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 choice between Inner City vs Suburbs in Crime Fiction isn’t merely geographical—it’s a fundamental decision that shapes every aspect of your narrative, from pacing to character development to the very nature of the crimes your protagonist investigates. Each setting demands different techniques,...
Metropolitan Police Procedurals occupy a unique position in crime fiction, demanding both institutional authenticity and the gritty reality of London’s streets. The Met isn’t just another police force—it’s a complex bureaucratic machine with distinct hierarchies, political pressures,...
Urban Crime Settings: City Structure determines whether your crime novel feels authentic or reads like tourist brochure fiction. The way you map your city’s bones—its districts, transport networks, and social geography—directly impacts plot credibility and character movement. Get the structure...
Village Crime Fiction: Closed Communities represent one of the most potent settings available to crime writers, offering natural constraints that force both characters and readers into an inescapable crucible of suspicion. The isolation inherent in these environments creates a pressure cooker effect...
Countryside settings in crime fiction present a paradox that many writers fail to exploit properly. The bucolic tranquility that draws readers to rural mysteries also creates the most challenging technical demands for maintaining narrative tension and believable plot mechanics.
Across eighteen series...
Rural Crime Fiction: Small Town Secrets works because isolation amplifies everything—the lies, the grudges, the desperate measures people take when they believe no one is watching. The supposed safety of small communities becomes their greatest vulnerability, creating a pressure cooker where ordinary...
Harbor settings offer crime writers a unique convergence of isolation and activity, legitimate commerce and criminal enterprise. The challenge lies not in exploiting the obvious metaphors of tides and depths, but in understanding how ports actually function as ecosystems of opportunity and vulnerability.
Across...
Seaside towns possess an inherent duality that makes them irresistible to crime writers. The postcard veneer of holiday charm conceals undercurrents of transience, seasonal desperation, and moral ambiguity that can drive the darkest narratives. When wielded skillfully, coastal settings become more than...
Coastal crime fiction presents unique opportunities that inland mysteries simply cannot match. The proximity of water creates natural boundaries, escape routes, and disposal methods that fundamentally alter how crimes unfold and investigations proceed.
Across eighteen series and more than 150 novels,...
Remote island settings present unique challenges that separate competent crime writers from exceptional ones. The interplay between weather systems and access limitations can either elevate your thriller into unforgettable territory or expose fundamental weaknesses in plotting and character development.
Across...
Island communities offer mystery writers something no other setting can deliver: absolute isolation paired with inescapable intimacy. When you strand your detective and suspects on a piece of land surrounded by water, you create natural boundaries that transform every investigation into a pressure cooker...
Islands present crime writers with a deceptively simple yet devastatingly effective setting that transforms every investigation into a pressure cooker. The physical boundaries create natural story constraints that force both characters and plot into tighter focus. When there’s nowhere to run and...