February 2024 Blog Posts (6)

Tackling the dreaded blank first page

 

I am working on a new DCI John Bizzard crime novel for my publisher The Book Folks, and that means being faced with the dreaded blank first page.

So, how do writers get going under such circumstances? How do they start writing their story? Well, in this hectic world, I have always felt that there is a lot to be said for holding back and…

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Added by John Dean on February 27, 2024 at 9:00 — No Comments

Tickets still available for crime fiction events

Traditionally, events featuring crime writers are very popular at Kirkcudbright Book Week in Dumfries and Galloway and tend to sell out. However, with just three weeks to go until the beginning of the event, there are still plenty of tickets available for the three crime fiction offerings.

Crime writers due to appear…

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Added by John Dean on February 15, 2024 at 15:19 — No Comments

Writer’s debut novel tells a dark tale of murder

I am delighted to have played a small part in this book making it into print

Castle Douglas writer David L Haigh has had his first novel published, telling a  tale of murder in a rural community.

Crime novel Land Kill, which has been published by Michael Terence Publishing, tells the story of a former stockbroker turned pheasant farmer,…

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Added by John Dean on February 8, 2024 at 13:45 — No Comments

Getting it right from the beginning

I have just started writing my next crime novel for my publishers The Book Folks and as with every new book, that blank first page is at once exciting and daunting.

The excitement comes because it takes all that planning that I’ve been doing over recent weeks…

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Added by John Dean on February 7, 2024 at 11:00 — No Comments

Giveaway treat for audience at crime fiction event

Audience members attending a specially-organised night of crime fiction during Kirkcudbright Book Week will be given a free copy of a 100-page deluxe brochure exploring crime fiction across the British Isles.

The brochure has been put together by the expert team at publisher The Book Folks, which has four of its authors attending the…

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Added by John Dean on February 4, 2024 at 16:47 — No Comments

Why not book your spring break to take in some crime fiction events?

Contemplating a spring holiday/short break? Then why not choose the stunning scenery of Dumfries and Galloway and combine it with your love of crime fiction and choose Kirkcudbright when the town’s annual Book Week is on between March 4-10? I will be chairing one of the events.

You can check out the details at…

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Added by John Dean on February 1, 2024 at 16:30 — No Comments

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The way authors work

A few years ago, I ran a creative writing course and, at the beginning of one of the sessions, I asked my fifteen students how they worked.The result was fifteen different answers –one author wrote everything by hand then typed it onto their computer, another wrote it all in note form then linked the notes together, one did not edit anything until everything was…See More
Dec 29, 2024
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Knowing when to cast all caution to the wind

Writing is an art form which combines two skills which appear, at first glance, to have nothing on common – unrestrained creativity and well-controlled discipline.However, good writing is not possible without either of them. To explain, as I write the latest DCI Jack Harris crime novel, I am being disciplined and following the synopsis that I developed right from the…See More
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Written in a flash

 I am part of the team that organises an annual short story competition for young writers in Dumfries and Galloway, as part of the run-up to Kirkcudbright book week 2025 in March. The competition is run by the event organisers Kirkcudbright Book Week Society and Kirkcudbright Library. Myself and Lesley Garbutt from the Library are the judges and this year we have asked…See More
Dec 13, 2024
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Festival announces top quality crime fiction line-up

One of the strongest features of Kirkcudbright Book Week right from its early days has been the popularity of crime fiction - and the 2025 event is set to continue the tradition.The programme to run in the South West Scotland town between March 3-9 includes appearances by several best-selling crime fiction authors as well as those starting out  on their writing…See More
Dec 10, 2024
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How to keep a long-running series fresh

Writing a long-running series of novels, as can so often be the case for crime fiction authors, brings its own set of challenges, not least how do you keep the writing fresh for reader and writer alike?As I start the latest DCI  Jack Harris novel for my publisher The Book Folks, the twelfth in the series where the action is divided between the North Pennines and southern…See More
Dec 7, 2024
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An exciting time

Having just completed my latest DCI Blizzard crime novel for my publisher The Book Folks, this is both a nervous time and an exciting time. Nervous because, however experienced you are (and this is Book 25), it’s always a tense time as you wait for feedback from your publisher. You are never too old to learn!Exciting because your thoughts turn to the next book, which…See More
Nov 20, 2024

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