Writing routines - Pauline Rowson talks about hers and her crime novels
I'm often asked about my writing routine. Do I have one and if so what is it? How much time do I spend when writing?
Unless I am away from home on a speaking engagement, I try to write every day, usually for about three hours but this varies depending on the stage of the novel and whether I need to break off to conduct some research. Also if I need to stop writing to spend some time thinking and plotting.
Sometimes if the flow is going, or I am nearing the end of the novel, I can spend up to eight hours writing, not good for the back and if it wasn't for my husband feeding me I'd forget to eat!
I don’t have a set routine because sometimes I am out walking the coastal paths in the mornings, looking for a good place to put a body - only fictional I hasten to add. But it is locations that inspire me so I am always out seeking ideas for new plots.
Having said that I usually write most evenings between 5pm until 7.30pm, Saturday and Sunday mornings and often also in the afternoons of a weekend. When I am working on first drafts I like to crack on and get these written within two months, three at the most, once I have this first draft written, albeit in its crudest sense, I can then slow down and take some time to re-shape and refine the novel.
Every author is different and it takes a while to find what works for you. Some authors commit themselves to writing so many words a day. I don't. It also obviously depends on your commitments. I love writing and researching and hope to be able to continue doing so for many more novels to come.
DEAD PASSAGE is the latest in the DI Andy Horton series, number fourteen. It is available in paperback, as an ebook and on Amazon Kindle.
A mysterious telephone call sends Horton on a complex and twisted investigation into the death of a local politician twelve years ago and uncovers a trail of lies, secrets and revenge with roots deep in the past.
"A detective novel in the tradition of Rankin and Harvey." Mystery People Magazine
Deadly Waters (2)
The Suffocating Sea (3)
Dead Man's Wharf (4)
Blood on the Sand (5)
Footsteps on the Shore (6)
A Killing Coast (7)
Death Lies Beneath (8)
Undercurrent (9)
Death Surge (10)
Shroud of Evil (11)
Fatal Catch (12)
Lethal Waves (13)
Dead Passage (14)
If you enjoy the Inspector Andy Horton crime novels you might like the crime novels featuring former Royal Marine Commando Art Marvik, now working as an undercover investigator for the UK's National Intelligence Marine Squad.
Dangerous Cargo (2)
Lost Voyage (3)
Unless I am away from home on a speaking engagement, I try to write every day, usually for about three hours but this varies depending on the stage of the novel and whether I need to break off to conduct some research. Also if I need to stop writing to spend some time thinking and plotting.
Sometimes if the flow is going, or I am nearing the end of the novel, I can spend up to eight hours writing, not good for the back and if it wasn't for my husband feeding me I'd forget to eat!
I don’t have a set routine because sometimes I am out walking the coastal paths in the mornings, looking for a good place to put a body - only fictional I hasten to add. But it is locations that inspire me so I am always out seeking ideas for new plots.
Having said that I usually write most evenings between 5pm until 7.30pm, Saturday and Sunday mornings and often also in the afternoons of a weekend. When I am working on first drafts I like to crack on and get these written within two months, three at the most, once I have this first draft written, albeit in its crudest sense, I can then slow down and take some time to re-shape and refine the novel.
Every author is different and it takes a while to find what works for you. Some authors commit themselves to writing so many words a day. I don't. It also obviously depends on your commitments. I love writing and researching and hope to be able to continue doing so for many more novels to come.
A mysterious telephone call sends Horton on a complex and twisted investigation into the death of a local politician twelve years ago and uncovers a trail of lies, secrets and revenge with roots deep in the past.
"A detective novel in the tradition of Rankin and Harvey." Mystery People Magazine
The DI Andy Horton novels in order
Tide of Death (1)Deadly Waters (2)
The Suffocating Sea (3)
Dead Man's Wharf (4)
Blood on the Sand (5)
Footsteps on the Shore (6)
A Killing Coast (7)
Death Lies Beneath (8)
Undercurrent (9)
Death Surge (10)
Shroud of Evil (11)
Fatal Catch (12)
Lethal Waves (13)
Dead Passage (14)
If you enjoy the Inspector Andy Horton crime novels you might like the crime novels featuring former Royal Marine Commando Art Marvik, now working as an undercover investigator for the UK's National Intelligence Marine Squad.
The Art Marvik mystery thrillers
Silent Running (1)Dangerous Cargo (2)
Lost Voyage (3)
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