Writing Tips

Promoting Pedantry
My books always have a date (although I tend not to specify the year), so here are some of the things I do.

• Susan, Warren’s wife, is a teacher, so I look up the term dates for Hertfordshire schools, to work out if she is likely to be off school during the period it is set in.
• I check for public holidays (remember, Easter etc can move around).
• I look up sunrise and sunset times – if my killer is disposing of the body after dark, then they won’t be doing it at 7pm in June!
• I check when the clocks change. It hasn’t caused me problems yet, but you can guarantee that the one time I don’t check will be the book which requires a precise timeline that straddles early evening on one day, finishing in the early hours of the following day, and I set the scene over the weekend when the clocks go back.
• The BBC and Sky etc archive their TV listings, so I can have a character give an accurate alibi or have Warren settle down to Have I Got News For You, confident that it was showing that evening (for bonus points, I can even reference the guests, knowing that somewhere out there I have just thwarted a pedant!).
• Similarly, football fixtures are archived (with kick off, score etc) – useful if a character claims to have been watching the footie.
• When describing cars, I double-check that the model of car was available in the UK for the registration date I give. Wikipedia and online car magazines can provide photographs to help in its description. For one book, I changed the timeline to ensure that a car with a particular feature was on sale during that time period.
• The BBC News website has archived its content, making it easy to find out what the major news stories were that day. No matter how horribly gruesome my murder is, it isn’t going to have made the top story on the day of the EU referendum! Even if it has no impact on the plot, it adds a little colour and texture to the story.

Where to find that information
Googling for these little details is an obvious solution, but sometimes it’s difficult to phrase the question properly. In this case you can post questions to forums on Reddit etc – you’d be amazed at the trivia that somebody out there is an expert on. Similarly, firms that provide services or goods that you need details about are often very willing to answer strange questions. I always start my email by explaining that I am a crime writer – the communications staff for large companies spend much of their time dealing with the same routine questions from the public. Something a bit different will often pique their interest. For my latest book, Out of Sight, I needed some specific guidance on the laws surrounding the drafting of a will. I found a firm that specialised in this and fired off an email on a Friday afternoon. A partner replied within a couple of hours, saying that they thought the question was fascinating and they’d get back to me. Sure enough, Monday morning I received their response. It was really lengthy and detailed, and they had clearly spent time looking up what I needed to know in their own time.
For other precise facts, Wikipedia is a remarkable resource. I just finished writing a short story, and in the first draft, I blithely mentioned a life insurance company. Fortunately, I always flag anything like this with a comment to verify later. It turns out that not only did I have their name incorrect, it had also sold its life insurance business years before my book is set!
Finally, don’t forget Facebook. I know nothing about guns, but there are dedicated writers forums populated by US cops who can tell you everything you need to know and more! If you have a wide and diverse group of friends, then sometimes it’s worth posting the question and letting the FB hive mind do its thing.
Don’t let the (inevitable) mistakes get you down.
How much effort you put into finding out these little factoids is entirely up to you, and I am well-aware that I am probably at the more obsessive end of the scale. It can be a tremendous time-suck, if you aren’t careful.
Unfortunately, mistakes still occur, especially for things that you are convinced you know  – I was certain that I had the name of that insurance company correct, and was really only double-checking capitalisation and spelling, I had no idea it no longer sold life insurance.
Even if you are correct, there are plenty of readers out there who won’t believe you (I had a recent surreal email exchange with an overseas reader who took exception to my pluralisation of a word, refusing to back down even when I cited the Collins dictionary). Some readers even write to authors to castigate them for giving incorrect directions for a fictional route between two places that only exist in the writer’s imagination!
There will always be those who loudly proclaim on social media or review sites that an author’s faux pas ‘ruined the whole novel’ and they had to ‘put it down, never to read one of their books again’. Sometimes they call into question the author’s attention to detail, accusing them of not bothering to engage the services of a proof-reader or, something that really irritates me, implying that the proof-reader is useless and unprofessional – they aren’t, they’re human.
Dig a little deeper and you’ll find that such an over-reaction usually says more about the reviewer than your book. Often, they are using it as a platform to broadcast their supposed expertise on a niche subject that nobody else really cares about.
To be honest, aside from absolute howlers that are embarrassing, my advice is not to lie awake at night. If there is an opportunity to change the manuscript, then perhaps do so, if only to avoid having to reply repeatedly to the same questions on social media. Otherwise, wear it as a badge of honour. You aren’t really a successful writer until you’ve had your first unjustified one star review!

