I Tried Writing True Crime
By: Sarah Lyall-Neal
Tags: Missing Children, True Crime Writer, True Crime, Crime, Murder

If you were to ask any of my friends what I geek out on the most, they would likely say true crime. I am a sucker for true crime podcasts, TV shows, and books. What can I say? I love a mystery. There is always someone out there who knows the whole story, finding them is the hard part.

Turns out I’m not alone in my love of true crime content. A study completed by the University of Illinois found that if given a choice of violent reading material, women were more likely to choose true crime, whereas men were more likely to choose non-fiction books about war or gang violence.

In a BBC online article, Julia Davis, editor of Crime Monthly Magazine, was quoted as saying, “Women are fascinated by true crime because it is a facing your fears thing.” I tend to agree with this statement. When I listen to true crime, I find myself focusing on similarities between myself and the victim. The more I can identify with the victim, the more fascinating I find the content.

Photo by Luke Southern on Unsplash

From Consumer to Creator

Recently while experiencing a bout of writer’s block, it occurred to me that I should try my hand at true crime. I remembered a case I had followed earlier in the year regarding a young child, Evelyn Boswell, who was first said to be missing and later found to be murdered by her mother.

This wasn’t some far removed case. My husband and I closed on our house in Tennessee a mere 5 days before the Amber alert was issued in our area. I had followed the case in real-time for weeks while getting acclimated to the community. I remembered the hope we had all felt at first and how that hope had declined over time as the reality set in that the beautiful little girl we kept seeing on television was likely deceased.

As I dutifully started researching the case to ensure I covered all the details correctly, I found myself reliving the time when the case was unfolding. In reading the news stories from the early days of the case, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful, although I knew the outcome. I wrote the first half of the piece feeling weighed down by the dread of writing the second half.

Choosing Photos

Writing the piece was only half the battle, I then had to go back and choose photos to complement the story. Evelyn was such a beautiful baby girl and her mother, her murderer, was a teenager who had her whole life ahead of her.

In researching the piece, it was easy to see the tragedy didn’t take place in a vacuum. The whole family experienced systemic issues related to poverty and drug use. Evelyn was just the latest victim of generational trauma.

The images chosen for the piece were of an adorable baby and a terrified teenager. Their faces haunted me. I even thought about discarding the piece, but that wouldn’t have helped the situation. Evelyn deserved to have her story told.

The Difference in Consuming and Creating

When consuming true crime content, you are viewing a product that is wrapped up nicely in a box. Someone else has combed through all the interviews looking for information and confirmation of facts. Someone else has stared at the pictures associated with each of the news articles. Someone else has done the dirty work.

Creating true crime content is hard. Our favorite authors, podcasters, writers, and television hosts are extremely talented and make it look easy. To accurately report a true crime story, you have to meticulously research news articles, police reports, and if applicable, social media posts.

While researching, you are continuously exposed to the dark side of humanity. The images associated with the case become embedded in your mind. I found myself lying in bed one night unable to get the face of the little girl in my piece out of my head. This doesn’t happen when you simply listen to a piece of true crime.

A newfound appreciation

Now that my first true crime piece has been officially published, I plan to take a short break before writing another piece in the genre.

I realize that I cannot be a prolific true crime producer and that’s okay, there's a whole world of things to write about outside of true crime. I’ll take my time and come back to true crime when the notion strikes, or when a case grips me in the same way Evelyn’s did.

Until then, I’ll catch my weekly Crime Junkie and enjoy true crime from a comfortable distance.

Curious about the piece that inspired this post?