Pauline Rowson's Blog - Posts Tagged "ideas"
Morse has his Oxford, Rebus has Edinburgh and Andy Horton has the Solent
Many of you know that I draw my inspiration and ideas from the area in which I live and where my DI Andy Horton crime novels and thriller novels are set: Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and generally the Solent area on the South Coast of England.
My marine mystery country is a vibrant area full of contrasts and contradictions, which is why I find it fascinating. Portsmouth (UK) is also my home town, or I should say the city where I was raised, so I know it well, warts and all.
It's a waterfront city with a colourful and diverse history. Home to HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860, the Mary Rose Museum, The Royal Naval Museum, and the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. But it's not all history.
There is a thriving Commercial Ferry Port with sailings to France, the Channel Islands and Spain. And soon the cruise liners Hebridean Princess and its sister brands Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic will be sailing from Portsmouth with the completion of a new passenger terminal in February 2011. That's sure to provide inspiration for a new Andy Horton novel or a thriller.
Because the harbour entrance is so narrow you feel as if you can almost touch the ships as they sail past you at the ancient fortifications of Old Portsmouth. No where else can you get so close.
One of the most densely populated cities in Europe, the Portsmouth poor rub shoulders with the rich as the ancient walls of Old Portsmouth and it's tiny historic houses rub shoulders with the stunning new waterfront of Gunwharf Quays renamed Oyster Quays in the Horton novels.
There is always something to see particularly on the sea! The navy ships, the orange and black tug boats, the Continental and Isle of Wight ferries, the hovercraft, pleasure craft, fishing boats, Border Agency boats, lifeboats and much, much more...
The Isle of Wight, just a few miles across the Solent, seems a world away with its rolling downs, beautiful bays, stunning coastline, and prehistoric remains. Yes, it has its poor areas and its rough places but it also, like Portsmouth, has that island mentality that makes it unique. It has some lovely walks, great for thinking through plots while admiring the scenery.
People sometimes ask me if I will run out of ideas for my novels. Perhaps one day I might but a stroll along the coastline wherever that might be: Portsmouth, Hayling Island, the Isle of Wight and I know a new idea will spring to mind and set that to rights. There are photograph of the marine mystery area where my crime novels are set on my blog.
Tide of Death
My marine mystery country is a vibrant area full of contrasts and contradictions, which is why I find it fascinating. Portsmouth (UK) is also my home town, or I should say the city where I was raised, so I know it well, warts and all.
It's a waterfront city with a colourful and diverse history. Home to HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860, the Mary Rose Museum, The Royal Naval Museum, and the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. But it's not all history.
There is a thriving Commercial Ferry Port with sailings to France, the Channel Islands and Spain. And soon the cruise liners Hebridean Princess and its sister brands Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic will be sailing from Portsmouth with the completion of a new passenger terminal in February 2011. That's sure to provide inspiration for a new Andy Horton novel or a thriller.
Because the harbour entrance is so narrow you feel as if you can almost touch the ships as they sail past you at the ancient fortifications of Old Portsmouth. No where else can you get so close.
One of the most densely populated cities in Europe, the Portsmouth poor rub shoulders with the rich as the ancient walls of Old Portsmouth and it's tiny historic houses rub shoulders with the stunning new waterfront of Gunwharf Quays renamed Oyster Quays in the Horton novels.
There is always something to see particularly on the sea! The navy ships, the orange and black tug boats, the Continental and Isle of Wight ferries, the hovercraft, pleasure craft, fishing boats, Border Agency boats, lifeboats and much, much more...
The Isle of Wight, just a few miles across the Solent, seems a world away with its rolling downs, beautiful bays, stunning coastline, and prehistoric remains. Yes, it has its poor areas and its rough places but it also, like Portsmouth, has that island mentality that makes it unique. It has some lovely walks, great for thinking through plots while admiring the scenery.
People sometimes ask me if I will run out of ideas for my novels. Perhaps one day I might but a stroll along the coastline wherever that might be: Portsmouth, Hayling Island, the Isle of Wight and I know a new idea will spring to mind and set that to rights. There are photograph of the marine mystery area where my crime novels are set on my blog.
Tide of Death
Planning and Structuring a Crime Novel- started working on next DI Andy Horton
I've started planning the next DI Andy Horton marine mystery crime novel, number eight in the series, which is set against the backdrop of the sea on the South Coast of England. How much planning is required when structuring a crime novel?
The answer to that question varies with the author. Some crime writers spend a very long time at the planning stage, up to a year, maybe more, others have only a rough outline before beginning the creative writing, and some will have an in depth synopsis written.
When I begin a new crime novel or thriller I don't have a clue who did it or why? I start with an idea, and a body and then Andy Horton, accompanied by Sergeant Cantelli and often in conflict with his boss DCI Lorraine Bliss and the head of the Major Crime Team, Detective Superintendent Uckfield, set out to discover who killed her/him and why.
The first draft creates the characters, their motivations and personalities. It explores the relationships and determines the setting. At this stage I'm not sure where the story is going or how many twists and turns it will take and that's what excites me. The structure will change, new ideas will spring up, research will sometimes take me in a completely different direction to the one I thought I was heading. Sub plots will begin to develop, which could tie in with the main plot or go their own way, and sometimes I might remove them completely because they are worthy of developing into a novel of their own.
It's unchartered waters and I'm off with Andy Horton to explore what gruesome crime we'll find within them.
For more about the DI Andy Horton series and my other books visit: http://www.rowmark.co.uk
Blood on the Sand
The answer to that question varies with the author. Some crime writers spend a very long time at the planning stage, up to a year, maybe more, others have only a rough outline before beginning the creative writing, and some will have an in depth synopsis written.
When I begin a new crime novel or thriller I don't have a clue who did it or why? I start with an idea, and a body and then Andy Horton, accompanied by Sergeant Cantelli and often in conflict with his boss DCI Lorraine Bliss and the head of the Major Crime Team, Detective Superintendent Uckfield, set out to discover who killed her/him and why.
The first draft creates the characters, their motivations and personalities. It explores the relationships and determines the setting. At this stage I'm not sure where the story is going or how many twists and turns it will take and that's what excites me. The structure will change, new ideas will spring up, research will sometimes take me in a completely different direction to the one I thought I was heading. Sub plots will begin to develop, which could tie in with the main plot or go their own way, and sometimes I might remove them completely because they are worthy of developing into a novel of their own.
It's unchartered waters and I'm off with Andy Horton to explore what gruesome crime we'll find within them.
For more about the DI Andy Horton series and my other books visit: http://www.rowmark.co.uk
Blood on the Sand
Introducing the real Hampshire Police Marine Unit at the Crime Writers' Association Conference
My fictional detective, DI Andy Horton, is based in the Solent area and the Horton marine mystery crime novels include members of a fictional Hampshire Police Marine Unit - Sergeant Dai Elkins and PC Ripley who are nothing like the two police officers I introduced on Saturday from the team of the Hampshire Marine Police Unit at the Crime Writers' Association (CWA) Conference .
PCs Kerry Murray and Matt Gransden are younger and much better looking, although readers of the Horton novels might be aware that PC Ripley is only a little older than Matt. But the work my fictional marine unit are involved with in helping DI Horton of Portsmouth CID and Detective Superintendent Uckfield of the Major Crime Team isn't that far removed albeit fiction.
It was great to meet Kerry and Matt and to hear about their fascinating job. They gave me plenty of ideas not only for plots for future DI Horton crime novels but also for characters! Can't wait to get writing. It was a fantastic talk with lots of questions from the audience and I'm hugely grateful to Kerry and Matt for giving their time and to their boss for letting them especially when they are so busy. The Hampshire Police Marine Unit's area of responsibility stretches from Dorset to Sussex and out to 12 miles offshore.
I'm looking forward to meeting them again and spending the day with them on the Solent for further research for my crime novels. Must remember to pick a calm day though!
A Killing Coast
PCs Kerry Murray and Matt Gransden are younger and much better looking, although readers of the Horton novels might be aware that PC Ripley is only a little older than Matt. But the work my fictional marine unit are involved with in helping DI Horton of Portsmouth CID and Detective Superintendent Uckfield of the Major Crime Team isn't that far removed albeit fiction.
It was great to meet Kerry and Matt and to hear about their fascinating job. They gave me plenty of ideas not only for plots for future DI Horton crime novels but also for characters! Can't wait to get writing. It was a fantastic talk with lots of questions from the audience and I'm hugely grateful to Kerry and Matt for giving their time and to their boss for letting them especially when they are so busy. The Hampshire Police Marine Unit's area of responsibility stretches from Dorset to Sussex and out to 12 miles offshore.
I'm looking forward to meeting them again and spending the day with them on the Solent for further research for my crime novels. Must remember to pick a calm day though!
A Killing Coast
