MY WRITING DAY
Imran Mahmood
The barrister and acclaimed novelist tells Lynne Hackles how he makes the most of waiting time and interruptions to write his compelling crime thrillers
Lynne Hackles
Originally from Liverpool, Imran Mahmood now lives in London with his wife and daughters. Imran is a practising barrister with thirty years’ experience fighting cases in courtrooms. I asked how he found time to fit writing into his busy life.
‘As a barrister, I spend a lot of time travelling and whenever I get on a train I put on my headphones and write,’ he explains. ‘There’s also a lot of waiting time in court – waiting for juries or for a free court so I take advantage of that time too.
‘A thousand words is the aim each day but if I even get a hundred it’s fine. Writing every day creates a routine for me so that the thoughts I have at night can find a place in the day. I try and keep flexible so, if I don’t get time in the day, I can wait till everyone in the house is asleep and write then. I take whatever time I can get. I’ve two young children so large parts of the day are often written off with feeding and managing them. But it makes me especially tuned into using any free time there is.