Outliers Writing University Podcast Series

GET TO KNOW Best-selling Author Paul Levine

The author of twenty-four novels, Paul Levine won the John D. MacDonald Fiction Award and has been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, Shamus, and James Thurber prizes. His novels have been translated into 23 languages. A former trial lawyer, he also wrote twenty episodes of the CBS military drama JAG and co-created the Supreme Court drama First Mondaystarring James Garner and Joe Mantegna. The international bestseller To Speak for the Deadintroduced readers to linebacker-turned-lawyer Jake Lassiter and was named one of the best mysteries of the year by the Los Angeles Times. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed Solomon vs. Lord series of legal capers. His newest novel is Midnight Burning, first of the Einstein-Chaplin thrillers. He is a member of Penn State’s Society of Distinguished Alumni and graduated, with honors, from the University of Miami School of Law. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA.
 
https://paul-levine.com/

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 40: Nasty Deadly Poisons

Crime writers love poisons. Even those who write the more cozy variety. I mean, arsenic and old lace? Arsenic, the queen of poisons, is often used as are the opioids and amphetamines and a few others. But maybe you want to explore more uncommon, and deadly, options for your story. Some are easy to come by, others a bit more difficult but all have been used and just might add to your story.
 
Cyanide: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanide_poisoning
 
Strychnine: https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/strychnine/basics/facts.asp
 
Botulinum:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulinum_toxin
 
Nicotine:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine_poisoning
 
Ricin:https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/facts.asp
 
Georgi Markov: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgi_Markov
 
Sarin(and VX): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarin
 
Polonium: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polonium
 
Alexander Litvinenko: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Litvinenko
 
Brodifacoum:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodifacoum
 
Tetradotoxin (TTX):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrodotoxin
 
Batrachotoxin (BTX): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batrachotoxin
 
Amatoxin:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amatoxin
 
Deadly Nightshade (Belladonna): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atropa_belladonna
 
Oleander:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerium
 
 
 
7 Of The World’s Deadliest Plants:
https://www.britannica.com/list/7-of-the-worlds-deadliest-plants
 
10 Deadliest Poisons Known To Man: https://www.thoughtco.com/deadliest-poisons-known-to-man-4058116
 
Top 10 Deadliest Poisons in the World: https://www.valuewalk.com/2018/12/top-10-deadliest-poisons-world/

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 39: Do Series Characters Change?

Do Series Characters Change?
A better question might be: Should series characters change? Go through some upheaval that arcs their life into uncharted waters?
What is a character arc? Where does it come from? How do you create this in your fictional stories? More importantly, do you even need one?
The answer to the first three questions is fairly straight forward. A character arc simply means the change that the character goes through over the course of the story. Something happens in the character’s life that pushes it off balance. It might be a shark feeding off the shores of Amity Island or two robots showing up and babbling about some character named Obi-Wan Kenobi. It might be a group of armed criminals taking over a small hotel on Key Largo, along with an approaching hurricane just to make things worse. Regardless, something comes into the character’s life, pushes it off kilter, and the remainder of the story is that person trying to rebalance things. As this journey unfolds, the character changes, learns something about himself, reaches a different level of understanding or compassion or ability to act. As a writer, your job is to create these characters, put them through their pieces, and in the end move them to a different level. This is not always positive. There can be negative character arcs. An excellent example is Michael Corleone in the Godfather series. Michael transformed from an easy-going ex-soldier into a ruthless mafioso.
A solid character arc will satisfy readers because they see change come about in a character they have grown to care for.
But what about a series character? A character that must move through five, 10, 20 or more novels? Do the protagonists of such series undergo a character arc? Should they? And if they do, will the most loyal readers recognize them after the 20th installment? It's something that’s argued in writing conferences year after year.
Did James Bond ever really change? Did Jack Reacher? The answer, of course, is very little if any. Bond is always Bond; Reacher is always Reacher. If in each story, these iconic characters were confronted with situations that caused a massive change in who they were on a deeply personal level, and these changes piled up story after story, they would become unrecognizable very quickly. And readers would revolt. We read these stories because we like the main character and we don't want him to be someone else.
So, if a series character doesn’t change, what's the story about? It's about this character, who we know and love, facing very difficult circumstances and successfully solving the riddle. The character doesn’t have to change dramatically to do this, nor does he need to have some earthshaking revelation about himself or the world or even someone else. What he needs to do is use whatever skills he possesses to correct the situation and put the story world back in order. For James Bond, it's often saving the world from Ernst Stavro Blofeld. For Jack Reacher, it's taking on the troubles of the little guy and his fight against the big guy or the bad guy. Reacher is basically Shane. The quiet hero who comes into town and saves the day. And we like that. We don’t want him to change. Same for James Bond. When James Bond returns to London or Reacher sticks his thumb out and hitchhikes to the next town, they are the same person they were at the beginning of the story and indeed the story before and the one before that. They don’t change, they use their skills to solve problems. And we relish being along for the ride.
These are the same principles I employ in my Jake Longly series. These stories are more humorous than hard-boiled. Mainly because of Jake’s quirky take on the world around him, his complete contentment with his life as it is,  and that, despite his resolve to avoid real work, the circumstances he repeatedly finds himself in. Jake is an ex-professional baseball player who now owns a bar and restaurant on the Gulf Coast. His life goals are to run his bar, hang out with friends, and chase bikinis. He is who he is. This seemingly lack of ambition creates tension with his father Ray, who wants him to be more serious about life and to join him in his private investigation firm. Jake will have none of it. Jake does not change. He’s the same low-key, lovable character through each story. 
So what is the story about if not change? This series is basically about Jake and his girlfriend Nicole Jamison and best friend Tommy “Pancake” Jeffers, who actually works for Ray as a P.I. Actually, so does Nicole. Well, sort of.  Though Jake twists and turns and does all he can to avoid it, Ray, Pancake, and Nicole continually drag him into quirky situations that involve crime and corruption, even murder and mayhem. Jake is always a fish out of water and continually finds himself in deeper water. His abilities, or lack thereof, to handle these calamities plus his off-kilter view of the world, is where the humor lies in this series. 
So, does Jake change? No, and yes. His basic nature and his belief system remain unaltered, but his relationship with Nicole does trigger some evolution within Jake. Before meeting her, a long-term relationship for him was maybe three weeks, yet he and Nicole have been together for over a year. And they are content with each other. But in the big things, the earth-shaking things, Jake doesn’t change. And that's the way it should be.
So, while character arcs work very well, and indeed are essential, for many stories, for a series character, they can spell disaster. I think the best advice for writers is that for your series characters you should pressure them, make them adapt, make them use their skills to solve the problem and save the day, but be wary of fundamental changes in who they are. Your readers will buy your next book because they like your protagonist. Don’t make him a stranger.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 38: PIs Make Great Characters

