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.
Welsh Crime Fiction Settings present writers with a landscape that demands respect and understanding rather than superficial appropriation. The temptation to rely on tired stereotypes of mining communities and sheep-dotted valleys undermines the sophisticated narrative potential that Wales offers crime...
Lake District Crime Fiction benefits from one of England’s most psychologically complex landscapes. The juxtaposition of serene beauty with hidden darkness creates natural tension that drives compelling narratives without forcing melodrama.
Across eighteen series and more than 150 novels, I’ve...
Yorkshire Crime Settings seduce writers with their ready-made atmosphere—brooding moors, industrial decay, isolated villages—but this seductive landscape becomes a crutch that weakens your actual storytelling. Too many authors mistake atmospheric description for genuine tension, letting Yorkshire’s...
Cornwall Crime Fiction: Coastal Mystery Settings present writers with an immediate advantage that landlocked locations simply cannot match. The county’s dramatic coastline offers isolated coves, treacherous cliffs, and communities cut off by geography—natural elements that create tension before...
Writing Hebrides Crime Fiction: Remote Islands presents opportunities that mainland settings simply cannot match. The geographical isolation creates natural boundaries that transform every investigation into a pressure cooker, where suspects cannot flee and secrets have nowhere to hide.
Across eighteen...
Scottish Loch Settings in Crime Fiction have become the literary equivalent of a shortcut to atmosphere—writers drop a body in the water, describe the mist rolling across the surface, and assume the work is done. The problem isn’t the setting itself; it’s that most authors treat these locations...
Glasgow Noir: Urban Scottish Crime represents one of the most demanding subgenres in contemporary crime fiction, requiring writers to balance authentic local voice with universal criminal psychology. The city’s unique social fabric—post-industrial decay alongside fierce community loyalty—creates...
Scottish Crime Fiction Settings Beyond Edinburgh offers writers a vast landscape of untapped potential that most authors ignore. The Highland villages, industrial Glasgow backstreets, and windswept islands provide atmospheres that Edinburgh’s tourist-friendly closes simply cannot match.
Across...
Australian Capital Crime Fiction presents unique challenges that separate amateur attempts from compelling narratives that readers devour. The intersection of political power, bureaucratic machinery, and criminal enterprise in Canberra creates storytelling opportunities unlike anywhere else in Australia,...
Australian Rural Crime Settings present storytelling opportunities that no urban environment can replicate. The isolation, the unforgiving landscape, and the unique social dynamics of small outback communities create natural pressure cookers for crime fiction.
Across eighteen series and more than 150...
Coastal Australia Crime Fiction demands more than postcard descriptions of beaches and fishing villages. The coast isn’t just scenery—it’s a character that shapes how crimes unfold, how investigations proceed, and how communities protect their secrets.
Across eighteen series and more than...
Australian Crime Fiction Settings: Regional Diversity presents writers with a storytelling advantage that few other genres or geographies can match. The continent’s vast landscapes, isolated communities, and stark contrasts between urban sophistication and rural rawness create natural dramatic...