The Crime Writing Course I’ve Taught for Fourteen Years Is Finally Yours
Dear Readers, There is a moment I have watched happen in workshop rooms for fourteen years, and it still gets me every single time. A writer is stuck on a body, cause of death, evidence and motive. We need a victim for the story to work, but the scene sits flat on the page, more […]
Writing Cold Cases: Using New Science With Old Evidence
Cold cases are investigations that reached the limits of what science, human law enforcement resources, and low budgets could offer at the time the crimes were committed. Evidence was collected, preserved, and documented. Leads were followed. Witnesses were interviewed. Then progress stopped. For various reasons, but not because investigators stopped caring. Often they didn’t have […]
The Science of Skeletons: What Bones Can (and Can’t) Tell Us
Bones don’t lie. Growing up in a coroner’s world, I learned early that skeletal remains hold a kind of truth that outlasts everything else—identity, memory, even flesh. Bones remember. They record. They carry the quiet history of a life lived, right up to the moment it ended. But as much as skeletal remains […]
Multiple POVs, Multiple Truths: How to Weave Perspectives into Crime Fiction
Solving A Mystery Depends on Who’s Holding The Truth One of the lessons I’ve learned about crime scene investigation is that the same crime scene can tell very different stories, depending on who’s standing over the body. An investigator sees evidence. A witness sees memory. A family member sees revenge. A killer sees […]
Behind the Case: How True Crime Shapes My Fiction
“The more I write, the more I am struck by the veracity of the statement, truth is stranger than fiction.” We have a deeply human desire to make sense out of chaotic, senseless acts of violence, whether fictional or real. As a crime writer, I obviously find myself drawn to real life crime cases – […]
Blood Spatter Patterns & What They Reveal: A Writer’s Guide
There’s something about blood at a crime scene that captures both fear and fascination. It’s visceral. Visual. Unavoidable. And for the crime writer, detecting patterns in blood spatter can reveal motive, victim placement, and how the killer moved about the scene. In the world of forensic science, bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) is an investigative art […]
Is My Muse Dead? Why Creativity Sometimes Disappears, and How to Bring It Back
If your creative spark has gone dark, you’re not alone. Here’s what to do when inspiration feels out of reach, and how to find your way back to the words. A Letter to Every Writer Who’s Ever Felt Empty It’s a question I get every time I teach a class or make a […]
DNA Basics 101: What Every Crime Writer Should Know About the Science of Identity
You leave a story behind everywhere you go. It’s on the rim of your coffee cup. Embedded in the sleeve of your jacket. Floating on your toothbrush bristles. And in the eyes of a forensic investigator, it’s a trail of identity, written in genetic code. DNA is a powerful tool for criminal justice and an […]
Understanding the Psychology of Predators: What Every Woman Should Know
Predators don’t just lurk in dark alleys—they exist in everyday life. They can be a coworker, a friendly acquaintance, a neighbor, or sadly, even someone within your own family. The reality is, most crimes against women are committed by someone they know. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 80% of sexual assaults are perpetrated […]
Crime Writing Q&A – Expert Insights for Crime Storytelling
I get some really interesting questions when I teach my crime writing workshops. Below, I’ve answered some of the most common questions writers have about crafting crime fiction. From building the perfect villain to avoiding forensic faux pas, some of these might help you make your crime stories more authentic, engaging, and totally binge-worthy. Q: […]
