Write Away: G is for Gumshoe and Gun

Let’s start off with something a bit lighter than our other terms.

Did you ever wonder about the origin of the term, Gumshoe? Gumshoe was a synonym for detective in the early 20^th century. The term stuck, so to speak, because of the sneakers used by the detectives. The sneakers suggested stealthy investigating by gumshoes.

Gun is a bit harder, but still easier than some terms we’ve tackled so far.

Most of us non-professionals call a firearm a gun. Law enforcement and military folks tend to say weapon for the specific kinds of firearms they use. One could infer that gun is the more generic, encompassing term. Thus all weapons are guns, but not all guns are weapons.

Some say the distinguishing factor for gun vs. weapon is that a weapon is meant to bring harm to others. That is its raison d’être, whereas a gun is a tool used, for example, to signal for help or to protect oneself.

Thus it would seem that intent is what distinguishes whether a firearm is a weapon or a gun. I’d be happy for someone to set me straight if I am off-base.

Part 7 of 26 of “The List” is next. Keep reading to see how Frieda responds to Mort.

Grimacing, she pulled her attention back to her work and away from his entreaties.  She had columns to produce and her book deadline was looming. It hadn’t been her idea to show up at this beach condo for a week. Mort had practically kidnapped her, insisting that the two of them needed some time together, to talk. Like being married for 43 years wasn’t enough time together!

            “C’mon, Frieda. We been here for four days, and you’ve hardly looked at the beach. You can take a fifteen-minute break, and I’ll get you a nice little glass of icy Sauvignon Blanc. This weather is perfect. You can smell the water!”

            What is wrong with the man? He knows my schedule and commitments better than I do. But her concentration was broken. She knew she would have a hard time picking up the rhythm again. What should she do? She lifted the black globe and shook it. Should I go outside to Mort?

            “Yes, definitely.” Sighing at an answer she didn’t want, she rose from her chair anyway.

Write Away: F is for Felon and Forensics

I could have chosen “full search” mentioned in an earlier post. A full search occurs during a street arrest and is a top to bottom, pockets and all, search of someone taken into custody. But I didn’t want to cover that today.

I also considered writing about “fingerprints”, the unique pattern of swirls and whorls that make you, you. Even your identical twin with whom you share DNA has fingerprints different from yours. If I had covered fingerprints, I would likely have gotten into biometric identification systems as an alternative. I also would probably have gotten into the history of fingerprints by law enforcement. Such as by the mid-1800s some officers were able to recall fingerprints of crooks they had encountered. By the late 19^th century, categorization of fingerprint patterns was on the way. But I’m not going into that today.

Today is for felon and forensics.

Felons are those convicted of felonies. Felonies are crimes that are more serious than misdemeanors. Felonies are crimes like: murder, grievous injury, arson, rape, and robbery. Felonies typically involve violence, and usually conviction results in imprisonment of more than one year or death. So a suspect is not necessarily a felon, at least for the current crime you are writing. But since many felons repeat criminal behavior, your villain may well be a felon.

Forensics has a fascinating history of development, but way too much for this post. Remind me sometime to post more on forensics. TV has greatly increased public awareness of this field of criminal analysis. The term “CSI Effect” is often used by public safety officials when lamenting what juries expect for evidence presented to them. Or how victims expect evidence to be collected and analyzed quickly.

The word forensic is an adjective relating to or indicating application of the scientific method and techniques when investigating a crime, as in forensic evidence, meaning evidence identified and verified through the method.

Forensics (with an s) is the noun form meaning the scientific tests and techniques used in examining evidence of a crime. Forensics can also be the term used to identify the laboratory or department overseeing the administration of the scientific tests and techniques.

Part 6 of the short story is next! Aunt Fran has answered the letter sent and has a reaction and an invitation.

Frieda Frances Fluvenhoffer Maranski, better known as “Aunt Fran” to two generations of newspaper readers said, “Oh, vomit!” as she read over her answer. She jerked the sheet from the typewriter and tossed it into the “done” pile. She reached again into the folder her staff compiled of likely column questions. She read over a new question and picked up the Magic 8 Ball again.

            She ignored the brilliant deep blue of the ocean in front of her, the late afternoon sun bouncing off the tips of the waves making their inexorable way to the shore. The light sparkled and danced, winking its way from one wave to the next, making it impossible to guess which wave would twinkle next. She saw none of that, though Mort, relaxed and lounging in a chair on the deck, kept calling to her to unplug her machine and come enjoy the sight.

            “C’mon, Frieda. Come sit with me. We only have this paradise for a little while. Give it a break. You can work again tonight when there’s no view.”

