Writing Crime StoriesJennifer Cox

http://cmat240summer.wordpress.com

objectives

• Learn the structure of crime writing

• Go over assignment

• Learn to work together to improve your writing

Crime story prompt

• Open practice prompt from the website

• Read through it carefully

• Keep it handy as we discuss

Most important/interesting info first

• 24 words

• Delayed identification

• No conviction

• No state name needed

• Eye-catching info

• Attribution

A Delmar man was arrested early Thursday morning after deputies said he was trying to break in to a local bar using a sledgehammer.

Law enforcement

• Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office – deputies

• Salisbury Police Department – police

• Maryland Highway Patrol – troopers

• All - officers

Details next

• List of charges

• Carefully check the name

• Commas – non-essential clause & commas in a series

• One-sentence graf

Tyler Ramone Wiggins, 20, was charged with burglary of a business, possession of burglary tools and criminal mischief.

Chronological order

• Attribution (once per graf)

• Omission of unnecessary items (times)

• Distribution of details

• AP style for address

• Still no conviction

• Last name only on subsequent references

Deputies responding to a call of loud noises after a man reported spotting Wiggins attempting to break into Grouper’s Bar shortly after 3 a.m., according to a Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office report. He was seen using a sledgehammer to pound on plywood siding near the door of the business, located at 5820 NW 34th St.

Chronological order

• Don’t begin sentence with attribution if you can help it

• “A” report; then “the” report

• Concise, chronological

• Unimportant details omitted

Deputies said Wiggins admitted to attempting to get into the business to steal money, according to the report. Wiggins had been inside the bar at about midnight and saw business was good.

After talking with a former employee who told him money was kept inside the club overnight, Wiggins felt it would be a good time to break in, according to the report.

Law enforcement terms

Burglary, larceny, robbery, theft

• Burglary – entering a building (not necessarily breaking in) and remaining unlawfully with the intention of committing a crime

• Larceny – the legal term for the wrongful taking of property • non-legal = stealing or theft

• Robbery – involves the use of violence or threat in committing larceny

• Theft – larceny that did not involve a threat, violence or plundering

• Use the terms listed in the charges

Least important/last info at the bottom

• Two simple sentences

• Past tense

Wiggins was transported to Wicomico County Jail. His bond was set at $12,000.

homework

• Write in inverted pyramid

• Omit unnecessary information

• AP style, grammar, spelling errors = -2

• Fact errors = -10 (check your proper nouns)

Peer editing

Look for:

• Grammar errors• Commas, punctuation, capitalization

• AP style errors• Addresses, ages, city without state

• Summary lede

• Inverted pyramid

• Delayed identification

• Last name only on second reference

Announcements

• Remember, crime story due to partner by 11:59 p.m. tonight

• For tomorrow, read Chapter 18 (Speeches, News Conferences & Meetings)

• Readings quiz tomorrow covering:• Chapter 1 (Changing Concepts)• Chapter 9 (Story Forms)• Chapter 20 (Crime & Punishment)• Chapter 18 (Speeches, etc.)

• Full day tomorrow:• Lecture on covering meetings• Writing assignment• Quiz• Peer editing due