I recently taught a course on challenging the rules of writing, designed to encourage new ways of thinking for the writers in the class. During the research, I came across the idea of the unreliable narrator. I had never heard of it before but, reading further, I discovered that the unreliable narrative voice involves the use of a non-credible or untrustworthy narrator. It may be employed to give the audience a deliberate sense of disbelief in the story or a level of suspicion as to what…

I have had occasion in recent weeks to experience, either in classes, reading sessions or in competition entries, some pieces of writing that have stirred deep emotions within me. Emotion is something of which some writers are wary, preferring to produce work without revealing too much of themselves or their views. However, for many other writers, there cannot be fiction without a sense of themselves. For some authors, there is always part of them peering through, their fears, their hopes,…

I am one of a group of crime writers appearing in Sheffield for National Crime Writing Month events. I will be joining Penny Grubb, Jane Finnis and Danuta Reah on a panel on Friday June 22 at 11am at Parson Cross Library, Wordsworth Avenue, Sheffield S5 8NL. Booking is advised on 0114 203 9533 and the event is free. A similar event is taking place on Wednesday July 4 at 2pm at Ecclesall Library, Ecclesall Road South, Sheffield, S11 9PL with Valerie Laws, Paul Adam and Rikki Thomas. You can…