This guide is all about noir fiction. What it is, tips for writing it, and a list of noir stories you can read online for free. We also discuss the difficulties, limitations, and pitfalls of writing in this genre. This guide is a must-read for anyone assigned noir fiction in a 7 Day Story Writing Challenge, or for anyone wanting to explore new or unfamiliar literary genres!

Looking for more writing competitions to enter? Check out our ‘Big List of International Writing Competitions’.

What is Noir Fiction?

For the purposes of our 7 Day Story Writing Challenges, we’re defining noir as any story that embraces cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity. This means we’re looking for dark characters motivated by self interest, relationships that are doomed from the start, and unhappy endings that your characters probably should have seen coming. We do not believe that noir stories necessarily have to be crime stories. Neither do we believe that neo-noir is a separate genre. In our opinion, noir stories can take place anywhere, at any time.

Difficulties, Limitations and Pitfalls of This Genre

The main difficulty when writing noir is making sure the story is still an enjoyable read, even though it will probably be quite bleak. How do you create characters your reader will care about if they must be cynical and self-serving? How do you create a satisfying ending if the outcome of the story is not obvious, but perhaps predictable? How do you get your readers to invest in the relationships in your story if those relationships are doomed? These are the questions you should be considering as you write. One way to overcome the fatalistic nature of noir is to give your reader the sense that things might work out, if only the characters had made different choices. You can certainly dangle the possibility of a more cheerful ending somewhere in your story. This will make the actual ending seem less predictable. Having the characters and their choices determine the ultimately bleak ending of your story will also help to create a more satisfying experience. It wasn’t a joyless, miserable writer who determined their fate, but the characters themselves. If you have a character making a bad choice, just ensure that there’s a reason for them to do so. No one likes it when characters in stories act in annoying, inexplicable ways. We think spending a considerable amount of time on character development will really help with this genre.

Top Tips for This Genre

As well as adding the elements we mentioned earlier, try writing in a terse, pared back style. Dialogue is important in noir, but keep it succinct and direct. Avoid any kind of chit chat and probably don’t have any overly verbose characters in the story. Avoid adding too many embellishments to your writing. Use hard words, not soft. Try to be dispassionate and uncaring as you write, just as your characters should be themselves. If it helps, try setting your story somewhere cold or even just look at pictures of frigid landscapes before you sit down to write. There should be a coldness and a darkness to noir, even if your story is set in the tropics.

Noir Short Stories you can Read Online

‘Spurs’ by Tod Robbins

‘The Hoarder’ by Bradford Morrow

‘The Paperhanger’ by William Gay

If you don’t mind spending £4.99, you can download ‘The Best American Noir of the Century’ an anthology of over 40 great noir short stories you can read on your smartphone or kindle.