https://dvpit.carrd.co/#giveaway For anybody able to use the #dv hash tag, #DVpit takes place on Bluesky on 30th September. However, to help out they're offering free critiques on queries or first pages from different agents. All you have to do is repost their giveaway post and then comment with the genre of the completed novel that you want to enter. Worth giving it a try! The link above is for the rules.

TLDR: At what stage does theme come into your planning or drafting? Do you have any strategies for selecting it, and keeping things on track? The long version: Theme can be one of the things that really elevates a story/novel, leaving you things to ponder or argue about long after you finish it. It can help dialogue break out from being a simple relaying of plot points and information... But if poorly applied can come across as dry moralistic lecturing, as though the plot grinds to a halt while someone breaks character to deliver a PSA. What do you (of anything) to weave it in naturally and or, are there any examples of writers that do it well for the rest of us to investigate? Alternatively, have you come across poor examples we could break down?

Last night over supper I was discussing my novel-in-progress, and its title. (It's available chapter-by-chapter here on Skool). My son-in-law came up with a brilliant alternative to A Taste of Deceit. He suggested A Taste of Blood. Which do you prefer? Here's an overview of the (second) draft: On a magnificent farm outside Johannesburg, celebrated feminist cook Serendipity Brown is ready to serve a dish of total reckoning. It has been years since her abusive, narcissistic husband, Richard, vanished without a trace, leaving her penniless but finally free. Now, to celebrate the prelaunch of her latest cookbook, she has orchestrated an intimate series of cookery demonstrations, hand-picking an audience of just four strangers. Unbeknownst to them, each guest hides a toxic connection to Richard’s corrupt past. From an arrogant ex-restaurateur to a preening food blogger, they are drawn into a masterfully arranged narrative trap. Also in attendance is Jack Sutherland, a down-on-his-luck journalist desperate for a career-saving scoop. As Jack digs into the mystery, an unexpected, fiery romance ignites between him and the magnetic chef amidst the mounting tension. But in a house built on ghosts and gaslighting, the truth cannot remain submerged forever. Equal parts culinary masterpiece, suspenseful thriller, and love story, A Taste of Deceit builds to a shocking, international climax that exposes a dark web of diamond smuggling, false identities, and a hidden inheritance. Finally revealed is the multi-layered fate of the missing husband.

I wanted to share some exciting news with everyone here. My mystery manuscript has officially been selected as a finalist for the Claymore Award — a major honor in the mystery and thriller writing world. The Claymore Award is presented each year at the Killer Nashville Writers Conference. It highlights outstanding unpublished mystery, thriller, suspense, and crime fiction manuscripts. Hundreds of writers submit their work, and finalists are chosen for exceptional storytelling, strong investigative craft, and the kind of plotting that keeps readers turning pages. Finalists are also promoted directly to agents and publishers, which can open real doors in the industry. My manuscript placed as a finalist in the Best Investigator category, and I’m incredibly proud of that. It’s a meaningful recognition of the work, and I’m excited to share this milestone with all of you. Thank you for letting me be part of this wonderful group. I’ll keep you posted as we get closer to the August awards ceremony.

As we come to the closing stages of the World Cup (audible sigh of relief from the less sport minded), I started thinking about the novels I've read where sport is a prime narrative device. I came up with 2, I'm not sure what that says about me but I enjoyed both of the m. The first is Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella. It's the book that inspired Field of Dreams and conveys the same sense of wonder. You do not have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this lovely book. The other book on my extensive list is Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The sport in question is tennis and it's more of a traditional sporting narrative that has you rooting for the protagonist to the very last page. Any other sporting recommendations?