Writing About Serial Killers

This week I learned some interesting facts about serial killers. This information will be very helpful for me when I write a story that has a serial killer as the antagonist. First, I learned that there are a series of categories of serial killers. I did not know this before.

The categories of serial killer that were listed in the book Howdunit are interesting to consider:

·     Delusional

·     Goal-Oriented

·     Domineering

·     Sexually Obedient

·     Thrill Seeking

Depending on what type of story I want to write, I can select the type os serial killer I want to employ. This is powerful information in that I will be able to accurately craft my serial characters and properly them in a believable way. Allowing my readers to consume characters that are based on reality will make the stories more realistic. The more realistic and believable a story is, the scarier it is.

Each serial killer type has its own motives and methods that come into play. I see this as a blueprint or recipe for a writer like me to be able to properly research a serial killer and bring them to life in my stories.

An example of how I might create a serial killer in one of my stories could be Delusional Serial Killer. The example in the book Howdunit was David Berkowitz, “Son of Sam”. These types can hear voices or seen people that influence them to kill others. For example, Berkowitz was motivated when heard the neighbor’s dog tell him to kill and he did.

The methods of a Delusional Serial Killer are disorganized and sloppy. The leave signs of things like forced entry and they are not very careful with their killings. They also might have an on-off switch in their mind. When the switch clicks, they are off to kill. They might even kill the first person they see in passing.