Books

Revisiting Gone Girl: 5 things writers can learn from it
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Revisiting Gone Girl: 5 things writers can learn from it

Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl defined and popularised the psychological suspense genre. These days, the crime fiction shelves are packed with tales of marital discord turned murderous and psychopaths hiding in suburbia. I first read Gone Girl the year it came out, in 2012. Eight years on, when I decided to re-read it, I wondered whether…

5 best books on writing for beginners and beyond
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5 best books on writing for beginners and beyond

Whether you’re starting out in creative writing or looking to fine-tune your writing craft, there are a wealth of reference books out there. Here are five that I find invaluable: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers – Renni Browne and Dave King The first time I flicked through Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, I was unimpressed. A chapter…

Why do mediocre novels get published? My theory (and what writers can learn from it)
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Why do mediocre novels get published? My theory (and what writers can learn from it)

There’s little more frustrating than picking up a book and realising it’s BAY-AD. The characters are cardboard cut-outs. The action is melodramatic or unbelievable. It breaks every rule in your well-thumbed writing craft books. “How did this get published??” you wonder. If you’re a writer yourself, you might follow it up with: “If this can…

GenZ burnout and murder: the changing landscape of crime fiction (guest post for Scarlett Readz and Runz)

GenZ burnout and murder: the changing landscape of crime fiction (guest post for Scarlett Readz and Runz)

As the focus of crime fiction shifts to GenZ, the horrors are becoming more mundane – debt, burnout, poor mental health – but no less terrifying. “Generation Z” typically describes the post-Millennials, those born between the late 90s and the early 2010s. It’s a generation shaped by the 2008 financial crisis and ensuing global instability;…

Reading Round-Up #1: Ronan Farrow, Juno Dawson, Philippa Gregory and more

Reading Round-Up #1: Ronan Farrow, Juno Dawson, Philippa Gregory and more

What books have I been reading and enjoying over the last couple of months? Here’s a quick rundown… Non Fiction Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators – Ronan Farrow Even if, like me, you never want to hear the words “Harvey Weinstein” ever again, this book is still a must….

6 books to read if you love Gillian Flynn’s psychological thrillers

6 books to read if you love Gillian Flynn’s psychological thrillers

I love Gillian Flynn! Doesn’t everyone love Gillian Flynn? (Real answer: No. My mum does not love Gillian Flynn. I recommended Gone Girl to my mum and she now refers to it as “that weird book you made me read”. Sad times.) However, for everyone – my mum excepted – who has enjoyed immersing themselves…