Sarah Vaughan, author of 'Based on a True Story' - Bestselling writer discusses streaming success, a chaotic writing room, and realising you're too busy

About this episode

Bestselling author Sarah Vaughan discusses her writing journey and the impact of streaming success on her work.

Sarah Vaughan worked as a reporter and correspondent for The Guardian for years, before finally starting a novel on her 40th birthday. She published 'The Art of Baking Blind' and 'The Farm at the Edge of the World', aimed at book-clubs, which in her words, 'didn't really trouble the bestsellers list'. Then, out of contract, she wrote, 'Anatomy of a Scandal', and everything changed. It was a smash-hit and inspired a Netflix series which was viewed hundreds of millions of times. She's since published, 'Little Disasters', which was made into a Paramount+ show, and released, 'Reputation'. Her new novel is, 'Based on a True Story'. It tells the tale of Dame Eleanor Kingman, the nation's most loved storyteller, with an entire generation growing up on her stories.... but now, someone wants to reveal the truth about who she really is. We discuss whether streaming success has changed how she thinks through a plot, and whether knowing what might land on screen has altered what ideas she takes on. Also you can hear about starting late and finally getting success, why she's switched to write scenes, and her journeys through genre and writing out of contract. Get a copy of the book…

People in this episode

Host: Dan Simpson

Guest: Sarah Vaughan

Topics covered

• writing process
• streaming success
• book publishing
• genre exploration
• author journey

Keywords

• Sarah Vaughan
• Based on a True Story
• Anatomy of a Scandal
• writing process
• streaming success

Sponsors

Philippa Hall's Quick Book Reviews Podcast

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Guardian, Netflix, Paramount+

Books & works: Based on a True Story, Anatomy of a Scandal, Little Disasters, The Art of Baking Blind

More episodes of Writer's Routine

• Liz Alterman, author of 'A Different Type of Poison' - Thriller writer discusses embracing the meta, always having a listen, and changing how you write depending on how it's read · May 7, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Mark Frost, co-creator of 'Twin Peaks' - Thriller author and screenwriter discusses working with David Lynch, super-agents, and his new novel, 'The Yankee Sphinx' · April 30, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Annie Elliot, author of 'Mr & Mrs Charles Dickens: Her Story' - Knowing when you need to get words written, mining your own past, and was Charles Dickens a narcissist? · April 16, 2026 · 1h 0m
• Stig Abell, author of 'A Twist in the River' - Breakfast Show host discusses golden age crime fiction, why planning sets you up for failure, and why AI will kill culture · April 9, 2026 · 47 min
• Elle McNicoll, author of 'Unapologetic Love Story' - Carnegie Award nominated writer discusses making your book stand out, the importance of representation, and being full-time whilst never having time to write · April 2, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Jane Dougherty, author of 'Pasiphae' - Re-imagining Greek mythology, capturing a moment in poetry, and detaching from technology · March 27, 2026 · 1h 1m