Week Two - The Epic Approach
or, How To Write Plotty Casefic Without (Entirely) Losing Your Mind
I'll begin with a small caveat: I haven't published any long, plotty case-based fics for this fandom. I'm working on several, but most of you who come here for advice or helpful hints will probably ask yourself, "Okay, who is nos4a2no9 to tell me how to write casefic when she hasn't published any?" And I guess the answer is that old chestnut, "Those who can't...teach." I have written epic casefic in the DCU comicsverse, and I think some of the hard lessons I learned over there will shed some light on the fraught process of crafting a long, detailed and realistic case-based story for the dS fandom.
I've broken this down into sections to make the process a little clearer. These are techniques that I've found work for me, and while everyone will have a different approach I think I've come up with some basics that will help get you started. Please add any tricks and tips you've come up with when you try to tackle the sometimes unwieldy and always challenging form of long fiction. It's not an easy process and you will, at points, want to tear your hair out in frustration, but rest assured that the end result is usually a very solid, intelligent and well-plotted story. It's as satisfying in its own way as the best-written novella or PWP and I think it's my favorite of all the genres this fandom has to offer. So that's my pitch. Let's get started!
Go Big or Go Home
The first question you want to ask yourself when you sit down to plan your casefic is, "What kind of story do I want to tell? How long do I think my story needs to be?" These are essential questions because a) it will help you figure why you're writing casefic to begin with instead of a shorter story about, say, grocery shopping, and b) the length question will help you determine exactly what kind of crime the characters should be investigating. Not all crimes are created equal and deciding early on how much space you'll be able to devote to the case-related elements will help you figure out how everything will come together, and when.
The vast majority of the fanfiction published in the due South fandom clocks in at roughly 1000-6000 words and usually focuses on Fraser and Ray (or Ray and Ray, or any other pairing) in a romantic relationship. Since the story is short there's usually only room for the 'A' romance/sex story but some authors make use of day-to-day details (Fraser and Ray's work at the 2-7, for example) in order to set the scene and create some tension and momentum in order to move the plot along. Minor crimes or funny, oblique references to wacky dS-style crimes (pickpockets! elderly vigilantes! evil Santas!) are probably safe to include in these shorter stories since the focus is on the relationship and not the crimes being investigated or solved. You can get away with a lot if your crime-related 'B' plot in a short story is just being used as background material: I like 'em because they're fun to set up and resolve, they don't take a lot of time or planning, and if done right the minor inclusion of case-related details can have a subtle effect on what you're trying to accomplish with your romance. Plus, a stakeout is always a good setting for a makeout. :-)
Longer stories (6000+ words) make use of a 'B' plot wherein Our Heroes investigate a crime that is integral to the plot and larger thematic elements of the story. Fraser and Ray might be tracking down a dangerous serial murderer, or they might be called upon to investigate an international terrorist. Along the way they'll probably grow closer, make discoveries about one another and their personal dynamic will change (that's the 'A' plot in long-story form). If you've plotted your story correctly there should be some correlation between the investigation and what's going on between the characters.
To wrap this so-obvious-it-hurts introduction to casefic, remember to always start by asking yourself, "What kind of story do I want to write?" If you're more interested writing an 'A'-plot romance that explores the character's sexual or emotional connection over a specific period of time, don't gum up the works with a lot of case-related detail. But if the story you want to tell is big with a capital "B" (Big Drama! Big Emotion! Big Angst! Big Humour! Big Big Big!) you'll probably get a lot of mileage out of the long, plotty casefic form.
So Where Do I Start?
So you've decided you want to write that huge epic where Fraser and Ray have to track down a serial killer who's been stalking the meat-packing districts of Chicago. But where to begin?
Well, when it comes to writing crime stories we all should borrow a page from Fraser's book. Say it with me: proper preparation prevents poor performance. It is absolutely essential when it comes to writing long, plotty case-based stories that you plan ahead and make an outline of the basic breakdown of events. Most authors, especially those more comfortable writing shorter stuff, have an allergic reaction to outlines. But by sitting down and plotting out your story beat-by-beat you'll know exactly where you want your story to go and how it'll get there. Doing some initial prep work will help save a lot of time and heartache later on. If you try the write-as-you-go approach and discover that your story stopped making sense after about 10,000 words, you'll probably lose the will to go back and make all the necessary structural changes you could have identified and built into your writing in the first place. So: outline, outline, outline.
