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 difference between a crime novel that grips readers and one that falls flat often comes down to tone. Your choice of voice, pacing, and stylistic elements must serve the specific darkness you’re exploring, whether that’s the methodical horror of a serial killer or the gritty desperation...
Voice in crime fiction operates at multiple levels, but it’s the sentence-level signature that truly hooks readers and keeps them coming back. While plot structures and character archetypes can be learned and replicated, the distinctive way you construct sentences, choose words, and create rhythm...
Mastering Irony in Crime Fiction: How Dramatic, Situational, and Verbal Irony Drive Thriller Tension
Irony in crime fiction operates as the engine that transforms predictable investigation into pulse-pounding revelation. The gap between what appears to be true and what actually is creates the fundamental tension that keeps readers turning pages. When deployed strategically, irony doesn’t just...
Symbolism in crime fiction separates competent storytelling from memorable literature. The difference between a knife that simply kills and one that represents the severing of family bonds determines whether readers close your book satisfied or haunted. When objects, places, and recurring motifs carry...
The most forgettable crime novels are those that mistake procedural mechanics for storytelling depth. A murder happens, clues emerge, the detective follows leads, the killer is caught – but nothing resonates beyond the final page because the story never asked why any of it mattered beyond solving the...
Legal thriller conventions present a unique challenge for crime writers because they demand authentic procedural knowledge while maintaining the relentless pace that keeps readers turning pages. The courtroom becomes both stage and battleground, where legal procedure must serve dramatic purpose without...
Domestic thriller conventions operate within strict boundaries that separate amateur attempts from professional work. The sub-genre demands intimate betrayal, claustrophobic settings, and the systematic destruction of trust between characters who should be safe with each other.
Across eighteen series...
Tartan Noir isn’t simply crime fiction that happens to be set in Scotland—it’s a distinct subgenre with specific conventions that demand particular craft approaches. The landscape, culture, and social fabric of Scotland create unique storytelling opportunities that many writers squander by...
Scandi Noir conventions operate as a distinct architectural framework within crime fiction, creating stories that feel fundamentally different from their British or American counterparts. The genre’s appeal lies not in flashy action sequences or elaborate plot twists, but in its methodical excavation...
The hard-boiled tradition remains one of the most commercially viable approaches in crime fiction, yet many writers misunderstand what actually makes it work. The appeal isn’t just the cynical detective or urban setting—it’s a specific set of craft techniques that create immediacy and emotional...
Golden Age mystery conventions endure because they solve fundamental narrative problems that plague every crime writer: how to sustain reader engagement while delivering satisfying resolution, and how to balance complexity with clarity. These aren’t antiquated formulas but proven structural tools...
Moral ambiguity isn’t about making your protagonist unlikeable or your villain sympathetic for the sake of literary complexity. It’s about recognizing that readers come to crime fiction precisely because they want to explore the uncomfortable spaces between right and wrong, where justice...