tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post889173781091280147..comments2024-03-29T02:43:11.575-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Research 101 by Allison BrennanJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-38121667467105458122017-08-09T18:23:46.373-04:002017-08-09T18:23:46.373-04:00Ann, thanks. Once in a while, I come up with a rea...Ann, thanks. Once in a while, I come up with a real humdinger of a question.<br /><br />Allison, thanks for answering the question. I remember reading a scene in a book and wondered if the author had done practical research or just looked up something online and winged it in the writing. Jay Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11409350742317719903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-78111740427523904262017-08-09T18:09:02.526-04:002017-08-09T18:09:02.526-04:00Thanks, Allison! Great suggestions!Thanks, Allison! Great suggestions!Ingrid Thofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04063912686011336076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-88788167348858281512017-08-09T18:03:19.148-04:002017-08-09T18:03:19.148-04:00Hugs to your husband, Kathy!
Hugs to your husband, Kathy! <br /><br />Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-59346357692984581492017-08-09T18:02:43.219-04:002017-08-09T18:02:43.219-04:00LOL.
I don't know about the PI series ... one...LOL.<br /><br />I don't know about the PI series ... one of the reasons I like writing Max is that she doesn't have to follow the same rules as law enforcement. She might get in trouble for some of the things she does -- but only if she gets caught :)Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-11992791476661130232017-08-09T16:43:05.858-04:002017-08-09T16:43:05.858-04:00What amazing experiences you have had in the name ...What amazing experiences you have had in the name of research, Allison! And so many others here have worked with law enforcement, too, and know police sources to turn to. I went to Amazon and put Shattered on my wish list. It sounds so good.<br /><br />My husband works with training Army troops in simulated programs. He's an analyst, but he does other things, too. They do onsite training at Ft. Leavenworth and travel places to do it, too. He's scheduled to go to South Korea this fall, and I'm not too happy about that. <br /><br /><br /><br />Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-23632117408897478822017-08-09T15:29:06.204-04:002017-08-09T15:29:06.204-04:00 I took the citizens police Academy in Key West an... I took the citizens police Academy in Key West and it was a fabulous experience! The cop who took me on the ride along ended up as a character in one of the books. I think he got a good laugh from a middle-aged woman who said she had to be home before midnight LOL. I would not have made it as a cop!Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15794240279422002142017-08-09T14:57:10.340-04:002017-08-09T14:57:10.340-04:00Allison, that sounds great. And I love that you ha...Allison, that sounds great. And I love that you had already foreshadowed the plot--but you didn't realize it! (Or, Max did.)<br />Rhys and Gigi--people are hilarious, right? Kind of? Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07630366214207785339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-66168962319110597682017-08-09T14:47:36.659-04:002017-08-09T14:47:36.659-04:00I love when that kind of junk happens. It makes m...I love when that kind of junk happens. It makes me laugh. I have a friend who writes science fiction, and he once named a town "Humansville." His editor objected, saying nobody would ever name a town "Humansville," which must have come as a big surprise to the residents of Humansville, Missouri, where my friend's wife grew up.Gigi Norwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00495357787099352860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-55899442334817703212017-08-09T14:39:43.424-04:002017-08-09T14:39:43.424-04:00I love it! Yes, nothing like forgetting to ask th...I love it! Yes, nothing like forgetting to ask the people who actually need the stuff about what they need.Gigi Norwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00495357787099352860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-41821451073314736382017-08-09T13:45:07.678-04:002017-08-09T13:45:07.678-04:00Fascinating! And hilarious! All these self-profess...Fascinating! And hilarious! All these self-professed "experts" telling you what's what. I remember some women I met years ago in Ohio telling me she knew all about Texas. Her brother had driven across the Panhandle and told her about it. She's probably a book critic now. My husband was in federal law enforcement years ago and loss prevention/security afterwards. Through his job we made a lot of friends in the law enforcement community. A couple were detectives with the Cleveland, Ohio PD. The stories they told! What is the deal with a character who is a PI, knows the laws backwards and forwards having been either a police officer or a lawyer in a previous life, and still breaks the law with impunity when investigating a case? I don't get that. I quit reading a series just for that reason.Pat Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732230586783432052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-23088780311082248212017-08-09T13:13:01.599-04:002017-08-09T13:13:01.599-04:00I