I think I’ve got a theme going. First we had explosive and other weapons of destruction, both minuscule and massive. Then we had skeletons–the product of using those previous elements on a story. So hopefully you’ve got accurate methods of death, and the results of death. What’s left?
A couple options, depending on what situations your characters are cast into. What if one of your characters has committed murder? Or maybe you’ve a character who is a cop, or private investigator? Either way, you’re going to need some basic knowledge of the criminal world and its underpinnings, and my guess is you aren’t going to want to gain that knowledge firsthand.
That’s why this link comes in handy:
As they say on the site: “Criminology is an advanced, theoretical field of study. It can be defined as the study of crime, the causes of crime (etiology), the meaning of crime in terms of law, and community reaction to crime. Not too long ago, criminology separated from its mother discipline, sociology, and although there are some historical continuities, it has since developed habits and methods of thinking about crime and criminal behavior that are uniquely its own.”
They’ve got sections on the history of the field, terminology, motives, and policy. What I found particularly fascinating is the list of theories and motives as to why certain people (sometimes deemed psychopaths) perform their crimes. A few that caught my eye are–
- Demonology- the believed influence of demons on one’s life
- Labelling- a self-fulfilling prophecy where people live up to the reputations others automatically assume they possess
- Drifting- a sense of limbo, or living between two worlds
Of course they note that motivations are only one aspect of what causes someone to commit a crime. But either way, if you have a story where a theft or killing occurs, wouldn’t it help to understand why your character was inclined to perform such an act in the first place?
I’ve yet to delve into writing any kind of murder mystery, or crime genre, but crimes certainly have happened in the stories I’ve written. Maybe the next time I weave one into the plot, I’ll take the time to develop that character’s background enough so I know what elements brought them to that junction where they made a darker choice. More depth is good depth, right? Go get your crime on.
Also, check out Criminal Justice headed up by John Smith. Another great Criminology website.
I see that smile.