Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club

Winner of the H.R.F. Keating Award for best biographical/critical book related to crime fiction, and nominated for the Edgar Allen Poe and Macavity Awards for Best Critical/Biographical book.

Ninety crime writers from the world’s oldest and most famous crime writing network give tips and insights into successful crime and thriller fiction.

Howdunit offers a fresh perspective on the craft of crime writing from leading exponents of the genre, past and present. The book offers invaluable advice to people interested in writing crime fiction, but it also provides a fascinating picture of the way that the best crime writers have honed their skills over the years. Its unique construction and content mean that it will appeal not only to would-be writers but also to a very wide readership of crime fans.

The principal contributors are current members of the legendary Detection Club, including Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Peter James, Peter Robinson, Ann Cleeves, Andrew Taylor, Elly Griffiths, Sophie Hannah, Stella Duffy, Alexander McCall Smith, John Le Carré and many more.

Interwoven with their contributions are shorter pieces by past Detection Club members ranging from G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr to Desmond Bagley and H.R.F. Keating.

The book is dedicated to Len Deighton, who is celebrating 50 years as a Detection Club member and has also penned an essay for the book.

The contributions are linked by short sections written by Martin Edwards, the current President of the Club and author of the award-winning The Golden Age of Murder.

1137258487
Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club

Winner of the H.R.F. Keating Award for best biographical/critical book related to crime fiction, and nominated for the Edgar Allen Poe and Macavity Awards for Best Critical/Biographical book.

Ninety crime writers from the world’s oldest and most famous crime writing network give tips and insights into successful crime and thriller fiction.

Howdunit offers a fresh perspective on the craft of crime writing from leading exponents of the genre, past and present. The book offers invaluable advice to people interested in writing crime fiction, but it also provides a fascinating picture of the way that the best crime writers have honed their skills over the years. Its unique construction and content mean that it will appeal not only to would-be writers but also to a very wide readership of crime fans.

The principal contributors are current members of the legendary Detection Club, including Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Peter James, Peter Robinson, Ann Cleeves, Andrew Taylor, Elly Griffiths, Sophie Hannah, Stella Duffy, Alexander McCall Smith, John Le Carré and many more.

Interwoven with their contributions are shorter pieces by past Detection Club members ranging from G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr to Desmond Bagley and H.R.F. Keating.

The book is dedicated to Len Deighton, who is celebrating 50 years as a Detection Club member and has also penned an essay for the book.

The contributions are linked by short sections written by Martin Edwards, the current President of the Club and author of the award-winning The Golden Age of Murder.

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Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club

Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club

Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club

Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club

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Overview

Winner of the H.R.F. Keating Award for best biographical/critical book related to crime fiction, and nominated for the Edgar Allen Poe and Macavity Awards for Best Critical/Biographical book.

Ninety crime writers from the world’s oldest and most famous crime writing network give tips and insights into successful crime and thriller fiction.

Howdunit offers a fresh perspective on the craft of crime writing from leading exponents of the genre, past and present. The book offers invaluable advice to people interested in writing crime fiction, but it also provides a fascinating picture of the way that the best crime writers have honed their skills over the years. Its unique construction and content mean that it will appeal not only to would-be writers but also to a very wide readership of crime fans.

The principal contributors are current members of the legendary Detection Club, including Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Peter James, Peter Robinson, Ann Cleeves, Andrew Taylor, Elly Griffiths, Sophie Hannah, Stella Duffy, Alexander McCall Smith, John Le Carré and many more.

Interwoven with their contributions are shorter pieces by past Detection Club members ranging from G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr to Desmond Bagley and H.R.F. Keating.

The book is dedicated to Len Deighton, who is celebrating 50 years as a Detection Club member and has also penned an essay for the book.

The contributions are linked by short sections written by Martin Edwards, the current President of the Club and author of the award-winning The Golden Age of Murder.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780008380168
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 09/20/2022
Pages: 544
Product dimensions: 5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.90(d)

About the Author

About The Author
Martin Edwards has published eighteen crime novels, including series set in Liverpool and the Lake District. He has won the CWA Short Story Dagger and CWA Margery Allingham Prize, and his book The Golden Age of Murder won the Edgar, Agatha, Macavity and H.R.F.Keating awards. Martin is consultant for the British Library's Classic Crime series, archivist of the CWA and President of the Detection Club. He has edited 30 anthologies, published about 60 short stories, and written seven other non-fiction books.