Write Away: E is for Embezzle, Ensemble, and Evidence

Since I couldn’t choose among the options, I picked these three terms. I am seriously considering writing a dictionary for mystery and crime fiction writers using these terms and some others I can’t use in this challenge. Does that sound like a good idea to you? You could look up terms more easily than with regular dictionary entries. I’m pondering this, but your input would be helpful.

On to “E is for …”

Embezzle is a crime I used in the first book of my culinary mystery series. One of the characters goes beyond the pale when the fear of a revealed embezzlement looms. This is a perfectly good crime to include in a mystery, but it is usually a secondary plot, as it was for me. There would have to be much higher stakes/consequences of the embezzlement for it to stand as the major crime. And that can happen, but usually in thrillers rather than mysteries.

 To embezzle means to that someone either steals or misappropriates money that one is entrusted to safeguard or that belongs to where one works. So someone in Company A’s payroll might embezzle funds, but a Company A secretary hacking into Company B’s bank account is just flat out stealing. She had no ordinary or legitimate access to the money, so it is common theft.

An Ensemble cast of characters usually makes a mystery more enjoyable to read and opens up many potential secondary plot lines. The ensemble allows the detective to play off the strengths and limitations of other characters, revealing information about the protagonist that would be difficult to know otherwise. Cozies rely on ensemble casts to move the plot forward or thwart the solving of the crime, whereas police procedurals have less emphasis on ensembles.

In any mystery or crime fiction you write, however, there needs to be at least a minimum supportive cast. Choose ensemble companions to highlight the detective’s assets and liabilities, thus enriching your protagonist’s profile.

Evidence is another one of those “gotta have it” components in mystery and crime fiction. Just as there is no mystery without a crime, there is no mystery story without evidence. With no evidence, a crime is unsolvable. The End.

At heart, evidence is either a thing or a statement that helps solve the crime. Evidence is the body of accumulated facts and/or information the detective has available. Multiple pieces of evidence are needed to form a convincing case that can be “proved beyond a reasonable doubt”, the standard set for trials. When writing a mystery story, the author must compile the case against the suspect just as a detective might. There must be an accumulation of evidence that results in a preponderance of facts or information that points to one person.

Often there is false evidence, misinterpreted evidence, overlooked evidence, tampered with evidence, inadmissible evidence, and lost evidence included in mysteries and crime fiction. The effect of these is to slow down the investigation by stopping it for a time or leading it astray for a while. In the end, in mysteries, if not real life, the evidential discrepancies are resolved and the crime solved.

Ready for part 5 of the short story? Aunt Fran is answering the question a reader sent in:

“Easy one, thank God!” she said aloud. She began typing:

 Aunt Fran says:

Dear Leaving,

Don't leave him. Not at this time. 

Think this through, Dear. He’s not gambling the money away. Dan is spending it on your home to make a nest the two of you can share. Nests are made of twigs and weeds, both of which are perfectly normal in both nests and marriages. 

A nest made only of cotton bolls might be comfy looking and might feel great for a while, but it won’t hold up. Nests of woven twigs are strong, but you must help with the weaving. If you are not interested in making a strong nest together, perhaps flying away is the answer. But first, try to work things out with Dan. Have you two talked since you married about your plan to quit work?

Together, work on a timeline that is reasonable to both of you. The woven twigs you create this way will cradle you forever.

Write Away: D is for Detective and Due Process

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A detective detects. To detect is to discover, discern, identify, and investigate. A detective deduces, infers, draws conclusions, and pieces together the puzzle pieces revealed while crime solving. The detective detects patterns and anomalies.

Whether with a big D as in Detective Jones, law enforcement personnel, or with a little d as in Alli, my amateur detective in Mission Impastable, the detective is critical to solving the crime as is having a criminal to unmask. They are two sides of the same coin with precisely opposite motives. Yin to the other’s yang.  

I can’t think of a single mystery without either or both a professional and amateur detective. If you can, please list in below in the comments. Detectives are central to the story line. All other characters circle around the detective and the detective’s thinking. Designing your detective’s quirks, peccadilloes, traits, and mannerisms are key to having a personality uniquely qualified to solve your crimes.

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Due Process is a law term meaning that the rights of an individual are protected and honored during the investigation of a crime. Due process was created to provide fair treatment as a citizen progresses through the judicial process and system.

At its root, due process is a safeguard against arbitrarily denying a citizen of life, liberty, and/or property. There is a due process clause in the Fifth Amendment and in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. The Fifth Amendment due process clause refers only to actions by the federal government. The Fourteenth Amendment due process clause broadened the scope to states.

