Writing Bestselling True Crime and Suspense: Break into the Exciting and Profitable Field of Book, Screenplay, and Television

by Tom Byrnes

This book shows how you, too, can find and develop compelling true crime stories from everyday sources; dig out the facts and put them on paper; fashion your story for books, TV, or movies; market your story for maximum profit; and much more.

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 1997

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an advice book for writers who are interested in the true-crime genre. The best parts of the book are the “in their own words” sections in which writers, editors, and movie and TV producers provide tips and advice based on their own experiences. Much of what they say is interesting, and some of the advice is valuable, such as their consistent emphasis on thorough research and some solid ideas about how to structure a story.

But on the whole, the book is very dated. It was published in 1997, before several significant technological innovations that would no doubt substantially affect the advice offered: (1) the ubiquity of the internet, (2) the availability of Netflix and other streaming services, and (3) the option of self-publishing. A newer book on the subject would be welcome.