Cops are cool, and memorable fictional characters, but P.I.s seem to come in more variable and quirkier flavors. From ex-military types to everyday folks with a knack for sniffing out wrongdoing to little old ladies with cats. The latter tend to be the smartest and toughest. This wide variety is what makes reading P.I. stories fun. Private investigators, both licensed and amateur, tend to be more eccentric, possess different skills (some useful, others less so), and seem to break the rules with impunity. How much fun is that?
The fictional P.I. world is populated with iconic characters such as Holmes, Spade, Marlowe, Milhone, Hammer, Archer, Robicheaux, and the list goes on. Meeting such folks is why reading P.I. novels is so rewarding. And so much fun to write. I know I love writing my comedic thriller series starring reluctant P.I. Jake Longly
Jake Longly Books:
https://www.dplylemd.com/books/jakelongly

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 37: Who The Heck Is Jake Longly?

Who the Heck is Jake Longly?
Jake Longly is the protagonist of my series of comedic thrillers (DEEP SIX, A-LIST, SUNSHINE STATE, RIGGED).He’s an ex-professional baseball player. Pitcher for the Texas Rangers with an overpowering fastball. Until his rotator cuff injury ended his career. Then he purchased Captain Rocky’s, a bar/restaurant on the sand in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
His major life goals now are running his bar and chasing bikinis. Worthy goals for Jake. His father Ray feels otherwise. Ray has some murky background in the US military world of black ops and now runs a P.I. firm in Gulf Shores. He can’t understand why Jake won’t work for him and is constantly trying to drag Jake into his world. Jake’s refusal creates tension, to say the least.
Jack Longly Books:
https://www.dplylemd.com/books/jakelongly

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 36: Identifying Skeletal Remains

DP Lyle Forensic Science Books:
https://www.dplylemd.com/books/forensicscience
 
8 Body Parts Forensic Scientists Use To ID A Body: https://www.forensicsciencetechnician.org/8-body-parts-forensic-scientists-use-to-id-a-body/
Investigating Forensics: Forensic Anthropology: http://www.sfu.museum/forensics/eng/pg_media-media_pg/anthropologie-anthropology/
Analyzing The Bones: What Can A Skeleton Tell You?: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/analysing-the-bones-what-can-a-skeleton-tell-you.html

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 35: Corpse ID

Most victims of foul play are easily identified because they’re found in familiar places and reported by folks who knew them. But those found in remote or odd places with no ID create problems for investigators. In these cases, identifying the corpse is a critical step in solving the case.
 
LINKS:
Crime Museum: Postmortem Identification: https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/forensic-investigation/postmortem-identification/
The Conversation: How Do We Identify Human Remains?: http://theconversation.com/how-do-we-identify-human-remains-121315
NamUs: https://www.namus.gov
Crime and Science Radio Interview with Todd Matthews of NamUs: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/suspensemagazine/2016/12/03/crime-and-science-radio-with-special-todd-matthews
A complete discussion of these issues can be found in my books FORENSICS FOR DUMMIES and HOWDUNNIT:FORENSICS. Check them out at: https://www.dplylemd.com/books

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 34: Toxicology Part 3

 
https://www.dplylemd.com/books/forensicscience

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 33: Toxicology Part 2

From HOWDUNNIT: FORENSICS
https://www.dplylemd.com/books/forensicscience
TOXICOLOGICAL TESTING PROCEDURES 
The biggest problem facing the toxicologist is that there are literally thousands of drugs and chemicals that are harmful, addictive, or lethal if ingested, injected, or inhaled. Some even absorb directly through the skin. Toxicological testing is time-consuming and expensive, and few, if any, labs can afford to perform such testing on every case. For this reason, the testing must be as focused as possible. 
 
