Crime Writing Confidential - What Crime Writers Do, and How Theyve Done It

How and when do you do research for the book? Before you start, or as and when you need? Neither one nor the other. When I have, or generate, an idea for a book, I do broad research into the subject areas it touches upon. I then fuse several of the concepts encountered, looking for an original approach. Once this emerges, detailed investigation follows lots of reading and note-taking, and not just the Internet, I might add. Next, given my personal history, I will apply anything I have experienced or know about to the story to add believability and authority to the tale.

Generally I pick a character and write the chapter in the Third Person from their point of view. So far, this method has not created any issues in telling the tale I want to in the way I wish it to unfold. How do you go about editing or revising the drafts of your book? What governs the choices you make? With massive amounts of Patience, and constant use of a piece of software Stylewriter I picked up for helping with self-edits. Why is the software so important? Well, to be brief, the answer is in an article on my website: Are you conscious of being influenced by any particular authors or genre-specific elements when writing?

How do those influences affect your writing? I have three very strong influencers: Charles Dickens he was a thriller writer too, did you know? All three have provided me with lessons only John in the flesh, I might add. Tell us about your latest book, especially any challenges it set you. Gates is an ex-International Consultant who has travelled extensively worldwide, speak several languages, and has had articles and papers published in technical magazines in six different countries as well as radio and TV spots.

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His specialty, Information Technology Security and Cyberwarfare, has brought him into contact with the Intelligence community on several occasions. He is also an expert martial-artist, having been trained in over 25 different fighting arts. He has taught his skills to members of various Police, Military and Special Forces units, as well as Private Security firms, Bodyguards and the public. He is the author of several thriller novels, details of which can be found on his web, http: Global links for the some of the novels: Posted by Keith Dixon at Eric Gates , News , thrillers.

April 07, An alternative blog about alternative history! This blog is intended to throw a light on how crime and thriller writers put together their work. This week, in a change to my usual analyses, I've passed the baton and asked Alison Morton to talk to us about her processes when writing her highly successful alternative histories. So far Alison has written 5 books in her Roma Nova series, with the sixth, Retalio shortly to be released. For those of you unfamiliar with the genre, alt-history posits the idea that some actual historical fact didn't take place, or that it did, but in a different way or with a different outcome.

So, for example, the recent television series made from Philip K. As I write a series within one setting — an imaginary country called Roma Nova — I already have some idea of the environment and the characters within it. The second three books centred round a prominent secondary character from the first three; I just wanted to know the secrets from her younger life and so I had to write the books to find out!

I know where the story starts and where it has to end. After sketching out a few essential story points , off I go. The story is the essential thing. Readers need enough detail to get the smells, sounds and sights of the setting but no more than absolutely necessary to the story. My aim is to write as tightly as possible and let the reader infer things.

My six years in the military takes care of that side, although I do have to check up on precise details such as honeycombing on rifles and types of Glock.

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In the second trilogy set late s-early s I had to research forensic knowledge available at that time. Even though my books are set in an alternative timeline, I like to keep as near as possibly to contemporary technology. H ow do you deal with Point of View?

Do you always use First Person, or Third Person, or do you move between them? What problems are you aware of because of the choices you make? I write almost exclusively in the first person. The narrator only truly knows what she sees, or senses herself; everything else is her speculation. H ow do you go about editing or revising the drafts of your book?

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I check the timeline for the main story, then for each character. Then it goes to my critique partner of many years who has the eye of an eagle and the instincts of a velociraptor. After any revisions, the manuscript goes to a paid structural editor who checks for story cohesiveness, plot holes, pace and voice. After the inevitable, but these days thankfully few, revisions it goes to the paid copy editor to be shuffled into a print-ready version.

I explain more fully here. Quality is essential for me and I owe it to the reader to make the finished book the best it can be. But more than that, to writing a pacey crime mystery within such an alternative timeline. There is no great exposition of their world; the characters live to them normal and natural lives within it. Alternative history has rules — a point of divergence from the standard timeline with no return, a properly built world, and writing the consequences of the divergence.

These rules must be firmly planted in your head, but like the iceberg, not show in your writing. The thriller, crime or mystery is the most important thing, but the alternative world forms the framework. Tell us about your latest trilogy, especially any challenges it set you.

I had to do massive research on s technology and German courts, prisons and legal procedures! Of course, Aurelia tries to stop him. Please add a short biography, too. In the meantime, Alison lives in France with her husband, tends her Roman herb garden and drinks wine. Connect with Alison on her Roma Nova site: Buying link for all formats paperback, ebook, audio of all books: December 11, "Trouble comes not in single spies That's Shakespeare, that is.

But in this case I've taken a liberty, because it's not trouble but good fortune that's coming my way.

Crime Writing Confidential

So I'm sitting at my desk waiting for a Skype call to come in so I can record a podcast for Dave Core at thrillsandmystery. Success Stories Moments after that's published, and while I'm still waiting at my desk, I get another email from a man saying he's just read this article and would I like to record a podcast on my Self-Publishing Journey?

Self-Publishing Journeys I guess this is what they call a virtuous circle November 16, I told you I was bad at marketing So bad that within a week of posting a blog trumpeting my latest book, I changed the cover. I do it just to confuse you. Anyway, here's the latest iteration. I decided to go for something cooler, having spent a lot of time browsing books in my genre to see which covers I liked.

I thought I liked the multi-coloured, action-packed whiz-bang ones The photograph is actually of Aleppo in Syria, and while the city itself isn't featured in the book, the country and its devastation plays a large part in how the story unfolds. November 10, Redirecting It's strange to be using a rare blog post just to direct you somewhere else, but that's how I roll So, that wonderful supporter of other writers, my friend Eric Gates, has hosted an article by me on how I created the villains for my latest novel, Storey.

It got me thinking about how I arrived at the characters and personalities of the bad guys and gals, and made me realise, especially, that once they begin to establish themselves in the books, their personalities not only affect how I write them, but how they even begin to 'see' themselves in the books. And that in turn changes how I write them Anyway, the post is called Criminal Behaviour, and can be found on Eric's excellent site, here: Guest post , News.

October 15, I'm so bad I've had a new book out for a week and don't appear to have mentioned it on this blog. How to read in order to improve your writing How to write great dialogue Find 25 essays on how crime writers: Create characters that engage Use language to make an impact Choose their narrative strategies Crime Writing Confidential will boost your confidence as a writer and give you insights into how the best writers create their books — and how it can go wrong, even for the most successful!

Use the Look Inside feature to get a preview of what this exciting book has to offer those who want to learn the secrets of the best-sellers. In fact, anyone interested in creative writing, in whatever genre, will learn something. You can download Apple Books from the App Store.

Crime Writing Confidential

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