I start with a basic sketch of the plot and the characters that might show up in the story. By identifying the heroes (Fraser and Ray, for example) supporting cast (who's going to make an appearance? Welsh? the Duck Boys? Frannie? Turnbull?) antagonists (the FBI? the RCMP? politicians with a stake in the outcome of the investigation?) and the villain(s) (the murderer/rapist/mob boss/Victoria) you'll help start to narrow the scope of the plot simply by making lists of possible characters to include. You don't need to actually sit down at this point and painstakingly create your casting list; just consider all your options and keep in mind that part of this process is identifying who will fulfill specific functions in the story. Creating original characters may be necessary at certain points: whether it's a grieving mother, a sympathetic victim or a bloodthirsty killer you're probably going to recognize early on that long, plotty epics require a large cast of characters. Keeping track of them is tricky, so start early and decide how much time and space you want to devote to introducing them to your readers.
The second part of this process is deciding the nature of the crime you're going to be writing about. Maybe the whole thing came to you in a burst of creative inspiration - you know you're going to be writing about a serial killer who taunts Ray and Fraser with evidence of his crimes. But that initial kernel of an idea is going to be put through the wringer once you sit down to write. What might seem like a watertight plot can spring leaks if you don't take time to plan the whole thing out from the initial discovery of the body (if there is one) to the final description of the perp being loaded into the back of the paddy wagon. (Period slang! Hurrah!)
If you look at the examples of great casefic stories in this fandom (um, anything by cesperanza, because she gives good casefic, or Resonant's Teeth of the Hydra) you'll probably see a pattern begin to emerge. There's a reason why so many long plotty casefics involve some sort of serial crime. It's tough to coordinate an entire investigation around a single event, particularly if the crime being investigated has bearing on the larger 'A' plot. A serial murderer on the loose, for example, offers an opportunity to show Ray and Fraser working together on the same case over an extended period of time. They'll be exhausted and demoralized at certain points, and high as a kite at others. It's fun to write characters who go through so many different experiences and it also makes for compelling storytelling. But serial crimes require a lot more thought, time and energy (especially in the planning phases) than their more random cousins. If you want to write something a little less dependent on a series of escalating crimes, you might want to go with a hostage situation, a puzzling murder or suicide, a bank robbery, or something else that begins at one linear point (the initial incident/crime) and is traced to a logical conclusion.
With me so far? Now that you've picked your crime and figured out who's going to be involved, start that outlining process I mentioned earlier. Plot out two stories: the developing romance (if you're going the sex/slash/romance route) and the crime. By laying out all the events associated with the 'A' (romance) and 'B' (crime) plots you'll ensure that there is some correlation. You won't have Fraser and Ray tumbling into bed together right when they should be sleep-deprived and desperately hunting down a dangerous fugitive who slipped through their fingers. Unless you want them to get together at that particular moment, of course. You've got to try to strike a balance between what's happening in the "real life" world of the crime investigation and what's going on internally for the starring characters. Sex, intimacy, interpersonal tension, fights and reconciliations will all happen over the course of the investigation; plotting out both storylines together ensures that they'll overlap in the right places and that each plot development will make sense in the grander scheme of things.
The Devil's In the Details: Reference Materials You Can Count On
Okay, we've all seen our fair share of CSI episodes. We all know a lot about the steps of a police investigation. And what we don't know, we can make up (because we're creative types, right?) But where do you go for help when you're looking for specific information about crime and crime-fighting? I've complied a few ideas below to help you find information that will probably come in handy as you finish plotting out your story.
There is a host of reference materials out there on the interweb, but for my money it's worth it to invest in a book like The Crime Writer's Reference Guide or Scene of the Crime: A Writer's Guide to Crime Scenes. I made these purchases a few years ago and they have been of great assistance; Roth's Reference Guide in particular is full of useful information about the ranking systems of organized crime (so you don't confuse your soldiers from your capos), prison slang, weights and measurements used in drug deals, forensic aspects of crime scene data collection and important details about local, municipal and federal law enforcement agencies. There are a whole host of these how-to books available and sometimes it's difficult to separate the wheat from the not-so-wheaty, but if you have the money to spend on a couple of reference books I'd recommend it.
