The Scholar author Dervla McTiernan to speak at Koorliny

ASK The Scholar author Dervla McTiernan what it’s like to write a book a year and she’ll tell you that planning is crucial.

The corporate lawyer turned crime writer says crime writing isn’t a natural fit but an understand of contracts helped her comprehend how carefully a crime novel must be plotted.

“If you’re writing a crime novel, particularly one that weaves in and out of different subplots, you need to know the map of your novel really well, so that you can find the rhythm of it and make sure that the pace is right, but also the rhythm of the emotion is right, if that makes sense,” she said.

McTiernan uses writing software program Scrivener to map her novel into scenes, and can use keywords to easily go back and check what she has written.

She will talk about her latest novel The Scholar with Monique Mulligan at Koorliny Arts Centre’s Stories on Stage program on March 20.

Stories on Stage starts at 7pm and costs $15, which includes supper, and book sales and signings.

Bookings are essential on 9467 7118.