Jack Jordan, author of 'Conviction' - Thriller writer discusses getting lost in the work, the business side of it, and making the most of success
Writer's Routine
Dan Simpson
4.9 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 10 August 2023
⏱️ 51 minutes
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Summary
Jack Jordan's 7th novel is 'Conviction'. It tells the story of Neve Harper, a barrister who must make a terrifyingly tough choice: betray every principle she has and put an innocent man in prison, or put those she loves in mortal danger.
Last summer, his novel, 'Do No Harm', was a runaway success and became a Waterstones 'Thriller of the Month'. We discuss the moment he knew that was becoming big, and how he dealt with the pressure of that when writing new stuff.
You can hear how much he has changed across 13 years of writing, how light works for his dark writing, how he divides his writing time between spaces, and why his quiff is very important.
We chat about why he likes to put his characters in tough situations, why he enjoys the business side of writing, and why he would pay to get lost in his work.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, welcome along to writers' routine where we take a look inside an author's |
| 0:12.0 | working day. This week, we're chatting to Jack Jordan. His new novel, his seventh, is |
| 0:18.1 | Conviction. It comes after his book last year, Do No Harm, was published through |
| 0:22.8 | the summer and was huge. It sold very well and it was a Waterstone's thriller of the month. |
| 0:28.7 | He talks about the pressure that that book heaped on his writing, why he loves the business |
| 0:33.1 | side of books, and when he realized that Do No Harm might do quite well. I went to Harrogate |
| 0:38.4 | Crime Writing Festival and handed out proofs there. And I think I first realized that it was an |
| 0:43.7 | excitable title when I did a signing and there was a queue around the corner. And that was, that was, |
| 0:51.7 | was not anticipated. So I was put like, oh like oh okay something's happening and then I just |
| 0:58.6 | know yeah you just you feel that buzz and then you know my team would look at each other with like |
| 1:02.8 | excited eyes like oh there something's happening and you just see it's and you don't want to rock the |
| 1:07.1 | boats you don't want to almost out loud and I'd been writing it's sit out loud. And I've been writing, it's been 13 years now, after 12 years, feeling this feeling. It was a real pinch me moment. |
| 1:16.3 | There is more from Jack Jordan in this week's writer's routine. |
| 1:45.0 | Yes, welcome along to the show. My name's Dan Simpson. This is writer's routine. Very simple. Thank you for being there. Very easy. We just take a look through an author's day. We see where, when, how they work to give themselves the best chance of getting their idea down onto the paper. And this week, we're chatting to Jack Jordan. |
| 1:46.8 | His new novel is Conviction. |
| 1:52.1 | It's all about barrister Neve Harper, who needs to prove Wade Darling's innocence. |
| 1:55.0 | He's been accused of killing his wife and teenage children. |
| 2:02.5 | This is a huge case for her until Neve is approached by a man who threatens to reveal her darkest secret if she wins the case. She faces the ultimate choice. Put an innocent man in prison or put those she loves |
| 2:09.3 | in danger? We talk about why he likes plonking his characters into tricky situations, how much |
| 2:15.3 | his work has changed over 13 years of writing, |
| 2:18.0 | how he's managed to create a writing space in a flat that he's just moved into, |
| 2:22.0 | making the most of light to contrast his dark subject sometimes. |
... |
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