Best first paragraph: Chandler
If you want to write a great first paragraph to your crime novel, take a look at how Raymond Chandler did it. Here’s the best first paragraph …
write a thriller
Best first paragraph: Hammett
What’s the best first paragraph in crime fiction? Dashiell Hammett was a great crime fiction stylist. Here’s the best opening to one of his novels. …
How scared should your readers be?
How to write a crime novel, episode 20 You might think your job as a crime writer is to make your readers as scared as possible. In fact, you have to …
5 prompts to start your crime novel
How to start a crime novel, episode 19 If you’re stuck, here are five prompts to start your crime novel. 5 prompts to start your crime novel …
The hero-on-the-run mystery
How to write a crime novel, episode 18 How do you write a hero-on-the-run mystery? It has been a popular formula at least since 1915 when John Buchan …
Write your crime fiction hero
How to write a crime novel, episode 17 The hero of a crime fiction novel is the most important element of the book. Here are seven things you need to …
How to write Act III of your crime novel
How to write a crime novel, episode 8 Act III is the final portion of your crime novel. It’s all-action. This post explains how to write Act III …
How to write Act I of your crime novel
How to write Act I of your crime novel How to write a crime novel, episode 3 Act I of your crime novel sets up your hero. It provides the action that …
How to structure your crime novel
How to structure your crime novel How to write a crime novel, episode 2 If you don’t take time to figure out the structure of your crime novel, …
6 tips for writing dialogue that you haven’t heard before
What do you do when you want to be writing dialogue that’s fresh? Writing dialogue cheatsheet to find fresh angles on your characters Posts with …
Hammett’s writing evokes emotion through reality
How Hammett’s classic ‘The Maltese Falcon’ showed me what kind of writer to be As an undergraduate I studied English literature at …
Guns in thrillers: Crime writers and gun control
Guns in thrillers shouldn’t glamorize violence–even when the hero is the best shot I’ve only fired a gun on a single occasion, though guns …