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I've started planning the next DI Andy Horton marine mystery crime novel , number eight in the series, which is set against the backdrop of the sea on the South Coast of England. How much planning is required when structuring a crime novel? The answer to that question varies with the author.  Some crime writers spend a very long time at the planning stage, up to a year, maybe more, others have only a rough outline before beginning the creative writing, and some will have an in depth synopsis written. When I begin a new crime novel or thriller I don't have a clue who did it or why? I start with an idea, and a body and then Andy Horton, accompanied by Sergeant Cantelli and often in conflict with his boss DCI Lorraine Bliss and the head of the Major Crime Team, Detective Superintendent Uckfield , set out to discover who killed her/him and why.  The first draft creates the characters, their motivations and personalities. It explores the relationships and determine...

Writing isn't just about bashing a novel out on a keyboard but much of the time is spent thinking through the plots and characters, and yesterday I did plenty of that on a twelve mile walk on the Isle of Wight. It was a glorious day, with a fresh northerly breeze, which was perfect walking weather.  The sea was sparkling blue under a clear sky and the rolling countryside rich with the beauty of the wild flowers: Poppies, Daisies, Buttercups, Foxgloves and Sea Campion, and the shrubs fragrant with Honeysuckle and Apple-Scented Roses. It was good to get away from the computer for a day, and there was plenty of time to both enjoy the countryside and sea shore and think through the next Inspector Horton marine mystery crime novel.  And the thinking continues even now that I have physically started writing the first draft, the seventh in the series. I like to begin as soon as I can and then research as I go along. Now I am pleased that I've started and ...

I heard from the radio station this morning about my radio interview which should have been broadcast last night at 7pm on Express FM but wasn't.  Unfortunately there was a technical fault with the recording so it couldn't go out, which is a real shame.  I enjoyed talking to Rob Richardson about my crime novels, and we are hoping to re-schedule. Having worked in Marketing and PR I know that these things do sometimes happen with recorded interviews, or your planned interview can be squeezed out by other more pressing and topical news, which is one reason why I enjoy doing live interviews. I am scheduled to be live on Radio Solent in July, talking to Julian Clegg on his Breakfast Show. I'll post something about that shortly.  Meanwhile it's on with the plotting of the next Inspector Horton marine mystery crime novel, which has had a bit of a setback but I think I'm now back on track. Some long walks are called for - great for thinking time, as well as getting ...

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...

The first Havant Literary Festival seems to be going very well and there was certainly a buzz in the town this morning and at the Havant Arts Centre when I turned up to give my talk. I wasn’t sure how many people to expect. It could be one man and his dog. However, as it turned out, there was a smallish but highly interested group of people. (More than are shown in this picture - honest). It was great to meet a few fans of my novels and also to introduce my work to new readers. Councillor Jackie Branson was present and bought a copy of Tide of Death which I told her to wave around at the Tory Party conference she is off to this weekend. I’d be happy to sign a copy for David Cameron or any other politician irrespective of their political colour – I’m not prejudiced. I spoke about how I write and took along my pencilled plotting and spider grams to show the audience how I develop characters. These characters each have an index tag and are all neatly tied with a treasury tag. They stay...