Mad, isn’t it? How a desire to write and be read can be so all-consuming .It all began after reading Mark Billingham (Sleepy Head). I loved it so much, I booked him as a guest on a radio show I was producing. I asked him what crime writers I should be reading, and he said I had to read George Pelecanos – Shoedog. He was right.
From there began an obsession with crime writing. And the more I read, the more I wanted to write. Over twenty years later, I’ve written three full-length novels and have more rejections than there are stars in the sky.
The thing is, I love writing. Disappearing into worlds, getting to know and love characters and not knowing where it’s going. This is all about my writing, my reading, my learning and my experiences..
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Why Is Write matters
- Writing is a solitary endeavour, and it’s good to know how others do it
- Creating a community of like-minded folks around you empowers and inspires
- Every day is a school day and I look forward to learning from you
It’s got to be crime
Reading and writing crime fiction.
I’ll be sharing my favourite crime fiction books: from early crime through to the golden age, classics and recent publications.
I’ll also be writing about writing crime fiction. From the highs and the lows, what’s inspired me, challenges and, most importantly, whodunnit.
Now Reading
Viper’s Dream
Published
2023
Author
Jake Lamar
A wonderful, gritty and daring look at life in the vibrant jazz scene of mid-century Harlem. Following the life of Clyde ‘The Viper’ Morton, who gets caught up in the dangerous underbelly of Harlem’s drug trade.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The back of the novel suggested that if you like Chester Himes, you’d love it. And I did. Atmospheric, moody, and total immersion into a fascinating era. Great writing, a fantastic character and a brilliant story.
BOOKS THAT ARE NEXT
Till Death Us Do Part
By Reverend Penny Stephens
A debut cosy crime novel featuring the Reverend Clare Brakespear. There’s been a murder at a wedding. The police have a prime suspect, but are they the killer? The Rev takes matters into her own hands
The Jigsaw Man
By Nadine Matheson
A gritty, gripping police procedural featuring DI Henley. A body washes up on the shore of the Thames, and Henley believes it’s the work of a serial killer. But how can it be? He’s behind bars, so who’s doing the killing?
Vine Street
By Dominic Nolan
A Sunday Times Best Crime Novel (2021), featuring a snarling, skull-cracking misanthrope, Sgt Leon Geats. Killings start in Soho, London, in 1935, and Keats needs to catch the killer. Even if it’s decades later.
Is right for, Is write
★★★★★
Docker
I thought this was boss. Proper crime.
★★★★★
The Duke
Met all kinds, I have, but nothing as good as this.
★★★★★
Moon
Better than a brew and biscuit in bed.
There’s more to come too
Frequently Asked Questions
How long have you been writing?
I’ve taken my writing seriously for the last 12 years or so. Prior to that, there had been flirtations with film scripts and TV comedy dramas, but nothing sustained.
Have you ever been on a writing course?
Yes. I’ve been on three courses that significantly improved my writing. The first was with Eleanor Prescott in Sevenoaks. What was initially a superb writing class became something far more powerful: a writing club led by Eleanor where you could bring your writing and have it reviewed by peers. About four years after that, I did the Faber Crime Writing Course with Fiona Cummins. Like Eleanor, Fiona is an incredible teacher, but being more focused on crime, my writing was pushed to the next level. The last course I did was with Curtis Brown. Led by wonderful course instructors like Lizzie Enfield, this six-month course was intensive and focused. The proximity to agents and their sharing of useful insights was really rewarding.
Do you write by the seat of your pants, or do you plan?
I like to think I’m a hybrid, in that I loosely plan out about two-thirds of a book. And by plan, I mean that I know what happens both emotionally and in terms of action in each chapter, but quite how exactly that plays out, I don’t know until I type. That’s the seat-of-the-pants bit and why I only go to two-thirds of the book, because by the time I get there, so much may have changed. By the time I have reached about half-way I begin to map out the last third of the book and, again, pants those bits.
Is this the right way to go? I don’t know. I’ve only written three books, none of which have been published, and I might change my mind next week.
Is writing easy?
Nope, but it’s bloody enjoyable when you’re in the thick of it.
is write 