The Writer’s Handbook is a handy vade mecum
for any author, published or not. But for those who specialise in a
particular form or genre it can be a little – well, general, really.
However, for those who are working in crime fiction, a new publication
from The Writer’s Handbook stable should prove very useful indeed.
It calls itself a ‘guide’, a usefully baggy term which
can conceal a multitude of sins and omissions. However, in the capable
hands of Barry Turner, it might be more appropriate to call this a
‘seminar’ in printed form, for that’s pretty much what it is. This
book will not tell you how to write crime fiction. There are already
plenty of books in existence that will take you by the hand, introduce you
to your PC and explain the intricacies of manuscript layout, and explain
the basics of plot, narrative, character creation and dialogue. These are
universals, and they need to be learned before you settle into a genre
niche. But if you’re comfortable with your writing and crime fiction is
your chosen field, then this is going to be a valuable addition to your
bookshelf.
There’s no doubt that crime fiction is popular. Book
sales demonstrate it, and there seems to be an insatiable desire for crime
novels which can be adapted into tv series. And crime is so broad a field,
featuring everything from cosy mysteries with traditional village settings
to hard-boiled mysteries set in urban no-go areas. This very variety is
something Ian Rankin addresses in the opening article, which provides an
overview of the development of the crime novel. Rankin charts a shift from
the crime novel as entertainment and reassurance, with the world tidily
explained, to the crime novel as an incomplete form, reflecting the messy
complexity of modern life, and incidentally Rankin’s preferred view of the
genre. When this is coupled with Bob Ritchie’s article on the legendary
heroes of crime fiction, the two provide an excellent introduction to
the historical background of the genre.
But history is one thing: more important to most
writers is the business of getting published now. Interviews with editors
and successful writer Tony Strong chart the process of getting into print,
while bestselling author, Minette Walters, reveals some of the tricks of
her trade, in particular, how to create believable characters, and Val
McDermid talks about the business of being a writer. And at the heart of
the books are the addresses, lots of them. There are addresses of agents
handling crime fiction, and of publishers handling crime fiction. There’s
information about literary societies and online resources for writers.
This may be a slim book but it’s packed with detail. Every aspiring crime
writer should have a copy close at hand.
