Writing Procedurals: When You’re Not a Lawyer, Doctor or Cop
by Rebecca Forster
Years ago, I was a panelist at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books discussing legal thrillers. My fellow panelists were men, lawyers-turned-authors, and big names in the genre. When Q&A came, a perturbed woman stood up in the back of the huge UCLA auditorium and confronted me:
“How can you write legal thrillers when you’re not even a lawyer?”
To which I responded:
“I sleep with one.”
My flippant answer brought the house down. Maybe pillow talk with my husband didn’t count as credentials, but both the woman’s question and my response encompassed the truth about writing procedurals:
Those who read them want authenticity, and those who write them better have a way to deliver.
What you’re really writing
There is a difference between a procedural and a book in which the main character is a doctor, lawyer or cop. The difference is that a procedural lawyer’s personal relationships are secondary to the system she is fighting; a romantic heroine who is a lawyer is navigating an emotional landscape. The procedural demands an author’s systemic authority; the second calls for an emotional authority.
To write the procedural, get in the trenches.
There are five things I recommend you do to prepare yourself for writing procedurals.
Educate yourself
Knowthe basics of the profession you are writing about. Titles and procedures will change in local, state and federal jurisdictions. Doctors labor under an umbrella of federal regulations, but licensing can be different at the local level. A rookie procedural mistake, for instance, is to misidentify an attorney’s title in the jurisdiction you’re writing about.
Research
Every police department, law firm, hospital, and court system have detailed websites where you will learn about the hierarchy, job titles, and anything else you need to know about the environment your character will inhabit. You can also find legal/medical journals and newspapers that will outline current concerns of the departments.
Be Curious
To make the trial in Silent Witness believable, I had to understand how secondary systems fed into the basic murder mystery. These included: child protective services, theme park safety regulations, coroner’s procedures, will provisions, political campaigns, and fathers’ rights. A procedural works best when all the pieces of the puzzle fit together believably.
Observe
Courts are open to the public, police departments have ride-along programs, college and university professors can help with forensics, anatomy, and police studies. Arrange to visit the crime lab. Pay attention to sights, sounds, smells, and employee interaction. Look for the cubbyholes and inquire about them. It is amazing what you’ll learn.
Engage
Take a weapons safety course from your local police department. Enroll in the ATF, DEA, or FBI Citizens Academies. Volunteer at a hospital and get to know the different departments and people who work in them. Accept jury duty happily.
If you engage a professional with a question, make sure you can clearly state the problem your story and the outcome you wish to have. By doing your homework, you will know exactly the right questions to ask to move your story forward and show them that you respect their time.
Final Thought
Remember, a little information goes a long way. Do not try to sound like a doctor, lawyer or cop, you simply want your characters to sound that way.
You are an author and you are drilling down so that you can learn to enhance both your plot and your characters with realistic dialogue, plot points, and scene setting. Your readers will love you for it.
Question
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About Rebecca
Rebecca Forster started writing on a crazy dare and found her passion. Now a USA Today and Amazon best selling author, Forster is known for her legal thrillers and police procedurals. Over three million readers have enjoyed her Josie Bates thrillers in the Witness Series alone. With over 40 books to her name, Rebecca had a long career in traditional publishing before becoming an indie author. Her fast-paced tales of law and justice are known for deep characterization and never-see-it-coming endings.
In an effort to make her work as realistic as possible, Rebecca has graduated from the DEA and ATF Citizens academies, landed by tail hook and spent two days on the nuclear submarine U.S.S Nimitz, engaged in police ride-alongs, and continues to court watch whenever possi
Rebecca has taught at the acclaimed UCLA Writers Program and various colleges and universities. She is a sought-after speaker at bar and judges' associations as well as philanthropic groups and writing conferences. Rebecca is also a repeat speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books.
Rebecca has just released The 9th Witness, the final book in her acclaimed Witness Series, Josie Bates Thrillers. Find all her books at any online bookstore or here: https://www.rebeccaforster.com/.
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Featured photo purchased from Depositphotos.
