Sources
Michael Haskins
I am in North Carolina today to spend a few days with my military intelligence source discussing my fourth Mick Murphy Key West Mystery, "Stairway to the Bottom." It was a lot easier when he was stationed in Key West, but he took early retirement, is now an independent contractor, and lives on a horse ranch, until intelligence work comes his way and then he travels.
As a mystery writer in Key West who uses the island as the setting for my novels, it is important to get input from people, especially experts. There is little crime in Key West, if you compare it to most any city in the country. The lack of crime would make a mystery or thriller set in the Keys wanting for excitement.
I am a news junkie and read newspapers and newsmagazines in search of the quirky crime story and when I find one, I try to figure a way to import the crime or situation of the crime to Key West. This is when an expert source is most important.
Sometimes I go to my intelligence source with an idea and he explains the background and often points out the impossibility of it coming to Key West – and that's a good thing for those of us that call the Keys home.
Of course, when I bring an idea that is possible, it becomes exciting. My source explains what would be required and possible differences if the situations were to happen in the Keys. I always have to change something, but with the help of my source, I do it.
"Free Range Institution," that has just been released, is a good example. I read about the drug "paco" – not the nickname for Francisco – and thought that since it is cheap and lethal, why not smuggle it into the Keys and toss in a corrupt city commissioner – we really love our city commissioners, but I wanted to have some fun – and cartel mercenaries. My original idea was to land the seaplane in the backcountry of Key West.
My source spent a lot of time on the Caribbean coast of South America and was able to give me a history of "paco," suggested using an Albatross seaplane for the smuggling, and went on with stories of a pilot who used the large seaplane to fly square-grouper into the Bahamas back in the day. He also explained how smugglers used the island of Cay Sal Banks, about 60-nautical-miles southeast of Key West.
I went back to do research about Cay Sal and was able to use it in my story. Being that I am not a smuggler, I would have depended on what I've seen in movies or on TV or from the internet, if I didn't have my source. And, by the way, he assures me that in most instances the movies and TV usually have it for affect not fact. He also suggests questioning information on the web.
Another important input my source has had for me is his expertise with weapons. Until recently, we did not have a shooting range in Key West so when I had questions on what weapons the good guys/bad guys use he had the answers. Now we have a range within five-miles of my home and I do my research on small handguns there.
Actually, when my source read the first draft of "Free Range Institution" he pointed out some mistakes I had made. When I explained I had read news stories that indicated the situations and I used those facts. Well, there are facts and there are facts.
It seems, even the bad guys have favorite weapons and for varying reasons. I made the corrections and you'll see it, if you read the book, with the scooter assassins and the RPG attack at Cay Sal.
Is it important? I think so. At least if the details are correct the experts that may come across my book will take notice, even if other readers don't. For example, last week on Castle, a TV show I enjoy because of the acting and writing (and it's about a mystery writer), a federal Homeland Security agent says his automatic's "clip" had been empty when he pointed it at a terror suspect in custody.
Well, automatics have magazines; even most rifles have magazines, not clips. Many viewers could care less, but I thought of how the writer hadn't done research and wondered how many others caught the mistake.
Research is important and over-research is best, but having an expert read the manuscript is even more important. I know there's a whole generation that assumes it's true if it's on the internet, but nothing is as good as experience and that's where your sources come in. Use Google as one source, not an end-all. Find the expert sources, use them, and listen to them. You'd be surprised how many people out there would love to share their knowledge with a writer. And sometimes for free. It costs me a dinner, a few drinks, and copy of the book and I get a great car trip to boot!
Do you use sources? Tell me about it.
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