Writing Tips
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Crime Writing: Scene Structure and MRUs in Action
I’ve veered away from writing tips on this blog; there are far better teachers out there and a gazillion writing blogs. But lately, several writers have asked me how to write thrillers and mysteries that are…
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Talking Crime with Detective (Ret.) Kim McGath
I sat down with my dear friend, Detective (Ret.) Kim McGath, to talk crime, writing, police procedure, and how to best make our stories ring true. Some of you may remember Kim from her…
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Profiling 101: Breeding Monsters Among Mankind
I’m thrilled to have my buddy David Villalva here today. Some of you might know him from Story and Craft (now called www.davidvillalva.com). If you don’t follow his blog, I highly recommend it. David has…
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Thriller Structure In TV: Scorpion
Have you ever watched the show Scorpion? Whether you like it or not, you can’t overlook its perfect thriller structure. It’s a quirky, yet heart-thumping, series about five geniuses who contract their services with the…
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More Cop Slang & Fed Lingo
I swear I haven’t abandoned you. I’ve been learning exciting new stuff, which I’ll share soon. In the meantime, here’s some fun cop slang and Fed lingo for your enjoyment and/or to use in your…
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Tips To Tighten Our Writing
In a previous post I talked about Show, Don’t Tell in the narrative. Today, I’d like to expand on that as well as show a few ways to tighten our writing. Hopefully, you’ll find it useful in your…
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Crime Writer Boot Camp: Jurisdiction Part II
If you’re just joining us, Officer X, my CI and friend, has been instructing us on how to properly use jurisdiction in our stories. He’ still on the job, which is why I’m…
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Crime Writer Boot Camp: Jurisdiction
I have a real treat for you. As I’ve mentioned before, Officer X is an avid reader of crime fiction. As crime writers, we need to make our stories ring true for everyone, but especially…
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If She Walks Like a Victim…
The best CI a crime writer could ever have, Officer X, sent me a fascinating video, where Dr. John Marsden asked four volunteers to prove how our body language might make us a…
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Police and Fed Terminology for Crime Writers
A while back Lee Lofland graciously agreed to allow me to republish his Crime Writer’s Dictionary. I want to be clear that this is not an extension of that but rather, an independent…
