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In a previous blog I wrote about my central character in my marine mystery crime series,  Inspector Andy Horton . Here I focus on the main character in my thriller novel, In For The Kill , Alex Albury. A strong central character is someone the reader can have empathy with, someone they can sometimes get angry and frustrated with. Someone they can get close to and believe in.  As one reader of In For The Kill put it, 'I loved Alex Albury.  He didn't always do what I wanted him to do but then that's what makes a good novel.' The author needs to know what has shaped the main character; his background, family, education and experiences. Alex's life had been easy, he had a comfortable upbringing, a doting mother, a wife, two sons, a beautiful house on the River Hamble and a successful business. He had a reputation, love and money until one day the police arrested him for something he didn't do and his life crumbles before him. He loses everything, even, as he...

One of the essentials for a good novel is a strong central character, someone the reader can have empathy with, urge on, sometimes get angry and frustrated with and someone the reader can get close to and believe in.   I was recently asked to provide some tips for creating a strong central character for the web site Write On and thought about my own central character in my marine mysteries , Inspector Andy Horton, and the protagonists in my two thrillers: Adam Greene in In Cold Daylight and Alex Albury in In For The Kill . I like heroes so I guess they have to be that, but heroes have flaws too, and can sometimes be reluctant heroes, they are human after all, and so too are my lead characters, to me anyway. Below is the background to my central character in the marine mysteries, Andy Horton.  In two blogs this week I'll look at what shapes Adam Greene in In Cold Daylight and Alex Albury in In For The Kill . Main characters need to take control. The...

It was an interesting and productive weekend writing wise or rather I should say plotting wise because after scribbling on bits of paper all over the place in pencil using spider grams and plotting lines I've got the basics of the next Inspector Andy Horton marine mystery crime novel , number seven in the series, mapped out.  The idea for this novel has come from several sources but a newspaper article forms a major part of it, which is linked with the location of course, which in my case is the Solent area on the south coast of England where my novels are set. I won't say what that article is because, like most writers, I am rather superstitious - the more you talk about a novel in progress the more likely it is to become dead in the water. There's a long way to go yet before I can start creating it on the computer though.  I need to start working on the characters now and, as they begin to take shape, so too will their actions and motivation...

"Once they find a favourite way of getting their words on paper - or screen - novelists normally stick with it, says Philip Hensher," in the Daily Telegraph recently, and that is true because it takes a writer some time to evolve the perfect system that works for him or her. It did with me anyway. Before I struck on the 'perfect system'  I tried all sorts of ways of compiling my research, plots and character outlines, from using note books to wall maps, to A4 folders.  None of them worked. The A4 folders looked nice and neat, all properly indexed, but because of my civil service training my mind told me that something in a file, was 'filed away,' actioned, finished with and a novel is a work in progress, or at least it is with me until I am holding the actual printed book in my hand.  Notebooks worked for a while but I got tired of flicking through various pages trying to find the precise piece of information I needed, when I needed it. And they weren't ...

I'm delighted that my video interview discussing character development with Rob Richardson of Express FM has been selected by the Redroom as their featured video of the week in Author Conversations on their Home page. The Redroom is a very popular website particularly in the USA. It's been called the Facebook for authors and hence for all those who love writing and who love books. I've got an Author page on there. On it you can see my blog, my reviews, press interviews and events.