I am always interested in what triggers a new character for a writer. When and how do they burst into life?

I am thinking of this once again because I am working on the latest DCI John Blizzard novel for the Book Folks and, although some of my regulars appear, I needed some new characters as well, preferably trailing behind them a new plotline!

For me, characters often start out with the jobs I need them to do within the story. They are not there to fill space, they’re there to…

I am working on my latest crime novel for The Book Folks and, as is often the case, I am drawing on incidents witnessed in my own life. Not re-telling the stories but using them to inspire my fictional plots.

For me, it helps to provide a sense of authenticity if I have some sort of experience of what I am writing about. As the old adage goes, ‘write about what you know’.

Of course, I have not experienced everything but I do find that dipping into my life is helpful.…

The DCI Blizzard novel Strange Little Girl (The Book Folks) is closing in on 200 Amazon reviews/ratings - you can find out what the reviewers say at…

The Debut Dagger competition for new crime writers, which is run as part of the Crime Writers' Association's annual Dagger awards, opens for entries on October 1. Entries can be submitted until the closing date of February 26 2021.…

A quick reminder that crime novelist and creative writing tutor John Dean is running an online Crime Fiction Course.

John, author of 19 novels and currently published by London-based The Book Folks, is the creator of DCI John Blizzard and DCI Jack Harris.

The online course, which runs in eight parts and can begin at a time and date to…

There has been a lot of debate among writing circles about how authors handle Covid-19. It’s a really interesting question and I, like other writers, have given it a lot of thought. In the end, although my books are set in modern day, I have opted not to weave the virus into my plots.

There are three reasons, one of which is that, for all I like to make people think about the world in which they live, I believe that there’s more than enough said and written about the virus without me…

Having just finished my latest novel for The Book Folks, my mind turned to its title. I like to have the title fixed before I start writing, as was the case here, but it is always worth going back to it later on to see if it remains relevant and accurately reflects the story you have created. In this case, Kill Shot fits perfectly.

It’s worth…

Good writing is about evoking reactions in your readers and that can sometimes take them on a journey into the darkest corners of human experience. For the crime writer, the dark corners come with the territory. They are the territory.

It is an important thought for crime writers – indeed, all writers - because good storytelling is…

I am pleased to say that the latest in the DCI John Blizzard series published by The Book Folks is continuing to attract complimentary reviews. Writing can be a solitary business and feedback from readers is deeply appreciated by authors.

In The Latch Man, Doris Hornsby, the bed-bound matriarch of a notorious criminal family, calls in the…

The Crime Readers’ Association (CRA) is seeking to expand its membership to help more people to celebrate the hugely popular genre.

Established by the Crime Writers’ Association, the CRA provides readers with information on their favourite authors plus a whole host of articles offering insights and handy hints for new writers who are learning…

I have just started work on my latest crime novel for the good people at The Book Folks and have spent quite a bit of time working through the plot. At the heart of the process has been a concentration on conflict because it is conflict that will drive the story.

But why is conflict so important in writing? Because stories need things to happen and that usually comes out of conflict - characters argue, fight, feud etc. Two people having a chat in which they agree with each other can…

Dead Hill, the first DCI Jack Harris crime novel published by The Book Folks, has reached a hundred reviews/ratings on Amazon. Thank you to everyone who took the time to pen something.

You can find out more, and buy the book, at…

I have been working with a number of new writers over recent months and to be exposed to their creativity, enthusiasm and burning desire to learn their craft has been a joy.

One theme that we keep coming back to is the requirement to ensure that every word is needed. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, all writing is about every word doing its job and with that come numerous pitfalls. Yes, you may have lots to say but in doing so do you distract from the story?

In a number…

How far would powerful men go to protect their darkest secret? Blizzard must find out in this crime novel published by The Book Folks. You can find out more, and buy it, at…

I have always said, somewhat glibly, that I dislike writing and love rewriting. There is an awful lot of truth in the statement and it comes home particularly when I have completed the first draft of a novel, as just happened.

I do derive some satisfaction from the initial writing process but what I really enjoy is the editing, the reworking.…

I was delighted to have taken part in the UK Crime Book Club’s latest online crime fiction festival, which was accessed on the club’s Facebook page over the Bank Holiday Weekend (August 29-31, 2020). Attractions included live panels featuring a range of writers and a series of recorded talks – my contribution was a short talk exploring how writers…

I have been working steadily throughout lockdown, both on producing the latest DCI Jack Harris novel for those excellent people at The Book Folks (41,000 words written since you ask) but also running a lot of online writing courses to help inspire and guide inexperienced writers during these tough times.

The courses have dealt with crime…

I am delighted to have contributed some thoughts to the Crime Writers' Association writing tips section for debut writers, on the theme of standing in your character's shoes.

You can read it at…

I was asked in an interview the other day for my golden rules for new writers. I replied: “Write something every day because you cannot be a writer if you do not write – it may not always be brilliant but at least you’ve done it.” It's advice that my good friend the children's writer Mike Watson lives by. I suspect that many authors do the same.

I also said that they should not write for themselves. Always write for the reader. Think what the reader needs to understand your…

As I have said in previous blogs, you can create the most remarkable writing but you cannot make your stories live unless you have vivid characters. And that includes being prepared to let minor characters develop into someone more important.

That is happening to me (and not for the first time) as I write the latest DCI Jack Harris crime novel for those good people at The Book Folks.

The character in question did not even figure in my planning of the novel nor, as I reached…