Correctly capturing and describing the legal environment in your book is very important for the success of your story. To write compelling legal fiction, you need to pay close attention to each of your characters, procedures, laws, and attitudes. This is probably the most common reading question I get asked in my work as a librarian. For a long time, there was only one other author who wrote like Grisham – Scott Turow. Turow is often credited with inventing the genre of legal fiction when he wrote Presumed Innocent in 1987. Grisham refined it further and made it a brand. In recent years, however, more and more authors have entered the courtroom, resulting in a more diverse and abundant selection. Thankfully, it`s now such a cluttered genre that I could never make it “right” in an article. But here are some contenders and why it`s important for writers to pile legal fiction in their proverbial library pockets. “I`ve read all of John Grisham`s books. What other legal novelists would you recommend? Creative legal fiction is a genre of creative writing that focuses on legal and criminal stories. In most cases, legal fiction depicts the life of a legal entity, the functioning of a system, or the complexity of a social issue. But what is legal fiction? Well, it`s an offshoot of the larger mystery genre and features a legal protagonist, a courtroom climax, and a unique approach to the classic whodunnit formula.
“The defense calls the plaintiff`s secret lover to the witness stand.” Panting out of the courtroom. The complainant`s lawyer began to shout. How many times did I think this would happen and save the day again? Surprising witnesses and evidence barely find their way into the courtroom, and if they do, the other party will have plenty of time outside the courtroom to investigate. There`s this little thing called discovery. A long process, neither dramatic nor sexy. It`s actually quite boring and that`s why it`s never found in many legal scenes. These are pages with questions that are asked by one side and that the other must answer. Lawyers really know all the arguments put forward in court, so there are no surprises. Every piece of evidence in court is discovered first.
Not a shocking moment like a movie. If there is an unusual last-minute disclosure, the party who knew nothing about the witness or evidence will ask for time for cross-examination. The judge will always allow time so that there is no ambush trial or simply will not allow the witness/evidence. Be prepared to write during the long nights of coffee and research. Read pages full of discoveries or answer hundreds of questions. Some experts recommend that you specify a specific time and place for your writing. Having a schedule is a great way to bring discipline to your writing. You write a big court scene where your characters then settle the disagreement amicably. No emotional outbursts or cheers for the good guy who wins the deal. Isn`t that what you imagined? The reality is that many civil claims are settled out of court before trial, and most criminal cases end with a plea.
I know I was expecting this lucrative and fascinating courtly life. I bought the suits and heels, but they barely saw the inside of the courtroom. Many States require another form of solution before even setting a date for the process. This saves a lot of money with court fees and legal fees. So if you skip the court stage, you know that your writing will be realistic and lawyers around the world will silently applaud for you. Trying to fight these titans on their own turf invites disaster. Instead, some of today`s best-selling new legal fictions continue to fade. This means geographical, gender, class and ethnic diversity; it means morally gray fiction and unreliable clients or narrators; They are legal protagonists who do not know what they are doing or who are often wrong; This means conspiracies focused on unique modern crimes related to environmental destruction, biotechnology, big tech or Russian hacking; This means ongoing actions that may never end up in the courtroom. When writing a fiction book, writers use their constructive imagination, which involves subjecting images of their past experiences to the additional process of reconstruction and readjustment. Writing legal fiction is also an opportunity to address complex legal issues and moral dilemmas in society. Like those writers who are also lawyers, you can build a career as a legal writer by leveraging your legal experience.
Therefore, the best way is to do your research. Sometimes reading is not enough to give you the image you want to paint. There are times when you need to watch real live court proceedings to get the information you need. If you`ve ever thought about writing a creative crime novel and legal fiction, but don`t know where or how to start, this article will help. Many inventions have revolutionized the way we do things that were first written like science fiction. Burke wrote a series of books about the fictional Portland Assistant District Attorney Samantha Kincaid. His books represent a new generation of legal fiction in which character development and relationships are valued as much as the judicial scenes. Fun facts: Real-life prosecutor Burke co-writes the “Under Suspicion” series with legendary mystery writer Mary Higgins Clark and is the daughter of author James Lee Burke.
It`s likely that you haven`t explicitly thought about writing to persuade since school (unless, of course, you work in advertising). Fortunately, persuasive writing is about paying attention: on advertisements, for example, or by reading blurbs, corporate texts, political speeches or, if you can find them, court transcripts. Who are your favorite authors of legal novels? What good advice do you think we missed? Let me know in the comments and learn more about it with How to Write a Crime Novel Worth Reading and Avoid a Boring Thriller with this simple trick. John Grisham is perhaps one of the richest writers alive today. He has spent almost every one of the last twenty-five years with a book on bestseller charts, and for a long time he was the only voice to attract attention in the growing world of legal fiction. But I don`t think so only in a geographical sense. Much of the best legal fiction produced today is not limited to the personal dramas of the lawyer`s protagonist and his clients. Instead, they highlight real legal or ethical issues or touch on much broader issues: morality, cultural change, urban decay, racism, love, death, etc. A few tips, if you`re writing a legal scene and have no idea, consult a lawyer, especially in the state or country where your book is set. Laws vary depending on where you are.
Do your research too. Learn about the rules of evidence, hearsay, witnesses, etc. You don`t need to read the huge law books and become a legal guru, but getting the right language helps. This level of attention will affect your writing and make your legal scene more believable. I let my case rest. Have you ever written a legal scene in your fiction project? How did you do your research? What kinds of legal mistakes have you seen in books and on screen? Let us know in the comments. For example, your legal fiction may depict the topics of domestic violence, false rape allegations, good legal teams with criminals, and/or the love life of a legal entity. Writing creative legal fiction is not easy. This requires a lot of basic knowledge of law and all the intricacies that come with it. Nice article.
The novels of John Grisham and James Patterson are excellent examples of legal fiction. Boston Legal and The Good Wife are memorable legal sitcoms. The technical nature and procedure of legal practice means that any presentation must capture the facts in order to convince your readers. This ability to see many aspects of a case or issue can help lawyers write compelling legal fiction. Terri Frank is a professional librarian and holds a master`s degree in library and information science from the University of Michigan. When she is not working in a library, she probably visits a library with her husband and two children. Her current writing projects include a novel about a tuberculosis sanatorium. As a good lawyer, as a legal fiction writer, you need to know how to present a case convincingly. You need to know when to use each of Aristotle`s methods of persuasion – ethos, pathos and logos – to win the toughest jury of all: your readers. Luckily, we wrote an article about using pathos in your fiction just to help you. Here are some tips to help those who want to try their hand at legal fiction.
In legal fiction, it`s important for your readers to guess, make sure your case looks as complicated and opaque as you say it out (there`s nothing worse than a courtroom chatting about an incredibly obvious and hackneyed case), and humanize everyone involved. If your protagonist is a prosecutor, the defense must be persuasive – the client must have a solid cover story, power on his side, and a defense lawyer who is at least as good as your protagonist. If you can make your reader doubt that your senior lawyer is right, you`re doing a great job.
