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How much research is enough?
Hi there. New here and hoping to help and to get help!
I am currently writing a crime trilogy, and as a reader of crime thrillers and psychological Gothic who-dunnits, I steer away from the police procedural style writers. I find too much accuracy about procedure just plain tedious. But how much research into forensics, pathology and police procedure is too little? Isn't it fiction after-all, and some artistic license is allowed? I am writing to entertain and thrill, not educate! What are your thoughts out there, and are there any publishing houses, agents or people in the know that could answer this please? Thank you. Sarah.
Comments
Most reader nowadays will be familiar with forensics, so if you get simple stuff wrong, they could doubt the quality of the rest of your book.
There was a free online mini- forensics thing- quite a few TB's did it. One of them will probably be able to direct you to it.
You need to research what you don't know and need to know. It's said that you only use 10% of your research, but you still need to know the other 90%.
If it's relevant add it, if not, cut it
You could use a public setting and ask for advice from police officers/medical experts. Many writers pose questions on FB and the public often come forward with useful info.
Do you get Writing Magazine? There's a section near the back where you can ask crime-related questions to an experienced police officer.
There must be police living in your locality. Do you have a local online forum where you could ask for advice?
Plenty of sites you can ask on, Jay. Get on writingforums.com and any other of the biggies. Have you done a run down to your local library yet? I've checked out loads of books relating to criminology, police procedure, and forensics. A decent library could see you through this novel and all associated research
If you state that someone has a health issue that is subsequently discovered to be the cause of death, you have to be accurate about that issue. You can be blurry about the facts when it's only the victim's boyfriend speaking, but anything a coroner or medical examiner says has to be factual.
Given cuts in policing, it could be acceptable that a DI does attend both scenes as they're on top of each other. Until she gets there, how does anyone know it's a different MO? I'd think the first suspicion would be that the cases are linked.
Police-speak and police procedure should be accurate; medical matters too should be factually correct.
Thank you all for helping me. :bz