My Philosophy on Writing

Many books claim you should write what you know. That was my intention when I started writing my police related short stories. In order to tie together all the stories that were first hand experiences and those that were second hand, stories that I knew to be true but not personally witnessed, I invented a main character, Samuel Thorne, as my lead protagonist. I made every attempt to relate the story as it occurred and did not try to embellish the narrative. Most police stories do not need anything more than what actually happened but you would never know that from the way police work is portrayed on film.

My belief is that to be honest to the story you are writing you have to do your research. At my desk are twenty six dictionaries encompassing basic language, quotations, slang, euphemisms, medicine and a few other topics. Those volumes are supported by twenty four writer’s guides plus seven guides to better usage. Fifteen more are devoted to anecdotes. If that seems a lot there is also my personal favorite, the internet.

After compiling fifteen police related stories I found myself looking elsewhere for subject matter. Flights of fancy still required research to give my later stories a sense of reality. When I was writing a fantasy or a mystery, locations had to be accurate, whether I had first-hand knowledge of the place or not. That required more research and often a visit to google maps street view for a drive through the neighborhoods inhabiting my story. That is true even if the story is taking place one hundred years in the past. Neighborhoods may change but the land does not.

The key to my writing is truth supported by research. Take what you want from other author’s books on writing but make your stories your own. Do the work and write the story.