How to Write a True Crime Story That Readers Love

Tips and tricks to write research-based articles.

Are you bored with writing the same type of article?

Most writers, at some point, have the moment when they feel they would like to try to write under a different niche. This happened to me three years ago, and I started looking into writing true crime. 

It changed my life. Now I am going to show you how to do it. 

Finding Topics

This simple system will work for true crime, history, or any other research-based article. The first thing is that you have to have a genuine interest in the subject. For crime, I also suggest a strong stomach. 

The first part of the process is to research cases that interest you. You can look through popular content creators on Instagram or Twitter to find cases. If you find a post that interests you and has engagement, this might be a good case to research further. 

There is an interest in the shortform content, so there will be readers for the longer form you write. 

Research

Once you have the case, then start the research. First, read a variety of articles, as many get facts wrong. Then, act as a detective and find out the facts of the case by examining everything known. 

Your best source of information will come from the court transcribes. These are easy to find but long to read. Before reading these, I always ensure I have an idea of the case; it makes the files easier to digest. 

To store this research, I write notes or highlight the relevant passages. I then transfer this information into 8-10 bullet points for each paragraph. Save every resource you read, even if you do not directly use it. 

Two areas to avoid. Wikipedia is brilliant for getting a feel for the case, but do not use it for the facts; it is rarely accurate. Second, AI, such as ChatGPT, can not write true crime; it mixes all the cases up. There is a use for it which I will discuss later. 

Writing True Crime

It is time to turn your bullet points into an article. I follow a similar format with all my articles; for example, I start with early life but do not take this too in-depth I then work on the facts of the case. 

Try to write these as a story, although remember these articles are about someone's life, so have respect. Put all the facts of the case and be honest. Where you are unsure of some of the reporting, tell your reader about this. 

One of the tricks I have adopted is to use the perpetrator's surnames and the victims' first names. I am not saying this is right or wrong; it is a system I have adopted. Having your own style with any writing is essential.

If you are using a direct quote, then hyperlink the source. Other references can either be put in the article or at the end. Keep the research you haven't used; this can inform a social media post or be used to give thoughtful comments to readers. 

Editing

There is nothing different about editing a True Crime article. Check grammar and format; cut out unnecessary words and ensure the article makes sense and follows a logical pattern.

I would also check that you have the names of those involved spelt correctly throughout and have the correct dates. Again, this might seem obvious but never correct the spelling or grammar of the quotes you are using. 

Quotes should be kept at a minimum, just enough to give the article credibility but not so much that you rely on them to tell the story. 

Now go back and look at your introduction. Is it short enough to pique interest and includes enough information that the reader will what to keep reading? If not, change some things around. 

Do not give the whole story away at the beginning of the article, but do not make it so vague that readers will not want to read on. 

Headline & Images

These are two of the more difficult areas when writing true crime, and it will take time to perfect these. Headlines need to be eye-catching and tell the reader about the article. 

The tip I use is always to include the perpetrator's name in either the headline or the sub-heading. If I do not place the name in the headline, I change the SEO title to include it. This is easy to do on all platforms, even Substack now. 

Images are another area that is filled with problems. Most of the images you find online are not copyright free, especially if the case is recent. For this reason, you need to pick your image carefully. 

It should portray what the article is about, even if it does not include a picture of the perpetrator. Beware of using stock images that show a person's face, as you may inadvertently accuse this person of the crime. 

I worked with a writer that used famous people as the image. I rejected all these articles. Not only was it dishonest to suggest the celebrity was the victim or perpetrator it was also very much clickbait. 

Using AI

One of the areas that AI may help you with is the headline. You can copy and paste the article into ChatGPT and ask it for a suggestion of ten headlines. I sometimes do this if I have no idea. I then tweak these or combine some of the suggestions for my headline.

Another task that AI can help with is to summarise the article for you, which you can then use in your social media marketing. 

You need to market your articles where the readers are. General Facebook groups are not always the best solution. Instagram is good if you use popular tags to get the article in front of the right audience. 

On Instagram, I have a dedicated profile for my crime articles. I also have a specific Facebook group for true crime. Using these, I have built an audience interested in crime that is more likely to read longer-form articles on the subject. 

Do Not

Here are three tips you should not do. The first is something that drives me mad. 

Do not put trigger warnings in your articles. First, if you have written the headline well enough, the reader will know it might contain upsetting details. They are not idiots; they will not read if they don't want to. Secondly, if the details are so horrific you need a trigger warning, do not include them. 

In some cases, there are details of the murder that are too horrific to include. Remember, for every case you write; there is a victim and their family behind them. Don't forget this when you are writing, have respect for them. 

Finally, don't be afraid to start. Everyone has to start somewhere, so start today. You have nothing to lose. If it isn't for you, you never have to write another true crime article again. If you love it, then welcome to the true crime family. 

If you want to start writing crime, check out my Medium publication Crimebeat. Click here to join Medium, and your subscription fee will help support my writing.