Writing Criminal Protagonists

Mystery & Crime • Writing Craft
2018
Featuring Charles Salzberg, David Swinson, Josh Stallings, Penny Jones, Rebecca Drake

This audio session is available to KNU members.

Explore Membership Options

ABOUT THIS SESSION

What makes readers root for characters who break the law? In this session, authors explore the appeal of criminal protagonists, discussing how to create morally complex characters, balance empathy with accountability, and craft compelling stories from the perspective of thieves, con artists, assassins, and other lawbreakers.

MORE LIKE THIS


Caitlin Rother on True Crime, Ethics, and Telling Stories That Matter
Caitlin Rother, Clay Stafford
2025
Why Criminal Behavior Makes Sense to the Criminal
Sheila Stevens
2013
What Makes a Thriller Impossible to Put Down
Boyd Morrison, Karen Dionne, Linwood Barclay, Mike Cooper, Owen Laukkanen
2012
Why We Turn to Mystery When Life Feels Uncertain
Karen McCullough, Kathy Lynn Emerson, Laura DiSilverio, Leslie Budewitz
2015
Finding the Writing Process That Works for You
Allan E. Ansorge, Bill Hopkins, Don Bruns, Jane Sevier, Michael Tucker, Sharon Woods Hopkins, Stacy Allen, Warren Bull
2012
Building Writing Habits That Sustain a Career
Walter Mosley
2021
The Evolution of the Legal Thriller
Jonathan Putnam, Marti Green, Sheldon Segal
2016
Building Crime Fiction From Real Life
Corey Lynn Fayman, David Housewright, J.A. Jance, Karin Schaeffer, Sean Lynch
2016