27
votes
Is it morally wrong to use tragic historical events as character background/development?
I wouldn't see it as disrespectful in and of itself. I would do some research into where refugees migrated to. That said, it is shedding a light on a piece of history that isn't covered in western ...
- 13.5k
15
votes
Is it morally wrong to use tragic historical events as character background/development?
I don't think it was disrespectful, referencing brutal history is not. We cannot be expected to never reference the terrible things in history out of "respect".
I would consider it ...
- 103k
8
votes
Is it morally wrong to use tragic historical events as character background/development?
It's not inherently harmful to represent real tragedies in fiction; but it's good to think about what harm there could be if you do it badly. There is a common trap here of thinking only about "...
- 257
7
votes
Can I use a small part of a real newspaper/online article in fiction?
Could you? Possibly, it might count as fair use, but I'm not a lawyer and this isn't a stackexchange for legal advice. If you really want to, ask a real lawyer.
Should you? No, probably not. Using ...
- 231
6
votes
Can a mystery novel have more than one mystery in it? And does it have to be a "who dunnit" concept?
Can you do it? Sure. As opposed to what? Do you think the Mystery Novel Police will arrest you for breaking the rules of the genre?
The question is not, "Am I allowed to do this?", but "Does it make ...
- 25.7k
5
votes
Opening chapter foreshadowing or not?
Either can work really well! The thing to pay attention to is that each option builds a different sequence and experience for the reader -- so you want to consider which of the two choices works ...
- 28.3k
4
votes
Can a mystery novel have more than one mystery in it? And does it have to be a "who dunnit" concept?
Most mysteries don't exist in isolation, but rather they are manifold, take one of my favourites, Roanoke, there are several mysteries within the mystery of the Roanoke disaster:
where did the ...
- 10.4k
4
votes
Accepted
What is the stereotypical structure of a crime narrative?
I don't think there is one, I admit that maybe my reading is a little narrow in this regard but the crime novels I've read have widely varied structures. Crime stories, of any length, all seem to ...
- 10.4k
4
votes
Accepted
Who can advise me on how SWAT teams and commanders work?
I found a document called SWAT Standards For Law Enforcement Agencies that has the objective of establishing:
SWAT Standards to serve as an efficient core set of concepts,
principles and policies ...
- 7,753
4
votes
Accepted
How to extrapolate a spectacular crime from everyday ones
A crime written in the newspaper is largely boring. Someone stole something, killed someone, the more interesting parts of the crime are hardly written in public papers.
If you want to write good ...
4
votes
How to extrapolate a spectacular crime from everyday ones
I have worked as a police inspector for some time and I can tell that there is no normal crime. When you start exploring the motives and the criminal's psychology it becomes very interesting. I'd ...
- 406
3
votes
how to elaborate a crime case
In my experience of writing crime stories, I've found what works best for me is to have the crime solution the work backwards to the crime. This allows me to make sure all the necessary clues are in ...
- 1,124
3
votes
Opening chapter foreshadowing or not?
I would not put the homicide in Chapter 1.
I believe you are making the mistake of many beginning writers, thinking that you have to get to the action and the main conflict quickly to hook the ...
- 103k
3
votes
Can a mystery novel have more than one mystery in it? And does it have to be a "who dunnit" concept?
As long as both mysteries are resolved, I don't see a problem with it.
+1 Ash for Columbo. Also, there was recently some miniseries on TV about a woman, a young mother. In the opening, she ...
- 103k
3
votes
What are the basic elements of a crime investigation story?
Motive. Why did the person do it?
Helpers and Hinderers. People who assist in or impede the investigation. They can range from the detective's partner to evil minions to muckety-mucks on either side. ...
3
votes
Is it morally wrong to use tragic historical events as character background/development?
I don't think it's disrespectful, but opinions may vary. If you want to be safer, then potentially change the name of the village in question. (To avoid offending any living relatives / victims etc). ...
- 1,418
3
votes
If I was sexually assaulted but didn't tell anyone, how do I go about writing this in my book?
First of all, I'm very sorry to hear that you went through such a thing.
If you intend to change the names - as in, not using your name and your attacker's name - then I don't see what grounds he ...
- 10.9k
2
votes
What are the basic elements of a crime investigation story?
Evidence comes in mind. It is somewhere in the realm of Clues/Leads, but more solid and obvious. Makes a perfect setup for unexpected plot twist, if misinterpreted in good faith from the very ...
- 3,100
2
votes
How do I reveal the character identity from a first person point of view?
Just have the POV character be introduced to a new person by a mutual acquaintance, they have a short exchange ("what do you do?" kind of stuff), then fairly quickly, the POV serial killer ...
- 103k
2
votes
What should I do in this situation?
Going from the first idea to a final draft of a novel is a creation/destruction kind of work.
Creation in that you come up with ideas, you write them down, develop them, create characters and scenes ...
- 6,100
2
votes
Accepted
How do I go about writing a biographical account of my father?
It sounds like you want to write a memoir of your father.
The advantage of writing a memoir is that there is no expectation of academic research or factual accuracy; it is a compilation of personal ...
- 1,915
2
votes
What would be the real life equivalent of the drugs and syringes that make people pass out in movies and shows?
There are some obvious and well-known ones. Chloroform and rohypnol come to mind. You could look up "anesthetics" on the Internet and probably find others. I'm not a doctor so if I was ...
- 25.7k
2
votes
Accepted
Cleaning up a crime scene and its evidence
Fingerprints, footprints, possibly hair from the victim, on the murderer or in his car.
Even video. Police have captured criminals because victims had hidden cameras recording, both inside and outside ...
- 103k
2
votes
Is it morally wrong to use tragic historical events as character background/development?
There's a certain thought direction that in fact feels that one is honoring the victims by "telling their story". Often in the form of a fictional character that is representative of various ...
- 121
1
vote
How do I reveal the character identity from a first person point of view?
In a First Person narration, the character is the narrator, and hence can say anything they want to say, directly to the audience.
In fact, everything is addressed to the audience. Although, the &...
- 8,697
1
vote
Accepted
What could the Antagonistic Force be in a Crime Mystery?
Does there have to be one? And, if there is, does it have to be linked to the murderer, rather than the victim?
You initially suggest "lack of evidence", but dismiss this as "too weak". Instead, ...
- 2,136
1
vote
Opening chapter foreshadowing or not?
Victim and suspect are both unknown and unrelated to my protagonist.
It's because of this that the answer is maybe.
Sometimes a prologue (not Chapter 1) with unrelated characters helps set the tone ...
- 32.4k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible