Random Routine - Thriller author Lucy Foley discusses decadent writing days
Writer's Routine
Dan Simpson
4.9 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 9 November 2021
⏱️ 8 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Lucy Foley joined us back at the start of 2020... pre-pandemic!
She spoke about her 2nd mystery thriller, 'The Guest List'. It's set at a dream wedding, on a remote island, where someone gets killed and everyone has a motive. We talk about the fundamentals you need to include in writing whodunnits, and how to flip the tradition on its head.
It comes after the huge success of her first whodunnit, 'The Hunting Party'. It was also set on an island, and we chat about where she got that idea from, why she likes the idea of locking her characters away, and how she brought such stunning scenery to life using just her words.
Also, Lucy once wrote historical thrillers and we learn why she made the switch of genre, AND she used to work in publishing as an editor, so we chat about what that taught her about which books sell and why.
Lucy's writing day is fairly chaotic and decadent, working furiously in the morning before popping to the cinema in the afternoon. It works for her, and she's fantastic at describing it.
This is just the routine, but please do scroll back in your feed and listen to her full episode when you get a chance - it's a belter.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, welcome along to a brand new episode of writer's routine. This is our bite-sized chunk, |
| 0:14.1 | a little random routine to start your week. It's what, week two of NanowRimo now. I hope your word count every day is going |
| 0:23.4 | well, that it's not too much of a challenge after, what, eight or so days. If it is, this is |
| 0:29.6 | just a little inspiration to help you out, something to just inject a little energy, a pace, |
| 0:37.4 | some enthusiasm, some hope that you can possibly get it done and get published, just to help it go as swimmingly as possible. |
| 0:45.3 | We're with Lucy Foley this week. She was on about 18 months ago to chat all about her new book at the time, The Guest List. |
| 0:52.7 | She writes Agatha Christie-style one setting, |
| 0:57.2 | Who Done It Thrillers. There's the guest list, before that the hunting party, and she's got a new |
| 1:02.0 | one at the Paris apartment, which is out next year. Lucy was a delight to talk to such a sweet, |
| 1:08.6 | funny, energetic, enthusiastic, passionate guest. We spoke about how she |
| 1:14.2 | reinvents these whodunits every time she writes one, why her writing life is quite decadent, |
| 1:20.5 | and why she takes as long as she possibly can over a coffee sometimes. Now, if you enjoy the show, |
| 1:26.6 | you can support us at patreon.com forward slash |
| 1:28.8 | writers routine. This is just a snippet, just a bite-sized chunk of a random routine. If you follow |
| 1:35.0 | us wherever you get your podcast from and scroll back to, I think, the start of 2020, pre-pandemic. |
| 1:41.0 | If you can imagine such a world, you'll find it there. On Friday, we've got a brand-new |
| 1:46.2 | author for you, so come back for that. And right now, it's Lucy Foley with just the routine. |
| 1:58.3 | Kind of organised chaos, I would say. |
| 2:07.0 | But, I mean, I suppose when I first started writing, I'd come from an office job. |
| 2:07.7 | I worked in publishing. |
| 2:15.6 | So I was very much, I had this idea that I had to be at my desk from nine to six and kind of working, you know, doing proper work. |
| 2:19.4 | And then I realised, actually, for me, that wasn't particularly creative. |
... |
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