How Film Noir feeds my fiction
30 Mar 2026

How Film Noir feeds my fiction

by | posted in: Creative writing, Crime mysteries, Derek Thompson, Derek's books, Spy fiction, Writing and Publishing | 0

Many of the spy novelists whose works I’ve enjoyed cite Ian Fleming, John le Carré, or Len Deighton as their primary inspiration. John Buchan also gets an honourable mention from time to time, along with Graham Greene. However, for my … Continued

One step at a time
16 Mar 2026

One step at a time

by | posted in: Creative writing, Crime mysteries, Derek Thompson, Derek's books, Spy fiction, Writing and Publishing | 2

Occasionally I get asked how to go about writing a book. I usually answer ‘one word at a time’. It sounds glib but there’s a lot of truth in that. We start off with a premise, or a character, or … Continued

What makes a good spy novel?
17 Feb 2026

What makes a good spy novel?

by | posted in: Derek Thompson, Derek's books, Spy fiction, Writing and Publishing | 0

So much for the elements, what elevates a spy novel? Characters we want to follow into the shadows A great spy story must have well-rounded, believable characters, not merely caricatures. British spy novels tend to be inhabited by flawed, conflicted … Continued