Blog posts
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Scanning the many reviews of John Dean’s crime novels on Amazon provides a fascinating insight into what matters to readers and what they value about their relationship with the authors whose books they purchase. Now, John has explored the relationship in a thought-provoking article which has been published in the Features section of this website.
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John Dean Handy Hint I am working on the latest DCI John Blizzard novel and will find myself with a working first draft in a matter of weeks. The next task will be to print it out then embark on editing the manuscript. I have written extensively in my free Handy Hints -Editing section about…
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In the latest of his free pieces of advice for emerging crime writers, best-selling author John Dean turns to the vital matter of secrets. For criminals (usually murderers, in crime fiction) to come over as credible they need powerful motives and the key to getting that right is usually the things they keep secret. John…
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Thirty-seven of Scotland’s best authors, including crime writer John Dean, are included in the first anthology put together by a new independent publishing company. 274 Miles will be published by Tantallon Tir, which is based in Glasgow and aims to showcase the very best in Scottish fiction, on September 30, 2025. Copies can be booked…
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One of the most important skills that an author must master for a novel to work is the use of triggers to engage readers. The worst thing a novel can achieve is nothing – for the reader to get to the end and not to be changed in some way, to have not experienced anything.…
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In the latest addition to the Handy Hints section of this new website, which is provided primarily to help aspiring writers, crime writer John Dean examines how new regular characters can revitalise series of novels. You can find the piece in Handy Hints – Characters on in the main menu.
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Crime writer John Dean has added to the Writing’s Golden Rules pages in the Handy Hints section of this new website. The Handy Hints are designed primarily to help aspiring writers as they develop their craft and one subject that crops up on various websites is the advice to ‘show not tell.’ But what does it…
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One of the challenges for authors writing crime novels with complex plots is to ensure that opportunities to help readers keep up with the twists and turns are fully exploited. Crime novels often have complicated plots and a large number of characters and readers can easily find themselves confused. In his latest Handy Hint for…
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Writing group The Inkers has paid tribute to the historic role that its hometown played in the development of the railways 200 years ago, with the publication of a collection of short stories, including one by best-selling crime writer John Dean. Inspired by the 2025 bicentenary of the world’s first passenger service – the Stockton…
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Best-selling crime writer John Dean publishes free gratis articles which are designed to help aspiring authors to better understand their craft. The latest one, which is focused on the development of plot, comes to a conclusion which might surprise the reader when he asks who is actually writing his stories? You can find out more…
