How to Write a Crime Story
- 1). Decide on what sort of crime story you are going to write. A crime story can be a "whodunit," in which the reader doesn't know who the guilty party is, or a "howcatchem" story where the audience knows from the beginning. In a whodunit, the reader tries to figure out the mystery before the detective can. In a howcatchem, the reader watches the detective unravel the mystery.
- 2). Create a setting. A detective story can take place pretty much anywhere. In a locked room story, all the action takes place in a closed space where the crime has been committed. On the other extreme, an international thriller can take place all over the world.
- 3). Create the protagonist or protagonists. A crime novel hero can be a hard-boiled police officer, a seasoned and world-weary detective, a brilliant amateur who is called on to unravel the crime before the villain strikes again or anyone else you can think of. Decide on the tactics she uses to solve the crime, her back story, how she talks and looks and what motivates her. Be sure to include some flaws. Flawless heroes are usually a bit boring.
- 4). Create a villain. A villain can be a diabolical madman, a ruthless profiteer, a misguided idealist or a victim bent on revenge over some past wrong. He can have a sinister, diabolical appearance or look utterly harmless. He can be someone the reader will despise or someone he will identify with and feel sorry for. The villain and his crime set the emotional tone of the book.
- 5). Create a crime. Brutal and creative murders are classic, but a crime novel can revolve around simpler, less sinister acts. For example, the story "Who Stole the Wizard of Oz" by Avi is a whodunit for children that revolves around the theft of a single book from the library. Because the story is not about a gruesome crime, kids can have a chance to enjoy the thrills of a crime novel.
- 6). Create a trail of clues. As the story goes on, the protagonist should discover more clues about the crime. Use physical evidence from the crime scene, research the detective does and interviews with various people to provide different types of clues. For example, if the novel is about a murderer, blood from the crime scene, criminal profiling by detectives and interviews with the families of the perpetrator and the victim can all be clues. False clues can also be used to lead the detective away from the right answer and build tension.
- 7). Create a satisfying ending. Some detective stories gradually, broodingly build toward a tense finish. Others surprise you with a sudden twist and an unexpected solution to the mystery. The ending you choose determines how the reader remembers the book and what she takes away from it.
