Tag: #Hardboiled

Crafting the Perfect Ensemble: Exploring Character Types in Crime Fiction Novels

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On 14 September, 2023

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Introduction:

In the intricate web of a crime fiction novel, characters are the linchpin that holds the narrative together. These personalities breathe life into the story, each contributing a unique element to the tapestry of intrigue. In this blog post, we shall delve into the various character types that authors can employ to create compelling crime fiction narratives and invite you to consider which character types resonate with you as a reader.

Chapter 1: The Determined Detective

At the heart of many crime fiction novels lies the indomitable figure of the detective. Whether it’s a hard-boiled private investigator or a brilliant police detective, this character type is marked by unwavering determination and a relentless pursuit of justice. Have you ever found yourself rooting for a detective in a crime novel? What qualities do you admire in them?

Chapter 2: The Cunning Criminal

No crime fiction story is complete without its antagonist – the cunning criminal. These characters are often the architects of complex schemes, pitting their intellect against that of the detective. Can you recall a memorable criminal character from a crime novel you’ve read? What made them compelling as an antagonist?

Chapter 3: The Complicated Antihero

Crime fiction isn’t always black and white. Enter the antihero, a character with a moral compass that often points in shades of gray. These individuals may have a checkered past or operate outside the law, yet they possess a sense of justice that resonates with readers. Have you encountered an antihero character who challenged your perception of right and wrong? What dilemmas did they face?

Chapter 4: The Mysterious Informant

In the shadowy world of crime, informants play a crucial role. These characters often straddle the line between ally and adversary, providing vital information to the detective while protecting their own interests. Have you ever wondered about the motivations of an informant character in a crime novel? How does their loyalty impact the story’s dynamics?

Chapter 5: The Reluctant Bystander

Sometimes, the most compelling characters in crime fiction are not actively involved in solving the crime. They may stumble upon the mystery or be reluctantly dragged into the investigation. Can you think of a character who was an unlikely participant in a crime-solving scenario? How did their perspective add depth to the narrative?

Chapter 6: The Femme Fatale

The femme fatale is a classic character archetype in crime fiction. She is often alluring, enigmatic, and seductive, using her charms to manipulate those around her. Have you encountered a femme fatale character who left a lasting impression? What role did she play in the plot’s development?

Conclusion:

In the realm of crime fiction, characters are the building blocks of intrigue and suspense. As you reflect on the various character types discussed in this post, consider which ones resonate with you the most as a reader. Whether it’s the determined detective, the cunning criminal, or the enigmatic femme fatale, the characters you encounter can shape your reading experience and draw you deeper into the world of crime fiction.

As you embark on your own literary journey or continue reading crime fiction, pay attention to the characters you encounter and the roles they play. What draws you to certain character types, and how do they contribute to the richness of the narrative? Share your thoughts and insights with fellow readers and writers, for it is in these discussions that the true magic of crime fiction characters comes to life.

Rules for Writing Detective Stories

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On 18 January, 2022

In Blog Post

photo of person taking down notes

There are known rules for writing detective stories to be published in the crime fiction genre. The following ten rules I have found are required.

1. A reader must have the same opportunity with the investigator for solving the crime.  All the clues must be plainly stated and reported.


2. No deliberate tricks or dishonesty may be placed on a reader other than those performed legitimately by the perpetrator on the detective.


3. There must be no love engagement.  The profession in hand is to bring a perpetrator to the bar of justice, but not to bring a lovelorn pair to their wedding day.


4. The detective themselves, or one of the official police investigators, should never turn out to be the offender.  This is plain trickery, on a par with offering someone a penny for a ten-pound note.  It’s false pretences.


5. A detective novel must have a detective in it, and a detective is not a detective unless he or she detects. Their purpose is to collect clues that will ultimately lead to the person who did the dirty work in the first chapter being apprehended. If the detective does not reach their conclusions through an investigation of those clues, he has no more solved the problem than the pupil who gets their answer out of the back of the arithmetic textbook.