Gun magazines are also useful if you don't know very much about handguns or ballistics; you can pick them up fairly cheaply at the newsstand and such magazines provide an informative, if slightly disturbing, look at guns and gun culture.
I discovered quite by chance that the Illinois Bureau of Tourism will send you a free guidebook to Chicago and an Illinois state map if you email a request; I've used it to plot out the movements of Fraser, Ray and their suspects in and around Chicago.
The RCMP is a fairly accommodating agency and, if you're polite and patient, amazingly generous when it comes to sharing information about Canadian policing and legal procedures. I'd recommend writing a letter vs. sending an email, but make sure you research any questions you have very carefully. If you have questions about details specific to Canadian policing try asking one of the friendly Canucks here on LJ; we all know the Miranda speech off by heart, but what would Fraser say when arresting a suspect in Canada? I assure you, it doesn't start with, "You have the right to remain silent..."
Putting It All Together
So, you've figured out what kind of crime you'll be using as the basis of your story, you know who's going to be involved and why, and you've got some resources at your side to make sure you can present the events as realistically as possible in a story set in the world of dS. Write your first draft, or at least a significant portion of a first draft. Keep your outline handy at all times, and make changes where necessary. But don't forget your original structure. If you did a thorough job of figuring out where the major events of the case (and the romance) occur you should have enough material to get you through to the conclusion. I find I hit my biggest stumbling blocks about halfway through when the exposition starts to get heavy and I lose interest in my own investigation. A good outline has saved me every single time, and you'll be glad you put so much effort into the initial planning stages as you power through that first draft.
After you've written that first pass, take a breather and find a good beta. Beta readers will help make sure that everything is in place plot-wise; they'll be able to spot logical inconsistencies or procedural mistakes that you might have missed. And hopefully your beta will also have something to say about pacing, grammar, spelling, punctuation and characterization, too. Once you get their response, plunge into that second draft. Address any structural problems you or your beta has identified, and don't be afraid to rewrite. If significant changes are required, make a new outline and stick to it.
The best piece of advice I can offer is, don't let yourself get discouraged! Long, plot-heavy casefic is tough to write but it is damn satisfying to read, and the fandom needs more of it. Have fun, don't be afraid to make mistakes, and above all remember the immortal words of brooklinegirl: putting in more sex will make everything better.
Happy writing!
I'll begin with a small caveat: I haven't published any long, plotty case-based fics for this fandom. I'm working on several, but most of you who come here for advice or helpful hints will probably ask yourself, "Okay, who is nos4a2no9 to tell me how to write casefic when she hasn't published any?" And I guess the answer is that old chestnut, "Those who can't...teach." I have written epic casefic in the DCU comicsverse, and I think some of the hard lessons I learned over there will shed some light on the fraught process of crafting a long, detailed and realistic case-based story for the dS fandom.
I've broken this down into sections to make the process a little clearer. These are techniques that I've found work for me, and while everyone will have a different approach I think I've come up with some basics that will help get you started. Please add any tricks and tips you've come up with when you try to tackle the sometimes unwieldy and always challenging form of long fiction. It's not an easy process and you will, at points, want to tear your hair out in frustration, but rest assured that the end result is usually a very solid, intelligent and well-plotted story. It's as satisfying in its own way as the best-written novella or PWP and I think it's my favorite of all the genres this fandom has to offer. So that's my pitch. Let's get started!
Go Big or Go Home
The first question you want to ask yourself when you sit down to plan your casefic is, "What kind of story do I want to tell? How long do I think my story needs to be?" These are essential questions because a) it will help you figure why you're writing casefic to begin with instead of a shorter story about, say, grocery shopping, and b) the length question will help you determine exactly what kind of crime the characters should be investigating. Not all crimes are created equal and deciding early on how much space you'll be able to devote to the case-related elements will help you figure out how everything will come together, and when.