Stemming from English Common Law, due process is divided into two categories, Substantive Due Process and Procedural Due Process. Substantive Law creates, defines and regulates rights; Procedural Law enforces the rights or seeks redress for violations of rights.

For mystery and crime writers, you’ll likely be dealing more with Procedural Due Process around the arrests and trials of suspects. These include, but are not limited to: unreasonable searches, self-incrimination, cruel and unusual punishment, double jeopardy, the right to have an attorney, and proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Ready for the letter Aunt Fran is going to answer in her column? Read on for part four of the short story: 

 

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Dear Aunt Fran,

I have been trying to decide whether or not to leave my husband of three months.

“Dan” and I had a sort of prenuptial agreement, not official or written down or

anything, that I would quit work as soon as we paid off our credit card bills from

the wedding. He keeps on charging things, which, of course, keeps the bills high.

Admittedly, those things are furnishings for our house, but I kept track of our

wedding expenses, and I know that I am within $1500 of paying them off. The

credit card bill which just came today shows we owe $6792.36! Don’t you think I

am justified in leaving him? “Dan” obviously wants me to keep working to

support his habit!

            Leaving on a Jet Plane to LA

“Should the twit leave Dan?" She shook her Magic 8 Ball.

“Not at this time” floated into view.

Write Away: C is for Clues, Crime, and Custody

It amazed me, as I prepped for this challenge, just how many options I had for most letters, and C was one of those. I chose this big three because they are central to mystery and crime writing. The mystery or crime fiction story begins with the crime, which leaves clues, and ends with custody.

Clues are left after any crime. Some are very subtle and only make sense in conjunction with other clues, such as a timeline of suspects’ actions. Others are bold and obvious and supportive of other evidence, like DNA analysis. But some clues are planted to be distractors or are misinterpreted in light of other evidence.

Susan Spann, in an article on writing mysteries on Chick Wendig’s “Terrible Minds” says there are three kinds of clues: “genuine clues” that point to the criminal; “fake clues” meant to lead the reader and detective in another direction; and “pivotal clues” meant to change or shift the investigation in the story. The mystery writer needs to make a list of each to sprinkle into the story.

Some pivotal clues lead to the breakthrough from yesterday’s post. In story arc terms, they probably occur at the major turning points.

Crime is an unlawful act for which there are penalties if apprehended (a really good A word). In most mysteries and crime fiction, the most common crime is murder. Murder is the ultimate stakes. One can recover from a burglary or robbery or can usually recover from assault and battery. There’s no coming back from murder. The higher the stakes, the more engaged readers tend to be. But there are lots of other crimes, that written well, can also draw in readers. That’s why we use the modifier “murder mystery” to identify the mystery’s crime.

Custody is a synonym for being imprisoned or jailed. The suspect is locked up, does time, or goes inside. An interesting thing about custody relates to due process rules on questioning and Miranda rights. More on those in later entries. Suffice it to say, you may be confused about how interrogation happens legally as I used to be. I can clear that up for you.

Being in custody is the direct result of being arrested, but not all custody comes from arrests. Custody can result from other actions as well, such as the suspect submitting to the authority of a public safety official or being detained for questioning.

An arrest means you were charged with a crime. For serious crimes the suspect can be held in custody for a long time, with a judge determining if the person can be released on bail pending trial.

If not arrested, but only detained (held in custody) for questioning, police can hold a suspect for eight hours, only four of which can be questioning.

Now let’s get to part 3 of our continuing tale:

Categorizing her questions was a brilliant move she’d made decades ago. Now she had a pool of answers she could tap into so the responses seemed genuine, heartfelt, and on the mark. Still each answer required her to personalize it because people had a way of sending the damn things in and later asking for them to be reprinted. She obliged, but it wouldn’t do to have the exact words appearing over and over! She sighed as she picked up a folder of the latest stack of repeated questions and answers she’d given.

Why couldn’t people be more original or, maybe more appropriately, why was there such a limited supply of situations that caused angst? Why didn’t she ever get a letter that said the person was a serial killer and wanted to off her? Why didn’t a thief want to know how to anonymously return the stolen goods? Why didn’t abusive priests seek absolution from her? Now those would be questions to sink her teeth into. These petty issues about cheating husbands and out-of-control children, over and over and over, were boring. She sighed, picked through some of the letters and began to read one.

Write Away: B is for Burglary and Breakthrough

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Wow, it was hard picking just two terms for today’s post. I could have done backup squad or build suspense or ballistics or ballistic vest or even booking officer. Lots of great options for this day’s letter.

