Observation for Writers - Travel part 2

In the past few weeks I've travelled a long way, and to many different places, for both business and pleasure. This has been a lot of fun, but has also been monotonous and quite stressful at times. Today I am on my way home. My trip this morning started on a bus. Standing on a bus, with a suitcase, another bag and my rucksack. As this was at 7.30am it was rush hour. Now given the time of day the bus itself was not busy. However, what should have been a ten minute journey took 35 minutes due to the sheer volume of traffic. I read a few days ago that traffic in London is so dense that modern vehicles move more slowly than a horse and cart. I can well believe it.

The next part of my journey involved the tube from North Greenwich to Baker Street and then the Metropolitan Line to Kings Cross. Sorted. Well you'd think so, but no. They had shut the circle and district line which meant that the Metropolitan Line would be heaving. I duly got out at London Bridge and took a taxi for the rest of the journey. The taxi driver was lovely, but the traffic was crucifying. I was rapidly wishing the horse and carts were back on the streets.

So why am I telling you this, and what does it have to do with London? Firstly, this gave me a lot of time to observe my surroundings. it also gave me a lot of time to observe people. I also had an epiphany. Often, in my genre of Crime, there may be a high speed chase or two in the books. In most cities, depending on the time of day, this would be impossible. A brisk walk would be more appropriate, and much faster. Also, if someone is being tailed then a tube station in the rush hour would be impossible. Oxford Circus at rush hour, forget it.

I appreciate I am concentrating on London here but I am sure many other large cities are the same. During the rush hour, The Kingsway, a dual carriageway that goes through Dundee, is a car park. No one is escaping. Buses are packed and move at a crawl.

In conclusion, traffic conditions are something we writers should be thinking about when writing scenes in our books. I hope this has helped you think in a different way.

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Setting Your Book in Time

Good morning Bookaholics. I bring you this post from a sunny Scotland. I'm thinking about writing and reality this morning. This before I've even had my morning cornflakes.

As I write this blog the UK has been to the polls. This was a momentous vote the results of which will have a huge impact on our country, not only now but for many years. Now, before you get worried this is not a political post. Far from it in fact. This is a post about writing.

As writers we always strive for accuracy and to make our books as realistic as possible. We take great care to set the books in context and to give readers a sense of place and time. It is time which I am thinking of and debating in my head today. Do we pin our colours fully to the mast, ensuring accuracy, or do we use some other means to get our point across?

My post so far has been unambiguous. I have not referred to any particular poll. Anyone reading this post today will know exactly what I am talking about. Anyone in the future will get a general sense that something big has happened but it will not be dated. For the purposes of clarity I am talking about the EU Referendum. Now that I have said this I have now given a firm date stamp to my writing. This is necessary for this particular piece.

But, as writers, what do we do in our books? We often write, Johnny was playing with his Xbox, or Susan was watching such and such a movie. This gives a sense of realism and is what gives our book human touches. It also immediately sets the book in a particular time. Obviously, in a historical novel, this is a good thing. There is a difference between historical and dated.

So how do we, as writers, handle this? One way is to use ambiguous writing as I did at the start of this piece. The reader will immediately fill in the blanks and use whatever poll has happened most recently. Another is to use real life examples which are not going to change any time soon. For example using an Apple computer, or Famous Grouse Whiskey. This may be a bit more difficult when talking about technology, especially which youngsters use.

It is an interesting concept. I would be interested in your views on this. All advice will be gratefully received in the comments below.

Are You Making the Most of Your Opening Chapter?

Good morning to all my bookaholic friends. Lovely to see you all here on this dreary winters morning. However, we all know that reading, and writing, can cheer up the bleakest of days. Today on the post we are going to be talking writing, opening chapters in particular.

I have been reading K.M. Weiland's excellent post on the perfect ingredient for Opening Chapter. This got me thinking about what I and others think about what should be in the opening chapter of a book. I am sure we all know the importance of a cover in attracting readers, but once they open the words on the page need to speak for themselves.

I was fortunate to attend a workshop, on creating a killer first line, led by highly talented crime author Alex Gray. If you are not familiar with Alex, or her works, you can find out more here. Following this I am always conscious of the importance of the first line in drawing readers in to the story. I examine the first line from every angle and try it out on the lovely authors in my writers group. This would be my first definite must have for my chapter. A killer first line. Nothing to do with crime writing, this is the same for all writers.

Secondly, as I write crime, I will always make sure that the first murder is seen in the opening chapter. I combine this with ensuring that there is a level of tension which will keep readers wanting more. 

In the article above, it is suggested that the protagonist is always introduced in the first chapter. This is excellent advice and should always be followed. Or should it? The difficulty with lists is that one can often follow them slavishly to the exclusion of creativity and original thought. I have read some exceptional books where the killer is introduced in a very short first chapter. This has me hooked and wanting to find out more. However, I will add, that the reader will get bored if the protagonist, in my case the detective, doesn't tip up fairly quickly.

So what do others think? What are your tips, or go to's for the perfect first chapter? 

So it is farewell from Scotland. Have a great day wherever you are in the world. Always remember, whatever the weather may be like outside your window, it is always a perfect day to keep reading and/or writing. The picture at the top of the mage is to remind us all that even though we are in the grip of winter, summer is just around the corner.