6. There frankly must be a corpse in a detective novel. No lesser crime than murder will suffice.  A couple of hundred pages is far too much bother for a crime other than a murder, or a few.  After all, the reader’s task and investment of energy must be rewarded.


7. The puzzle of the crime must be solved by naturalistic means. Such methods for learning the truth as slate-writing, ouija-boards, mind-reading, spiritualistic seances,  crystal-gazing, and the like, are taboo.  The reader has a chance when matching his wits with a typical detective, but if they must compete with the world of ghosts and go chasing around metaphysics, they are surely defeated.


8. There must be only one detective — that is, but one protagonist.


9. The offender must turn out to be a person who has acted a more or less prominent part in the story (antagonist) that is, a character with whom the reader is familiar and in whom they take an interest.


10. The butler should not be made by the author as the culprit. This is begging the question; it is a too easy solution.  The culprit must be a decidedly worth-while person — one that would not ordinarily come under suspicion.

Do you know any more?

The Genres in which I’m interested and Producing

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On 5 January, 2022

In Blog Post

The Hard-Boiled Sub-Genre Detective Stories

This is the opposite of the ‘Cosy’ crime. The cosy crime being able to be read by young children. The ‘Hard-Boiled’ novel has terrible language, maybe a sexual encounter and the book is covered in blood dripping onto your lap. The gory details are graphic and intense. These stories are not very violent, but the results of violence are imaged.

The term ‘Hard-Boiled’ was started in the 1920s California. The Protagonist detective should have some significant flaws that need to hinder the capture of the criminal, but we have the impression that the detective knows and has an absolute sense of what is right and wrong.

Pros:
It is possible to have some fun with dreaming up some buried and embedded flaws for the detective.

Cons:
Unlike the ‘cosy’ sub-genre the hard-boiled sub-genre would need a lot of research into violent crime, forensics, blood splatter, and wounds, not to mention forensics.

The Noir Detective Sub-Genre Stories

The Noir detective genre was created in California of 1930-1940s. It just means ‘Dark’ so it was related to the black and white movies of Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe.

In modern days the Noir terms have been used in contemporary world fiction like; Icelandic noir, Nordic noir and recently Brighton Noir.
Noir is just dark. If you think about the colours grey, black and the pollution on city streets with a sick and lower class of people on the streets.

Pros:
Usually, the protagonist has a flaw that impinges them in different ways. This makes it fun to explore the human condition and hidden fears or torments that we find in us all.

Cons:
It will be a necessity to become comfortable in adopting a gritty and direct writing style, but I tried to add the odd humorous comment.

Top Poisons used in Crime Fiction

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On 18 August, 2020

In Blog Post

Many poisons are used in various situations as you don’t leave a bullet or need a gun. Different traces are evident from the collection of the chemical and its uses.

1. Belladonna – The name means ‘pretty woman’, but this poison is genuinely a devil in disguise. Its use is to relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. But the smallest dose can also be fatal. It is a plant that is about five feet tall and ingesting any part of the plant will result in dilated eye pupils, blurred vision and sometimes blindness. If left untreated, then death will follow quickly.

2. Strychnine – This is also known as Nux Vomica. It also produces seeds that provide some of the most dramatic and painful symptoms. The symptoms are violent convulsions, a rise in blood pressure, difficulty in breathing, a slow heart rate followed by paralysis of the airways that results in death. This chemical is also used to alleviate indigestion, increase appetite and treat constipation.

3. Henbane – This is a dangerous killer that is sometimes known as ‘the devil’s eyes’ It has been used in black magic and witchcraft and is said to look and smell of death. Merely smelling the toxic leaves causes symptoms of dizziness, stupor, insanity, dry mouth, dilated pupils in the eyes, delirium leading to a coma and then death. Medical uses include treatment of rheumatic aches and pains.

4. Hemlock – A dirty and unattractive plant that has spotted dirty-red stems that smells of urine. The symptoms of ingestion can result in paralysis, the collapse of the respiratory muscles and death. This chemical is not used for current medical purposes, although it was used in the treatment of rabies.

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