Yesterday I posted an article written by a man who was stalked by one of his writing students. Today I’m posting about an article on a different author who thought direct contact with the police force would enhance the novels.

As he discovered, police work is mostly boring. I’ve done some ride-along programs with regional police officers to research my own novels. I’ve found that much of what they do is babysitting. They round up the same drunks and respond to the same noise complaints over and over. Very little of their jobs entail high-stakes action.

But when the stakes do rise, they still have to be ready. This blend of boredom and high-octane work is important to capture in your work. It will make the novel more realistic.