A few days ago, I found on the internet – Facebook to be more specific – an advertisement about an interesting webinar arranged by Penguin Random House – The Writers Academy. I’m always quite suspicious when I have to deal with this kind of web-things. Although I’m internet-educated, my attitude is diffident towards events that aren’t physically real but created in the blurred and confusing world of the Web.
I was curious. The topic was intriguing: “How to write a crime novel.” Considering my interest in writing such a genre, I thought it might have been useful. I, so, registered and set a reminder for Thursday 29th of March – which means today. At six precisely, I sat in front of my laptop, put my earphones on, and prepared for the conversation. I spent a pleasant and helpful hour with Rebecca Watson and the crime novelist Barbara Henderson (pen-name Bea Davenport). After the introduction, Henderson plunged into a detailed explanation of the different kinds of crime fiction: Classical Detective Fiction (Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe, for example), Hard-boiled Detective Fiction (Raymond Chandler), Police Novel, and Literary Noir. “Don’t forget that crime fiction is never static,” her voice echoed in my earphones. “You should classify your writing, but, first, focus on writing itself.” The conversation went on, facing the main issue: the body. Where and who are two very important characteristics of the victim. “A writer should always set the victim or crime in the first pages,” Henderson claimed. “It immediately grabs readers’ attention.” The discussion was entertaining and gripping. Henderson switched topic. Now, it was time to talk about the characters. They must have internal and external problems, personal trouble. “The characters can’t be super-heroes,” she said. “They must have conflicts which bring them to do things they fear the most.” The plot is essential in a crime novel. Henderson said that the structure had to be complex, without losing the main development of the story. “Using a multiple Point Of View narrative is extremely suggested,” the author said, “but the writer doesn’t have to exaggerate.” A good way to keep the pace is the use of flashback. The seminar dragged to an end. Researching was also a very important topic for Henderson. It allowed the writers to create plausible stories. “The end unravels the mystery the writer described in the first pages,” Henderson said. “Thus, it has to be logical and satisfying for the readers and the characters.” LINK: The Writers Academy
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