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.
Sydney presents unique challenges for crime writers that go far beyond simply dropping familiar landmarks into generic plots. The city’s sprawling geography, cultural complexity, and distinctly Australian criminal underworld demand specific craft considerations that can make or break your thriller’s...
Sydney Harbour demands more from a crime writer than simply dropping a body near the Opera House and calling it atmospheric. The harbour’s complex geography, from Circular Quay’s tourist chaos to the secluded bays where serious criminals conduct business, creates unique opportunities for...
The landscape doesn’t just provide backdrop in Australian crime fiction—it fundamentally shapes how you construct character, pace your narrative, and build tension. The choice between setting your crime novel in the red dust of the outback versus the concrete jungle of Sydney or Melbourne isn’t...
The desert doesn’t simply provide backdrop for crime fiction—it becomes an active participant in the story, shaping every decision your characters make and every twist your plot takes. Too many writers treat harsh landscapes as scenic decoration, missing the opportunity to create a living, breathing...
Writing crime fiction in remote Australian settings presents unique challenges that can make or break your detective story. The vastness of the landscape, the isolation of characters, and the psychological pressure of being cut off from help create opportunities for tension that urban settings simply...
The Australian outback demands a different approach to atmospheric writing than the fog-shrouded streets of London or the rain-soaked highlands of Scotland. The vastness, the silence, the brutal honesty of the landscape strips away urban pretenses and forces both characters and readers into confrontation...
The Australian outback presents crime writers with a paradox: it’s simultaneously the most isolating and most psychologically revealing setting you can choose. When your characters are hundreds of kilometres from the nearest neighbour, every decision becomes magnified, every secret more dangerous,...
The outback noir thriller occupies a unique space in crime fiction, where the landscape becomes both witness and participant in the story. Unlike urban crime where human infrastructure dominates, the outback strips everything down to its essential elements: character, conflict, and the unforgiving environment...
The in-media-res opening—starting your crime novel mid-scene rather than with background or setup—remains one of the most powerful tools for grabbing readers immediately. Too many crime writers still believe they need to establish character history or setting details before diving into action, but this...
The cliffhanger chapter isn’t simply about leaving your protagonist dangling from a literal cliff—though I’ve used that device more than once in my action thrillers. It’s about creating a specific type of narrative tension that compels readers to turn the page, while simultaneously...
The double ending in crime fiction presents a structural challenge that separates competent writers from those who truly understand the mechanics of reader satisfaction. When a single resolution feels insufficient—whether because the stakes demand it, the antagonist requires it, or the thematic weight...
The false solution sits at the heart of sophisticated crime writing—that moment roughly two-thirds through your novel when your detective confidently arrests the wrong suspect, backed by compelling evidence that satisfies both character logic and reader expectation. Getting this technique right separates...