John Dean – Crime Writer

Writing starts with creativity, with a flash of imagination, an idea for a story, a character around whom a plot can be built, a place which could be the backdrop for a cracking yarn. But that’s just the beginning and, if they did not know it already, the emerging writer will realise the scope of the challenge the moment they pick up their pen or switch on their computer.

A blank page can be a daunting prospect. So, what to do to turn your ideas into actual text? Well, understanding the craft will help get the writer moving because the craft drives writing. Understanding how to develop a character, for example, can help the author learn things about the person that they did not realise and give a plot new momentum. The same for plot, the same for place, but the writer learning his/her craft has to recognise the opportunities when they present themselves. The new book by John Dean – On Writing – will allow them to do just that.

John, who has been a published author for more than 30 years, is best known for his crime novels, 26 of which have been published at the time of writing with the 27th due out in September 2026. His first publisher was London-based Robert Hale, and when they ceased trading in 2015, he was signed up by The Book Folks, now a Joffe Books company, who have published all his novels, including his entire back-list plus all his new books, making 12 each in the bestselling DCI John Blizzard and DCI Jack Harris series and two in the DCI Danny Radford series, written as John Stanley.

John has also featured in many short story anthologies, including those produced by newly-established publisher Tantallon Tir, which is based in Glasgow and aims to showcase fiction written either by Scottish authors or those living and working in Scotland; John qualifies as the latter, having lived in Dumfries and Galloway for eight years at the time of writing.  He has run writing classes, in person and online, for more than 25 years and carries out manuscript assessments, including for the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA), of which he is a member. Many of the assessments have been for the Emerging Author Dagger award (formerly the Debut Dagger), sponsored by Fiction Feedback Editorial Consultancy, a competition  open to any unpublished writer in the world, writing in English.

His book can be purchased in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon.