Behind the Scenes: My Writing Process and Daily Routine

Ever wondered how a psychological thriller comes to life? I’m lifting the curtain on my writing process today – and if you’re a reader or a fellow writer, I hope you’ll enjoy this little peek behind the scenes! Personally, I’m always fascinated by how other authors write, so it feels only fair to share how things work in my world.

It All Starts with a Premise…

Every book I write begins with a spark—an idea that won’t leave me alone. For The Twin Brother, my latest book, it was this: Following the death of her husband, the widow begins spending more time around her dead husband's identical twin, much to her sister-in-law's dismay. Feelings run high and buried secrets begin to surface.

From there, the story begins to grow.

Building the Cast

Next, I dive into character creation. I name my characters, develop their backstories, and start to understand what makes them tick. This is where the magic begins, when the plot begins to emerge organically through the lens of the characters. At this stage, I’ll make loose structural notes, but I don’t plan too rigidly.

My editing face! 

Writing the First Draft (aka Controlled Chaos)

I’m mostly a discovery writer. That means I start writing with a rough idea of the plot and perhaps a twist or two, but much of the journey unfolds as I go. The unpredictability of my characters often surprises me – some of my best twists were never planned! Each morning, I begin by editing what I wrote the day before to re-immerse myself in the story. Then I press on with the next scene.

The Rewrites Begin…

Once I’ve finished the first draft – usually in about a month – I go right back to the beginning. This first pass of editing takes around two weeks. After that comes a final polish and a full read-aloud, which helps me catch awkward phrasing and errors I’d otherwise miss.

A Second Pair of Eyes

Then it’s over to my first reader (and husband!), Michael. He’s brilliant at spotting the bits that don’t quite work, and just as good at helping me piece everything back together again. This is the stage I'm at now with the novel I'm currently working on, The Troll. Once I’ve made his suggested edits, I proofread the manuscript on my Kindle, then pass it back to Michael for another once-over.

After that, it goes to my team of readers – a lovely group of trusted readers who help ensure the story hits all the right notes before publication. They're divided into three teams and have very different jobs – the Beta Team, the ARC Team and the Street Team.

If you are interested in becoming an advance reader for me, all you have to do is join my reader group of FrankFans and wait for the ARC announcement posts!

From Idea to Bookshelf in Three Months

This routine has become finely tuned over time. I’m just finishing my 29th book, and I’ve managed to streamline my process from idea to publication in around three months—a far cry from the six years it took to write my very first novel!

A Typical Day in My Writing Life

I’m incredibly lucky to write full-time, and I try to treat it like a job – albeit one I adore. Here’s what a weekday usually looks like:-

7:30am – Half an hour of yoga to ease into the day

8:00am – 12:00pm – Writing time at my desk (with coffee!)

12:00pm – Dog walk and lunch

1:30pm – 4:30pm – Marketing, admin, emails, social media

Late afternoon – Another dog walk and a session at the gym

Evening – Switch off and (ideally!) stop working

Here’s a little snap of my writing space (where all the drama unfolds!).

I try to take weekends off now—which takes more discipline than you might imagine!

Over to You…

Now I’d love to hear from you: when and where do you love to read? Bonus points if you drop a photo in the comments – I’m always curious to see your cosy reading nooks! Thanks so much for reading.

Maria x