How to write a good crime novel or crime short story by Pauline Rowson

•  Choose your location
• Choose your type of crime story
• Think about a good theme or message you want to get across in your story
• Choose who is going to be your main character or characters 

Checklist for a good crime story

• It should be well written with a truly surprising ending.
• You need to plant clues throughout the crime story – not too many but just enough to get the reader thinking.
• One critical piece of information is usually held back until just before the ending.
• The best stories are those that have a theme/message and are firmly based on character.
• Beginning: the main character is introduced immediately, so is the tone and setting and the problem
• Middle: Build the motivation and tension.
• The climax – this is the worst possible moment of the story.
• The ending
• If you are writing a short story then there should be unities of time, place and action which means that the story should take place over a very short space of time, in the same place and ideally through the main character’s eyes. This results in tight construction and a successful short story.

You need:

1. A likeable, interesting main character, one the reader can have empathy with, one they want to trust, feel his/her pain and disappointments, root for him/her throughout the story.
2. A good supporting cast. The suspects, the villains and the walk-on parts who all need characteristics which are believable even if they are eccentric. The cast must be real to the writer and therefore real to the reader. Don’t choose too many characters in the short story or you will find the story difficult to write and your reader will get confused. Keep it simple.
3. A cracking good plot with motives. The plot needs to have twists and turns which will surprise the reader. But the plot and surprises spring from the characters' actions and motivations so we're back once more to creating great characters.
4. Memorable settings. A sense of place and atmosphere so the reader can see, feel and smell it.
5. A mixture of narrative and realistic dialogue
   It must be well written. Check your spelling and punctuation.
6. Point of View – Whose story is it? Whose eyes are we seeing the tale unfold from? Is it single point of view from the main character’s eyes, or multiple views from several characters eyes? Is it first person (I) or third person (he/she)?
7. A satisfying, surprising ending All ends neatly tied up, a twist, a sense of leaving the reader wanting to read more, or feeling satisfied.