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Part 1 – Starting out

Lots of people fantasize about the idea of writing a book. Very often the idea starts with wanting to document their life story and experiences. The reality is that not a lot of people actually follow through with that dream. Why is that? I think there are a number of reasons.

We are all such busy people these days so to find enough time to put some space aside to fit in writing takes a lot of self-discipline. There are certain qualities that you need to write a book – determination, tenacity, patience, sound reasoning, fearlessness – I could go on. In fact, I will. You also need to be a good communicator, a good observer and have knowledge of grammar, spelling and punctuation.

So what would motivate someone who has not been put off so far? Having a vivid imagination helps as well as being able to research ideas. You need to be persistent and creative and a big one is being resilient. You have to have a thick skin to take the bad reviews you will inevitably receive.

If you’re going to write a novel then it is suggested that you write in a genre you enjoy reading. Write something you would like to read yourself. I was advised when I started out to read as much as I could in the relevant genre and really study the books I enjoyed to find out why. Was it the hook I enjoyed? What makes certain books page turners and keeps your interest?

It is also best when starting out to write about what you know. The process is arduous enough so you don’t want to spend hours doing research if you can help it.

Once you’ve decided on your genre, you’ll then need to generate some ideas about what is going to be in the book. Have a brainstorming session and come up with a few storylines.

So where do you get these ideas from? Some may come from personal experiences both for yourself and others you know. Let your imagination run wild and don’t discount anything at this stage. There may be stories in the news that interest you. I keep a file with cuttings from newspapers of stories that I could use. Other books may spark ideas. Dreams can be useful if you can remember them. If you hang around coffee shops long enough, you may hear some juicy gossip that would make a good novel. Even songs, especially country and western may whet your appetite to consider.

After coming up with a number of ideas and documenting them, leave them for a few days, then come back and see what you think. I’m sure that in there somewhere will be the bones for a good plot. If you’re unsure, run your suggestions by someone you trust and see what they think. A good way to progress from here is to use your imagination and explore some of your ideas. Consider what if? Think like a reader. Take your time and come up with a storyline.

That’s it. You’re on your way.

You probably already know that I write under the crime genre but it took me a while to figure out where my writing sits under the various different sub-genres. For anyone who is interested, I’ve cobbled some information together that explains these differences. By clarifying this, it has also given me a better understanding.

All three genres are closely related. They all concern a character who is trying to get to the truth about something or to prevent something from happening.

Suspense 

The main character generally becomes aware of the danger gradually. The reader is normally aware of certain facts that are unknown to the protagonist. The reader may also know who the killer is, in which case the pace tends to be slower to highlight the danger the protagonist is in.

Thriller

Thrillers have a lot of action. Very often, the reader knows who the killer is but is enthralled by the chase. With thrillers, the protagonist is in danger from the outset.

Mystery

Any danger in a mystery is usually moderate, drawing to a climax before the end. The protagonist spends their time tracking down the truth about an event such as a murder. With a mystery, you might not know who the killer is until the end.

Thre are also a number of sub-genres such as:-

Cosy

Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple books are a prime example of cosy crime. The protagonist is usually a unique, enigmatic character.

Hard-boiled 

The hero in these novels tends to be a police officer or private investigator. They are usually tough cookies who can fit in well with criminals and stand up to the bad guys. Their style is often unpretentious and they tend to use brawn rather than brain to solve the crime.

Police procedural

These novels normally focus on the police department they are set in. They tackle the politics and tactics and generally highlight the tensions between colleagues.

Medical, scientific or forensic mystery

With these novels, there is more emphasis made on the details of the crime. Intelligence and expertise are used to analyse unusual evidence. The protagonists are normally doctors, medical examiners or forensic pathologists.

Legal or courtroom drama

These novels are seen through the eyes of the legal profession generally, and tend to focus on the court procedures and be set in the courtroom.

Noir

The protagonists in these novels have faults. They are usually tempted by outside influences and are desperate individuals. There are generally plot twists in the story.

Epic thriller

Usually, in these novels, there is some catastrophe threatening a community that if it happened, the effect would be devastating. Very often the protagonist is a soldier, spy or trained assassin. There are always plot twists and the action is non-stop.

Psychological thriller/suspense

The threat is generally against the protagonist. There tends to be one disturbing revelation after another. In these novels, characters are more important than pacing and the concentration is on the emotions rather than the action.

