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 romantic subplot in crime fiction walks a razor’s edge between enhancement and distraction. When executed properly, romance deepens character motivation, raises stakes, and adds emotional complexity to your mystery. When handled poorly, it becomes saccharine filler that readers skip to get...
The mentor figure in crime fiction operates differently than in other genres because our protagonists face life-or-death stakes where bad guidance kills. Unlike fantasy heroes seeking wisdom or literary characters pursuing enlightenment, detectives and agents need mentors who understand the brutal mechanics...
The lone wolf detective presents a specific structural challenge that separates competent crime writers from those who truly understand their craft. Unlike team-based investigations where dialogue and collaboration drive plot advancement, the solo operator forces you to find alternative mechanisms for...
The team investigation represents one of crime fiction’s most complex narrative challenges, demanding the writer juggle multiple character perspectives while maintaining procedural authenticity and narrative momentum. Unlike the lone detective archetype, ensemble investigations require careful...
The international detective story presents writers with a fundamental tension: how much cultural authenticity serves the story versus how much becomes literary tourism. Too little cultural specificity and your detective could be working anywhere; too much and you risk drowning the investigation in travelogue...
The female detective operating within a male-dominated police force, FBI unit, or intelligence agency presents unique narrative opportunities that extend far beyond simple gender dynamics. When done poorly, these characters become walking grievance studies or superhuman paragons who never face realistic...
The rookie detective presents one of crime fiction’s most potent yet underutilized narrative opportunities. Too many writers treat inexperience as a liability to overcome rather than a strategic asset to exploit. The rookie’s fresh eyes, procedural uncertainty, and emotional vulnerability...
The retired detective presents one of crime fiction’s most deceptively complex character archetypes. Whether they’re drawn back into active service or investigating from the margins, these characters carry decades of fictional baggage that must be carefully managed to avoid cliché while leveraging...
The reluctant detective presents one of crime fiction’s most compelling contradictions: a protagonist whose very resistance to the investigation creates the story’s driving tension. Unlike the eager investigator who charges headfirst into danger, the reluctant detective must be dragged, coerced,...
The criminal protagonist presents one of crime fiction’s most compelling paradoxes: how do you make readers root for someone who breaks the law? Unlike traditional police procedurals where moral lines remain clear, heist fiction and antihero crime novels demand that readers invest emotionally in...
The sympathetic killer represents one of crime fiction’s most challenging character archetypes. Creating a murderer who evokes reader understanding while maintaining moral boundaries requires surgical precision in character development and motivation.
Across eighteen series and more than 150 novels,...
The unreliable narrator in crime fiction presents one of the most challenging yet rewarding narrative devices a writer can employ. When executed properly, it transforms a straightforward mystery into a psychological maze where readers question not just whodunnit, but whether they can trust the very voice...