastic radio stations.

Get a copy of the book - uk.bookshop.org/shop/writersroutine

This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to https://ulys.app/writeabook to download Ulysses, and use the code ROUTINE at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription.

Also, this episode is supported by Faber Academy. Make the most of their fantastic writing courses in 2026 at https://faberacademy.com/writing-a-novel/

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This week's episode of writers' routine is sponsored by Faber Academy, whose flagship course is back.
0:07.0	It's the writing a novel course that you can get onto in person if you're in the UK, and even
0:12.5	online if you're further afield. It's not just a course, it's a commitment to your craft.
0:18.0	Faber Academy is a place where you can learn the essentials of novel writing like no other.
0:23.2	Now this podcast lets you hear from the best authors around. This course can help you become one
0:28.2	yourself. It covers everything that you need to bring your novel to life, character, story,
0:33.7	structure, plotting, voice, dialogue, conflict, and so much more. Through the course, you'll hear
0:39.4	from guest speakers, some of the biggest names in publishing, authors, editors, and it's designed
0:45.4	to help you hone your craft and find direction. We've had so many authors on the show who cannot
0:51.4	speak highly enough about the Faber Academy, and now is your chance to be one of
0:56.0	them. At the end of the course, part of your work is sent out to agents across the UK and you'll
1:01.2	have the opportunity to pitch your novel to some of the biggest literary names around. There's daytime
1:06.9	and evening courses in London and an online course too that you can take part in wherever
1:11.4	you are now you need to be quick to sign up deadlines start in early January so to take part
1:17.5	online your application deadline is the 4th of January that starts on the 19th and then for the
1:23.4	London courses both evening and daytime your deadline is Sunday the 11th of January.
1:29.2	So make the most of this chance.
1:31.3	It's not just a course, it's a commitment to your craft.
1:34.2	Faberacademy.com forward slash writing dash a dash novel.
1:38.1	The link is in the episode notes wherever you're listening.
1:40.7	Faberacademy.com forward slash writing dash a-novel.
1:53.4	Hello and welcome along to a brand new episode of writer's routine. This week
	...

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