“What I trust is if my stories are not so much plot driven but character driven, then the possibilities are endless”.

Crime is a genre we all know and love. But what are the perfect ingredients for crafting a crime story that keeps you coming back for more - that stokes the desire to return for a whole series of novels?

Well, if you want the recipe, look no further than Simon Mason. He’s the author of ‘A Killing in November’ and ‘The Broken Afternoon’, two novels in the DI Wilkins series - an incredible universe he’s begun to unleash on the world. In this episode we find out why Simon always thinks of character first, before plot - and we discover why his novels have been labelled “Morse for the 2020s”.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. Why you should search for opportunities for dramatic conflict when first drawing your cast of characters.
2. Why it’s ok to write in a setting already familiar to readers of your genre.
3. How rage and anger can be a powerful motivation to write.

Find out more about Simon here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.

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You can view the full transcript here.

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