ACFW-DFW

February 2014: Crime Scenes and Characters

Brainstorm your cozy mystery or suspense plot ideas and investigative characters' development with  Detective Juliane.

Juliane sates, "I have been with my department for 6 1/2 years.  I was on patrol for 4 1/2 years before going into a geographic investigations unit. I am currently still in the geographic investigations unit. I am married with two amazing Great Dane dogs. I do Crossfit, play volleyball, and make stained glass for my hobbies. I also enjoy reading a little bit of everything.

I will discuss what I currently do in my geographic investigations unit; what life is like for a patrol officer; and police culture. To break down these topics even further, for geographic investigations, I investigate burglaries of habitations, burglaries of vehicles, thefts, criminal mischief, and any assaults - not domestic related. For a patrol officer, the kind of service calls that a patrol officer answers on a regular basis, including domestics, report calls, vehicle accidents, and mental calls. For police culture, I will touch on how police officers are/can be treated by the public, and how officers can have support through their "police family."

So, all you future Jessica Fletcher types have your plot twists and who-done-it red herrings ready. Take plenty of notes in your black book to make sure the DCI or CIS who is investigating the crime scene in your tale is realistic.

For those who don't write in this genre, well...you have an antagonist or two in your story line, right? Our February meeting will help you make sure your character is three-dimensionally molded and realistic. 

Betcha after an  hour of, as Hercule Poirot would say, little grey cell exercising with Juliane, you'll be spurred to click away on that keyboard. It will be worth the weave through the Mid-Cities'construction zones to get here.

So, join ACFW-DFW on February 15th, at 10:30 a.m. We meet in the Bedford Public Library at the crossroads of Forest Ridge Drive and Bedford Road, a few blocks north of Hwy121. Visitors are always welcome.