Samantha Shannon

The author of the Bone Season books loves a French pastry

What is your daily writing routine like?

I get up between 7.00 and 8.00, go for a walk, do my admin and set goals in the morning, then write from about noon onwards. Depending on where I am with my deadlines, I sometimes work very late.

Do you find it helpful to listen to music while writing?

I do listen to music while I work, but it can’t have lyrics if I’m drafting. Lyrics give the song a story, which interferes with the story in my head. For that reason, I like film scores a lot. They set the right tone.

How do you deal with the urge to procrastinate?

 Coming off Twitter was the best decision I’ve ever made in terms of fighting the need to procrastinate. It makes me shudder to think of how much time I lost on there over 10 years.

Which of your books was the most difficult to write?