August 2017 Blog Posts (6)

The golden rules of writing

Here are my golden rules for writing.

* Consider the reader - do not write for yourself, always write for the reader.

* Be disciplined - you may wish to pack lots of information in but does the reader need it?

* You may not have put enough information in - you can imagine where a scene is set but have you given the reader the information they need? You may have drawn a character but can your readers see…

Continue

Added by John Dean on August 31, 2017 at 14:50 — No Comments

So what makes good crime fiction?

Following the news that I am to run an online crime fiction course (details in the blog below), I thought it would be useful to look at how to write a good crime story:

* The story should be strong and one that can be told in a short story (most crime stories are novels)

* Create a strong sense of place - the reader must be able to visualise where the action happens

* Create strong characters - do not stray…

Continue

Added by John Dean on August 21, 2017 at 16:31 — No Comments

Online crime fiction course is launched

Crime novelist and creative writing tutor John Dean has launched an online Crime Fiction Course.

John, author of 12 novels published by Robert Hale, and the creator of DCI John Blizzard and DCI Jack Harris, also runs Inscribe Media Ltd, which is based in Darlington in North East England, which will be offering the course.

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…

Continue

Added by John Dean on August 21, 2017 at 16:28 — No Comments

So, where do ideas come from?

I’ve been doing a lot of teaching on the idea of ideas lately and came across these excellent quotes.

·         People always want to know: Where do I get my ideas? They're everywhere. I'm inspired by people and things around me. (Gwendolyn Brooks, American poet)

·         My standard answer is "I don't know where they come from, but I know where they come to,…

Continue

Added by John Dean on August 21, 2017 at 15:47 — No Comments

What makes good writing?

What makes good writing? I think good writing is good writing because it triggers responses in its readers. Readers say ‘I have been in that situation, ‘I know someone like that’, ‘what a terrible thing to be faced with’ etc etc.

If readers feel like that, it means that they are being drawn into the story. They stand next to your characters, they fear for what is about to happen, they simply must know what is on the next page.

If a reader does…

Continue

Added by John Dean on August 21, 2017 at 15:43 — No Comments

The unreliable narrator

I recently taught a course part of which focused on the unreliable narrator, a character who tells a story that the reader cannot take at face value.

The technique has been used for many centuries but only became known as such in the 1960s. Sometimes, the narrator is unreliable by the nature of the character, such terrible people that they cannot tell their stories objectively and resort instead to lies and deceit.

There is another type of…

Continue

Added by John Dean on August 17, 2017 at 13:51 — No Comments

Monthly Archives

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

Latest Activity

Filling Machine updated their profile
20 hours ago
Packaging Machinery updated their profile
yesterday
John Dean posted a blog post

Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to you all

Festive greetings from the team at Kirkcudbright Book Week Society. We hope you have a happy and peaceful festive season.See More
Friday
John Dean shared their blog post on Facebook
Dec 13
John Dean shared their blog post on Facebook
Dec 13
John Dean posted a blog post

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
John Dean posted a blog post

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
John Dean shared their blog post on Facebook
Dec 8
John Dean shared their blog post on Facebook
Dec 7
John Dean posted a blog post

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
John Dean shared their blog post on Facebook
Nov 20
John Dean shared their blog post on Facebook
Nov 20
John Dean posted a blog post

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
John Dean left a comment for Ray Ogden
"Hi Ray Welcome to my site All the best John"
Nov 18
Ray Ogden is now a member of John Dean Crime Novelist
Nov 18
Ronald Morris is now a member of John Dean Crime Novelist
Nov 6

Videos

Members

© 2024   Created by John Dean.   Powered by

Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service