Crime Stories Editing

Ruth Rendell, James Elroy, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (and his protagonist, the aristocratic, hawk-eyed Sherlock Holmes, the dutiful Dr Watson, and the personification of evil—Moriarty); Allan Guthrie, Declan Burke (the 2007 Booker Prize winner for The Gathering), Ian Rankin, Colin Dexter, Duncan Lawrie, Michael Robotham, Peter Temple and Lynda La Plante —all names of renown in the crime story / thriller / mystery writing genre.

"The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes."
—Agatha Christie

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Raymond Chandler was the quintessential crime and mystery writer—who, having read The Big Sleep can forget it? Or Philip Marlowe, the fictional character created by Chandler, who became so ‘real’ as his iconic, hard-boiled detective that the author once wrote in a letter to Maurice Guinness (February 21, 1959) "I see him always in a lonely street, in lonely rooms, puzzled but never quite defeated." Then there is Agatha Christie, and her remarkable cast of characters including the sartorially splendid, oh so soignée Hercule Poirot, and the redoubtable Miss Marple. All these names, and yet we have barely begun to tap into the astonishing number of writers—listed here in no particular order—who have become famous around the world for their crime stories. Even J.K. Rowling is now said to be writing a crime novel, her first detective story.

For those new authors who may be thinking of breaking into the crime writing genre, a caution; writing true crime stories involves a lot of time spent in research; information and details that can be invented if you are writing fiction. But it is this research that leads to the best of the genre and its overlapping categories of mystery and thriller fiction. It is this credibility, realism and page-turning engagement that thrills and leaves readers on the edge of their seats.

RAYMOND CHANDLER

Raymond Chandler is famously said to have had no idea what was going on in The Big Sleep but most readers would never have suspected, nor would they be anything but captivated by the introductory lines from his “Red Wind” written in 1938:

"There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot, dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge."

WordsRU’s team of editors and proofreaders have years of experience in proofing and editing crime stories. They not only appreciate the genre and its popularity, they understand the importance of an attention-getting introduction such as the one shown above, and how essential it is to preserve your distinctive style, your unique ‘voice’ and remain true to your original concept.

We understand that authors are looking to have their work edited and proofed by an editor or proofreader who can improve the quality of their writing, and tease out that which may be proving elusive, but who will not change the style or mood of the writing, and certainly not alter the story itself. Whether you are attempting your first novel or you already make a living as a professional writer, WordsRU’s professional editors and proofreaders will check your manuscript for trouble spots, leaving you free to concentrate on the creative side of your writing.

Our editorial service has wide experience in the copy editing and proofreading of both fiction and non-fiction manuscripts, and our service embraces autobiographies, memoirs, self-help books, poetry, cookbooks, adventure, romance, science fiction, mystery, fantasy, literary fiction and technical manuals. Our editors and proofreaders will thoroughly check your manuscript for grammar as well as correcting punctuation, tense, spelling and typographical errors. We offer help wherever you need it — sentences are strengthened or reworked to heighten the impact, flow and readability of your narrative, and we include invaluable feedback, comments and suggestions as well.

FOUR ESSENTAL PHASES OF A GREAT STORY

Kurt Mortensen, motivational speaker and author of "Maximum Influence: The 12 Universal Laws of Power Persuasion" believes there are there are four phases that are absolutely essential to making your story cohesive, clear and easy to follow and essentially they are:

Setting and characters.
It is important that a sense of where the action is taking place be established early; the questions of where and when must be answered and the reader should be quite clear about them (see story outline guides in other resource notes in these writer pages). In this way readers can visualize the location, identify with it and become part of the unfolding story. This is very similar to ‘selling’ a movie by ‘hooking’ your audience right at the outset so they relate to the characters and what happens to them in your story.
A clear challenge or problem to be faced by the characters.
A challenge immediately generates interest and creates suspense because human beings will instinctively begin to guess what the character may or may not do. If the suspense is created strongly enough, your readers will start to wonder what they would do in similar circumstances and then the story is really beginning to gather momentum. Remember that the more effectively you set up the challenge the more effective the resolution to your book will be—this is similar to establishing the quest in fantasy fiction and the struggle against the dark forces; the triumph of good over evil. Develop the tension in blocks that increase the suspense so that it culminates in an awesome, unexpected and memorable way; one that leaves the reader feeling simultaneously exhausted, relieved and delighted—and wanting to relive it immediately!
The climax or turning point.
This is where all the tension build-up culminates. This is the apex or climax to the story. By this time your readers are literally on the edge of their seats, but a word of caution here. It is crucial that this climax to your story not be confused with the chain of events leading up to it. The climax is quite separate from the events leading to it—the two may overlap and though the climax occurs because of the sequence of events to that point, it is a set piece of possibilities in the mind of the reader, one which will take an inexorable path that leads directly to the pivotal point of your story.
Concluding with a resolution.
As the individual phases of your story come together, and if you have done the preceding work well, a wondrous synergy takes over and the juxtaposition of your challenge and a brilliant resolution breaks through with an impact that is as stunning as it is memorable in the mind of your readers. Stop right there—do not succumb to temptation to take it further, or explain or add a little twist or whatever. Stop—right there on top of the mountain!

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WordsRU Writer Services:

WordsRU will ensure that your crime stories are edited and proofread to attract the highest possible quality outcomes.

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