L Is For Law, Lethal Weapon and...

L is for Law, Lethal Weapon and Lavender Lust

You would think the law would be in your corner and explicit about how it protects the innocent. It should be so simple. Every state, every county, every city and even the precincts, burgs, or districts within those have variations on the "rules" or laws. If you write mystery you best be aware of these differences. One size does not fit all.

The law is only as good as your law enforcement and that is true in mystery writing as well. You need to set your stories realistically. To do that you need to abide by the laws current and particular to your fictional or real town. 

Even Science Fiction and Fantasy writers, in their invented worlds, have laws and must obey them.

Laws cover more than legal issues, especially in the case of Science Fiction mystery. Human behaviors, logic, and thought processes follow some sort of law, written or unwritten. Good guys wear white hats may no longer fit. It may be too simplistic, but good guys do follow the laws, certain codes of ethics, moral codes, etc. Your writing needs to obey the logical laws that govern.

Lavender Lust by Cricket Sawyer

Your universe follows certain laws, you mystery must follow certain laws or conventions of the genre. Upholding the law, use of a lethal weapon or deadly force is sometimes the only answer. In Lavender Lust, Cricket Sawyer explores the laws of a female Jekyll and Hyde. The split personalities of Eleanor in her black and white corporate world has one set of laws to follow. Lavender, on the other hand, follows her own laws to right the wrongs she perceives as being broken in her world.

Laws—mess with them at your own peril, even if you are a mystery fiction writer.

 

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