I stumbled upon a TikTok video during one of my many scrolling sessions. The young woman in the video was discussing some details about her sister’s murder that the media missed or misinterpreted. Before her explanation, she gave a brief background of her sister’s murder and the events that lead to it.

But she made one specific request: “If you don’t know the details of my sister’s torture and murder, please don’t look them up.”

The woman mentioned her sister’s name, and if it’s the same case I’m thinking about, it’s one of the most heartbreaking and disturbing ones I ever discovered. Still, I followed the woman’s wishes and didn’t research her sister’s name and read about the grisly details of her torture and murder.

Why did I do that? Even though I’m a true crime enthusiast, I try to be as respectful to the survivors, victims, and any surviving loved ones as I can be. True crime tends to be over-sensationalized that we forget these events occurred to real people.

Unfortunately, exploitation in true crime media is very real. I only support specific shows, podcasts, and channels because I feel they’re the most respectful to the survivors and victims.

I also see this happening in the horror world. People are always shocked when I say I refuse to read The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum and similar books, solely because they exploit the Sylvia Likens story.

However, we can’t deny that true crime is omnipresent in dark media. I developed my interest in true crime at a young age, after my dad warned me I would be “kidnapped” if I walked off by myself. I had no idea what “kidnapped” meant, but it sounded scary. A few years later, I found a show about kidnapped survivors, and have been a true crime connoisseur since.

We all have our reasons for consuming true crime. For me, it’s more to understand the evils in the world and to try and spot red flags before they occur, not so much a morbid fascination as it is for others. But since so many of us horror fans are also true crime enthusiasts, it’s natural to take influence from these disturbing events.

Is there a middle line? To convey true crime in a fictional sense without exploiting the survivors, victims, and surviving loved ones? This is a question I’ve been asking myself for years. When I write my own stories, this is how I approach true crime in a fictional setting.

Avoid the “Based on a True Story” Trope

I notice this with The Girl Next Door and other stories like it. They use the whole “Based on a True Story” as a marketing ploy. While we could point fingers at the publisher, PR agents, or marketing team for a book, not necessarily the author, this is something I avoid as a writer.

My books are a work of fiction. The minute you open my book, you will see that legal disclaimer. Some scenes may be inspired by true crime stories, and many scenes are inspired by my own personal life. I also get inspired by other books, music, and movies.

In short, even if some parts of my story are inspired by real life, it’s so muddled to where it’s completely fictional.

Unless you’re commissioned to write a memoir/biography from the survivor, surviving family members, or another third party, your book isn’t based on a true story. It’s a work of fiction, and make sure it stays that way.

With that being said, this should be common sense, but I will include it anyway. Avoid using real names, quotes, and even locations if you can. Even if this is protected under the First Amendment, it will absolutely piss off anyone affiliated with the victim, survivor, or even the perpetrator. Perfect example, look at the reactions to the latest Dahmer show.

Change the Outcome

Let’s say you’ve had writer’s block for one scene. You’re binging on true crime podcasts when you discover some serious inspiration. Understand that you don’t have to write word-for-word every detail about that true crime story.

You’re a writer—be creative! You can twist and turn the story to make it a work of fiction, and it may work better for your story.

Where do you start? Change the outcome; ideally, change it to benefit the survivor. Maybe the victim died in real life? Have them escape and take revenge on their perpetrator.

Some endings may also benefit certain genres. Let’s say you’re writing a mystery novel and are using a cold case as inspiration. Instead of making it a cold case, take the reader down a rabbit hole and use your own theories to solve your fictional case.

While you can’t change the outcome in real life, you can at least convey a true crime story where the victim or their loved ones would benefit.

Add Different Elements

Even if you don’t change the outcome, you can still fictionalize a true crime story by adding other elements.

One of the amazing aspects of horror is it’s such a versatile genre. You can give your true crime story a paranormal twist or focus on a non-related conspiracy.

Or maybe your idea can be bigger, something that reflects society as a whole. I often see this in post-apocalyptic stories; there will be torture and murder, but under the umbrella of a societal collapse and how people would react.

This is especially helpful if there are upsetting details in the true crime story. Let’s say you don’t want to mention anything triggering, such as rape and molestation. You can replace those scenes to take away any heartbreaking details.

If you go this direction, make sure those fantasy elements are the center of your story—you don’t want to write a serial killer story and randomly mention aliens!

As with everything, keep the victims and survivors in your mind when writing these scenes. It can still be easy to rework a story to where it’s otherworldly but still isn’t respectful to the survivors or victims. Again, remind yourself that this story happened in real life.

Change the Characters

I did this a lot with Dissecting House. My book centers around a female serial killer who murders men. I was inspired by a lot of true crime, and I changed the characters to better fit my message.

Unfortunately, women are often the victims in these true crime cases. The World Health Organization states that 1 in 3 women worldwide has been subjected to physical or sexual violence, either at the hands of their partner or someone else.

I wrote Dissecting House to turn the tables, for women to be the perpetrator and for men to be their victims. Some of my male readers told me I changed their lives.

So, what did I do? I took true crime cases where a man was the perpetrator, and the woman was the victim/survivor and turned the tables. I reworked the narrative to fit my killer—specifically, how she lured men and killed them.

Even if you don’t change the genders, I suggest changing the characters in some way. Change their appearance, race, sexuality, nationality, location, etc. Write from a first-person perspective when you can.

When you give your characters their own thoughts and feelings, they will feel more like your own. This way, your characters will seem more fictional as opposed to them being “based on a true story.”

