The Arvon Book of Crime and Thriller Writing

by Michelle Spring, Laurie R. King

The Arvon Foundation runs professional writing courses by published writers and provides expert tuition and creative support. The Arvon Book of Crime Writing captures the essence of Arvon teaching into a practical handbook for writers, packed with tips and advice from leading novelists as well as reflections on the genre itself and practical instruction on great storytelling. Contributors include Lee Child, P. D. James, and Ian Rankin. The Arvon Book of Crime Writing is divided into three Part 1 Essays on critical issues in the genre Part 2 Guest Writers-twenty-five contributors offering advice and tips Part 3 How to Write Crime

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2013

About the author

Michelle Spring was raised on Vancouver Island. She worked for many years as an academic in Cambridge where she lives with her husband and their two children. She has written several academic books and five Laura Principal thrillers.

Reviews

[Yvensong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good reference book for writers.

[Jayne-Marie Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very handy hints and tips for all writers, from the beginner to the experienced.

[alexander shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the most helpful craft-of-writing book I've read so far. It's more directly related to the genre I'm currently working in and am generally drawn towards, which may be the bulk of the reason, but a lot of it too is that this book is meant as a guide rather than a how-to, and the authors state as much. Every author has their own thing, from how they create a draft to what they write about, so telling someone how to do things "right" isn't really fair, or true.

The book is split into 3 parts, the first about the genre and its conventions, the second is many prominent mystery/thriller authors giving advice/information on various aspects of the genre, and the third part is more in depth about writing and the process of it, with a bit at the end about publication. Having two authors who operate in content and method so differently was a unique and very helpful way to have this book written; it offered two sides of the coin, with the other authors serving as corroboration or middle ground between the two.

What was also helpful, as silly as it sounds, was that much of the content was validating. The authors mention the conventions and cliches of the genre and how mystery is sort of looked down upon due to the tropes--which, even though I love the genre, I also hate it at the same time for that very reason. They also mention how "reading as a writer" may cause you to discard more books before finishing them than other people; I toss aside or rate very low most books I come across, and it makes me feel like such a book snob. I guess my inner writer is just heavy with the critique.

And, one of the authors mentions how when she gets stuck in a story and absolutely nothing is working, it's often because she's hit a wall creatively, taken a mis-step with the story somewhere that requires fixing before she can continue. The reason I've picked up a handful of writing books lately is exactly that reason. I hit a wall almost a year ago with my draft, got past it, only to hit another one. I'm hoping some of the things I've picked up in this book will be more relevant than the others I've read this year.

[Wassim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reference to get started in the genre with some helpful tips and anecdotes from authors. I think this is more useful as a book to dip in and out of depending on where you are in the writing process. It’s more a collection of essays with some exercises on craft and can be a good starting point to explore writing styles and techniques

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laurie R. King is my favorite mystery writer. I won this book because I'm a member of her online fan club. Many members of the club share their fan fiction based on her Mary Russell series. This book is more for them than for me since I prefer to keep my non book review writing private. I enjoyed learning more about LRK's life and about the life of her co-writer. I had never heard of most of the writers included in the middle section of essays. I was also disappointed that my other favorite writers weren't included. But mostly this book is a fascinating discussion of the writing and publishing world.

[Heavy Progression · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worthy contribution to the genre helpful sections on most aspects of writing though much of it is soft and general making it suited to first timers it is helpful and there are more specific sections.