Crime Fiction_True Crime

A June of Ordinary Murders, Conor Brady

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:19:02 +0100

When he left the Times, Brady was interested in trying something new. “My whole life was journalism, rather buttoned-up kind of prose that one has to use in serious newspapers. I had written a couple of history books, but I’d never done anything creative. So I wondered, ‘Was there a creative gene in there somewhere?’ I guess a lot of journalists have to ask themselves that question. And I said, ‘I’ll try it.’”

Unlike many first-time and veteran novelists, Brady did not have to de...

Threaten to Win: Brian O'Connor

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:18:51 +0100

When it came to athletics, he said: "Anyone can wearily look at the deitrus of athletic ideals that have been scattered throughout the last number of decades and concluded the whole thing is a corrupt, syringe wielding, piss tampering mess."

But that’s O’Connor on a mild day. His Irish RacingServices.com blog is the most successful sporting blog in Britain and Ireland and averages 200 comments a week covering a range of subjects from the use of the whip to corruption on the track.

"Som...

133 Rejections to Get Published

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:43:34 +0100

I had an idea for a Roman era novel. So I spent five years perfecting it. As I did I started to buy books about writing. I have a few shelves full now. I realised there was a learnable craft to this writing stuff. Sure, you had to have good, original ideas, but there was stuff to learn about story structure, character development, plotting, dialogue and so much more. I assumed there was a shortcut to all this. I bought more books. How hard could it be?

I set that first novel aside on my ...

Jane Casey - The Reckoning

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:50:54 +0100

With a story like that, what stopped Casey from getting stuck straight in to writing The Missing, her first book? Over tea and toast, she told me earnestly, ‘I thought through the whole thing but I was almost reluctant to start as I knew how demanding my job was, and I knew if I started I’d want to finish it.’

For aspiring crime writers reading this take note of Casey’s what if. It’s the very place the best stories start…

Casey explained, ‘I hadn’t written before, I’d done a c...

Arlene Hunt's The Chosen

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:25:36 +0100

In an admission that will ease the minds of many aspiring writers Arlene admits she can 'cast a lofty eye over earlier work and wince slightly, but it is what it is, part of a process to find one's true voice'. I asked if she would do anything differently if she had the opportunity to begin her career again? She told me: 'knowing what I know now I wouldn't have overwritten my first two or three novels. But that's coming from experience and I suppose I wouldn't have this experience with...

Colin Bateman, Criminally Funny

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:57:16 +0100

As expected with Starkey, the good times did not last. Having lost ‘Belfast Confidential’ he now finds himself broke and alone, dumped by long-suffering wife Patricia. Starkey ultimately gives up on journalism and ‘is now providing a boutique, bespoke service for important people with difficult problems’. At this point, we are introduced to radio shock-jock and self-styled voice of the people, Jack Caramac. Jack is no stranger to controversy but when his son ...

Declan Burke - Absolute Zero Cool

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:17:40 +0100

Declan is well placed to comment on the state of the crime fiction genre. His blog, ‘Crime Always Pays’, on all things relate to crime fiction has been up and running since 2007. It features a mix interviews, reviews and articles on all things related to Irish crime writing (and the occasional international feature). Declan is also a guest blogger on writing.ie with Crime Scene. Between writing fiction and writing about fiction, which does Declan prefer? ...

Stuart Neville - Serial Thriller

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:04:41 +0100

Stuart had tried in vain many times before to write, "I would never get very far, maybe a couple of pages and I'd lose interest." He wrote two novels in his mid-thirties, but never believed they were good enough. "I made the mistake of not having an ending in mind and the story just meandered. Writing is like a muscle you need to exercise, you need to build up the stamina to write." While the books weren't destined to set the world alight, the process of writing a...

Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Fowl

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:09:01 +0100

“I really wanted to write PLUGGED for myself,” he says, “because I’d been writing for kids for ten years. But also I wanted to prove - mostly to myself, but to my friends too - that I could write for adults. Because there is a stigma attached to kids’ books, people say to you, ‘When are you going to write a real book?’ That said,” he laughs, “there’s a stigma attached to crime writing too. But maybe not so much.”

Colfer has come a long way since the days when his children�...

Risky Business

Wed, 25 May 2011 12:20:54 +0100

Do you prefer writing true crime or fiction?

I get a very different kick out of both. True crime is easy because you have to stick to the script. But there are moments when you wish what happened next wasn’t so predictable and you could make it more suspenseful for readers. In fiction – you call the shots, but that comes with a whole new set of challenges.

You have a very stressful full time day job- how and when do you find time to write?

Nights … weekends … early mornings … late n...

Melissa Hill has Crime in Mind

Tue, 10 May 2011 13:18:30 +0100

"Readers tell me they love the twists and are continuously trying to guess them, meaning that with each subsequent book I have to try to double and triple bluff. This requires considerable mental gymnastics." She's also very conscious of mixing it up and aims to never write the same book twice. Her novels have dealt with issues such as memory loss while always combining the traits of a page-turning thriller with mystery, humor and romance, "I try to do something different with each one."

Me...

Jane Casey: A Burning Ambition

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:44:48 +0100

The 33-year-old Casey is Irish born and was raised in Castleknock. “Not very interesting,” she deadpans, “a typical suburb.” Except the suburbs, of course, are where all the quality fictional killers hide out behind their twitching curtains. “Actually, I think the suburbs are really creepy,” she says. “You don’t know what these apparently respectable people are thinking, or how they’re really living.”

After getting the highest marks in the country in English when she did her ...

12 Hours with True Crime Writer Abigail Rieley

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:50:25 +0100

Working in the courts is one of the most civilised reporting gigs you can get. Proceedings don't generally start until 11a.m and continue until 4 so it's not a particularly strenuous day's work. It's only after courts finish for the day that the real work starts and I can go through the pages of notes to try and find the hook to hang my story on.

When I first started out in the courts I was working for a news agency. There are two agencies based full time in the courts and t...