Black holes and writing strategies

As a thriller writer, whether action or psychological, the beginning and end of a novel are not usually the danger zones. It’s the middle. That’s the part when things can slow down or get confusing, and the reader can put the book down and begin searching on Netflix… So, you need something to keep the reader, and even the writer, going full steam ahead. And what is more attracting and compulsive than a black hole?

The theory is simple. Whether using a three, four or even five-act structure, there need to be big events, cruxes at the pivotal points, that pull the reader in, make them gasp and think ‘No no no!…

Thank you book bloggers :-)

I’ve now appeared in at least 5  book bloggers favourite books for 2017, one just in had both 66 Metres and 37 Hours in the top 5, which is rare to see. I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to all the book bloggers who have reviewed my books over the past year. Before last year I didn’t really know anything about book blogging, and now I think they are a fantastic service for authors, especially as they mostly review books for free and often include candid and critical feedback for authors.…

On writing shoot-outs, OK Corral-style

I grew up watching Westerns with my Dad, from Shane to Jesse James, from High Noon to True Grit. Probably the Magnificent seven would be my favourite. But can you imagine how to write something like that, to capture the dynamics, in a book? Not so easy.

I often get a bit lost when reading fight or shooting scenes in books. I end up thinking, oh – he’s there, I thought he was somewhere else. Or, gosh, he must have extendable arms and triple-jointed elbows… Like I say, not easy.…