title: Writing Bestselling True Crime and Suspense: Break into the Exciting and Profitable Field of Book, Screenplay, and Television (Writing Guides)
author:  Tom Byrnes 
description: True-crime writing is at a crossroads. Ever since Truman Capote's <i><a href="/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679745580/${0}">In Cold Blood</a></i> (published in 1966), there has been a market for deeply researched, literary true-crime hardcovers that are usually several years in the making. But because of the proliferation of tabloid television, made-for TV movies, and "insta-books," it is increasingly difficult to whet the appetite of an already saturated readership. This primer on writing true crime, by Tom Byrnes, reflects just that schism: while the book's focus is on the writing of lengthy, novelistic true crime, the editors interviewed lean decidedly toward those books written and published seemingly overnight.
zlib_text: PRAISE FOR SIMON WOOD
  
  “He writes like a dark demented angel.”
  
  — Ken Bruen, author of _Priest_
  
    
  
  “Simon Wood packs his books with suspense, surprises, and superb
  storytelling.”
  
  — Ed Gorman, author of _Sleeping Dogs_
  
    
  
  “Simon Wood offers a literary roller coaster ride that thrills and terrifies
  on every page.”
  
  — Sean Chercover, author of _Trigger City_
  
   _ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN_
  
  “One of the most riveting first chapters I have read in some time. The pacing
  is spectacular and gets progressively faster as the reader nears the finale.
  An unqualified recommendation.”
  
  — _Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine_
  
    
  
  “An impressive debut.”
  
  — _Mystery Scene Magazine_
  
    
  
  “Simon Wood . . . delivers a suspenseful, brisk tale in his debut.”
  
  — _South Florida Sun Sentinel_
  
   _PAYING THE PIPER_
  
  “Wood keeps the pages flying, even as his plot gets more and more complex,
  accelerating nicely toward an elegant climax.”
  
  — _Publishers Weekly_
  
    
  
  “Revenge fuels Wood’s fast-paced thriller and