Just Make It Up!
(They’ll Never Know).
Some months ago, I was perusing one of the various Facebook writing groups that I frequent. This particular group is a resource for crime and thriller writers that provides assistance in getting the details correct when writing about the police. Writers post questions or ask for specific advice from law enforcement officers, or others with experience. Sometimes, fellow writers make suggestions for how to fix a particular plot problem.
One participant was asking for specific details about how an FBI field office would be laid out. This is what this group excels at; those small, tiny details that add realism or stop authors making basic errors that can come back and bite them later. I’ve used the group a couple of times to ask questions about firearms – after all, I’m a Brit, what the hell do I know about guns? However, the group is full of US police officers and what can be politely described as ‘gun enthusiasts’. They answered my question in detail within hours.
Unfortunately for the thriller writer interested in the FBI, the post resulted in an avalanche of replies, many from serving police officers who claim to have worked alongside the FBI, or even FBI special agents – and they all contradicted each other! Because, it seems that individual field offices vary enormously. Which kind of makes sense really; imagine if someone wrote a post asking for a description for ‘how a school is laid out’. You’d get thousands of answers, each one different.
The original poster was clearly getting flustered. They were desperate to get the details right, but there was too much information overload.
So my advice – just make it up!
When struggling to research a topic, consider how likely it is that members of your audience will be knowledgeable enough about that topic that your ignorance will be obvious enough for it to matter.
Plenty of people (even in the UK) know enough about guns that if I didn’t get those details correct, plenty of them would be happy to correct my ignorance publicly in my Amazon reviews (and you just know that my faux pas would be conclusive evidence that I am such a blithering idiot that my book is only worthy of 1 star).
On the other hand, ask yourself how many of your readers will actually have been to an FBI field office?
I’d suggest spending time getting the gun details correct, but spending next to no time finding out how a field office is laid out. It’s unlikely that anyone in a position to know for certain is going to award you 1 star, or castigate you on social media.
Just use your common-sense, and write with authority.
The field office is an office. It’s unlikely to be very much different to any other type of office. Filing cabinets, office chairs, a communal coffee area, desks of computers and photocopiers. The aircon probably rattles, one of your co-workers pinches your milk all the time, and somebody is in charge of the Secret Santa and the sweepstake for the World Cup.
But that’s not FBI enough. So how about the seal of the Department Of Justice on the wall, alongside a print of the official portrait for the current president?
FBI agents tend to strut about with their guns on their belts all the time, but if they also have Tasers, they are probably in a charging rack. Lots of FBI stuff is very secretive, so there is probably a sound-proof office somewhere. Terrorism is a constant threat, so there is probably a metal detector, maybe even sniffer dogs and visitors will wear big, distinctive lanyards. Everyone else will probably be encouraged to wear their ID badge at all times.
One participant was asking for specific details about how an FBI field office would be laid out. This is what this group excels at; those small, tiny details that add realism or stop authors making basic errors that can come back and bite them later. I’ve used the group a couple of times to ask questions about firearms – after all, I’m a Brit, what the hell do I know about guns? However, the group is full of US police officers and what can be politely described as ‘gun enthusiasts’. They answered my question in detail within hours.
Unfortunately for the thriller writer interested in the FBI, the post resulted in an avalanche of replies, many from serving police officers who claim to have worked alongside the FBI, or even FBI special agents – and they all contradicted each other! Because, it seems that individual field offices vary enormously. Which kind of makes sense really; imagine if someone wrote a post asking for a description for ‘how a school is laid out’. You’d get thousands of answers, each one different.
The original poster was clearly getting flustered. They were desperate to get the details right, but there was too much information overload.
So my advice – just make it up!
When struggling to research a topic, consider how likely it is that members of your audience will be knowledgeable enough about that topic that your ignorance will be obvious enough for it to matter.
Plenty of people (even in the UK) know enough about guns that if I didn’t get those details correct, plenty of them would be happy to correct my ignorance publicly in my Amazon reviews (and you just know that my faux pas would be conclusive evidence that I am such a blithering idiot that my book is only worthy of 1 star).
On the other hand, ask yourself how many of your readers will actually have been to an FBI field office?
I’d suggest spending time getting the gun details correct, but spending next to no time finding out how a field office is laid out. It’s unlikely that anyone in a position to know for certain is going to award you 1 star, or castigate you on social media.
Just use your common-sense, and write with authority.
The field office is an office. It’s unlikely to be very much different to any other type of office. Filing cabinets, office chairs, a communal coffee area, desks of computers and photocopiers. The aircon probably rattles, one of your co-workers pinches your milk all the time, and somebody is in charge of the Secret Santa and the sweepstake for the World Cup.
But that’s not FBI enough. So how about the seal of the Department Of Justice on the wall, alongside a print of the official portrait for the current president?
FBI agents tend to strut about with their guns on their belts all the time, but if they also have Tasers, they are probably in a charging rack. Lots of FBI stuff is very secretive, so there is probably a sound-proof office somewhere. Terrorism is a constant threat, so there is probably a metal detector, maybe even sniffer dogs and visitors will wear big, distinctive lanyards. Everyone else will probably be encouraged to wear their ID badge at all times.
I have no idea if any of the above is true, but I’d wager that if I wrote it with enough confidence, few of my readers would ever question it.
And that’s why they call it fiction…
What are your thoughts? Can we sometimes ‘just make it up’, or is absolute accuracy a must?
As always, feel free to comment here, or on social media.
Until next time,
Paul