Crime Writing Tips from Leigh Russell

Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones

Today on Bookaholic I am honoured to welcome crime writer Leigh Russell to the blog. Leigh, the author of the DI Geraldine Steel Mysteries, has very kindly agreed to give us some crime writing tips. I am also excited to have been given a copy of Fatal Act to review.

My Crime Writing Tips

As well as writing a bestselling series of crime novels, I teach creative writing for the Society of Authors in London, and for the Writers Lab on an idyllic Greek island. In addition, I write monthly Writing Tips for the CWA website. So I have a few ideas about writing fiction, both as a full-time author and as an occasional writing tutor. In fact, there's so much to say, it's hard to know where to begin. Since I only have one post here, I'm going to try and condense my advice into a few main points.

1) Be brave

This might sound facetious. Believe me, it isn't. Every time I finish a book, I worry. What will my editor say? Will my publisher be pleased? And then there are reviewers, and readers. While you are writing a book, it's yours. You can do what you want with it. You can even abandon it for a different idea. You have that freedom. The story, and its characters, belong to you. But once the book is published, it is public property. Other people wade in. A work that may have taken you months, or even years, to perfect, can be dismissed with a one star review from a disgruntled reviewer. So you need to develop self-belief that is modest enough to take criticism seriously, yet robust enough to resist self-doubt. If you are fortunate enough to be published, or even if you take the plunge and self-publish, you are sticking your head above the parapet. Other people may shoot you down. So you need to be brave.

2) Work hard

Having a creative outlet is fantastic. We writers love writing. That is what makes us writers. Why else would we spend every hour of the day writing, or thinking about plot and character? Eugene Ionesco said, 'A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of writing, or thinking about writing.' As with all the arts, we are fortunate to be passionate about what we do. It doesn't feel like work most of the time. But there are days when it seems hard going. Even being a successful author isn't all fun and glamour! Writing a book can take weeks or months of research, and hour after hour of meticulous rewriting. But it's important to put in the effort, whether you are under contract to a publisher, or just writing for yourself. Because you never know. The likelihood is that no one but your friends and family will ever read what you've written. But there's a chance your book may one day be read by millions of people. So work hard to make sure your manuscript is as good as it possibly can be, before you submit it to agents, or publish it yourself.

3) Writing crime fiction

Writing crime poses particular challenges. The genre has recognised conventions and parameters which make it difficult to be original and yet remain authentic. It's always fun to flout rules, and rules themselves change over time. The modern detective started out as a superhero in whom the reader has absolute confidence. Sherlock Holmes is always right. Recently the genre gave us a spate of flawed detectives, who struggled with their personal relationships. Having, to coin a phrase, done that to death, authors moved on to explore the area of dodgy 'bent coppers.' I am very conscious when writing that many of my readers are very sophisticated fans of the genre. They have seen all the previous metamorphoses detectives have undergone, whether they are private sleuths or police officers following procedure. I think one of the reasons Geraldine Steel has such a wide appeal is because she is relatively normal! She enjoys a drink without being an alcoholic, she is single without being embittered by heartbreak. As well as engaging with the protagonist, fans of crime fiction enjoy suspense and tension, so my books are frequently described as 'page turners'. Structure is key to achieving this tension. Structure isn't what happens in a book, in other words the plot. Structure looks at where episodes are placed in the narrative. The pace in a book needs variety. You can't put all the excitement in one place, leaving long lulls where nothing exciting happens. Getting the structure right is a delicate balancing act that is crucial to the success of any book.

4) Be lucky

This is the final essential key to success as an author. If you're very lucky you may one day find yourself, like me, earning your living writing fiction. It's not all fun and glamour - but I wouldn't change it for anything!

Whatever you do, I wish you the very best of luck in all your endeavours.


As well as being a highly talented writer Leigh is also a genuinely nice person. She is always willing to help other writers, and crime writers in particular. I feel privileged that she has dropped by to give us some very welcome advice.

Review: Fatal Act

A glamorous young TV soap star dies in a car crash. Returning for her sixth case, Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel is baffled as the driver of the second vehicle miraculously survives - and vanishes. Another young actress is murdered and, once again, the killer mysteriously disappears. Geraldine unwittingly risks her sergeant's life in their struggle to track down a serial killer who leaves no clues.

So says the blurb on the back of the book. This hooked me form the get go. When I started to read the book I was then reeled in, hook, line and sinker. The characters in this book are superb, especially DI Geraldine Steel who is the lead Detective and the star of the show. She is feisty and strong and yet funny and vulnerable. I like her and will certainly be looking forward to finding out more about her in future books. Her Sergeant, and Sidekick, Sam is also a likeable character. They play well off each other and this leads to some laugh out loud moments. The characters are real and that is what endears them to me. 

In this book Geraldine finds herself knee deep in lovies, from a local Television Network and Stage School. Each one of them seems to have things that they are hiding and, of course, being actors no ever knows whether they are telling the truth or merely acting. I have to admit that I could have quite cheerfully bumped off a few lovies myself. This is the sign of a truly great author. One who makes you feel you are a part of the whole thing. There is enough mystery and drama for the most ardent of mystery fans and I found I and to keep reading. I would highly recommend this book and any other of Leigh's novels. 

Connect with leigh on:

Amazon UK author page 

Amazon US author page

Web Site

Twitter

Facebook

Thank you Leigh for taking the time to stop by the blog today. It has been a pleasure meeting you and thank you once again for all your help and advice.