Category: On Writing

on writing

Grip Lit: What’s Really Going On?

Grip-lit is a phrase sweeping literary circles. Journalists (and now publishers) have claimed it as a handy genre description, citing the success of ‘Gone Girl’ and ‘Girl on the Train’ as examples of reader interest and it’s validity as a genre. Yet like all new terminology its definition is still in flux. So what is Grip-lit?

A Twist in the Tale

There are points in any story where adding a plot reversal or a surprising revelation can really ramp up the tension. Finding them, and that all important final twist, is what every suspense writer strives for. When developing twists I love to challenge my main character’s beliefs about her world and in doing so, hopefully, cast a different light on everything you, as a reader, understand about the story. This is great fun in a novel. But what happens when that happens in your own life?