Nadia Correll

Learning how to write a short story with a twist comes down to one rule: the ending has to be surprising in the moment … Read more

A corrupt cop character is a police officer whose misconduct — bribery, graft, perjury, planted evidence, or covering for someone — is a repeated, … Read more

How to write about victims with respect comes down to four choices: show the person before the crime happened, keep them in the active … Read more

An antihero is a protagonist the story still asks you to root for, flaws and questionable methods included. A villain protagonist is the one … Read more

A sympathetic murderer is a killer written so the reader understands the want, the wound and the self-justification behind the killing, while the story … Read more

Content note: this article discusses the portrayal of violence, abuse and psychological injury in fiction. It is a craft guide, not clinical advice. Most … Read more

A detective partner dynamic is the deliberately designed relationship between two detectives who investigate the same case: built from contrast in how each one … Read more

To write suspects that all look guilty, give every character in the suspect pool a motive, means, and opportunity for the crime, plus a … Read more

A prison scene turns clichéd the moment it runs on stock parts: the sadistic guard, the tough cellmate, the easy vent, the shower ambush. … Read more

A locked-room mystery works when the solution is fully decided before the first sentence gets written. You choose the room, map every physical constraint, … Read more