Where do you get your ideas? Crime writer Peter Bartram lifts the lid on his source…When people hear that I’m a crime writer, the question they ask most often is: where do you get your ideas from? I guess I’m not alone among crime writers in finding that’s the numbe...
Writing as Escapism by AJ WainesHave you ever been caught daydreaming? Missed your stop on the bus because your mind was miles away? Been hauled up for staring out of the classroom window as a child? If so, you probably learnt that...
Going Fishing, by Gary ConnollyFor me, stories begin with images more often than not. Sometimes they’re grainy, but more often visceral and clear. Blood Will Be Born started in this way and was written on and off between 2014 and 2...
2000 Years in 900 Words: Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine’s Innovative Crime Flash FictionWilliam Burton McCormick Flash fiction is not a genre that often allows room for substantial flashbacks, backstory or large degrees of introspection. When writers do include these elements, they must...
Turning real historical crimes into cosy fiction, by Karen CharltonKaren is author of The Detective Lavender Mysteries. I first came across Stephen Lavender, a Principal Officer with the Bow Street Police Office while researching one of Northumberland’s biggest robbe...
Finding the Plot by Bill Kitson‘There’s always a story. It’s all stories, really. The sun coming up every day is a story. Everything’s got a story in it. Change the story, change the world.’ Terry Pratchett One of...
Going Against the Grain by Antony JohnstonIt’s time to admit that I enjoy going against the grain. Until now I’ve been best known as a graphic novelist, and I’ve had my share of success; a couple of New York Times bestsellers, some critical a...
CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition 2018 Now OpenThe Crime Writers’ Association are once again running the prestigious Margery Allingham Short Story Competition in 2018. The international competition is for an unpublished story in under 3,500 words...
Lady First by Lea O’HarraLea O’Harra on her new novel, the third in the Inspector Inoue mystery series, published by Endeavour Press, and the themes and concerns that underpin it. Fujikawa, a small town in rural, western Japa...
Balkan Noir and the Woman with a Bullet in her Leg by Cal SmythI wanted to write a crime novel set in Belgrade for a long time as it’s a fascinating city and perfect for Balkan Noir. I’ve also loved two Serbian women, my son is half Serbian and I lived in Belgrad...
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The CRA Newsletter: August 2019
Case Files 39
The CRA Newsletter: July 2019