The following are notes I (Mark Zeid) took from panel discussions at Bouchercon 2024. These are personal observations and opinions.

I Shot the Sheriff

The panel consisted of a former FBI agent who worked counterintelligence and international crimes, a former investigator for a local police department, and a former military police officer who also taught criminal justice for a local college.

Investigators solve crimes through their use of interpersonal skills. One panelist told of how he once met a suspect at a fast-food place for coffee and was able to get the suspect to confess. Forensics will get you a conviction in court, but the way an investigator connects and talks to the people will get witnesses and suspects to open up.

Police officers are real people and they do make mistakes. However, most police officers are working to improve themselves. There is a big emphasis on professionalism.

Police officers are taught to never lie in court. Once they are caught in a lie, they will never be trusted in court again. It’s better to admit you made a mistake. You can always learn and become better.

Police officer often cross train with other agencies such as the FBI Academy, the Center for Domestic Preparedness, state training requirements, etc.

Police officers often find their niche and specialize in it. They become the go to person for certain situations. (examples: computer crimes, financial crimes, business burglaries, community policing)

Nothing gets more people into trouble than their ego.

Police agencies work together. Unlike television, when another agency comes into an investigation, they work with the original agency to solve the crime.

SOAPBOX—one of the most important things to remember is citizens can help the police, BUT and a bit BUT, they are only eyes and ears for law enforcement. At no time should anyone place himself/herself in danger. Do NOT confront a perpetrator. Note a description of the person, take a picture of the person, get a description of the person’s car, etc. Be a good witness. Do NOT try to be a hero.

Resources for Learning More About Police Procedures

Outliers Writing University:        OutliersWritingUniveristy.com  

Writers’ Police Academy:           https://writerspoliceacademy.com  

Local Citizens’ Academy:   Many local departments and sheriff’s offices have citizens’ academies where non-law enforcement personnel learn about the departments and how they operate. These are three or four month programs where citizens meet and talk to police officers from all departments of the agency.

Crime Stoppers:      A program with local police agencies where citizens work to support law enforcement by calling in tips about crimes and criminals to the police.

Networking at conferences:       Many of the writers you meet at conferences have backgrounds and experience in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. They are happy to help you and provide answers to questions you might have.

Networking at local Chamber of Commerce Meetings:    Police agencies are active in the community and have representatives at these meetings. They can also point out others who have experience with computer and financial crimes.

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (writing multiple genres)

Again, need to focus on the audience. Do the readers want romance, or a who-done-it, or a thriller.

Different genres require different techniques. For instance, when writing a who-done-it, it might be easier to write in first person. But when writing a thriller, writing in third person is best. Then, when writing romance, a lot more description is used than when writing a private investigator novel.

Each story in each genre depends on the situation. Is the suspect known? Who are the victims and how sympathetic are they. (I read one novel where I wanted the villain to kill the potential victims because the victims were jerks.) Where does the main action take place? Is it at the crime scene, chasing the villain, or in the courtroom?

White Rabbit (creating great characters)

Try for a varied representation of characters, don’t limit them to white men and women.

Locations, different cultures and languages, different foods and holiday celebrations help create characters. For example, Christians celebrate Christmas in different ways around the world and at the same time Jews are celebrating Hanukkah. Then Boxing Day is big in Canada, but unknown in the United States.

When writing about different cultures and settings, know your audience. If you are writing about military experiences in Japan, most of your audience doesn’t know about the military or about Japan. Avoid using jargon, acronyms, and foreign phrases, unless you explain them.

Stereotypes are good places to start when creating a character, but stereotypes are not human. Make characters human so that readers can identify with the characters. Try to get the reader to think if they would do the same thing if they were in the character’s position. Look at what struggles the characters are dealing with.

Be sure to include the logic the villain has for his/her actions.

Great characters can make the reader feel sad, frustrated, motivated, happy, confused. They convey their feelings to the readers. Every character needs a trigger, something that sets him or her off and gets the character involved.

Dialogue is helpful in character development. It gives them personality. Acting classes are helpful in teaching writers about dialogue. Another great way to portray a character is through a narrator, such as Doctor Watson in the Sherlock Holmes stories.

Try writing every day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes or 100 words. You will soon find yourself extending the time and word count without realizing it. The more you write, the better you become.

Golden Slumber (avoiding information dump)

Writers tend to put too much information and detail about a subject that the writer is interested in but the readers are not. Don’t dump all your information at once, sprinkle it throughout the story. Add pieces of information as you go through the steps of the investigation. Dialogues are good ways to add information. Have experts explain complex details to lay people.

Choose details that say something—give body to the character and the story.

Show, don’t tell. For example, “She lit her fourth cigarette as she looked at her watch for the umpteenth time. She looked back at the corner before she inhaled the smoke from the cigarette, flicked the ash off the end and looked at her watch again.” This is better than saying she was impatient.

Bring in walk-on characters to leave tidbits of information about the investigation or the story.

Be careful of too much world building. Keep world building facts consistent by using a map, notes, and a log of details. Do the same with characters and personal descriptions. If possible, try creating computer sketches of the characters. Create detailed bios of characters listing events in their lives.

Researching tools include documents, journals, letters, dairies from the time and place the takes place. Other great resources are conventions of unusual places, events, and activities. One that was listed was a Big Foot and Swamp Man Convention in Florida. Old travel guides also provide information about places.

