Reflections of a working writer and reader
It is a cheap trick merely to surprise and shock the reader, especially at the expense of logic. And a lack of invention on the writers' part cannot be covered up by sensational action and clever prose. It is also a kind of laziness to write the obvious, which does not entertain, really. The idea is an unexpected turn of events, reasonably consistent with the characters of the protagonists. Stretch the reader's credulity, his sense of logic, to the utmost - it is quite elastic - but don't break it. In this way, you will write something new, surprising and entertaining both to yourself and the reader. Patricia Highsmith
The paperback of John Barlow’s novel, Intoxicated, is published today. He’s put together a forty-five second video to help his publisher’s marketing department. The novel, set in Yorkshire, is about cocaine, madness and soft drinks in the late 19th century.
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