Living Through My Characters

Crime Scene Tape

So the question was asked by someone, via Facebook, if you could go back and pursue a career you wanted, what would it be? I mentioned two: NTSB investigator or United States Postal inspector. I could've added crime scene investigator, homicide detective, but you get the idea. Personally, if I could, the NTSB investigator would be my first choice, given my love of aviation.

That's one of the perks of being a writer. I can create an NTSB investigator or a postal inspector. I can put them in whatever world I want. I'm playing "God(dess)" and living vicariously through them. Of course, as many authors know, characters can also be notorious for going off and doing their own thing, but sometimes this works to the author's advantage. While I plot my novels, I also leave room for any deviations from the story, although I'll make sure the characters don't wander too far off the proverbial beaten path.

This year, I have at least three new protagonists I want to write, one being a private investigator, another a homicide detective, and the third that USPS inspector. As for the NTSB investigator, that will require far more research, so perhaps in the future...  This year, I'd like to write crime stories in various genres/subgenres, including cozy, police procedural, and noir, among others. I've enjoyed reading crime fiction since elementary school, when I read Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I grew up watching shows like Columbo, and have continued to pursue my passion by taking classes in crime scene investigation for writers, forensic science, and cyber crimes, among others. I read thrillers, mysteries, suspense, and books on crime writing.

Yes, I suspect if I had my life to live over, I would probably still be a writer, but I would also probably have a career in some area of law enforcement.

Character Occupations

One great thing about being a writer is being able to create characters with different occupations, including some I would've loved to pursue, had I the opportunity.

Like many authors, I've held several jobs: telemarketer, receptionist, secretary, bartender, artist model, security guard, substitute teacher, server, and probably a couple more I don't remember. But I wanted to be an author since I was in middle school, when I bought a blue notebook and penned my first novella.

I also wanted to be a private investigator growing up, as well as a doctor and pharmacist. My mother was a nurse's aid and I read her medical books. Sadly, chemistry proved my bete noire. I suppose I would do better now, given my life situation is less stressful than in the past. Suffice it to say, though, we all have our educational strengths. Mine is English, while my husband's is science and math. Our daughter took after him. It all balances out.

Over the recent years, I've sometimes wished I'd gone into forensic science, either forensic pathology or computer forensics. That, or become a homicide detective. The reason? To help solve murders and other crimes. Crime scene investigation has fascinated me for years, as my bookshelf can attest.

I've written a couple of homicide detective characters. Been playing around with creating a private investigator and writing a series of tongue-in-cheek novellas. Other characters I've been working on are NTSB investigators, a US Postal Inspector, and a former Secret Service agent. Not an exhaustive list, to be sure. And yes, there are a couple of characters who work as doctors.

Like actors can play various roles, so too can authors live vicariously through their characters. Even better if the author has similar experiences for real world comparison, but for those who don't, creating a fictional world is one alternative.