Crime, class, and craft with Simon Mason

This week on The Write Club, Mary and Beth chat with Simon Mason, a writer whose career has spanned every corner of the book world - from Managing Director at David Fickling Books to Fellow of Creative Writing at Oxford Brookes University.We explore his latest Ryan and Ray Wilkins thriller, The Dangerous Stranger, and discover how a ‘trailer park boy’ and a privately educated detective became one of crime fiction’s most effective, friction-filled duos. Simon shares how the personal conflict between his protagonists mirrors the stark social contrasts of Oxford itself.In this episode, we discuss:* The Wilkins friction: Why Ray and Ryan shouldn’t work on paper, and why that makes them so compelling on the page.* Messy play vs. composition: Simon’s unique take on the creative process and how to balance raw imagination with structured storytelling.* The rhythm of crime: How a lifelong obsession with the poetry of Dylan Thomas influences the dialogue and linguistic energy of Simon’s prose.* Fixing boring drafts: Simon shares his go-to tricks for injecting life back into a scene when the energy starts to lag.* The publisher’s perspective: Whether a career working with other authors in major publishing houses actually improves your own writing.Get a copy of Simon Mason’s latest mystery, The Dangerous Stranger, now. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersonline.substack.com/subscribe