As I said, horror writers have a responsibility to be as respectful to those impacted by true crime as possible. By changing your characters, you’re blurring that line between truth and fiction even more.

Focus on the Emotions

The book I’m reading now is Come Forth in Thaw by Jason Robert Ducharme.

The book takes inspiration from Aokigahara Forest (known as the “suicide forest”) in Japan, and Ducharme made a note in the beginning that many authors, filmmakers, and other horror creators exploited the story. He wanted to take the same tropes and focus more on mental health, suicide, and trauma.

This got me thinking about this blog and writing fictional stories inspired by true crime. It’s easy to only discuss the events, but not the emotional side of these heinous acts. Even focusing on the “why” aspect of crime will make your story more in-depth. I love extreme horror, but the one thing the genre is missing is real emotion.

I’m not only talking about negative emotions, such as fear, anger, hurt, and betrayal. I’m talking about pleasant emotions, too. Maybe your main character is thinking back on happy memories, or the thought of escaping is all that’s keeping them alive. This way, the torture and murder aren’t the centerpieces of your story.

You can also introduce different characters in the story and focus on their emotions, such as the family, spouses, friends, doctors, psychologists, detectives, etc. You can even write from the perspective of a true crime enthusiast and their feelings toward the media they’re consuming.

This leads me to my next part.

Write From a Different Perspective

My perception of crime writing changed when I saw the movie Room. The movie is about a woman held captive, and she had a child with her abductor. She and the child end up escaping and continue to struggle after gaining freedom.

While the movie opens up while they’re in captivity, they escape early in the film. But their freedom isn’t exactly a breath of fresh air. They’re fighting the press, dealing with trauma, the mother is trying to gain her independence, the son is trying to be a “normal” child, and they’re doing all this while rebuilding their relationship with the mother’s family.

Watching the movie, you can tell the filmmakers were inspired by numerous abduction cases. But the movie didn’t feel exploitative at all. In fact, it felt realistic and opened up a different perspective.

When we consume true crime, we only consider the story that plays out before our eyes—not the aftermath, trauma, and heartbreak. If the crime resulted in death or murder, we fail to consider what’s going on in the minds of the loved ones they left behind.

Listen to Surviving Loved Ones

It can be difficult to fully know how to tap into these different perspectives, which is why I recommend looking further beyond typical true crime podcasts. Read books and memoirs and follow surviving family members on social media.

Some true crime podcasters go a step further and get engaged with the surviving loved ones, especially for cold cases.

Here’s a great example I found from a YouTuber, Kendall Rae, who I’ve been following for a while.

She interviewed family members of missing and murdered individuals, and they discussed their loved ones’ stories as well as the trauma that they have endured. While no one will ever fully understand what it means to be in that position, taking a minute to listen to these interviews will offer a new level of understanding.

I also suggest listening to Who Killed Theresa, a podcast hosted by John Allore. He created this podcast to seek answers to his sister’s murder, and also cover other cold cases throughout Canada. Sadly, John passed away recently, without knowing the truth of his sister’s murder.

Who Killed Theresa isn’t the only true crime podcast that aims to solve a case. There are numerous ones out there, many of which were created by surviving loved ones of crime victims. I suggest prioritizing those over other podcasts.

Get a Beta Reader

First, I suggest all writers get a beta reader. For me, beta readers are just as valuable as editors. They point out inconsistencies, make suggestions, offer advice, and just provide their unbiased opinions on your story.

However, beta readers can especially help if you’re covering true crime. Since they will offer honest feedback, they will let you know if your coverage of a specific story is exploitative or not. I plan on covering a lot of racist-fueled violence and hate crime in one of my upcoming books, and plan to onboard beta readers for that reason.

Something to note is you don’t have to make all changes suggested by the beta reader, but you should at least consider them. After all, they did take the time to read your book and offer feedback.

Donate and Get Involved

Lastly, you can take things a step further and get involved with true crime. There are many ways you can do this. Start by donating to different causes. I donate to victims’ advocate charities on a regular basis.

Some core ones to target include:

• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)
• National Center for Victims of Crime
• Children of the Night (provides intervention to children who were exploited due to pornography and prostitution)

Many surviving loved ones create charities in honor of their lost or missing loved ones. These funds go toward advertising, private investigator fees, and more.

I also suggest researching any murders or cold cases in your area. Families and law enforcement are always looking for volunteers for search parties and anyone to spread the word about their missing loved ones.

If you take your sleuthing to the internet, proceed with caution. While internet detectives have solved some cases, such as the Luka Magnotta case, you also risk spreading misinformation and pointing fingers at the wrong source.

Instead of trying to solve a murder, do what you can to promote the story. Talk about these cases on social media and share news articles. Try to reach out to other true crime podcasters and request cases. If you follow true crime subreddits and notice a story is missing, see if you can post it.

Taking to social media to spread the word rather than solve the crime will keep these stories fresh in minds—and they may land in the right hands (such as on the desk of a notable detective, private investigator, or genetic genealogist).

Conclusion

Even though it may be tempting to write a fictional account of a true crime story, you may unintentionally exploit all persons involved.

If a true crime story is inspiring your current project, avoid saying it’s based on a true story. You can fictionalize it by changing the outcome, adding different elements, changing the characters, focusing on emotions, and writing from a different perspective.

If you’re still unsure, I suggest getting a beta reader. Don’t forget to always include trigger warnings.

I also urge everyone to stay involved. Listen to podcasts and interviews with surviving loved ones and get involved by donating, volunteering, and sharing true crime stories on social media.