Visit my website at www.rowmark.co.uk for details of all my crime novels

There are a number of creative writing courses popping up, some at Universities, some even being run by Literary Agents and Publishers and others by authors, including myself on 18 June at Quay Arts Centre, Newport, Isle of Wight, when I will be instructing on How to Write a Crime Novel.   But can creative writing really be taught? All writers approach their work differently so there is no right or wrong way of doing it. Some plan their novels from start to finish others improvise as they go along.  I tend to do a mixture of both. I have a rough idea of the plot and a few characters sketched out then then I get cracking on the novel and wait for the characters to start talking and moving about, which in turn drives the plot until a shape begins to emerge. On courses you can pass on tips and the technicalities of constructing characters and plot, you can provide guidance, inspiration and motivation. You can give advice on writing dialogue and pass on the tricks of the trade, ...

Well that's my answer and, OK, some people will think I'm very sad, while others will accuse me of being a workaholic, but for me Bank Holidays have always been a time when I don't venture far not being a great lover of crowds or shopping.  So while others are enjoying a day spent relaxing in the garden or in front of the television (although there's no excuse today without the Royal Wedding to watch but no doubt telly addicts will find something to keep them glued to the screen) I will be busy working on the DI Andy Horton crime novel, number eight, in the series.  I have written the first two chapters and am half way through the third but there is a great deal more research to undertake yet including location research, which I will do when everyone has gone back to school and work and the streets of Portsmouth, where this novel, like most of the others are set ( DI Andy Horton's patch) are relatively quiet.  I also need to work on plot a...

There are a writers who write the same time every day come what may; others will write a certain number of words every day and say, 'when I've done my quota, I'll knock off writing.'  Me?  I have no routine and I don't count the number of words.  Some days the words will flow and I can spend up to eight hours, maybe more writing.  Other days I will struggle to find the correct words. If the latter happens I will usually pick up my knitting, do some sewing or go for a walk.  My mind is constantly working though, thinking through the plots or sub plots, developing characters. I do, however, try to write or 'think' my novels every day. And if I can, I usually work on my crime novels every late afternoon and early evening, knocking off about 7.30pm. I'm currently working in pencil on my outline plot, working up ideas for the new DI Andy Horton , which will be number eight in the series. Then I'll start to put down some character sketches before star...

Following on with my theme of finishing the  DI Andy Horton novel number 7 in the series and provisionally entitled, A Killing Coast , one question that I have been asked is, 'After writing the novel, how do you judge the quality of your work?' The answer is with great difficulty. A writer can be too close to his or her work, he/she can be overfond of it or on the other hand be overcritical. Me?  I am forever critical of my work. I will undertake many revisions to make it the best that I can and even then I always think I could have changed this or that. Having lived with the novel for several months it is difficult to be objective. Could the plot have taken a different turn?  Could there have been more or fewer sub plots? Does it excite me? Will it excite the reader? Sometimes though it is dangerous to tinker with it too much.  As a fiction writer you have to realize that you cannot please all the people all the time. Of course some people will loathe...

Thinking is an essential part of writing. You think about the plot and sub plots. You think about the characters and their motivations. You think about the weather and the time of year the novels takes place.  And you think about the locations. In fact you think about everything there is to think about when writing a novel, and rather than spending my time sitting in a room and staring out of a window thinking, I prefer to do most of mine while walking. Not only does this help to keep me fit but it's a well known fact that exercise also improves one's mental powers. In addition, thinking while walking has the added advantage of getting good location description, as well as providing descriptions of the weather. Last week I was walking in a howling gale, this morning it was torrential rain sweeping over Shanklin Down, both memories to be stored away for dragging out later and placing in a crime novel at the appropriate time. Thinking ...

How do you write a novel? Where do you begin? Many people love writing and many would like to tackle writing a novel but are not sure how to do it. The Internet is packed full of writing advice and there are conferences and courses where you can pick up some valuable tips. Of course this is no substitute for actually doing it. So here are a couple of tips for anyone wishing to dip their toes in the water. Start writing No excuses. Start writing. Make time to write. That could be early morning before you go to work or get the children up, lunchtimes, evenings or just a couple of hours at the weekends, but you must write. Rather obvious, I know. When I was working full time and running my marketing and training business I could only write on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. But I was fortunate to be doing that and religiously I would write, because I loved doing so. I didn't have a word count. I just did the best I could for that day. Write the first draft quickly The first cre...

This was a question I saw on Facebook the other day: 'Why do we write?' I know why I write - because I love the act of creating something.  But many of us write, if not books then stories, letters, blogs, even Twitter is a form of writing and expressing oneself.  The art of writing, and therefore reading, is far from dying out.  If anything the Internet has encouraged huge numbers of people to write, and even greater numbers to read.  Of course, the manner in which we write and read and what we write and read has changed considerably over the last fifty years. But it's still a way of connecting and that's why we write. It gives me great satisfaction to see a story take shape, the characters come alive and the tale unfold. It is tangible and unique.  And that is why I also love knitting and dressmaking. There is great delight in creating something unique, even if you are following a pattern that others have used you still fashion it in...

