How to use point of view
How to write a crime novel, episode 15 How do you use point of view in your crime novel? And, importantly, how do you avoid misusing point of view and …
writing
How to write dialogue
How to write a crime novel, episode 14 I’m going to give you five tips on how to write dialogue in a crime novel. Or any other novel, for that …
How to end your crime novel
How to write a crime novel, episode 12 The days are gone when you could just have your detective character gather everyone in the library and point …
How to write Act I of your crime novel
How to write Act I of your crime novel How to write a crime novel, episode 3 Act I of your crime novel sets up your hero. It provides the action that …
How to structure your crime novel
How to structure your crime novel How to write a crime novel, episode 2 If you don’t take time to figure out the structure of your crime novel, …
How to start a novel
How to start a crime novel How to write a crime novel, episode 1 How do you start writing a novel? You need a stunning opening scene, a dead body, and …
6 tips for writing dialogue that you haven’t heard before
What do you do when you want to be writing dialogue that’s fresh? Writing dialogue cheatsheet to find fresh angles on your characters Posts with …
Crime fiction’s best first paragraphs
Best first paragraphs set up the masters’ novels Hammett, Chandler, and Simenon with 3 great ways to start a book If you have a lot of time to …
Write about trauma to relieve the emotion
Memories turn into nightmares, until writing makes them something to be proud of While working on my second Palestinian crime novel, A Grave in Gaza, …
Fiction is closer to the ‘truth’ than journalism
Writing the truth by turning to fiction, instead of journalism Journalism is fiction. Don’t believe me? Open a newsmagazine and you’ll be …
Hammett’s writing evokes emotion through reality
How Hammett’s classic ‘The Maltese Falcon’ showed me what kind of writer to be As an undergraduate I studied English literature at …
Guns in thrillers: Crime writers and gun control
Guns in thrillers shouldn’t glamorize violence–even when the hero is the best shot I’ve only fired a gun on a single occasion, though guns …