Crime writers who were journalists. - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T12:38:22Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/crime-writers-who-were?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A170611&feed=yes&xn_auth=noGreat attitude, Cliff. I talk…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-12-07:537324:Comment:1706262008-12-07T13:37:59.422ZDennis Leppanenhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/TheWarbler
Great attitude, Cliff. I talked about it too long before I actually wrote one. Water-cooler chats are just that, someday...
Great attitude, Cliff. I talked about it too long before I actually wrote one. Water-cooler chats are just that, someday... Very true.
The number of cri…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-12-07:537324:Comment:1706112008-12-07T04:49:59.838ZCliffhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Cliff
Very true.<br />
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The number of crime writers with no law enforcement or journalism background far outweigh the ones who do.<br />
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There's been a number of writers over the years I swore I thought had been reporters before they got in the business and were surprised to find out they hadn't.<br />
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And as far as the "inner critic." I work in a newsroom with about 50 other reporters. I know of four others who are always talking about how they want to write a book, but to this day I'm the only person who A. Has…
Very true.<br />
<br />
The number of crime writers with no law enforcement or journalism background far outweigh the ones who do.<br />
<br />
There's been a number of writers over the years I swore I thought had been reporters before they got in the business and were surprised to find out they hadn't.<br />
<br />
And as far as the "inner critic." I work in a newsroom with about 50 other reporters. I know of four others who are always talking about how they want to write a book, but to this day I'm the only person who A. Has ever actually written one and B. Is seriously writing a second one.<br />
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But I chalk that up to other things. I've written fiction since I was 13 years old and I'm 33 now. I've been a reporter for eight years. I don't consider myself a reporter wanting to write a book. I consider myself a fiction writer moonlighting as a journalist until I can catch my break. Amen, Pate,
It is all in the…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-12-06:537324:Comment:1705812008-12-06T22:56:28.764ZDennis Leppanenhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/TheWarbler
Amen, Pate,<br />
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It is all in the story-telling.
Amen, Pate,<br />
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It is all in the story-telling. After reading the profiles of…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-12-06:537324:Comment:1705782008-12-06T22:52:03.917ZPate Grantwellhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/PateGrantwell
After reading the profiles of some members who backgrounds in law enforcement, I found myself wondering how people without similar backgrounds approached writing crime fiction. I have no background in law enforcement. I have no background in law violation. This used to give me a mild case of inferiority complex as a writer (the enforcement, not the violation part), but I believe it all ultimately comes down to what's between the sheets...of the crime novel. If your stuff is good, I think you…
After reading the profiles of some members who backgrounds in law enforcement, I found myself wondering how people without similar backgrounds approached writing crime fiction. I have no background in law enforcement. I have no background in law violation. This used to give me a mild case of inferiority complex as a writer (the enforcement, not the violation part), but I believe it all ultimately comes down to what's between the sheets...of the crime novel. If your stuff is good, I think you could be a Tibetian monk and still capture fans. I don't think you should feel like the words from the Linda Rondstadt song, “you’re no good", are directed at you just because you've never written about crime scenes, or reported to them for a living. I have two friends who are jo…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-11-30:537324:Comment:1695482008-11-30T20:15:17.035ZKaryn J. Powershttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/karyning
I have two friends who are journalists, but who have both expressed that they can't get past that inner critic. editor in chief to complete a manuscript.
I have two friends who are journalists, but who have both expressed that they can't get past that inner critic. editor in chief to complete a manuscript. I'm a journalist, and I can s…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-11-29:537324:Comment:1692922008-11-29T06:00:02.370ZJessicahttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Jessica
I'm a journalist, and I can see what every one means. Sadly, if there is no deadline involved it's almost impossible for me to get anything done.
I'm a journalist, and I can see what every one means. Sadly, if there is no deadline involved it's almost impossible for me to get anything done. Rick Mofina, the Canadian thr…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-11-25:537324:Comment:1685872008-11-25T01:46:52.647ZPatrick Balesterhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/PatrickBalester
Rick Mofina, the Canadian thriller writer also comes to mind here. I suppose it's because journalists are good writers to begin with...remember, Hemmingway was a journalist for the Kansas City Star before he became a great novelist.<br />
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This shouldn't surprise us.
Rick Mofina, the Canadian thriller writer also comes to mind here. I suppose it's because journalists are good writers to begin with...remember, Hemmingway was a journalist for the Kansas City Star before he became a great novelist.<br />
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This shouldn't surprise us. I think you're right about th…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-11-24:537324:Comment:1683162008-11-24T07:59:08.325ZKaren from AustCrimehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/austcrimefiction
I think you're right about the observational skills, deadlines and curiosity. If anybody's listened to Peter Temple talk about the process of self-editing as well, there's something in the way that the writing and story-telling methodology that lends itself to journalism and to crime writing.<br />
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Perhaps writing about it is a better choice to actually getting involved in a life of crime? (Slightly less spent on lawyer's fees anyway [vbeg]).
I think you're right about the observational skills, deadlines and curiosity. If anybody's listened to Peter Temple talk about the process of self-editing as well, there's something in the way that the writing and story-telling methodology that lends itself to journalism and to crime writing.<br />
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Perhaps writing about it is a better choice to actually getting involved in a life of crime? (Slightly less spent on lawyer's fees anyway [vbeg]). I was with the Post/Times in…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-11-20:537324:Comment:1672442008-11-20T02:30:17.990ZDennis Leppanenhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/TheWarbler
I was with the Post/Times in West Palm. I guess they're the Times now.<br />
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I left there figuring as a free-lancer I could write from anywhere. So I headed north until I ran out of stoplights and settled in Sebring in Highlands County.<br />
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Oh, we have Crackers here...
I was with the Post/Times in West Palm. I guess they're the Times now.<br />
<br />
I left there figuring as a free-lancer I could write from anywhere. So I headed north until I ran out of stoplights and settled in Sebring in Highlands County.<br />
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Oh, we have Crackers here... I worked at a bureau of the T…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-11-20:537324:Comment:1672392008-11-20T02:18:52.917ZCliffhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Cliff
I worked at a bureau of the Tampa Trib up in Hernando County. It was Brooksville/Spring Hill area.<br />
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There was a lot of old Florida Cracker kind of crime up there. But it was an interesting place. Spring Hill and the coast side are practically suburbs of Tampa/St. Pete and Brooksville is old school Florida. They always had competing values there, so a lot of crime because of that. I had a lot of fun. A lot of fun.<br />
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And yeah, you're right about the insider stuff. That's why I have a lot of…
I worked at a bureau of the Tampa Trib up in Hernando County. It was Brooksville/Spring Hill area.<br />
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There was a lot of old Florida Cracker kind of crime up there. But it was an interesting place. Spring Hill and the coast side are practically suburbs of Tampa/St. Pete and Brooksville is old school Florida. They always had competing values there, so a lot of crime because of that. I had a lot of fun. A lot of fun.<br />
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And yeah, you're right about the insider stuff. That's why I have a lot of friends still down there in law enforcement because they knew they could trust me.