Friday 1 July 2011

Crime is a many GENRE thing! - Linda Strachan

About 6 months ago I joined three other crime writers, Anne Cassidy,  Keren David and Gillian Philip to start up a new group blog called CRIME CENTRAL   www.crimereading.blogspot.com

What is rather strange is that I never really thought about becoming a 'crime' writer.

In fact I never expected to find myself writing crime novels for young adults,  I was more acustomes to writing for young children. It was more surprising to discover that the books I was writing were quite dark. I was giving my young characters quite a nasty time of it. Perhaps that is not exactly true, they pretty much did it to themselves.

But where did all that come from? I honestly have absolutely no idea but once I started the situations and characters presented themselves, and off I went.




Both Spider and Dead Boy Talking are set in the modern world with realistic settings and modern teenagers but when we talk about writing crime it all depends on your particular taste as to which genre of crime you write.





The fascinating thing about Crime is that is exists in almost every genre. It all depends on your taste.


If you like Science Fiction you may enjoy classics like ASIMOV's The Caves of Steel where Detective Elijah Baley invesitgates the murder of an offworlder in Spacetown or perhaps more recently written or stronger stuff?






If you like historical crime you might like   Eleanor Updale's Montmorency series or perhaps  Joan Lennon's Victorian The Slightly Jones Mysteries  or Mary Hoffman's The Falconer's Knot.   There are lots to choose from.


Perhaps you prefer fantasy or horror crime novels, or thrillers or romance with a criminal edge?     

What is your favourite crime genre?

Since we started CRIME CENTRAL we have been joined by a host of fascinating writers blogging about their type of crime novel.

So why not drop by and see what they have to say or perhaps let us know (on the blog) if you would like to write a short blog for us.- whether as a writer, reviewer or reader.



----------------------------    DON'T FORGET  ----------------------------
Just one week to go until the ABBA Lit Fest           Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th July   
Check out the full programme of blogs, videos and giveaway competitions!

Photobucket
Don't miss the
video blog of Linda Strachan and Cathy MacPhail discussing tutoring  a 'Writing for Children' week at the Arvon Foundation centre at Moniack Mhor  



Linda Strachan  is an award winning author of over 60 books for children of all ages from picture books to teenage novels and also a  writing handbook  'Writing for Children' 
website www.lindastrachan.com
blog  Bookwords

3 comments:

Dan Holloway said...

I'll certainly come over - great to learn about your blog. The crime I write is very much in the Lecter style of psychological mystery as written in the UK by Val McDermid, Mo Hayder and P D James. For me the "why"dunnit is always more interesting than either the "who" or the "how"

maryom said...

I haven't read Caves of Steel in years! I must find it again - not sure if I read a library copy or if it's one we own - I think it's one of Asimov's better stories and less dated than a lot of science fiction.

maryom said...
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