<a href="http://www.anncleeves.com/" target="_blank">Ann Cleeves</a> and I started our brief north east tour last night in the great library at South Shields, a wonderful facility that always turns out a lively and interested audience.

It's always enjoyable to share a platform with Ann, one of the most thoughtful and hard-working British crime writers around. It's amazing to think her first book came out in 1986, ten years before mine. Next year her wonderful creation Vera Stanhope will finally be hitting our TV screens -- and about time too.

We talked for an hour so it's not possible to give you anything but a flavour of that discussion. But here's one of Ann's little tricks she let slip last night -- an interesting one too.<!--more-->We talked  about how we write, of course, and I briefly ran through the array of tools -- a book diary, photographs, keeping notes on my phone -- that I use to keep track of ideas. Ann does none of this -- it's all in her head. And when she gets stuck?

Simple, she said. If she's struggling with a scene she abandons the computer and sits down with a pen and paper to write the old way. A fantastic example of how a little change in routine can supply that much-needed sense of perspective. Not much to use to me mind -- I can barely read my own writing.

We've two more events today -- Newcastle City Library at 2pm then North Shields at 7pm. Do come along if you're in the area.