Crime writer Steven Dunne joins me for a special live edition of The Write Place, recorded in front of an audience at Leicester Central Library.

Steven is best known for his dark DI Damen Brook crime thrillers, beginning with The Reaper, which he originally self-published before it was picked up by HarperCollins. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about his journey from indie author to traditional publishing and back again, how the industry has changed, and why he now enjoys writing to his own timetable.

We also dig into the creation of DI Damen Brook and the Reaper trilogy, Steven’s meticulous approach to plotting and rewriting, why editing means being prepared to cut even the lines you love, and the small pieces of research that can make crime fiction feel authentic.

Steven also talks about Blood Summer, which introduced former FBI agent Michael Trent and allowed him to swap the dark streets of Derby for the South of France, Singapore and Barcelona, as well as the follow-up he is currently working on.

And, of course, we discover the Book That Saved Steven’s Life, Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs, the novel that helped turn him towards crime fiction in the first place.

Find Steven Dunne online:

Website: Steven Dunne's website
X/Twitter: @ReaperSteven
Goodreads: Steven Dunne on Goodreads

REAL WRITERS NEVER QUIT

If you’re struggling to keep going with your own writing, my book Real Writers Never Quit: What Hundreds of Authors Reveal About Not Giving Up combines lessons from my own writing journey with advice and inspiration from hundreds of authors who have appeared on the podcast.

Buy Real Writers Never Quit:
https://mybook.to/realwritersneverquit

Find out more about me, my books and The Write Place at waynekellywrites.com.