From Little Eggcorns …
As a author, I’m fascinated by language. Judicious choice of words lead to the right effect; to wound, amuse, provoke nightmares, yield an insight or offer comfort. The right words are magical.
On Writing
Crime: Cozy or Cruel?
Over the weekend, I had a few surprises from readers. One was disappointing. Somebody returned a Beatrice Stubbs Boxset for a refund. “Nothing in the description said it was an R rating.” An R
Top 10 fictional female sleuths
A friend pointed me to a piece in The Guardian this week, alerting me to the fact my own creation, Beatrice Stubbs, was recommended in the comments. I was pleased
The Inside and Outside of a Fictional Character
When writing a novel and even more so if you intend to make it into a series, you need to know the character as well as you know yourself. If
The Right to Write What You Don’t Know
The whole How-Dare-You row kicked off again after Anthony Horowitz revealed he’d been advised against writing a black character in his Alex Rider series. The BBC story is here: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39988992 This topic
How To Write A Killer Blurb
Guest piece for Words with JAM magazine by yours truly, on magic book descriptions that work. http://www.wordswithjam.co.uk/2017/01/how-to-write-killer-blurb.html Ten steps. Five of which happen before you even begin to write.
10 Things I Learned about Names
This week, I’ve been obsessing over characters’ names and why it’s so important to get them right. Just like plot, setting, research and characters, each requires a depth of understanding
Small Things
And how they make a difference to art and life. (I hereby win most portentous subtitle of 2016) Today I finished the manuscript and immediately started over. As we’re amongst friends, I can
Know Your Shelf – comedy in crime writing
A recent rash of reviews delighted, surprised and puzzled me. People from Germany, the USA, Australia and Brazil not only recommend the Beatrice Stubbs series as crime novels but also appreciate