What Is True Crime & How Do I Write It?

What is true crime? We explore and define the true crime genre. We give you examples of some of the best true crime books. And finally, we give you tips on how to write true crime.

What Is True Crime?

True crime can be about one crime, and one criminal, a series of related crimes, a criminal partnership like American gangsters, Bonnie and Clyde or the British criminal brothers, the Kray twins, a cult leader like Charles Manson, kidnappers or thieves.

Recounts of the crime, or crimes, can take two forms.

One is a journalistic investigation of the facts with probably suppositions about unrecorded events usually told from the investigative team’s POV (Point Of View).
The other is a fictional story that is often told from the point of view of a surviving victim, their families, or the criminal. This makes the book a ‘based on’ story rather than a faithfully factual account. The author will have added in elements such as unheard or unrecorded conversations, the characters’ internal thoughts and emotions and imagined scenarios.

Despite these differences, both try to portray ‘what really happened’. It’s important to remember that the fictional version has elements that are only the author’s opinion or imagination.

Take the history of Lizzie Borden who was suspected of brutally murdering her father and stepmother in 1892 with an axe. She was acquitted. All the evidence which seemed strong was only circumstantial. This still-unsolved case has fascinated the public and authors for over 133 years. Many books and television series have been spun from what few facts are available.

Who Is The Biggest Audience For True Crime?

It may come as a surprise to learn that true crime documentaries are more popular with women viewers than with men. There are several reasons for this. The three most common are:

Women are more far likely to be victims of violent crime than men. The true crime drama inevitably shows the perpetrator being brought to justice. Women want to know that the ‘bad guys’ do get caught and sent to jail.
True crime dramas help women spot red flags in people they encounter, even in their own homes.
True crime shows women what to do if they find themselves in a potentially dangerous situation. It also shows them how to leave breadcrumbs, if possible. These are clues that will help law enforcement find, and hopefully, rescue them quickly.

The Most Important Thing To Remember When Writing A True Crime Book

Because of the subject matter, and the depth of gory detail the book will more than likely contain, it might be a good idea to have a clear trigger warning or reader age-appropriateness indication on your back cover, or in the book’s foreword.

How To Write A True Crime Book

It may be obvious, but a true crime book must contain:

A) The Crime

Every true crime novel must have a real crime or series of crimes at its core, as its raison d’etre. It’s often said that if there’s no body, there’s no crime. But that’s not true when it comes to writing a true crime book. Who went missing, when, how, who was around at the time, where could the body be – these are all fodder for the true crime writer.

B) Good Writing

It’s vital to remember that no crime happens in a vacuum.

1. The writing must not be purple prose. It must be finely-tuned. The facts clearly presented without bias. It must vividly create:

1. The political atmosphere of the time.
2. The typical working procedures and attitudes of the police at the time.
3. The emotional landscape of the families of both the victim and the criminal.
4. Both families’ position and involvement in the community.
5. The friends and enemies of the victim, their family, and the criminal.
6. The history and climate of the town when the crime took place.
7. The local and or national media response to the crime.
8. The court case, if there was one, and any biases the jury and judge may have had.

All of this will require a lot of research.

2. In-depth Research
True crime is probably, apart from historical novels, the most research-intensive genre to write. The research must be immaculate, and in-depth. Not just about the crime, but every other aspect mentioned above.

3. All The Facts
There must be provable, verifiable facts. Use legitimate sources. Facebook and X are not legitimate sources. If possible, get the facts from police reports, the investigation team members, the family, and friends or colleagues of the victim. Dig deep. If too many years have passed since the crime, and no one involved is still alive, you will need to search much deeper.

4. Nitty-Gritty Details
Apart from the big facts, you need to include the small, nitty-gritty facts. These include dates, times, locations, and as much information and details of the crime, and the people involved as is possible to find. Even the weather at the time of the crime may matter.

5. Names
All characters’ real names must be used – the victims, the killers, the investigation team, the judges etc. The correct place names, brand names, transport companies’ names etc need to be used.

6. Dialogue
It’s best to use as much of the recorded dialogue as possible. But there will be times when you will have to ‘fill in the gaps’. Be as judicious as possible when doing this.

C) Keeping The Victims’ Voices Alive

As an author, it your job to satisfy the readers’ need for a fully rounded story as much with true crime as with any other genre. But you shouldn’t be writing just for sensationalism. The majority of true crime incidents can happen to anyone. Your job is to keep the voices of the victims alive.

Some Of The Best True Crime Books

Among the many true crime books that powerfully connect with readers are:

The Last Word

If research, and the truth about ‘what really happened’, are your happy place as a writer, then the true crime genre may be what you’re looking for.

If you’d like to write for children, young adults, or adults, why not sign up for one of the rich and in-depth courses and workbooks that Writers Write offers to learn how to write the best book you possibly can.

Source for image: Pixabay

by Elaine Dodge. Author of The Harcourts of Canada series and The Device Hunter, Elaine trained as a graphic designer, then worked in design, advertising, and broadcast television. She now creates content, mostly in written form, including ghost writing business books, for clients across the globe, but would much rather be drafting her books and short stories.

What Is True Crime & How Do I Write It?