John Dean Crime Novelist

Author announces 2023 weekend workshops for writing groups

Novelist John Dean has announced a series of weekend workshops to be held specifically for writing groups in Spring and Summer 2023 at his home in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

John, author of 22 crime novels and currently published by London-based The Book Folks, is the creator of the popular DCI John Blizzard and DCI Jack Harris series and will run courses based around sense of place from his 19^th Century hillside home between Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright.

The workshop for groups of no less than four and no more than nine will be suitable for writers of all prose genres. The number of events will be limited and bookings are on a first-come-first-served basis. They will operate on dates agreed with the groups.

John, who has taught creative writing for twenty years, said: “My experience from having run weekend workshops at my home for four years is that the opportunity for members of writing groups to stand back from the hustle and bustle of daily life and focus on their writing, while at the same time being inspired by a stunning landscape, is something that appeals to many authors.

“The workshops have inspired some highly creative work and provided writers with powerful inspiration by allowing them to draw on the stunning landscape surrounding the house, as well as affording them the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other in a relaxed atmosphere.”

The cost is £95 per person, including catering, for groups of between four and six with a discount price of £80 per person for groups of seven, eight or nine.

Dates can be arranged to suit groups’ preferences and more information is available by emailing John on deangriss@btinternet.com The course is non-residential but advice can be offered on local B and Bs and hotels.

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I am looking forward to appearing during the Crime Writers’ Association’s National Crime Reading Month (NCRM), run in conjunction with The Reading Agency, in June. I will be giving a talk about the inspiration for my novels, my first talk in two and a half years due to covid lockdowns etc.

During NCRM, authors will be taking part in events in libraries, bookshops, conferences and festivals all over the UK, culminating in the Dagger Awards at the end of June.

Details of my event are: Monday June 12 Crocketford SWI annual Open Meeting, Crocketford Village Hall, Crocketford, Dumfries and Galloway, DG2 4RU. 7.30pm, attendance limited. Places can be booked through Judi Shaw at j.shaw659@btinternet.comTickets £4

You can find out more about National Crime Writing Month, including what is happening in your area, at www.crimereading.com

Author launches online crime fiction course

Crime novelist and creative writing tutor John Dean, who is based in Dumfries and Galloway, has launched an online Crime Fiction Course.

John, author of 22 novels and currently published by London-based The Book Folks, and the creator of DCI John Blizzard and DCI Jack Harris, is based near Castle Douglas.

The online course, which runs in eight parts and can begin at a time and date to suit the student, will help writers to improve their technique and improve their chances of being successful, either in competitions or admissions to publishers.

When they enroll, students will be offered ongoing one-to-one feedback on their work, be it short stories or novels.

John, who is a member of the UK-based Crime Writers’ Association, said: “Writing can be a lonely pastime and my aim is to help aspiring writers to improve their technique and improve their chances of being successful in a very competitive market.

“Crime fiction remains hugely popular and, hopefully, I can help aspiring writers to develop their ideas, and because it is online it does not matter where they live. In recent years, I have worked with writers from everywhere from Croatia to Australia and New Zealand.”

Themes to be included are:
An examination of where ideas come from - what triggers ideas in writers? Once you have the idea, how do you develop it? The course will look at the art of turning ideas into plots

How can you use sense of place, creating locations and landscapes to aid your storytelling?

How to pick characters to do the job. What are their functions in storytelling? This will include a look at everyone from lead investigators to villains and take in everyone in between

How conflict can be used to develop stories that assume a life of their own

That all-important start to your story - how do you grab the reader right from the off?

Writing with pace - how do you produce a narrative that keeps your reader turning the page?

Pulling it all together - how to edit the finished piece of work, how to make those changes that make all the difference and spot the passages that need to be deleted and the new ones that require writing

How to pitch to publishers and agents

The course costs £75 and can be timed to fit in with the writers’ lives. Because the course is online, those writers taking part can do the work at a time and pace that suits them. There is no official certificate of qualification at the end of the course. For further details you can contact me at deangriss@btinternet.com

Manuscript assessments

John works with his daughter Laura, a skilled editor and manuscript assessor, to provide manuscript assessments. Should you be interested in finding out more, then feel free to drop John a line and he and Laura can discuss your needs.  For further details, you can contact John at deangriss@btinternet.com or ring 07889 554931. 

Talks

John gives talks on crime writing to organisations ranging from library reading groups and writing groups to men's forums. He also delivers creative writing workshops at venues including arts centres and libraries. He can be contacted on deangriss@btinternet.com