Sixty two reviews and counting, Dead Hill (The Book Folks), the book where it all started for DCI Jack Harris, remains at four stars. Thank you to all those who gave it positive reviews. You can read them at…

Characters are our major tools as writers. They drive narratives and reveal things to the reader and what particularly fascinates me is the way that they assume lives of their own.

Take the DCI Jack Harris novel on which I am working (33,000 words and counting). It has been progressing ‘OK’, good plot, strong characters etc and I have mapped out where the story is going but I could not help feeling that something was missing and the story was losing momentum and direction as a result.…

Further to my previous blogs which have touched on the theme of conflict (it’s a key part of a creative writing course I am running at the moment), I thought a few lines on writing arguments might be useful: They shouldn’t have repetitive elements - Unlike real arguments which go in circles for ages, fictionalised ones are short and sharp

They shouldn’t be boring - Arguments are there to forward the plot along. They should reveal something about a relationship between two people or…

I am always interested in what triggers a new character for a writer. When and how do they burst in to life? I am thinking of this because I am working on a new Jack Harris novel and, although some of my regulars appear, I need some new ones.

Characters come in all forms from all types of inspiration. Maybe the prompt for a new character for a…

I am delighted to have featured in Paula Williams’ latest excellent blog, chatting about some of my inspirations as a writer. You can read the full interview at

https://paulawilliamswriter.wordpress.com/2019/11/02/where-does-crime-writer-john-dean-get-his-ideas-from/