Legally, a crime of passion is a crime committed during intense moments of emotion but in writing crimes of passion are those acts committed on or against a character’s loved ones by the character themselves. You can check out all of the plot scenarios here.
- The perpetrator commits a harmful act against a loved one.
The simplicity of this plot leaves it wide open to variation. This act might be done unknowingly, or it might be done in the name of a greater good or cause. Of course, true crimes of passion such as those found in the mystery genre are covered under this. Another way to twist this scenario is based on who’s telling the story. The perpetrator knows why they did what they did, but getting to the act itself may take time and leave you with space to build tension and drama. From the point of the loved one, the damage and trauma will need to be dealt with as they unravel the why behind it.
As a main plot, the act itself is frequently a major plot element and will need time spend to explain the how and why of it. Depending on where this actually occurs, this could work best as either a climax, or as one of the opening events.
As a minor plot, it can help sort out character dynamics and blends well with both plots for revenge and redemption. In that case, the how may become less important than the why.
The Written Vixen 