Richard Dawkins FRS FRSL (born Clinton Richard Dawkins; 26 March 1941) is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and author.

In an interview with Noah Charney, Dawkins sheds light on his routines and approach to writing.

Describe your routine when conceiving of a book and its plot, before the writing begins. Do you like to map out your books ahead of time, or just let it flow?

Let it flow, although I am not proud of that.

What has to happen on page one, and in chapter one, to make for a successful book that urges you to read on?

Never mystify the reader. Make everything as clear as you can, from the very start.

Describe your writing routine, including any unusual rituals associated with the writing process, if you have them.

Write fast, then revise, revise, and revise again. Often read aloud, or ask my wife to read aloud to me so I hear my own words through another, and recognize if it doesn’t flow.

Is there anything distinctive or unusual about your work space? Besides the obvious, what do you keep on your desk? What is the view from your favorite work space?

My desk is a mess. Again, not proud of it. The view from my computer desk is the garden.

What do you need to have produced/completed in order to feel that you’ve had a productive writing day?

3,000 words.

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