Table of Contents

Premise

Martin Edwards:: Introduction xiii

Motives

The Value of Detective Fiction G. K. Chesterton 1

The Art of the Detective Story R. Austin Freeman 3

Why Crime Fiction Is Good for You Ian Rankin 9

Why Do It? James Runcie 18

The Moral Compass of the Crime Novel Frances Fyfield 22

Beginning

Motivation Peter James 25

Getting Started Janet Laurence 30

Crofts Finding Ideas Freeman Wills 34

Sources of Inspiration Nicholas Blake 36

Making Choices Anthea Fraser 38

Putting Murder on the Page Ann Granger 43

Intensity in Crime Writing Natasha Cooper 47

Openings John Harvey 51

'Something Should Happen Now': Narrative Hooks Peter Robinson 55

People

Character from Suspense Mark Billingham 64

Cops and Criminals, Contrast and Comedy Bill James 68

Making Characters Believable Marjorie Eccles 71

Characters, Relationships, and Settings June Thomson 77

Places

On the Suffolk Coast P. D. James 82

Geography Ann Cleeves Human 83

Setting Stories in Unfamiliar Places Michael Ridpath 89

M.O.

Let the Story Be the Driver Val McDermid 98

Style Lindsey Davis 102

Choosing a Theme Kate Charles 108

Pace Michael Jecks 111

Writing Scenes William Ryan 118

Dialogue, Rhythm, and Keeping to the Point Margery Allingham 125

Listening and Dialogue Patricia Moyes 127

Writing Dialogue Cynthia Harrod-Eagles 129

Perspectives

Getting a Perspective Aline Templeton 137

What on Earth Is It Like to Be You? Liza Cody 141

Plots

Plots Agatha Christie 148

Logic and Working Backwards J. J. Connington 150

All Will Be Revealed Mary Kelly 154

Structuring a Plot Kate Ellis 155

Voyages of Discovery Eric Ambler 162

How to Change Your Murderer Andrew Taylor 165

Detectives

Amateur Detective or Professional? Priscilla Masters 175

Believable Amateurs Susan Moody 181

Private Eyes Michael Z. Lewin 185

Research

Getting It Right Ngaio Marsh 194

Keeping Up to Date Desmond Bagley 196

Amateurs and Expertise John Malcolm 201

Detection

Detective Stories and Virtuosity Edmund Crispin 208

Rules and Prejudices John Dickson Carr 211

Classic Ingredients Christianna Brand 213

Clues Michael Innes 214

Snakes and Ladders Catherine Aird 217

Optimal Subterfuge Sophie Hannah 222

Suspense

Suspense Robert Goddard 226

The Face in the Mirror Julian Symons 232

The Suspense Novel Jessica Mann 237

The Hours Before Dawn Celia Fremlin 243

Action

Inspiration, Perspiration, Realization Lionel Davidson 249

Adventure Fiction Tom Harper 250

Writing Action Scenes Felix Francis 256

Filling the Gaps Michael Gilbert 265

Constructing a Thriller Michael Hartland 268

The Cold War, Then and Now Mick Hereon 278

History

A Laying On of Hands Michael Pearce 286

The Christmas Tree Theory of Historical Research Imogen Robertson 288

Historical Dialogue L. C. Tyler 295

Humour

Humour and Human Nature Alexander McCall Smith 304

Characters and Caricature Robert Barnard 306

Edwards Humour and Satire Ruth Dudley 308

In Short

Let's Pretend Roy Vickers 318

Switch-overs in Short Stories H. R. F Keating 320

Fiction and Fact

Fictionalizing Characters and Crimes from Real Life Peter Lovesey 323

Trial and Error Anthony Berkeley 333

Partners in Crime

Collaborative Writing Dorothy L. Sayers 340

Adapting

Writing for Radio Alison Joseph 348

Adaptability Simon Brett 356

Challenges

Impostor Syndrome Martyn Waites 364

Writing: a Painful Pleasure Suzette A. Hill 369

Davies Writer's Block David Stuart 374

Improvising Stella Duffy 377

Ending

The End of the Beginning Laura Wilson 386

In My End Joanna Hines 392

Publishing

The Changing Face of Publishing David Roberts 399

What Editors Want Antonia Hodgson 403

Traditional versus Self-Publishing Russell James 413

Walsh One Thing Leads to Another Jill Paton 419

Writing Lives

The Writing Process Reginald Hill 429

Keeping Track Paula Gosling 433

Reading for Pleasure Jonathan Gash 435

Don't Give Up the Day Job Janet Neel 439

Writing to Relax Bertie Denham 442

Social Media and the Death of Nancy Elly Griffiths 444

The Joy of Writing John Le Carré 450

Len Deighton:: Different Books; Different

Problems; Different Solutions 452

The Contributors: Biographical Notes 465

The Detection Club: Presidents 489

The Detection Club: Members 490

Copyright and Aknowledgements 495

Index of Authors 503

Subject Index 515

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