I'm talking to a group of young students from Portsmouth schools next week at a speed networking event about my career in writing and my life as an author.  I'll also be telling them about the peculiar world of publishing and answering their questions. It should be fun!  The event is designed to help young people examine career options involving English.  It is being organised by the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Education Business Partnership and will be held at the Langstone Technology Park on Wednesday 25 November from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Students aged between 14 and 16 will be spilt into groups of four and will spend fifteen minutes talking to various business people including yours truly.  They'll be asking questions about possible career options- becoming an author might be one, who knows. I wanted to be an author from the age of ten, and have spent my entire career involved in writing both in marketin...

I’ve been wrestling with the plot of my next Inspector Horton Marine Mystery crime novel over the last few days – hence the silence on my blog, and the silence around the house. I get so absorbed in it, that I find it hard to think of anything else. I’m just over two thirds of the way through writing the first draft and I’ve got to that stage where I need to know exactly where I’m going and with whom. You’d think I would have it all worked out by now, having written nearly seventy thousand words but I haven’t. I always do this – it’s the way I work. I have an idea for the novel, I work out the basic plotline, and I do the character sketches. Then I’m ready to get cracking on the creative writing stuff. I love getting down to the actual writing as soon as I can even though I often don’t know the ending or even ‘who done it’ because the whole novel doesn’t come alive until Horton starts investigating and gets into all sorts of trouble as a result. As I write, the plot becomes mor...

I've just added a new short video here. I'm discussing character development in novels generally and my own experiences when writing my marine mystery crime and thriller novels. I'm talking to Rob Richardson of Express FM. It's only brief, just under three minutes, but I hope you will enjoy listening to it. There are more of my videos both on this blog and on my official web site www.rowmark.co.uk and on You Tube

The editor of my Polish publisher (Red Horse) was in touch with a request for my photograph to appear on the jacket cover of Tide of Death , which is being published in Poland in January 2009. They have also put it on their web site. They tell me sales are building in Poland for my crime novels which is great. In For The Kill was published earlier this year in Poland. Here is the jacket cover for In For The Kill. (left). In Cold Daylight is being published on 28 November. It has been renamed 'Fire and Water.' I'm looking forward to receiving my copies and will post the cover here, but you can see it on http://www.redhorse.pl/f54_Pauline_Rowson.html . I've also just discovered that a library nearby, in Petersfield, has a section of Polish novels, so I'd better see if I can get the Polish translations of my crime novels in there.

I’ve just finished writing the first draft of a new DI Horton marine mystery crime novel with a feeling of relief and exhilaration. Of course, this is nowhere near the finished version, in fact there are chunks missing at the end of the novel (although the last chapter is there of a kind), and not all the facts tie up and certainly the clues and red herrings aren’t all in place. But now I feel released from that great sense of urgency to get everything down on paper (or rather computer screen) and can get on with the real business of writing. That might sound strange, but I am sure other writers feel the same way. You have an idea, you work it into a plot, you create and build your characters and you start to write your novel. For me, once I have the basics of the plot and characters I can’t wait to start the creative writing process with an urge to complete it as quickly as possible. In fact, I often wish I could brain dump straight on to the computer without having to touch the keybo...

I’m giving a talk tomorrow at Bracknell Library in Berkshire, Hampshire, and I am looking forward to it. It is always good to connect with people, and at these types of events to discuss books (not only mine but other writers) and to discover what people like and why they like them. It also helps to provide me with ideas for possible future books, plays and screenplays. And it reminds me who my audience are i.e. who I am writing for and why I write. So what has this got to do with how writers see themselves? Bear with me. In my previous career, before becoming a full time writer, I ran my own marketing and training consultancy. I used to advise businesses and the public sector on their marketing strategies and devise marketing and PR campaigns for them as well giving seminars, presentations and talks at conferences on a variety of topics from understanding motivation and personalities, to marketing, selling, communicating and leadership. I have always enjoyed public speaking and enter...

Last week I ran a course at Sinah Warren Holiday Centre on Hayling Island on "Writing a Novel". I thoroughly enjoyed it and so too did my students (or so they told me) some of them are pictured here with me. I'm the one with the pen in her hand! We had some stimulating discussions about writing novels and the business of publishing and being an author. They were a lovely group. Thanks guys for making tutoring you a very pleasurable and motivating experience. Following the course I gave a talk and book signing to other guests at Sinah Warren where I met some of my faithful readers and some new readers. Colin and Marie Telford of The Hayling Island Book Shop organised the event and were on hand to sell my books. Apart from me mislaying my mobile phone and having a panic attack about it, and then it being found and handed into reception, it was a good day finishing off a highly productive and successful week.