How bothered are you by small inaccuracies? Do you have an obsessive attention to detail? What tiny details do you always strive to get correct?
As always, feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until next time,
Paul.

• Their personal history (if they have one).
• The power balance between them (think about how you might bite your tongue when your boss says something really foolish, compared to when your best friend does something really asinine).
• If one individual needs something from the other (a police officer may nod sympathetically whilst listening to a murderer confessing, putting aside their personal revulsion to get to the truth).
• The public façade that each character wishes to portray to others (a guilty person in interview might try to come across as helpful and open; their interrogator may want to seem as though they are trying to help them out).
• Jealousy (the green-eyed monster can affect any relationship , whether it be sexual jealousy or plain old avarice).

With that in mind, it’s worth considering the types of relationships that occur in real life.
Lovers / Spouses / Exes.
These relationships are so often at the heart of dramatic fiction, and for good reason. In a crime novel, where the aim is to dig below the surface, it’s worth spending some time building up the layers for key couples/former couples.
(Note that I make no assumptions about whether these relationships are same sex, opposite sex, or non-gendered. I will be writing a future blog about writing LBGQT+ characters, but the questions below should be true of any relationship).
So ask yourself a few questions:

• How long have they been together?
• What is their relationship status?
• Are they committed/exclusive?
• Are they open with each other? Is there, or has there been, infidelity?
• Is there a power/financial imbalance?
• Are they happy? Is there abuse or anger or jealousy?
• What challenges are they facing/have they faced?

• If they are no longer together, how long were they together for?
• When and why did they break up? Did they ever get back together?
• Was it a happy relationship?
• Was it committed?
• Did they keep secrets from one another?
• How was the break-up? Was it mutual? Have they both accepted it and moved on?

Parent / child or between siblings.
These are amongst our closest relationships, rivalling even that between lovers and spouses. These people have known us for many years, and we have evolved and aged together. Even in close, loving relationships, there is often emotional baggage that will forever colour how we interact. They know what makes us tick, and what buttons to press. They have often seen a side of you that nobody else has, such as temper trantrums.
How have the relationships evolved? Do the chcaracters ‘regress’ to childhood patterns of behaviour when they meet up with them? Do old memories and feelings resurface?
Old friends.
Friends are like family – but different.
Think about the people you grew up with – they know all your secrets; including the ones that you kept from your family. They know about your likes and dislikes and what makes you laugh.
Are your characters still in touch, or have they perhaps drifted apart? What happens when they reunite? Again, do they regress?
Then there are new friends.
A new friendship group, perhaps as a result of moving, or going to university, can be an opportunity to reinvent yourself.
Would old acquaintances recognise the ‘new’ person, if they were a fly on the wall?
Then there are your work colleagues.
We often spend more waking hours in their company than we do friends and family. Sometimes they become best friends, other times they are people we (barely) tolerate. Even the most open and friendly colleague is probably showing you a different face than that seen by their closest loved ones. I am sometimes struck by how a colleague’s social media posts often seem to be that of a complete stranger. Doubtless they feel the same way about me.
Casual acquaintances.
Is the relationship friendly, antagonistic or neutral? How did they meet? How often do they see each other? How much do they know about your character? Do they know things about the person that might be unexpected (eg something they overheard or saw)?
So, what if all these different people meet?
Weddings are unique occasions when two families and circles of friends meet, often for the first time. I’ve written before about how people often regress when they meet up with childhood friends. What happens when your character finds themself sitting on a table with people they went to school with, people who shared a flat with them as a student, and the people who know them primarily through work? How will your character deal with that?
In a crime novel, a police officer interviewing acquaintances of a victim or suspect might get different responses depending on who they interview. Who should they believe?