An understanding of the circumstances surrounding the death is important since clues at the scene often point toward a particular drug. For example, a young girl found on her bed at home with an empty pill bottle at her side would lead to one avenue of testing while a long-term addict found in an alley with fresh needle marks would follow another path. The more clues as to the likely toxin that the circumstances of the death can supply, the narrower the field of possibilities the toxicologist must consider. 
 
THE TWO-TIERED SYSTEM 
When testing for drugs or poisons, the toxicologist typically follows a two-tiered approach. Initial tests, called presumptive tests, are for screening purposes and are typically easier and cheaper to perform. When negative, they indicate that the drug or class of drugs in question is not present and further testing is unnecessary. When positive, they indicate that a particular substance possibly is present. By using these screening tests the number of possibilities can be greatly reduced and the toxicologist can move on to the second phase, which utilizes more focused confirmatory testing. These tests are more expensive and time-consuming, but are designed to establish the identity of the exact drug present. This two-tiered approach saves considerable time and money. 
This same approach is used whether the toxicologist is asked to analyze blood, urine, and other materials obtained from a person (living or deceased) or to test a batch of seized material believed to be illicit drugs. 
Let’s say a corpse is found in an alleyway known for methamphetamine sales and use. If blood samples obtained at autopsy show a positive presumptive test for amphetamines, further confirmatory testing to identify the exact amphetamine present is indicated. If the test is negative, no further testing for amphetamines is done and the toxicologist will search for other classes of drugs. 
To be doubly certain, the toxicologist prefers to find the drug or poison in at least two separate locations. Finding the toxin in the blood and the liver tissue is more reassuring than finding it in either one alone. 
Or let’s say that the toxicologist is asked to test a seized substance and doing so shows a positive presumptive test for cocaine. Further confirmatory testing would then be indicated. If the screening test is negative, the substance may be analyzed for other drugs, but cocaine has been ruled out. 
In most labs, testing for controlled and illegal drugs consumes 75 percent of the lab’s time and resources. The areas most often tested in this type of examination are blood and urine. After one of the presumptive tests shows that a particular drug or class of drugs is likely present, confirmatory testing with the combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or infrared spectroscopy are used to accurately identify which substance is present. See the appendix for details on these procedures. 

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 32: Toxicology Part 1

From HOWDUNNIT: FORENSICS
https://www.dplylemd.com/books/forensicscience
WHAT IS A POISON? 
The terms poison, toxin, and drug are simply different ways of saying the same thing. Though you might think that a poison kills, a toxin harms, and a drug cures, these terms can be used almost interchangeably. The reason is that what can cure can also harm, and what can harm can kill. 
Anything and everything can be a poison. The basic definition of a poison is any substance that, if taken in sufficient quantities, causes a harmful or deadly reaction. The key here is the phrase “sufficient quantities.” 
The toxicity of any substance depends on how much enters the body and over what time period it does so. For example, you probably know that arsenic is a poison, but did you know that you likely have arsenic in your body right now? If you’re a smoker, you have more than a little bit. Same with mercury and cyanide. These substances are in the environment—you can’t avoid them. But they are in such small quantities that they cause no real harm. However, take enough of any of them and they become deadly.
The same can be said for the medications your doctor gives you to treat medical problems. Consider the heart drug digitalis, which comes from the foxglove plant and has been used for over a hundred years to treat heart failure and many types of abnormal heart rhythms. It is also a deadly poison. Too much can lead to nausea, vomiting, and death from dangerous changes in the rhythm of the heart. It’s ironic that it can treat some abnormal heart rhythms while at the same time can cause other more deadly rhythms. It’s all in the dosage. The right dose is medication; the wrong dose is poison. 
TOXICOLOGICAL TESTING
Toxicology is a marriage of chemistry and physiology, since it deals with chemical substances (chemistry) and how these substances alter or harm living organisms (physiology), particularly humans. 
A forensic toxicologist deals with the legal aspects of toxicology. His job is to find and analyze toxic substances in biological materials taken from both the living and the dead, and to determine the physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects on the individual in question. For example, he might be asked to assess the state of inebriation of an automobile accident victim or to determine if someone died from a poison or if the presence of a drug contributed to the victim’s death. This is often more difficult than it sounds. 
When the toxicologist investigates a possible poisoning death, he must answer three basic questions: 
Was the death due to a poison?
What was the poison used?
Was the intake of the poison accidental, suicidal, or homicidal?