have DSM-IV Made Easy which is for psychologists...I have DSM-IV Made Easy which is for psychologists/psychiatrists and is very easy to understand (though still thick and informative.) I often go to that when developing a complex villain or character. I love the manual PRACTICAL HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION but don't usually recommend it because it's huge (it's a text book) I use it mostly for reference. The Writer's Digest Book of POISON is a must have for me -- I use it all the time. The other Writer's Digest books (FORENSICS, POLICE PROCEDURE, etc) are good references -- not completely, but a good place to go for basic information. I don't pick them up as much as I used to simply because I remember, but I do refer for some things. Other books I've enjoyed but really only to research for a character or crime in general was LEAVE NO MAN BEHIND by David Isby (about special forces, history and special ops -- one of the best military books for a non-military person, IMO); MINDHUNTER by John Douglass -- I read it years ago, now it's going to be a Netflix original (oh, scary! Can't wait!); a book on tracking (I can't find it, hahaha, but it helped me a lot when writing one of my books about an escaped fugitive.) <br />Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15143667459884630962017-08-09T13:05:37.793-04:002017-08-09T13:05:37.793-04:00Scottsdale! That's where my oldest daughter li...Scottsdale! That's where my oldest daughter lives :) ... I agree, most LEOs are very cool, very approachable. They go through a lot to protect the public, and it's gotten so much worse over the last few years :(Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-18812712708516405672017-08-09T13:04:25.489-04:002017-08-09T13:04:25.489-04:00In that case -- you're totally right! LOLIn that case -- you're totally right! LOL<br />Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-91849894578389509842017-08-09T12:01:28.645-04:002017-08-09T12:01:28.645-04:00Allison, are there any books from your reference l...Allison, are there any books from your reference library that are your go-tos? Any books you would recommend?Ingrid Thofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04063912686011336076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-80485397957098718662017-08-09T11:13:11.917-04:002017-08-09T11:13:11.917-04:00This is fantastic, Allison. I did the three month ...This is fantastic, Allison. I did the three month training with the Scottsdale Citizen's Police Academy a couple of years ago. I was so pleased with how open and approachable all of the departments were, and the officers were so patient with my many questions. I feel like everyone should go through it. Also, there is nothing more eye opening than a ride along! Jenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214926031147370862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-2117964946765256542017-08-09T11:05:40.407-04:002017-08-09T11:05:40.407-04:00I would enjoy it a lot more if I was 30 pounds lig...I would enjoy it a lot more if I was 30 pounds lighter and 20 years younger ...<br /><br />Copyeditors can be fabulous, or total idiots. I had one idiot who wrote on my manuscript, "This isn't how they do it on television." I almost had a coronary. <br /><br />Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25809925542867229232017-08-09T11:04:03.013-04:002017-08-09T11:04:03.013-04:00LOL Ann -- I'm in love! Haha.
Most of my &qu...LOL Ann -- I'm in love! Haha. <br /><br />Most of my "big" mistakes relate to medicine, forgive me. I've gotten better, however my earlier books had some cringe-worthy errors. <br /><br />In one of my early books, I had a character take Valium. She popped 5 or 6 pills and was drinking, and there was a question whether she tried to kill herself, or was just upset and being stupid or acting guilty (her step-father had just been killed -- she's a suspect.) Well, I've never taken Valium, and I don't know how to read prescriptions. I had a Vicodin prescription from my C-section and saw the 5/100 mg and assumed one pill had 100 mg of a drug. Um, apparently it's the 5 that's the main drug and the 100 was something else (like ibuprofen or whatever -- this was a long time ago when a nurse called me on the carpet for it!) Whatever I said, I totally messed it up. <br /><br />Now, I avoid specific details unless 1) it's essential to the story and 2) I verify it with an expert. Fortunately, my daughter is now an EMT and my cousin married a nurse and Dr. Lyle is always generous with his time! Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-71276883945190799692017-08-09T11:01:27.609-04:002017-08-09T11:01:27.609-04:00I could go for that - except she makes a point of ...I could go for that - except she makes a point of saying it has fewer security protocols and it was hacked by the bad guy. That's the point where I said, "no way."<br /><br />Mary/LizLiz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-84296290777282725902017-08-09T10:58:19.657-04:002017-08-09T10:58:19.657-04:00I think some things we can willingly suspend disbe...I think some things we can willingly suspend disbelief for, and other things we can't. The laptop thing wouldn't bug me -- I would probably just assume that it has all the security protocols on it, etc. But not clearing the basement? That's just bad police work. And most LEOs are not that stupid. Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85834364330262075422017-08-09T10:55:07.981-04:002017-08-09T10:55:07.981-04:00Hmmm ... good question. I'd like to go on anot...Hmmm ... good question. I'd like to go on another ride-along. I've done it once, but I know I could learn more. I've never interviewed anyone in the ATF and that might be interesting. Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-13115332114509639842017-08-09T10:54:18.673-04:002017-08-09T10:54:18.673-04:00Hank, I had the same response once. "She know...Hank, I had the same response once. "She knows nothing about the English upper class and how they talk". I wanted to find this person and shout "I'm married to one! I stay in a big English house every summer! "Authorrhysbowen@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11844065473614874365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-53829023079944770282017-08-09T10:53:00.174-04:002017-08-09T10:53:00.174-04:00You are going to have to blog about the cyber crim...You are going to have to blog about the cyber crimes story! If you have and I missed it, link it ... I'll bet it's fabulous. <br /><br />I had a friend who got slammed in a contest because someone said she'd obviously never met a cop and didn't know what she was writing about. Ha -- she'd been married to a cop for 20+ years and he edited all her cop scenes. <br /><br />I got slammed in a contest once because the judge said, "The lieutenant governor of California would never be allowed out of the capitol without a full security team." Um, I worked in the Capitol for 13 years and saw the LG out and about, usually with just one of his staffers. So yeah, when the LG walked to the hotel across the street with his press secretary and legislative aide, that really did happen ...<br /><br />I sometimes screw things up, but I try hard to get them right -- and Tess is right, we can't let the research show. It's hard sometimes, but if I've established that my characters are experts in their field, then you can get away with a lot. <br /><br />SHATTERED is next up ... it's Max's 4th book, but it's also a cross-over with my Lucy Kincaid series. Max investigates cold cases. It's always hard for me to talk about my own books ... I'm not a good saleswoman! ... But essentially, the wife of one of Max's old friends is on trial for killing their son. The husband thinks she's innocent and found three similar cases almost identical to his son's death. The oldest case, nearly 20 years, is the murder of Justin Stanton, Lucy Kincaid's nephew, when he was 7. Justin's father will only cooperate with Max if she works with his former sister-in-law, FBI Agent Lucy. Max and Lucy are very, very different characters though both focused on justice. I had never planned on solving Justin's murder -- it was a backstory in the Lucy series and his death impacted everyone in the family in different ways -- but they I figured it out. Or, rather, Max did. LOL.Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-77180517960688372942017-08-09T10:50:16.385-04:002017-08-09T10:50:16.385-04:00Absolutely fascinating, Allison! Being searched by...Absolutely fascinating, Allison! Being searched by Swat? Not sure if I'd enjoy that or what. But you are right about we don't know what we don't know to ask. I e had to do last minute rewrites because a copy editor has pointed out some little error. Authorrhysbowen@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11844065473614874365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-89442860067379552722017-08-09T10:43:31.252-04:002017-08-09T10:43:31.252-04:00No, I'm pretty grounded. I think I could have ...No, I'm pretty grounded. I think I could have been a cop in another life ... :)Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-39495799063127936922017-08-09T10:43:02.992-04:002017-08-09T10:43:02.992-04:00There are some series that deal with the day to da...There are some series that deal with the day to day situations like rent, jet lag, etc -- I remember an older series set in my backyard by I think Karen Kjewski. I can't quite remember her name ... But her main character was Kat. She was a PI and it was very "real" feeling. I loved those books (until her boyfriend was killed off.) <br /><br />I think in television, because there is so much visual going on (A picture is worth a thousand words!) we get a sense of research because we SEE things. Take Blue Bloods (my new binge this summer.) -- We know Danny is a good cop who has a problem with anger sometimes. We trust when he says something, that it's accurate, because the show established that he is a terrific detective who closes cases. We see his expressions and how he looks at situations because of the camera angles, etc. He doesn't have to say anything, but we already know a lot. In books, authors have to use words ONLY to convey a setting, scene, character -- :)<br /><br />FYI: My character Maxine Revere spends a lot of time in a library and the county offices in ABANDONED because there still are some things that can't be found on line, particularly older records. Not everything is digitized! Fortunately, I do know what a microfiche is :) Allison Brennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598446973999304028noreply@blogger.com