Ask the Author: Robert Crouch
Answered Questions (6)
Robert Crouch
As Kent Fisher is an environmental health officer investigating murders, I’m limited in what I can write about because I don’t want the police involved. This means that either no one believes a death is a murder, or Kent has to investigate something historical, for example.
There are other possibilities, such as tracing missing persons, which is the idea behind No Bodies, the novel I’m currently editing for publication this year.
Have three women run off with other men? Or is there a serial killer on the loose? That’s what Kent Fisher has to determine. His only lead is a caterer with a burger van who has also gone missing. But being an environmental health officer, he has access to records about caterers, an extensive network for sharing information, and many of the skills needed to solve crimes.
There are other possibilities, such as tracing missing persons, which is the idea behind No Bodies, the novel I’m currently editing for publication this year.
Have three women run off with other men? Or is there a serial killer on the loose? That’s what Kent Fisher has to determine. His only lead is a caterer with a burger van who has also gone missing. But being an environmental health officer, he has access to records about caterers, an extensive network for sharing information, and many of the skills needed to solve crimes.
Robert Crouch
Ideas usually inspire me to write. I could see something on TV, read something, overhear a snippet of conversation, or notice something during a walk or run. Whatever it is, I let it roll around in my mind to gather its own momentum and shape. Then I’ll record everything so the idea isn’t lost.
With No Accident, there were a number of ideas that inspired the story. The main idea was to create a new and different kind of detective, like an environmental health officer. Then, I had the idea of disguising a murder as a work accident, which would be investigated by environmental health. All I need to do then was come up with the right kind of accident, using my knowledge and experience.
With No Accident, there were a number of ideas that inspired the story. The main idea was to create a new and different kind of detective, like an environmental health officer. Then, I had the idea of disguising a murder as a work accident, which would be investigated by environmental health. All I need to do then was come up with the right kind of accident, using my knowledge and experience.
Robert Crouch
I’m currently editing and rewriting the second Kent Fisher mystery, entitled No Bodies. Is there a serial killer on the loose in Downland?
Go to http://robertcrouch.co.uk/no-bodies for more details.
Go to http://robertcrouch.co.uk/no-bodies for more details.
Robert Crouch
Write about what matters to you in your own way. Find your own style and voice and never try to imitate others. Make mistakes and learn from them. Mix with other writers and learn together. And read extensively across a variety of genres. There’s much to learn, and even more to find out.
Robert Crouch
The best thing about being a writer is being able to create stories that entertain, amuse and intrigue readers. I’ve always loved reading stories and getting to know new characters and settings, and I’m delighted I can now do the same for others.
Robert Crouch
The last time I suffered a block, I solved it by starting and writing a blog.
It was several years ago and I couldn’t find a way to solve the murder I’d created in my novel, No Accident. Despite several attempts and a lot of rewriting, I just couldn’t find a solution and had to put the novel to one side.
In hindsight, I think I was also struggling with my characters and the story, which is how the blogging came to my rescue. The blog related my experiences as an environmental health officer. For reasons of confidentiality, I couldn’t write the blog in my own name, so I used the main character from my novel, Kent Fisher, and created a fictional team around him. The blog focused on the funnier side of my work and soon evolved into a mini sitcom, filled with sharp characters and dialogue.
After a few years of writing the blog, I transferred the characters into No Accident and rewrote the entire novel, finding the clues and solving the crime.
Best of all, the book was published in 2016 and I turned Fisher’s Fables into an ebook, publishing it later the same year.
It was several years ago and I couldn’t find a way to solve the murder I’d created in my novel, No Accident. Despite several attempts and a lot of rewriting, I just couldn’t find a solution and had to put the novel to one side.
In hindsight, I think I was also struggling with my characters and the story, which is how the blogging came to my rescue. The blog related my experiences as an environmental health officer. For reasons of confidentiality, I couldn’t write the blog in my own name, so I used the main character from my novel, Kent Fisher, and created a fictional team around him. The blog focused on the funnier side of my work and soon evolved into a mini sitcom, filled with sharp characters and dialogue.
After a few years of writing the blog, I transferred the characters into No Accident and rewrote the entire novel, finding the clues and solving the crime.
Best of all, the book was published in 2016 and I turned Fisher’s Fables into an ebook, publishing it later the same year.
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