The Place For My Writers Notes

Original posting 3 May 2009

Writer's Digest, September 2004, pages 42 to 45, have an article by Stephen D. Rogers with the title, "Mean Streets & Friendly Editors." Stephen starts out by suggesting that private eye short stories represent a sense of justice, feeding the desire for heroes that people look for in times of stress. So how do you write one?

First, figure out what a private eye does. This is someone investigating crimes for pay -- kind of a mercenary detective? They talk to witnesses, gather background information and clues, and hopefully solve the mystery. Unlike policeman, no one has to talk to a private eye, so they need to bluff and charm to get people to talk. The stories need to be exciting and authentic, even though real private eyes do a lot of dull routine work.

Private eyes are often a last hope. The system isn't handling things, so someone hires a private investigator.

The private investigator's character is critical. They need to be a person first. Well-rounded, real. Pay attention to how their business works. Are they independently wealthy, or struggling to make ends meet?

Plotting? The private investigator gets hired and start running into trouble. Witnesses aren't available, everyone lies, the authorities don't want the private investigator stirring things up. What's your P.I. going to do? Along with the mystery that's at the core of the story, private investigators are a lot like football players, trying their best to run up the field with everyone out to get them.

There are books and online groups. The article suggests http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortmystery/, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crime-writers/, and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DetecToday/ or perhaps http://www.thrillingdetective.com/

The sidebar lays out the structure of a private investigator short story:

• 3000 to 6000 words
• characters typically include the private investigator, the client, and three interviewees. Interviewees are a mix of witnesses, experts, and suspects.
• the plot is discovery, with the private investigator searching for the truth. Use this search to explore settings and subcultures.
• reversals include lies, refusal to talk, and other attempts to sabotage the investigation. Make sure they are motivated. Use threats of violence to raise the stakes.
• the climax comes when the private investigator overcomes the obstacles and achieves some kind of justice. Stories end at the moment of solution, or may have a closure scene with the client.
• among the variations are untrustworthy clients, private investigator focusing on one prime suspect to break the case, and bleak endings

Michael Bracken, an anthology editor, says, "What I look for above all else is good storytelling. Beyond that, I want to see characters with a sense of veracity who appear true to their profession, true to their setting, and true to their professed morals."

So who did it? Only the private investigator knows for sure.
Write a story.