Crime Fiction Writing Guides
Craft guides on plotting, suspense, dialogue, and character — from Phillip Strang, author of 150+ crime novels. Practical techniques from the writing desk.
The prequel presents a unique challenge in crime fiction: you’re writing backwards while moving forwards, crafting a story where readers may already know the destination but must still be compelled by the journey. Unlike sequels that build on established momentum, prequels require you to honour...
Crossover novels represent one of the most technically demanding challenges in crime and thriller writing, requiring authors to balance established character voices, merge distinct investigative worlds, and satisfy readers from multiple series simultaneously. The temptation to unite beloved protagonists...
Every crime writer faces the moment when their meticulously planned series hits a wall—when a plot point established three books ago now contradicts the brilliant twist you’ve crafted for book seven. Retconning in crime fiction becomes inevitable when you’re building complex, interconnected...
The question of aging the series detective presents one of crime fiction’s most challenging character development problems. How do you maintain reader investment while authentically portraying the toll that years of investigating murders, corruption, and human depravity takes on your protagonist?
Across...
The seventh book in your crime series arrives, and your protagonist’s partner suddenly has brown eyes instead of blue, lives in a different suburb, and mentions a childhood trauma that contradicts established backstory from book three. Readers notice these inconsistencies faster than a detective...
The moment a secondary character starts stealing scenes, every crime writer faces the same dilemma: do they deserve their own series? It’s not simply about popularity or reader demand—spinning off characters requires careful consideration of narrative sustainability and commercial viability.
Across...
Series fatigue strikes every crime writer eventually. Your detective has solved twenty cases, weathered personal crises, and exhausted obvious character arcs, yet publishers want book twenty-one and readers expect familiar satisfaction.
Across eighteen series and more than 150 novels, I’ve found...
Every crime writer faces the same brutal question: when do you kill off your detective, not literally, but professionally? The moment arrives when your once-sharp protagonist starts feeling stale, when readers begin drifting away, or when you realise you’re recycling plots from book three. It’s...
The first book in a crime series carries a dual burden: it must function as a complete, satisfying novel while simultaneously laying groundwork for stories that may not unfold for years. Most authors get seduced by the immediate narrative and shortchange the foundation work, creating problems that compound...
Writing future-set crime fiction presents a unique challenge: you must construct a believable world that doesn’t yet exist while maintaining the tight logic and procedural authenticity that crime readers demand. The temptation is to get lost in the world-building, but the crime must remain front...
Contemporary crime fiction presents a unique challenge that historical mysteries sidestep entirely: the relentless pace of technological, social, and cultural change. What feels cutting-edge today becomes dated within months, and what seems universally relevant can quickly reveal itself as a temporal...
The fundamental tension in writing historical crime fiction settings lies not in gathering research, but in knowing how much of that research to actually use. Every detail you’ve uncovered about Victorian London’s sewer systems or 1920s police procedures feels essential, yet your reader picked...