“From Innocence to Intrigue: The Dark Journey That Transformed Me into a True Crime Writer”
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Want to be a true crime writer? Get tough! This genre is not for the faint of heart. When I envisioned my freelance writing career, I never thought I’d write true crime stories. Granted, I began watching crime documentaries in high school, and always wondered what went through the minds of serial killers like Ted Bundy. But I never thought I would get the opportunity to voice my opinion on crime.
When Did the True Crime Niche Become Popular?
True crime stories were told in songs and ballads in the Middle Ages. But, in the 19th century, William Roughead’s books played a big role in establishing the genre. They gave writers and readers a voice. Experts like Vincent Bugliosi made the genre more popular with his 1970 epic crime read, Helter Skelter.
The digital age has made true crime stories even more accessible. With hundreds of podcasts, channels, and publications, freelance writers have a massive opportunity to earn money from this niche.
Finding Writing Ideas
True crime means writing about bad and gruesome things happening in people’s lives. It’s about telling real stories with tragic endings. As a writer, you’ll have to come to terms with death, despair, and destruction. It’s all fact, not fiction. Adjectives are often my biggest offenders when inviting readers to a crime scene. As you’re trying to capture everything about a scene, using too many of them in your writing will clutter it.
Personification always helps bring these scenes to life. You don’t want to frighten your readers; I mention everyday things, scents, and colors, and let readers follow things like a trail of blood that led into the carpet.
Writing successfully will rely on all of your five senses. Tapping into my feelings of horror, sadness, devastation, despair, shock, and awfulness has helped me every time I had to write about a particular crime. Don’t shy away from the hard truths and, remember, there’s always space for humor, no matter how serious it seems.
Pitching to True Crime Blogs and Publications
I first started writing true crime by pitching articles to blogs and publications. Crime outlets are always seeking articles and op-eds in the niche. With a little online research, I started pitching recent crime stories to blogs like A&E Real Crime and Court TV blogs, as well as crime publications like In These Times.
I also make good earnings writing scripts for true crime podcasts. YouTube crime podcasts are always commissioning writers for great scripts. Using search terms like “true crime writers” on free writing job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and Pro Blogger will filter the best jobs.
Writing Tips That Will Help You Stand Out of the Pack
By employing these tips, you’ll improve your crime writing, and become an expert in the niche over time. Remember, consistency is key.
Read true crime
Thriving as a true crime writer means enjoying true crime stories. Immersing yourself in the genre is about understanding the themes, tropes, language, and style.
Keep up with the latest happenings
Unfortunately, sad crime stories are all over the media. Keeping up with trending stories helps you know what to pitch to different blogs and publications. Subscribe to YouTube crime channels to get new story notifications.
Take an online course in writing crime fiction
An online course will help you sharpen your skills as you continue to write and learn the genre. I signed up to established crime writer Julia Crouch’s courses and they helped me learn about writing plots, tying up loose ends, and building a writing routine.
If you enjoy true crime stories, this is a genre that’s worth tapping into. Readers enjoy mysterious elements and, as a freelance writer, you’ll get paid for telling stories that mean the most to you.
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Stowe Ronald is a Massachusetts-based writer who enjoys writing and converting audiences. He has written for crime publications like In These Times and Real Crime. He has also written for Amazon, Tapdesk, Disney, and B2B and B2C brands.
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