We chat to award-winning stand-up comedian and author, Benjamin Stevenson, about his latest novel, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect and the success of his previous novel, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. Benjamin discusses his unique skill set of being both a mystery writer and a comedian, and how he fused both in his books. He also shares that he heavily plots his novels before writing, the benefits of writing what he wants to read and his tips for aspiring writers. Benjamin highlights the importance of reading widely and often, appreciating the element of luck in publishing, and the value of finishing your manuscript.
00:00 Introduction 00:20 Holiday plans and current watchlist 01:52 Webinar announcement: Focus on dual timelines 04:04 Writing tip of the week with Nat Newman 08:58 Book giveaway announcement: The Summer Party by Rebecca Heath 10:50 Word of the week: Mellifluous 12:31 Anatomy of a crime: How to write about murder 13:46 Interview with Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect 28:20 The unexpected success of the book 28:54 The journey to international recognition 29:58 Involvement in the TV series adaptation 31:35 The intricacies of writing a book 34:26 The challenges of translation 35:41 The art of creating a murder mystery 38:34 The impact of reviews on writers 44:54 Promoting the book on The Ghan 47:09 Balancing comedy and writing 49:35 The writing process and tips for aspiring writers 55:26 Game recommendation
Benjamin Stevenson is an award-winning stand-up comedian and author. His first novel, Greenlight, was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction, and published in the USA and UK. His second novel, Either Side of Midnight, was shortlisted for the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Original Paperback. His novella, Find Us, was an internationally bestselling audiobook. He has sold out live shows from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival all the way to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has appeared on ABCTV, Channel 10 and The Comedy Channel. Off-stage, Benjamin has worked for publishing houses and literary agencies in Australia and the USA. He currently works with some of Australia’s best-loved authors at Curtis Brown Australia. He loves hearing from readers on Instagram (@stevensonexperience) and Facebook (The Stevenson Experience). Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is his third novel.