Supernatural thriller

The threat caused is spiritual or psychological and the villain generally has specific powers that cause menace.

I have a great passion for reading.  That has helped me on this  literary path. I still find it really hard to walk past a bookstore without calling in and buying a book. Browsing through the shelves picking out both fiction and non-fiction fills me with delight. When it came to writing, the idea to write always lurked under the surface of my thinking. I never kept a regular journal, although I have always kept one on holiday to remind me what I got up to.

I remember writing a play when I was about ten years old that was performed at the local church hall. In my teens, I wrote a lot of poetry and one of my poems about football even got published in the Manchester Evening News. There was very little in my work history that linked me to writing, other than compiling policies and procedures and boring stuff like that when I was a HR manager. This continued when I worked as an employment law consultant and later when I managed a charity. There have been jobs I’ve had where very little writing was involved such as in the businesses I have had. These have ranged from a hair and beauty salon, a travel business, a cleaning company and a café. I sometimes think it would be easier to list jobs I haven’t done than compile a list of my career history.

Although I didn’t consider English to be my best subject at school, being more of a mathematician and musician, English was where I got my best grades. The early seed to write was sown by a tutor whilst studying for a professional post grad qualification. After marking one of my assignments, he asked if I wrote professionally. I was flabbergasted but encouraged.

More recently I have written some murder mystery plays which were performed by friends and colleagues on New year’s eve for a number of years. I loved testing my plots on Christmas day with family. Nowadays, I am working as a full time writer. I do get one day a week off to look after my young grandchildren.

I am learning a lot about the writing and marketing process and it is hard work if not enjoyable. I am always curious to find out how other writers started out and what they are doing to hone their craft.

 

Fifteen months ago, I wrote a couple of short stories whilst on a creative writing course. I received positive feedback and was encouraged to develop the characters. My mind went to work and the two short pieces were amalgamated and became the catalysts for my debut suspense thriller I KNOW YOUR EVER MOVE.

From there, I enrolled on a crime thriller writing course to hone my skills and began to write. I was advised to write about things I knew about. Luckily, there aren’t many jobs I haven’t done so I’ve lots of experiences to pull out of the hat. The process wasn’t always a comfortable one as it focused on issues of stalking and domestic violence and picked out pieces from my past.

I have learnt a lot about the process and know I still have a long way to go to become knowledgeable. It seems incredible now to think that when I started out I didn’t have a clue what “show don’t tell” meant. I can look back now the book is complete and has been published and say how enjoyable most of it was. I can even overlook the backache I suffered from long hours spent on my PC, especially when it came to editing and editing and editing. I could go on!

Writing a book has been on my bucket list for many years as has visiting Macchu Picchu which I am scheduled to visit later this year. Now I have achieved the goal of getting my novel into print, I have picked up a bug, a writing bug. I am already half way through the sequel, AS SICK AS OUR SECRETS.

I hope you get chance to check out my ebook currently available on Amazon. The paperbook will be out in a few weeks.

I’m so excited because my first novel is launched tomorrow as an ebook and will be available through Amazon.                    

I have just had to write a press release.

I Know Your Every Move  

By Diane Ezzard

One woman is killed every three days due to domestic violence in England and Wales. Thankfully Sophie isn’t one of them.

Sophie Brown is an attractive young vulnerable girl from Bury in Manchester, England. She is trying to build a new life for herself working as a counsellor in a women’s centre. She receives a number of menacing phone calls and wonders if her past is coming back to haunt her.

Sophie forms a close relationship with Cassie, one of her clients and tries to help her escape from the clutches of a violent boyfriend. While all the time her own life is being turned upside down with a series of disturbing events.

She believes she is being followed and the more she delves, the more her life is in danger.

Can she revisit her dark past before it’s too late?

If you liked psychological thriller novels like Paula Hawkins’ “The Girl on The Train” then you’ll enjoy this.

Diane Ezzard’s exciting and gripping suspense thriller novel, “I Know Your Every Move” is out now as an e-book with the paperback coming soon.

About the author

Diane Ezzard grew up in Manchester. She now lives in South East London close to her daughter and grandchildren. Before taking early retirement to concentrate on her writing, she worked as a HR manager, a counsellor, owned a cafe and managed a charity.  

“I Know Your Every Move” is her debut novel.

Coming Soon – Diane Ezzard’s debut psychological suspense thriller