Readers love details about things in their lives, but they didn’t know before. For example, Crocs, the shoe company, has its logo on the bottom of its shoes. What a great clue for mysteries.

The Cat Came Back

When writing mysteries with animals, remember cats and dogs have a kind of sixth sense. They do know when something is wrong and can react to a person’s emotions. They do know when their owners need emotional support.

Whenever getting a new pet, there is an adjustment period. Usually, it takes three days before they feel safe in the new environment. It takes about three weeks for them to feel the new place is their home. It takes about three months before they get to know everyone in the neighborhood and learn the routine of the household.

When writing about dogs, remember some breeds are intimidating: German shepherds, Doberman pinschers, etc. Some breeds, such as terriers, aren’t intimidating.

However, all dogs, and cats, will bite when threatened, frightened, or protecting their territory.

Never harm or kill a pet in a mystery. If the animal is harmed, make sure it gets the care it needs to recover.

I Fought the Law (lawyers in novels)

A good resource for what happens at a trial are transcripts of cases that are being appealed. These are available through the courthouse.

Other good sources are news stories and records of what judges do during trials.

Look up jury instructions for any specific crime. These are written for lay people, not lawyers.

The defense does not get to appeal in grand jury proceedings. There is a saying that “A good district attorney can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich.”

Since 9/11, prosecutors often work behind bullet-proof walls and strict security protocols. You cannot drop in and talk about a case. You must make an appointment.

A good place for tension and drama is in lawyers’ ethical considerations, just how far should he or she go to protect the client.

Paperback Writer (paths to publication)

The industry is changing, especially with more e-books and audio books, and moving away from the traditional bookstores. Writers need to educate themselves about the industry.

The cost of printing is going up and some publishers won’t accept novels with more than 100,000 words.

There are rumors that Amazon is changing and maybe charging more selling and promoting books. Also, reviews are very important for Amazon. If the book has less than 50 book reviews, Amazon will not promote it.

Social media doesn’t sell books. It connects readers with authors. Readers are more interested in personal information such as pets, travel, experiences, than a pitch for a novel. They would also like to hear about your writing process.

Debut novels are the best shot at traditional publishing, so don’t waste your first novel. (It’s too late for many of us.)

Traditional publishing pays you, there is no cost for publishing your book. You get a percentage of the cover price for each book you sell. You have very little protection or control over the publication of your book. Know that it may be one to three years before your book comes out.

Having an agent does provide you with some protection of your publication rights.

Ask lots of questions about all contracts with agents and publishers. Exactly what percentage do you get? Who is taking care of you and your books? Where will your books be distributed? Do NOT be afraid to ask questions and negotiate details.

Hybrid publishers produce and distribute your books after you pay for printing.

Self-publishing is taking off and is popular, but you have no protection or support for your work. You must market and sell your books. This is okay if you tend to meet a lot of different people at different places on a regular basis.

Jack the Ripper (a look as serial killers)

“If you find a man you don’t know and a bear, choose the bear.”

One needs to look at the definition of a serial killer—a person who kills two or more persons in a similar manner on different occasions. Writers need to look at the killer’s MO and how he or she selects victims.

Serial killers are a horror story because anyone can be a victim.

Often serial killers are truck drivers or those who travel to several states or locations. (marketers, buyers for stores, sales reps, etc.)

Look at the people who are related to the killers and those related to the victim. They can add to the story.

The killer has a reason for killing his/her victims. Look at how victims are selected.

Often killers keep trophies from the victims.

Some serial killers are kind of good because they kill really bad guys. (example—Dexter)

Serial killer in novels shouldn’t be two dimensional (black and white). Killers have families, interests, and some good characteristics.

Minorities being discriminated against can play a part in the story. Maybe the killer is a member of a minority and left out of the circle of suspects because of it.

Serial killers use tricks to get victims to help them. They pretend to have a broken leg or arm, have car trouble, are helpless, etc. They also tend to target people who are not easily missed.

Include how the killer finds and stalks his/her victims. Writers can also include the victim suspects he or she is being stalked.

Women are afraid when walking alone. They have their keys in their hands and some keys between their fingers to use as some kind of weapon.

While DNA and fingerprints help solve cold cases, writers need to know the limitations of current technology and databases.

Can’t Buy a Thrill (writing a thriller)

The biggest difference between a thriller and a mystery is the pace of the novel. A mystery is a who-done-it while a thriller is how-is-it-going-to-turn-out.

Mysteries are slower paced with clues and process of solving the crime. Thrillers have lots of danger and the idea of doom.

Thrillers can be a world event with several locations, but many take place in a city or small town.

Thrillers are often tied to social events or social issues such as big pharma and human trafficking.

Character development is important. Readers want to see how characters deal with the situations and how the characters change.

Many thrillers have teams solving the problems. Often, the leader makes mistakes and others help correct the mistakes. Team members also have flaws, but they support each other.

Many of the teams are friends who help the main protagonist.

There can be two teams: one good and one bad. There can also be a third team coming in from left field.

Show the characteristics of each team member. What are their ideas and points of view?

One way to increase the excitement of the story is to increase the danger. Then bring in an expected character to save the person.

Don’t recommend killing the hero, which David Morrill did with Rambo. Makes it hard to have the hero come back in squeals. Heroes may have their personal values destroyed but try not to kill them.