Louise Harnby | Crime Fiction and Thriller Editor - Blog

Learn about how pressure works in crime, mystery and thriller fiction, and how it shapes character behaviour, emotion and momentum.

Learn how restricted viewpoint works in crime fiction and thrillers, and how to manage perspective, control character knowledge and build suspense effectively.

Learn about ‘shared ignorance’ in crime fiction and thrillers, and how writers use missing information to build suspense, mislead readers and deliver powerful twists.

Learn how to use foreshadowing in crime fiction and thrillers to build suspense, plant clues and keep readers guessing without giving too much away.

Learn how to use red herrings to create believable false conclusions, deepen mystery structure, and keep readers confidently wrong at just the right moments.

Learn how to use controlled misdirection to guide your reader towards convincing but incorrect interpretations, and build deeper, more engaging mysteries.

This practical framework shows you 9 steps for line editing scenes in crime and thriller fiction so that every sentence pulls its weight and delivers the appropriate level of tension.

Learn how to compress your thrillers and crime fiction writing with strong verbs that convey motion, emotion and pace.

If you’re a UK-based freelance editor or proofreader who still hasn’t decided how to deal with Making Tax Digital, here’s how one of your colleagues solved the problem by using a bridging service.

Learn how to manage scope creep and set healthy boundaries in your editing and proofreading work.

Explore seven effective types of thriller opening lines, and how published novelists are using them to convince their audiences to keep on reading.

Explore 10 weak thriller opening lines and learn how to turn them into compelling hooks that grab the reader, set the tone and hint at something that piques their curiosity.

Learn what every thriller must accomplish in its first five pages, including compelling opening lines, early pressure points, clear viewpoint characters and narrative momentum.

Learn about why character names matter, how to approach the ‘hard-to-pronounce’ issue, and practical strategies for making your characters memorable, readable and believable.

Before you send your manuscript to an agent, editor or beta reader, use this comprehensive 10-step checklist to ensure your story is as tight, compelling and credible as possible.

Learn about how to use AI tools ethically when editing or proofreading.

Learn how to edit more efficiently in Microsoft Word using the Quick Parts tool.

Here are 8 suggestions for you to consider when disclosing how you use AI in your editing business.

Learn how to identify glue words, hedges and qualifiers, and then explore whether they’re adding clarity and enhancing character voice, or cluttering your fiction writing.

This post explores how to use embedded dialogue snippets and what effect they have on tone, character and flow.

Learn about editorial foundations, growth, sustainability, legacy and marketing with this 5-book series from the hosts of The Editing Podcast.

This post explores how oversimplifications of human motivation as ‘good’ versus ‘evil’ can damage crime fiction, mysteries and thrillers.

Backstory helps readers understand why characters act the way they do and what their motivations are.

Discover how to use a marketing buddy to conquer overwhelm and get your editing and proofreading business promotion moving.

How human editors and proofreaders can remain relevant when AI capability is improving exponentially.