Based on Crisell's popular podcast of the same name, here is an inspiring and fascinating glimpse into the creative process - with some of our best-loved contemporary writers.
In these intimate and frank conversations with some of our best-loved writers, Hattie Crisell uncovers the mysteries of the creative process, asking: Where do ideas come from? How do stories find their shape? What happens when confidence falters or the work fails - and what does success look like?
The answers range from the thought-provoking to the hilarious. Here we meet the novelist who makes a playlist for each manuscript; the screenwriter who considers swearing an art form; the author who prefers to work in near-darkness, and the confessional writer at risk of revealing too much. Taken as a whole, these inspiring interviews amount to an insider's guide to the writing process: its disciplines and demands; its ecstasies and agonies; its coffees, word counts and publishing hurdles. Most of all, they reveal how it really feels to write and be read.
With contributions from James Acaster, Andre Aciman, Ayobami Adebayo, Rumaan Alam, Amer Anwar, Mona Arshi, Andrew Billen, Holly Bourne, Charlie Brooker, Wendy Cope, Cressida Cowell, John Crace, Elizabeth Day, Grace Dent, Kit de Waal, Geoff Dyer, Wendy Erskine, Tor Freeman, Will Harris, Anna Hope, John Lanchester, Sophie Mackintosh, Emily St. John Mandel, Meg Mason, Mhairi McFarlane, Liane Moriarty, David Nicholls, Mary Norris, Graham Norton, Maggie O'Farrell, Ruben -stlund, Robert Popper, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Kiley Reid, John Rentoul, Hugo Rifkind, Jon Ronson, Michael Rosen, Sathnam Sanghera, George Saunders, David Sedaris, Elif Shafak, Alexandra Shulman, Curtis Sittenfeld, Raven Smith, Will Storr, Brandon Taylor, Craig Taylor, Barbara Trapido, Emma Jane Unsworth, Robert Webb, Zoe Williams, Meg Wolitzer.
About the Author
HATTIE CRISELL is a freelance writer based in London. She is a contributing editor of Grazia magazine and her writing regularly appears in The Times, Telegraph, Elle, Vogue, and You among others. Since 2019 she has produced and hosted the podcast In Writing with Hattie Crisell, interviewing writers of all kinds in their studies.
Industry Reviews
'Crisell distils what she has learned from interviewing an impressive array of authors into an accessible compendium... Essential reading for anyone interested in the writing process' - Hannah Beckerman, Observer
'A must-read for any writers or budding creatives... stuffed full of vital advice and gems of wisdom from globally recognised authors, poets, journalists and screenwriters' - Kiera Egan, Cosmopolitan
'This book is BRILLIANT. I stormed through it in one go. It's one of the best books about writing I've ever read, and certainly the most reassuring' - Stuart Heritage 'There are lots of books where writers say lots of useful stuff about writing. But this is one of the very best. It's friendly and realistic. It's a distillation of wisdom, an incitement to curiosity and an antidote to loneliness. Say hello to your new best writing buddy' - Toby Litt
