Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from September, 2011

Research and Writing Crime Fiction

When I started writing mysteries, I realized I knew little about police procedures except for what I learned through TV and movies. I began collecting a library of crime books (I'll include some titles below) and studied different aspects of law enforcement. A few months ago, I saw a newspaper article inviting residents of a nearby community to apply for a position in the upcoming Citizens' Police Academy. It was an opportunity I could not pass up, so I applied, and was thrilled to learn I was accepted in the fall academy that will last three months. We've now had two classes, and it is INCREDIBLE. I highly recommend the experience - not only for writers, but for all citizens. The second class, we discussed domestic violence - a soapbox topic for me that I'll eventually address here - and the Constitution of the United States and how it affects our everyday lives. The detective teaching the class has such passion for his job, and for the Constitution, it stirred up...