#117: Val McDermid, novelist

<p>Rachel and Simon speak with novelist <a href="https://www.valmcdermid.com/" target="_blank">Val McDermid</a>. After graduating from university Val worked as a journalist for 16 years, earning the nickname “Killer” on account of her determination to always get the story. She left journalism to pursue novel-writing full-time, and to date has sold more than 17m books across the world. Dubbed the “Queen of Crime”, Val is the author of several acclaimed series, following <a href="https://www.valmcdermid.com/the-mermaids-singing/" target="_blank">Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan</a>, private detective <a href="https://www.valmcdermid.com/dead-beat/" target="_blank">Kate Brannigan</a>, journalist <a href="https://www.valmcdermid.com/report-for-murder/" target="_blank">Lindsay Gordon</a>, and cold-case detective <a href="https://www.valmcdermid.com/the-distant-echo/" target="_blank">Karen Pirie</a>. In August she published “<a href="https://www.valmcdermid.com/1979-2/" target="_blank">1979</a>”, the first in a new strand about Allie Burns, a reporter. We spoke with Val about her years as a tabloid journalist, the art and the necessity of juggling multiple book series at once and how attitudes towards crime writing have changed in recent decades.<br> <br> This episode of Always Take Notes is sponsored by Curtis Brown Creative. Go to <a href="https://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk</a> to find out more about their creative writing courses. Use code ATN20 for £20 off the full price of any six-week online course.</p> <p>You can find us online at <a href="https://www.alwaystakenotes.com/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">alwaystakenotes.com</a>, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alwaystakenotes" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">facebook.com/alwaystakenotes</a>. Our crowdfunding page is <a href="https://www.patreon.com/alwaystakenotes" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">patreon.com/alwaystakeno