Val McDermid - Bestselling author talks changing process, creating characters and listening to readers

Val McDermid is one of the most successful crime authors in the world. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages, they've sold over 15 million copies and show no sign of letting up. She has written procedural crime, cold-case crime, and even penned the first ever 'cynical, socialist, lesbian, feminist journalist'.


We talk about how her method of writing has changed over the course of 38 books, moving from heavy plotting to hardly plotting at all. Also we chat about how much she cares about her readers, and how she knows which of her characters will solve the crime currently swirling around her mind.


There's some of your writing tips, and one from another crime writer too. You can send your advice to the show over at writersroutine.com.


@writerspod

writersroutine.com


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

More from Writer's Routine

  1. 51:24Max Moyer, author of 'Zodak - The Last Shielder' - Fantasy author talks world-building, stopping for 18 years, and why you don't need to be completely originalMar 29, 2024
  2. 43:43Mari Hannah, author of 'The Longest Goodbye' - Crime award-winner discusses planning across a series, her Murder Wall, and the book she never wanted to writeMar 21, 2024
  3. 01:05:16Triona Campbell, author of 'The Traitor in the Game' - Young Adult writer talks moving countries to write, moving from TV to novels, and moving obstaclesMar 15, 2024
  4. 49:32Yangsze Choo, author of 'The Fox Wife' - New York Times bestseller talks about streaming pressure, debut success, and how we think differentlyMar 08, 2024
  5. 51:20Mandy Robotham, author of 'The Hidden Storyteller' - Historical Fiction writer discusses the rules of genre, needing a deadline, and stopping when it gets goodMar 01, 2024
  6. 58:09Caroline Dunford, author of 'The Augmentors' - Prolific writer discusses plotting over a series, switching genres, and reaching for the perfect novel Feb 23, 2024
  7. 52:14Orlando Murrin, author of 'Knife Skills for Beginners' - Chef, writer and all-round doer discusses the perfect keyboard, going on tangents, and why kitchens make the perfect place for murderFeb 16, 2024
  8. 47:28Maura Cheeks, author of 'Acts of Forgiveness' - Debut writer discusses free-writing, how journalism affects novel-writing, and important storiesFeb 09, 2024
  9. 29:41Sarah Marsh, author of 'A Sign of Her Own' - Debut writer discusses finding the truth in history, taking 12 years to write a debut, and thorough researchFeb 02, 2024
  10. 58:20Rebecca Thorne, author of 'The Grief House' - Writing without a genre, how pseudonyms help switch between tasks, and a strictly-planned dayJan 26, 2024