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IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Detective Work
These exercises were written
by IWW members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingworkshop.org/).
Prepared by: Charles Hightower
Posted on: 25 September 2011
Reposted on: 6 January 2013
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Exercise: In 400 words, provide a scene where you introduce us to a detective
of your own invention. You might show the detective at a crime
scene, interrogating a suspect, or interviewing a witness. Your goal
is to build a character we'll want to follow into intrigue or danger.
Be sure to show, rather than tell us about the character.
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Many of us have read our share of detective novels. You'll often find a
few among the bestsellers for any given year. In a great many book
series, television shows, and movies, a detective with ordinary human
frailties struggles to bring a culprit to justice.
Lieutenant Colombo is a quirky, likable fellow that criminals often
underestimate. Special Agent Pendergast seems a throwback to the
19th century. Alex Cross is a psychologist, always trying to outthink
his quarry. Lucas Davenport is a bare-knuckled brawler, sometimes
willing to overstep the law. Brenda Leigh Johnson is skilled in
trapping murderers in a web of their own lies. Each has a different
style and manner of conducting business.
Your detective might be a law officer, a private investigator, or even a
citizen who is swept into the role. You might demonstrate how he or she
interacts with peers, clients, suspects, or witnesses. Their behavior
in return may provide insight into how the character is perceived, and
therefore guides us in our initial perception.
What might we glean from dress, manner, grooming, and dialogue?
What clues might indicate his or her motivations? Does the character
appear to be lawful, sleazy, or somewhere in-between?
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Exercise: In 400 words, provide a scene where you introduce us to a detective
of your own invention. You might show the detective at a crime
scene, interrogating a suspect, or interviewing a witness. Your goal
is to build a character we'll want to follow into intrigue or danger.
Be sure to show, rather than tell us about the character.
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In your critique, tell the author whether a believable character of
interest has been crafted, and explain why you feel that way.
Would you want to continue reading about the character and the
investigation? What could be done to strengthen the writing
or to improve the reading experience?
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Greg Gunther.
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