Fear not the details… by Paul Gitsham
One of the scariest things about writing contemporary police procedurals is the attention to detail that is necessary. To write a modern police investigation that feels authentic requires some insight...
Interested in writing crime?
NEW SERIES COMING SOON – ADVICE FROM AN AGENT
- A regular column written by one of the UK’s top literary agents in the crime genre
Revisit soon for this must-read info – it could make all the difference to your chances of publication
Helen Phifer: Diary of a Debut Author – Professional Critiques
Hello, thanks for coming back. I don’t know where the time goes, on second thoughts I do. The past couple of weeks I’ve been working hard to franticall...
Crime Writing Tips: Writing Dialogue (Part One)
This month Leigh Russell, our writing expert, and coordinator of the CWA Manuscript Assessment Service, focuses on writing dialogue: Should you include direct speech in a novel? Why not?...
“Elementary, my Dear Watson” – Create your Perfect Crime
Fans of the iconic detective game 221b Baker Street, which recreates the authentic essence of legendary Sherlock Holmes, have the exciting opportunity to come up with the perfect crime that even Sherl...
Crime Writing Tips: Authenticity
In any artistic endeavour it is important to create an illusion. In books, film and television a story transports the reader or the viewer into a different world. In music a wrong note can completely...
Diary of a Debut Author: Helen Phifer (Part Two)
Hello if you’re reading this for the first time and if not welcome back. This is where I’m going to share with you the ups and downs of trying to get published. A quick update on my novel for anyone w...
Crime Writing Tips: Plot
Crime fiction is plot driven. So much so that, for many readers, the main enjoyment of reading crime novels lies in working out the identity of the killer and solving the case. The genre is not known...
Diary of a Debut Author: Helen Phifer
A big welcome to my brand new monthly blog post and I have to say I still can’t believe I’m talking about myself. It’s one of those things you fantasise about, getting your book published that is (apa...
Choosing Characters Names
What’s in a name? A great deal claims crime author Pauline Rowson Getting the right name for characters in a novel can be a tricky business. Sometimes they come to me completely out of the blue as I a...
Crime Writing Tips: Location
Many crime writers are associated with the locations where their narratives are set: Rankin’s Edinburgh, McCall Smith’s Botswana, Donna Leon’s Venice. This aspect of novel writing is...
Crime Writing Tips: Variety in Writing
The importance of varying your pace when you are writing cannot be stressed too much. To some extent this will happen naturally through your plot, but you should also use your language to control the...
Crime Writing Tips: The Importance of Character
Crime fiction is plot driven. Yet however clever and intriguing the storyline, no novel succeeds without strong characters. They need to be credible so readers can believe in them. It is also i...
Crime Writing Tips: Editing
A quotation from George Orwell is probably the best place to start when we are thinking about editing:’If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.’ Remember that writing for a...
Manuscript assessment
Crime reading and writing has never been so popular. We support new writers and our experienced Crime Writers are here to offer the benefit of their experience.
We also have competitions,
the Debut Dagger
and our Manuscript
Assessment Service.
Just don’t forget us when
you hit the big time.
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