Write what you know

They say you should write what you know so I’ve harped back to the days when I did legal training (I was the trainer) and was involved in the Will Writing industry. Before you ask, my will is up to date and in a safe storage facility.

Writing what you know is a double-edged sword. I could write all day everyday about the legal aspects of estate planning and know exactly what I was talking about, but what if I want to write a detective or a murder mystery? I’ve never been a detective, and certainly never murdered anyone even though I confess that thought might have crossed my mind once or twice, but never seriously. Could it be that from years of watching detective and murder mysteries on television that I have actually completed my research in advance?

Do I know enough background information about how I should go about murdering someone (just in the fiction writing of course!), should I guess what actually goes through someone’s mind when taking action or should I talk to experts who have been involved in the field of murder? I’m not convinced I know enough gangland bosses or experts in assassination to carry out the last task, but it could be that calling the local police station there might be people who may be able to talk me through several experiences they have set out to seek and solve. Or should I take steps like the murderer who acts on impulse; no preparation, no planning just writing on the spur of the moment?

Quite clearly the likes of Lisa Gardner and Karin Slaughter have completed serious research to bring their fiction writing to life. You certainly feel, after reading one of their books, that they know exactly what they’re talking about. There is no reason to doubt a single line of information, that tells us how the crimes are committed and how they are solved.

Certainly if the novel is solely based on the everyday aspects of estate planning, possible audience for the book is now down considerably from the many millions who may entertain a detective or murder mystery manuscript.

As there will be some sort of detective and mystery involved in my legal estate planning novel, I had better get on the telephone to the police station, spend time searching the Internet with the help of Google and inquiring among friends if any of them know of any local assassination experts.