Category Archives: Writing

Reviews: Last Deep Breath, Tom Piccirilli and The Readbreast, Jo Nesbo

Posted on September 23, 2011 by

I’ve been off the blog for a while. Events got in the way. I moved from the Isle of Man to England. I also bought a smart phone. The smart phone means I can go on Twitter, Facebook, Internet, check … Continue reading →

Posted in American Literature, Harry Hole, Jo Nesbo, Noir, Norwegian Crime, Salazar, Tom Piccirilli, Writing | 3 Comments

Why Cycling is like Writing and This Must Be The Place

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

This occurred to me as I was cycling to work this morning. I have a computer on the bike and I upload my data to http://MapMyRide.com. Then it shows the ride data and also a calendar. There’s a little bicycle … Continue reading →

Posted in Autobiography, Cycling, Paris, Research, Salazar, Writing targets | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: Paris was Yesterday, Janet Flanner

Posted on April 22, 2011 by

From the back of the book: In 1925 Janet Flanner began dispatching her famous New Yorker ‘Letters from Paris’, from which most of the pieces in this collection are drawn. I read this book as I wanted to get some … Continue reading →

Posted in French History, Non-Fiction, Paris, Research, Salazar | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Doing it on the bus

Posted on March 11, 2011 by

I do it on the bus. Quite a lot in recent times. Normally I prefer the privacy of my own home – the back bedroom. I know what you’re thinking but no, I’m not talking about picking my nose. When … Continue reading →

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Salazar, re-writes

Posted on January 22, 2011 by

Hi, It’s half-twelve and all the girls are asleep. I am in the kitchen with the lap top and a cup which once contained much coffee. My eyes are starting to get dry and I want to go to bed … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime Fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Crimes of Paris: A True Story of Murder, Theft, and Detection, Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler

Posted on January 9, 2011 by

This book uses the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911 as an opportunity to survey the crime scene of Paris 1896-1914. They look at the theft and then police techniques, notorious criminals, and famous cases. One error in the … Continue reading →

Posted in French History, Paris, Research | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

New Year

Posted on January 6, 2011 by

No books finished for a while but a huge batch has just arrived. I ordered them with tokens I got for xmas. They are on the shelf calling me as I type. Sitting alongside them are the actual books I … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing, Writing targets | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Salazar

Posted on December 1, 2010 by

Mad Sunday is on hold for now – it becomes too hard to edit a draft straight after writing it. Instead the last two weeks have been spent re-writing Salazar. I have been inspired by reading The Pericles Commission by … Continue reading →

Posted in Hard-Bolied, Historical Crime, Paris, Writing Fiction, Writing targets | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Mad Sunday

Posted on November 13, 2010 by

I am looking to get rid of the word Just in my edits of Mad Sunday: It litters my text. The phrases: there was, there were, was being, were being, he saw, she saw, he felt, she felt – they … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing Fiction | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice to Writers, Betsy Lerner

Posted on October 28, 2010 by

I was expecting a book on how to edit. What I got was an insider’s take on the publishing business. It is an interesting book – and I already have enough how to edit books so this was probably a … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing Fiction | Tagged , , | Leave a comment