Things to keep in mind
Keep the relationship consistent – but remember, relationships evolve.
This is not a contradiction! For there to be a change in a relationship, there needs to be a catalyst. That catalyst could be something as inevitable as the passage of time, but as a rule if two workmates are warm and friendly one day, then cold the next, then something must have happened. This is the assumption that your readers will make, so take care not to lead them down the garden path by being careless – they won’t appreciate it.
Don’t forget the importance of relationships between secondary characters.
A couple of lines is all it takes, but it will help round out a character and make them realistic. The touch of a spouse’s hand on their partner’s shoulder can tell the reader lots about their relationship without ever being explicit.
Two people may have an entirely different view of their relationship.
There are plenty of people sideswiped by the unexpected ending of a relationship that they though was going fine. Or consider that sudden explosion of anger after a few too many at Christmas, when you realise that your constant ‘joking’ about your sister’s weight was actually only funny to you…
Then of course there is jealousy or unrequited feelings.

So how can you write realistic relationships?
Observation is key:
Look at friends and family. Pay attention. Is there a relationship in your life, or someone you know, that matches the one that you are trying to write?
Of course, this comes with a big health warning – think carefully about how comfortable you (or they) will be if it becomes apparent who the character is based on.
For that reason, it may be safer to take note of how relationships are dealt with in books and on TV. Soap operas are pretty much nothing but relationships, but of course the quality and realism varies. Choose wisely! As a reader or viewer, you probably have a gut feeling for what works and what doesn’t, so follow those instincts.

So, what are your thoughts about writing relationships? Are there any really good examples that you would recommend?
Feel free to comment below or on social media.
Until next time,
Paul

Scriptwriters for the BBC political comedy series The Thick Of It reportedly employed a swearing consultant to whom they would send scripts for vetting. Not to tone down the language, but rather to elevate it; the epic, foul-mouthed tirades uttered by the series’ Scottish spin doctor, Malcolm Tucker, verged on the poetic.

Of course it isn’t just disgruntled criminals that might swear. There are also the other characters in the story and crucially, the police themselves.
Members of HM Constabulary are trained professionals, working in a professional environment. But they are also human beings dealing with other human beings. The language you depict them using needs to be realistic. In face-to-face interactions with the public they are likely to be firm but polite, avoiding swearing as a rule – the manager of your local supermarket probably wouldn’t tell a customer to F-off, unless they were being really difficult, so neither would a police officer. When dealing with an aggressive suspect, then they may very well swear. Your job is to try and find that balance. Look at the scene you are writing, and if in doubt ask somebody else’s opinion as to whether it seems plausible or realistic.
Away from the front-line, much detective work is office-based. Consider the sort of language you might hear in a normal office, populated by typical adults.
The world of teaching has a surprising number of parallels with policing. Teachers deal with the public (pupils and occasionally parents) face-to-face all day. Sometimes those dealings can be confrontational. Swearing would neither be expected nor tolerated, except in the most extreme of circumstances (most teachers, when pressed, will admit to accidentally swearing when taken by surprise. I’m a science teacher, we handle hot objects… you get the picture). But in the staffroom, away from prying ears, the language is what you would expect: some staff never swear – because they don’t swear in daily life. Other staff would make Malcolm Tucker blush. Junior teachers would probably watch their language around the senior leadership team, but unlike the police, schools aren’t especially hierarchical.

So here is what you need to consider.

• Is it appropriate for the time and setting?
• Is it appropriate for the characters ? Don’t forget to consider each person individually. It can be an intrinsic part of that character’s voice.
• Does it fit with ‘your brand’? Readers get to know a writer’s style, and it can be jarring if basic things like profanity change significantly. It can also be embarrassing if somebody recommends you on the basis that you generally write clean, family-friendly fun but your central character calls someone a ‘C U Next Tuesday’, and tells them to ‘Foxtrot Oscar’ on the opening page of your next novel…
• Will the narrator swear, or will you confine it to dialogue? I never swear in any of my books, but some of my characters have real potty mouths! For this you need to consider the point of view – is it first or third person? Will readers feel that you are the narrator, and thus associate what is written with your personal views?
• What words do YOU feel are acceptable in your books? Some people have a real problem with the C word. Leaving aside your audience, do you feel comfortable using certain words, even if your characters probably would use them in real life?
• Just how realistic do you need to be?
• Can you avoid spelling out the swearing, but imply it? Authors of children and young adult books are limited in what they can portray, so if you want to really avoid it try seeing how they deal with the issue. Another trick (although you should use it sparingly, so that it doesn’t become silly), is to have a character start a sentence, then get interrupted or just trail off.​ “Oh for F….” started Warren, before biting his tongue. It wasn’t her fault, she was just the messenger..

So, where do you stand on swearing in books?
As always, feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until next week, all the best.
Paul