Thriller writer, archaeologist and traveller
#9 in an occasional series on writing non-fiction Your book may have no illustrations beyond cover art, but much non-fiction relies on illustration to support the text. In cases of say a book on fine art or photography, the text can be there largely to support the illustrations. The book may require photographs, maps, diagrams,... Continue Reading →
No.8 in an occasional series on writing non fiction You are going to carry out the sharpest, most comprehensive research you can. You are going to write to the best of your ability and follow all the stylistic rules to make the book entertaining as well as informative. So, here’s a question; have you done... Continue Reading →
No.7 in an occasional series on writing non fiction You’ve established the scope of your non-fiction book, you’ve spent months or years amassing research and now all you have left to do is write it. With your head full of your subject and a heap of reference material at your fingertips, the book could simply... Continue Reading →
#6 in an occasional series on writing non-fiction. If you are writing a book that is essentially creative, the crucial thing is that it works. If you are writing Teach Your Child to Swim! Or Build Your Own Microlight Aircraft, it is vital. Cookbooks are a less extreme example; you should have made all the... Continue Reading →
March means the Alderney Literary Festival, an event loved both by islanders and by the authors who fly in to participate. This boutique festival concentrates on historical writing, both fiction and non-fiction, giving it a coherence some festivals lack. Another feature is that authors get whole hour slots to themselves, either giving a presentation on... Continue Reading →
The time has come to launch a newsletter. It will be roughly monthly depending where I am in the world, what I'm writing and whether I'm digging. The title is inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, reflecting that I'll be posting pieces on my whole range of books from historical thrillers to archaeology mysteries plus the... Continue Reading →
#4 in an occasional series on writing non fiction Know your market is one of those truisms thrust at novelists and it is doubly true for non-fiction writers. It helps to frame your book, directs your research, dictates your writing style, and constrains your expectations. A huge number of books are published each year, and... Continue Reading →
Writing Non-Fiction #2 Everyone has a book inside them, the cliché goes – and wits will say that in most cases it should stay there. Take a look at the week’s top ten book listings in your Sunday newspaper, or online. Quite a few are by people who are not primarily writers; they made their... Continue Reading →