Friday, October 10, 2008

Help Dead Bodies

Two posts in one day! And relating them - maybe I do need to pause on wip for research which is definately a different part of the brain to writing.

So here's my problem - the wip is not a mystery or a crime novel but thus far, 17,000 in, I have two dead bodies. Which in themselves is not a problem except that I have no experience of what to do with them. What I mean is my heroine Demi is a suspect for the first dead body- her sort of boyfriend- and intially for the second. So what I need to know is what happens in a interview with the Metropolian Police and for the second - she has discovered the body already dead with a pool of blood around his head. When she calls 999 what happens? Abulance first? Police first? Together? Timing? Would she be interviewed on the spot or taken to the station?

Looking at the above I could see I could easily turn this into a crime novel but I am resolutely sticking to women's fiction..........unless of course more bodies turn up!

13 comments:

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Sorry, I can't help, but it does sound as if it's going to be an interesting read.

Unknown said...

I hope so....it's all getting a bit complicated at the moment though!

Helen said...

There is always women's crime fiction like Tess Gerritsen! I'll ask my dad about the questions you've asked if no-one else can help you.

Unknown said...

It's a funny thing I have never been drawn to read crime fiction except lesley cookman's however i love things like midsommer murders......

Helen, I think I'm okay now as a friend have given me here notes from a conference she went to where a crime writer spoke. if that proves not to be enough then i'll be in touch. thanks :-)

Jan said...

Good Luck with this, Liz
Sorry not to have called for a while but I shall return!

Annie Wicking said...

When I was writing my novel I went on the internet found my local policestation website and email them that same question. They kindly email me back with all the information... I still have it, one day I hope to gave the nice officer who went to the trouble of writing it out step-by-step a copy of my book.

Best wishes
Annie

Fiona Mackenzie. Writer said...

Intriguing...sounds like a great read.

Try www.expertsources.co.uk or .com

Steve Malley said...

My best advice, just keep on writing, making up what happens as you go. (Using common sense and your own sense of how the world works) Then, when you're done, go do the research.

As long as you're not writing a police procedural mystery, you don't need to be 'by the book'.

Steve Malley said...

ALso, I'm guessing ambos and cops both come out, the razzers take a statement at the scene and may take her in for further interviews. Or they may not. Depends on how dodgy she seems and how much of a flight risk.

Keep writing.

B.H. Dark said...

Hooray, dead bodies! Go, woman, and kill off those characters with reckless abandon!

B. H. Dark (aka Julie C.)

pierre l said...

I can't remember the name of the town where midsommer murders is set, but, with four or five dead bodies per episode, I am amazed that anyone would want to live there :-) -- but it was fun to watch (I don't seem to have time to watch TV these days).
I am sure your novel will be very interesting, and I look forward to a book signing one day.

Rick said...

Well, in Detroit, when you call the Emergency number they put you on hold, then ask you to press 1 for one dead body, 2 for two dead bodies, etc. Then the operator asks if you're guilty, and, if not, would you like to be guilty. After this, the operator says they are on their way immediately.

Later, after the body is buried and the funeral conducted and at least one maybe two seasons come and go, the police will show up and charge you for the emergency visit.

It's an interesting system- the Detroit police manual calls it natural selection.

Graeme K Talboys said...

An excellent general reference book is 'A Writer's Guide to Police Organization and Crime Investigation and Detection' by D J Cole (published by Hale). And I have found that the police are often happy to answer specific questions.