Expand Your Knowledge with a ProWritingAid Webinar

This post is not just a shameless plug for ProWritingAid. (BTW: As a long-term premium user, I think it’s the best self-editing app!) Today, I’m sharing how a recent free ProWritingAid webinar expanded my knowledge of the Crime genre.

ProWritingAid Webinar: Crime Writers Week

Anne Hawley and Rachelle Ramirez presented The Secrets of the Crime Genre, a perfect follow-up to If I Was Creating a Story Arc Today and Genre: The Secret to Writing Page-turning Fiction.

My Key Takeaways from the ProWritingAid Webinar

➨The Purpose of the Crime Story:

• Reminds us humans commit crimes.
• Societies exist based on justice.
• Gives the audience a sense of order and security.
• Addresses wrongs when laws fail.
• Teaches clever and diligent people can solve puzzles.

➨Crime Stories Include These Common Elements:

• Driven by the plot events.
• The chief protagonist focuses on restoring justice or discovering the truth.
• The type of story dictates the form of justice.
  • An actual crime calls for justice, or
  • An unfair but legal act calls for poetic justice, or
  • An unsolved mystery that’s personal to the sleuth.

➨Crime Stories Include Variances:

• Chief protagonist’s profession (e.g., sleuth, private investigator, criminal, etc.).
• Crime type (e.g., murderer, serial killer, white-collar fraud, etc.).
• Crime setting (e.g., realistic, fantasy, science fiction, historical, and more).

➨All Stories Include These Essentials:

• Chief protagonist pursues a single desire (i.e., goal).
• That desire establishes the stakes (e.g., restore justice).
• The chief protagonist changes during pursuit of the goal.
• Story’s premise is reflected in every scene.
• The plot events provide the emotion readers crave.
• Characters, conventions, and scenes fulfill readers’ expectations.

➨Other Details from the Webinar:

• Character types and traits found in crime stories.
• Several popular crime story examples.
• Crime story structure and essential beats.

What Can ProWritingAid Do for You?

I’ve benefited from prior ProWritingAid webinars (e.g., Fantasy Writers Week), but like most, I’m busy and prefer to stream a webinar when it’s convenient for me. They record the sessions so you can play back the videos and download the slides at your convenience.

The premium version of ProWritingAid helps me correct my embarrassing errors, but it does not replace a professional editor.

• Self-editing with ProWritingAid can lower the hours, and thus, the cost of hiring an experienced copyeditor and proofreader.
• Also, besides educational webinars, your premium subscription comes with several free writing books (see my review).
• On those rare occasions when I had a question and contacted the ProWritingAid support team, the response was superb.

To be clear, I only recommend sites and products I use. When offering affiliate links to subscribers, I’m picky because my reputation is on the line. When you purchase through one of my affiliate links, you won’t pay one penny more even though I may earn a (small) commission.

I love the app, so if you buy direct, that’s okay, but before you make a purchase, please consider the 20% discount available to Tame Your Book subscribers through my affiliate link. And even if you don’t get the app, sign-up for the newsletter and expand your knowledge through free resources.

Curious? Check out my ProWritingAid Review and the discount.

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