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22 comments on “Writing Procedurals: When You’re Not a Lawyer, Doctor or Cop”
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This also applies to writing military fiction, including military sci-fi. I'm a veteran. I now refer to my USAF career as "23 years of live-in book research." It's a whole lifestyle, not just your duty hours. If you're not a vet, find someone who is and pick their brains thoroughly. I'm very willing to answer questions.
I 100% agree! Military life has it's only language, and the acronyms are endless.
Absolutely wonderful. This is why I always say it's a good thing to be an older writer. We have experience that gives our work depth. Thank you for your service and your shareable knowledge.
I love when I read a book by someone who was in the field, you can tell that they really know their stuff, but not only that, it deepens the story for the reader.
absolutely correct. It's like writing historical fiction: research is imperative. Then, once you have the research you have to clothe yourself in the culture as you write.
Great advice. Accept Jury service happily ? First hand experience of court procedure was the gift - though not exactly welcome - of jury service. Nothing was as I'd imagined *, nor was four years working with the police in a public consultation programme.
Probably didn't appreciate enough to the time my high school's insistence that we should attend court hearings.
UK - in a 900 year old castle.. ,
LOL, our teenage selves have no idea what wonderful experiences we are having. The good news is that our adult selves have the memories and put them to good use.
Ester, also applauding you on jury service. When people as me if my husband can. get them out of jury service, they are in for a lecture :). I ask them, 'if you, your child, your parent were arrested who would you want on the jury? Someone like you or..." They are quick to answer they would want someone willing and serious about service.
I adore this post, Rebecca! And I remember hearing from both you and Eileen Dreyer about your training courses. Fascinating.
I've always said I'm too lazy to write historical, because there is SO much everyday stuff to learn. Now I'm thinking I don't have it in me to write procedural either. LOL
Me too! And yet, I'm working on a historical screenplay that involves a trial. Thank goodness I have the original transcripts and that it took place over 175 years ago!
That is awesome. The courts have evolved not only because of the law but because of society. How fun to be writing a historical procedural.
This is a fantastic post and really solidifies the idea that you need to reach out to local law enforcement or doctors to be able to write something that is correct. Google can take you only so far.
I agree. I think it starts with Google because it gives the author an appropriate foundation and they'll be able to ask the right questions. But a one on one gives you so much more. It gives you character traits, sights and sounds of working environments. Now I want to go visit the local cops :).
Research is everything! Historicals, too. Great advice! Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful reminders. I'll be on a writing a police procedural panel at Left Coast Crime next week, and I agree with all of this.
Research is critical. I spent a week on a working cattle ranch (twice) to make sure my Triple-D Ranch romantic suspense books were accurate.
Oh how wonderful! Congrats. I miss speaking at conferences. Knock 'em dead.
Here! Here! As a former RN, I love this advice. I don't write procedurals but I attended my local police department's citizens' academy. It was fascinating. And I had the opportunity to talk with veterans who had served in clandestine roles. All research for an upcoming project, but also gave me a deep appreciation of how much the little and big screen warp our sense of "how things work." And after reading this blog post, I think I may need to do more research. To which I say, thanks Rebecca!
Lynette, I am intrigued. If not a procedural what's the genre. You need to be put on my go-to list. A nurse, like the court clerk, often has the low down on so many things a doctor or judge wouldn't have. Can't wait to hear about what you're working on.
great advice
Thank you, Denise. Hope your writing is going well.
Although writing SciFi, the plot of my second novel turned heavily on an FBI investigation into deepfakes and a terrorist plot. The FBI was excellent in advising me about the resources and workings of their investigations, plus how they liaise with other agencies and the state department. Separately, I found a wealth of information corresponding and talking with an overseas company deeply involved in developing software for police and the security industry to detect malicious deepfakes (a constant technical battle to keep up, get ahead of the bad guys). Doing research can seem intimidating, but it is richly rewarding.
Loved this post! As a Canadian, I don't have access to FBI,DEA or ATF citizen academies and my local police department does not have a citizen's academy either. And here, at least, You have to live or work in the jurisdiction where you want to attend a citizen's academy. But The local police department has crime prevention and police week activities that I could attend. Same with Fire dept. I can build my network of experts that way and ask for referrals to other departments if needed.