Four Sides of a Crime
Tell the story of a crime from the perspective of different people involved: the perpetrator, the victim, law enforcement, and the defense attorney. Discuss how each perspective offers a unique insight into the event and its aftermath.
Suggested length: An essay or article: 800 to 2,500 words
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Use one example from your own life.
- Open with a specific story, then widen out to the big idea.
- Write for a curious friend, not an expert.
Writing true crime books
A real crime, investigated on the page.
True crime reconstructs real crimes and the investigations that followed. The best of it is serious journalism that asks what a crime reveals about a place, a time or a justice system.
What readers expect
- Deep reporting and research
- Suspense, even when the ending is known
- Victims treated as people
- Questions about justice
A tip before you start
The victims are real people with families who may read your book. Respect earns readers' trust and keeps you on the right side of the law.
More True Crime prompts
- The Capture of a Notorious CriminalDescribe the events leading up to and following the capture of a notorious criminal. Include perspectives from law enforcement, the criminal, and the…
- Reopening a Famous Cold CaseChoose a well-known crime from the past century and reimagine the investigation with today’s technology. How would modern forensics, digital…
- Inside a Puzzling CaseCompile a series of interviews with various professionals in the criminal justice system—detectives, forensic scientists, judges, and defense…
- An Unsolved Local CrimeWrite a detailed account of an infamous unsolved crime from your local area, exploring the lingering impact on the community and the various theories…
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