The vast majority of the fanfiction published in the due South fandom clocks in at roughly 1000-6000 words and usually focuses on Fraser and Ray (or Ray and Ray, or any other pairing) in a romantic relationship. Since the story is short there's usually only room for the 'A' romance/sex story but some authors make use of day-to-day details (Fraser and Ray's work at the 2-7, for example) in order to set the scene and create some tension and momentum in order to move the plot along. Minor crimes or funny, oblique references to wacky dS-style crimes (pickpockets! elderly vigilantes! evil Santas!) are probably safe to include in these shorter stories since the focus is on the relationship and not the crimes being investigated or solved. You can get away with a lot if your crime-related 'B' plot in a short story is just being used as background material: I like 'em because they're fun to set up and resolve, they don't take a lot of time or planning, and if done right the minor inclusion of case-related details can have a subtle effect on what you're trying to accomplish with your romance. Plus, a stakeout is always a good setting for a makeout. :-)
Longer stories (6000+ words) make use of a 'B' plot wherein Our Heroes investigate a crime that is integral to the plot and larger thematic elements of the story. Fraser and Ray might be tracking down a dangerous serial murderer, or they might be called upon to investigate an international terrorist. Along the way they'll probably grow closer, make discoveries about one another and their personal dynamic will change (that's the 'A' plot in long-story form). If you've plotted your story correctly there should be some correlation between the investigation and what's going on between the characters.
To wrap this so-obvious-it-hurts introduction to casefic, remember to always start by asking yourself, "What kind of story do I want to write?" If you're more interested writing an 'A'-plot romance that explores the character's sexual or emotional connection over a specific period of time, don't gum up the works with a lot of case-related detail. But if the story you want to tell is big with a capital "B" (Big Drama! Big Emotion! Big Angst! Big Humour! Big Big Big!) you'll probably get a lot of mileage out of the long, plotty casefic form.
So Where Do I Start?
So you've decided you want to write that huge epic where Fraser and Ray have to track down a serial killer who's been stalking the meat-packing districts of Chicago. But where to begin?
Well, when it comes to writing crime stories we all should borrow a page from Fraser's book. Say it with me: proper preparation prevents poor performance. It is absolutely essential when it comes to writing long, plotty case-based stories that you plan ahead and make an outline of the basic breakdown of events. Most authors, especially those more comfortable writing shorter stuff, have an allergic reaction to outlines. But by sitting down and plotting out your story beat-by-beat you'll know exactly where you want your story to go and how it'll get there. Doing some initial prep work will help save a lot of time and heartache later on. If you try the write-as-you-go approach and discover that your story stopped making sense after about 10,000 words, you'll probably lose the will to go back and make all the necessary structural changes you could have identified and built into your writing in the first place. So: outline, outline, outline.
I start with a basic sketch of the plot and the characters that might show up in the story. By identifying the heroes (Fraser and Ray, for example) supporting cast (who's going to make an appearance? Welsh? the Duck Boys? Frannie? Turnbull?) antagonists (the FBI? the RCMP? politicians with a stake in the outcome of the investigation?) and the villain(s) (the murderer/rapist/mob boss/Victoria) you'll help start to narrow the scope of the plot simply by making lists of possible characters to include. You don't need to actually sit down at this point and painstakingly create your casting list; just consider all your options and keep in mind that part of this process is identifying who will fulfill specific functions in the story. Creating original characters may be necessary at certain points: whether it's a grieving mother, a sympathetic victim or a bloodthirsty killer you're probably going to recognize early on that long, plotty epics require a large cast of characters. Keeping track of them is tricky, so start early and decide how much time and space you want to devote to introducing them to your readers.
The second part of this process is deciding the nature of the crime you're going to be writing about. Maybe the whole thing came to you in a burst of creative inspiration - you know you're going to be writing about a serial killer who taunts Ray and Fraser with evidence of his crimes. But that initial kernel of an idea is going to be put through the wringer once you sit down to write. What might seem like a watertight plot can spring leaks if you don't take time to plan the whole thing out from the initial discovery of the body (if there is one) to the final description of the perp being loaded into the back of the paddy wagon. (Period slang! Hurrah!)
If you look at the examples of great casefic stories in this fandom (um, anything by cesperanza, because she gives good casefic, or Resonant's Teeth of the Hydra) you'll probably see a pattern begin to emerge. There's a reason why so many long plotty casefics involve some sort of serial crime. It's tough to coordinate an entire investigation around a single event, particularly if the crime being investigated has bearing on the larger 'A' plot. A serial murderer on the loose, for example, offers an opportunity to show Ray and Fraser working together on the same case over an extended period of time. They'll be exhausted and demoralized at certain points, and high as a kite at others. It's fun to write characters who go through so many different experiences and it also makes for compelling storytelling. But serial crimes require a lot more thought, time and energy (especially in the planning phases) than their more random cousins. If you want to write something a little less dependent on a series of escalating crimes, you might want to go with a hostage situation, a puzzling murder or suicide, a bank robbery, or something else that begins at one linear point (the initial incident/crime) and is traced to a logical conclusion.
