Submitting for CWA Competitions: In at the KillThe deadline’s getting close! So here’s some last-minute advice for you on the practicalities of submitting. Please remember the rule: if you have any problems with your Debut Dagger submission, you m...
Notes on Word Count for CWA Writing CompetitionsDifferent competitions have different rules – and different levels of rigour in the way they apply them. For the Debut Dagger we are super-strict. We ask for entries not to exceed 3,000 words (1,500 w...
Debut Dagger Writing TipsHere are tips from recent newsletters compiled for you by Dea Parkin, the CWA’s Competitions Coordinator (and professional editor). If you’re at the stage where your entry is finished and you’re into...
When I signed a two-book deal with Polygon back in 2019 under the new name of Morgan Cry, I was ecstatic. I delivered both books to the publisher by late 2019 and thought, what do I do now? I knew tha...
‘The Challenges of Writing a Series’ by Pauline RowsonDead Sea, number four in the Marvik mystery thriller series, was a difficult book to write, not because there was any lack of ideas for the storyline but because it needed to pick up the threads of an...
Fear Not the Details … by Paul GitshamOne 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...
How to start your novel – a step-by-step guide by Cal MoriartyWe at the CRA know that many of our readers also dream of one day, themselves, being writers. Our sister organisation, the CWA, offers you an opportunity to submit your fledgling novel for the Debut D...
CRA Writing Tips: EditingA 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...
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