Burglary is often used as a synonym for robbery by those NOT in the know. One reason for choosing this term today was to make sure you don’t make a mistake when writing that many readers, let alone public safety personnel, will recognize as an error. To burgle or burglarize is to enter a building with the intent of committing a crime like theft (most often), but it can extend to other crimes as well.

To rob or commit robbery is to take personal property from someone while using force or the threat of force. 

To call a street hold-up a burglary is as wrong as saying someone robbed an unguarded safe. Clear?

Breakthrough is a favorite for mystery and crime writers. A breakthrough is the discovery that breaks the case open. It is the discovery helps solve the crime. The breakthrough is a major turning point in the mystery where now everyone knows whodunit. Sometimes it is a concealed piece of evidence that emerges or a piece of evidence that is reinterpreted. Sometimes it is a confession or statement by a witness that gives the final puzzle part to the detective.

Breakthroughs have to be handled carefully so they don’t appear to be a deus ex machina. Rather the breakthrough should be organic to the story, emerging at the right time in a logical progression the reader may or may not have anticipated but which is appropriately positioned and results in a satisfying story ending.

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The List: A Story in 26 Parts

Brains like hers, a valuable commodity, could be insured for a million dollars. She had a rider for her old typewriter for that amount, too. She couldn’t imagine producing her daily column without it, though she was beginning to suspect that she might be producing the column without her brain. The older she got, she realized, the longer it took her to generate clever and concise responses to the stupid questions people asked.

            Irritatingly, they insisted upon asking them over and over. She had, more than once, fought the urge to write a response directing them to the fifteen previous times she had answered the very same question.

Write Away: A is for Alias, Alibi, and Arrest

Welcome to my April A-Z Challenge! This year I am dealing with terms mystery and crime fiction writers know and use. Consider this month as a sort of Mystery Writing 101. 

By the same token, I hope that even experienced writers will garner some new information or insights. Some days I will only present one term, but a goodly number of my 26 posts have two or three terms.

With my challenge, you get a two-fer. Not only will the letter of the day be featured in mystery/crime fiction terms, but I have written a short story for you in 26 parts. Each day’s paragraph begins with the letter of the day. Let’s get to it!

A is for Alias, Alibi, and Arrest

Alias can be an adverb, noun, or verb, but in this context, I am sticking with noun. In mysteries, someone typically assumes an alias for a nefarious purpose. In Mission Impastable, my first culinary mystery, a main character’s alias is a big plot point.

However, an alias can also be used as protective cover for someone hiding in plain sight for non-nefarious purposes. In this case, often the intent is to remain camouflaged while gathering data or searching for something. The much-overused, and generally ineffective “missing twin” trope often relies on aliases.

Alibi is a standard component in crime fiction. The mystery writer prepares real and false alibis (that can be revealed as false when new evidence emerges) for each suspect. This is tricky. The author has to use a timeline to make sure where everyone is at the time of the crime.

After knowing where everyone is, a trail of clues to support/dispute each alibi is created. The author sprinkles in clues to dismantle the alibi of the perpetrator. This aspect is one of the reasons I think writing mysteries is harder than other genres I write.

Arrest (a noun and a verb) is the finale in mystery and crime fiction. Readers of all but literary mysteries will not be satisfied if there is no justice, no arrest and prosecution, at the end. An arrest can happen on-stage or off-stage depending on the sub-genre. Often cozies leave off the details of arresting the perpetrator. But if you are writing police procedurals or a cozy where the arrest happens, do your research so you write it accurately. Do not rely on TV or movies for what actually occurs. 

For example, a street arrest requires a full-search before handing off to a transport officer. The transport officer also does a full-search before handing off the prisoner off to the booking officer, who, you guessed it, also does a full-search. Arrest details, like handcuffing or not, and how to handcuff are very important to give your mystery credibility.

The List: A Story in 26 Parts

Aunt Fran, “Palpably Pink” acrylic fingernails stuck on the ends of bony fingers, grasped the orb and shook the Magic 8 Ball once more, willing the ball to give the right answer to her question this time. The “right answer”, of course, being one she agreed with. “Is the dolt’s wife cheating on him?”

            “Without a doubt” floated into view.

            That will do, she decided and began typing the answer to the man’s question on the antique gray IBM Selectric she hauled all over the country with her. It was one of her “charming eccentricities” the interviewers referred to when writing about the advice column maven. That and her penchant for trying every shade of red hair dye the manufacturers produced. Nobody knew that she relied on the Magic 8 Ball for crafting her answers. But she had long ago learned that life’s exigencies could be boiled down to the orb’s few essential phrases.