With me so far? Now that you've picked your crime and figured out who's going to be involved, start that outlining process I mentioned earlier. Plot out two stories: the developing romance (if you're going the sex/slash/romance route) and the crime. By laying out all the events associated with the 'A' (romance) and 'B' (crime) plots you'll ensure that there is some correlation. You won't have Fraser and Ray tumbling into bed together right when they should be sleep-deprived and desperately hunting down a dangerous fugitive who slipped through their fingers. Unless you want them to get together at that particular moment, of course. You've got to try to strike a balance between what's happening in the "real life" world of the crime investigation and what's going on internally for the starring characters. Sex, intimacy, interpersonal tension, fights and reconciliations will all happen over the course of the investigation; plotting out both storylines together ensures that they'll overlap in the right places and that each plot development will make sense in the grander scheme of things.
The Devil's In the Details: Reference Materials You Can Count On
Okay, we've all seen our fair share of CSI episodes. We all know a lot about the steps of a police investigation. And what we don't know, we can make up (because we're creative types, right?) But where do you go for help when you're looking for specific information about crime and crime-fighting? I've complied a few ideas below to help you find information that will probably come in handy as you finish plotting out your story.
There is a host of reference materials out there on the interweb, but for my money it's worth it to invest in a book like The Crime Writer's Reference Guide or Scene of the Crime: A Writer's Guide to Crime Scenes. I made these purchases a few years ago and they have been of great assistance; Roth's Reference Guide in particular is full of useful information about the ranking systems of organized crime (so you don't confuse your soldiers from your capos), prison slang, weights and measurements used in drug deals, forensic aspects of crime scene data collection and important details about local, municipal and federal law enforcement agencies. There are a whole host of these how-to books available and sometimes it's difficult to separate the wheat from the not-so-wheaty, but if you have the money to spend on a couple of reference books I'd recommend it.
Gun magazines are also useful if you don't know very much about handguns or ballistics; you can pick them up fairly cheaply at the newsstand and such magazines provide an informative, if slightly disturbing, look at guns and gun culture.
I discovered quite by chance that the Illinois Bureau of Tourism will send you a free guidebook to Chicago and an Illinois state map if you email a request; I've used it to plot out the movements of Fraser, Ray and their suspects in and around Chicago.
The RCMP is a fairly accommodating agency and, if you're polite and patient, amazingly generous when it comes to sharing information about Canadian policing and legal procedures. I'd recommend writing a letter vs. sending an email, but make sure you research any questions you have very carefully. If you have questions about details specific to Canadian policing try asking one of the friendly Canucks here on LJ; we all know the Miranda speech off by heart, but what would Fraser say when arresting a suspect in Canada? I assure you, it doesn't start with, "You have the right to remain silent..."
Putting It All Together
So, you've figured out what kind of crime you'll be using as the basis of your story, you know who's going to be involved and why, and you've got some resources at your side to make sure you can present the events as realistically as possible in a story set in the world of dS. Write your first draft, or at least a significant portion of a first draft. Keep your outline handy at all times, and make changes where necessary. But don't forget your original structure. If you did a thorough job of figuring out where the major events of the case (and the romance) occur you should have enough material to get you through to the conclusion. I find I hit my biggest stumbling blocks about halfway through when the exposition starts to get heavy and I lose interest in my own investigation. A good outline has saved me every single time, and you'll be glad you put so much effort into the initial planning stages as you power through that first draft.
After you've written that first pass, take a breather and find a good beta. Beta readers will help make sure that everything is in place plot-wise; they'll be able to spot logical inconsistencies or procedural mistakes that you might have missed. And hopefully your beta will also have something to say about pacing, grammar, spelling, punctuation and characterization, too. Once you get their response, plunge into that second draft. Address any structural problems you or your beta has identified, and don't be afraid to rewrite. If significant changes are required, make a new outline and stick to it.
The best piece of advice I can offer is, don't let yourself get discouraged! Long, plot-heavy casefic is tough to write but it is damn satisfying to read, and the fandom needs more of it. Have fun, don't be afraid to make mistakes, and above all remember the immortal words of brooklinegirl: putting in more sex will make everything better.
Happy writing!