The Arvon book of crime and thriller writing

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

The Arvon book of crime and thriller writing

Michelle Spring and Laurie R. King

Bloomsbury, 2012

  • : pbk

Available at  / 1 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references and index

ISBN on t.p. verso: 9781408131226

"This is the second in a new series of Arvon books on writing."--Preface to series

"Carole Angier and Sally Cline, series editors"

Description and Table of Contents

Description

This is the second book in the Arvon series of books on writing. Written by two distinguished writers in the field, Michelle Spring and Laurie R. King, the book reveals, with riveting honesty, why and how authors are drawn to write about crime. The book also features fascinating insights from twenty-six top crime-writing guests. The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing is a detailed, practical guide to writing every kind of crime story, from classic whodunits to fast-paced thrillers. The book's objective is to bring together some of the lessons and insights that the authors and contributors have learned over their careers, to help the readers to free their creative minds, while also studying the solid technique behind writing in this genre. The Arvon Book of Crime Writing captures the essence of Arvon teaching into a practical handbook for writers, packed with tips and advice from leading novelists as well reflections on the genre itself and practical instruction on great storytelling. The Arvon Foundation runs professional writing courses by published writers and provides expert tuition and creative support. Contributors from leading crime writers include: Lee Child, P.D James, and Ian Rankin. The Arvon Book of Crime Writing is divided into three sections: Part 1 - Essays on critical issues in the genre, Part 2: Guest Writers - 25 contributors offering advice and tips Part 3: How To Write Crime.

Table of Contents

Preface Foreword by P. D. James Preface by Carole Angier and Sally Cline Introduction by Michelle Spring and Laurie R. King Notes on Format and Terminology Part One: On a Life of Crime Reflections I, Michelle Spring: Thoughts About Crime 'I Always Knew I Wanted to Be a Writer' Reasons to Write a Crime Novel The Shadow of Violence Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Come out of the Water... Psychopaths and Everyday Killers The Grim Reaper Reflections II, Laurie R. King: A Life of Crime (Fiction) An Honorable Calling Mysteries, Greater and Lesser Making a Crime Writer The Mystery of the Mystery Still Just Writing Haiku? Writing as an Active Verb Ways of Writing Michelle Spring: The Orderly School of Writing Laurie R. King: The Organic Way Coda The World of Crime The Roots of the Matter: a History of Crime Fiction What is Crime? The Spectrum, Gentle to Thriller Getting Ready Reading Like a Writer Ideas Write What You Really Know Where Do You Get Your Ideas? Harvesting Ideas Testing Ideas Getting Rid of Ideas Early Decisions Point of View Setting Period Series or Standalone? 'Sub-plots', 'Themes', and 'Author's Voice' Plotting: How (and When) to Do It The Organic Approach The Orderly Approach Middle Ground: The Orderly Organics Research What You Need to Know in Order to Write Research in Stages A Sense of Place Library Vs Internet The Expert Taking Control of Your Research Part Two: Guest Authors Mark Billingham S. J. Bolton Alafair Burke Lee Child N. J. Cooper Meg Gardiner Tess Gerritsen Sophie Hannah Jim Kelly Laura Lippman Gayle Lynds Alex Mcbride Val Mcdermid Dreda Say Mitchell Sara Paretsky Jill Paton Walsh George Pelecanos Ian Rankin Peter Robinson S. J. Rozan Guy Saville Yrsa Sigurdardottir Dana Stabenow Andrew Taylor Charles Todd Laura Wilson Part 3: Getting Your Story Across The Tools of Writing Plots, Characters, and Story: Chicken or Egg? Plot Vs. Story Language Description Setting-place and Time Atmosphere, or, in Defence of Weather Divisions: Sentence, Scene, Chapter, Book Preface and Prologue Dialogue and Body Language Humour Titles Characters Characters in Crime Fiction What Do the Characters Want? Narrators and Protagonists Heroes and Villains Sidekicks and Supporting Actors The Victim Distinctive Elements of Crime Fiction Coincidence and Fair Play The Clue The Red Herring Conflict and Violence Pace and Progression Stay True to Your Niche? When the Going Gets Tough Writer's Block Working with Others-courses, Writing Groups, and Mentors The Story's Arc, or Acts The Curtain Rises: Opening and Hook Act One: The Beginning The Setup Action and Suspense Backstory and the Series Novel Act Two: The Middle Heaping on the Challenges Pace-peaks and Valleys Act Three: The Endgame Closing and Coda When You're 'finished': The Rewrite The Rewrite Reading Aloud How Many Drafts? What Next? When You're Really Finished The Publishable Manuscript E-publishing The Agent Contests When to Start the Promotion Wagon Rolling? Author's Web Site Social Media Outreach The Writer's Public Face Conferences and Classes Taking Criticism What Are You Aiming For? Resources and Reading A Writer's Reference Library Research Tools: Maps, Guidebooks, Experts, the Internet Novels to Study Bibliography

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Details

  • NCID
    BB2335555X
  • ISBN
    • 9781408131220
  • Country Code
    uk
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    London
  • Pages/Volumes
    xvii, 279 p.
  • Size
    20 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
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