In case you didn’t know, writing is usually not a very lucrative occupation. Trust me. That means a lot of writers have ‘day jobs.’ And even writers who become very popular (and so, don’t need a ‘day job’) probably started out doing something else. So, writers bring a lot of experience and real-world knowledge to their work. Tapping that experience can add authenticity to a story and can give the reader a sense of learning something as well as enjoying a story.
Agatha Christie fans can tell you that she served in a dispensary during World War I. In that capacity, she learned a lot about poisons, and some things about the medical profession. That knowledge informs a lot of her stories (e.g. The Mysterious Affair at Styles). So, along with following a mystery, readers learn a little about different poisons and medications and how they affect the body. Christie also had experience on archaeology digs in the Middle East, as her second husband was an archaeologist. She learned (and shared) a great deal about how digs are managed, as well as something about the local cultures. Readers can get a sense of both the profession and the area in books such as Murder in Mesopotamia.
Before becoming famous as a writer, Michael Crighton graduated Harvard Medical School and worked in postdoctoral capacity at the Salk Institute. So, while he never practiced medicine, he had a lot of expertise in the medical field. That background added much to his writing. The Andromeda Strain for instance, isn’t a crime novel as such, but does focus on the impact of a virus on a population. A Case of Need, which Chrichton wrote as Jeffery Hudson, is more of what we think of as a crime novel. It features pathologist Dr. John Berry, who gets involved in a tangled mystery when a friend asks for his help. Dr. Albert Lee has been accused of performing an illegal abortion (the book was published before abortion was made legal in the US). The operation caused the death of Karen Randell who was the daughter of one of the hospital’s most powerful surgeons. Lee says he’s not guilty and asks Berry’s help to prove it.
Scott Turow is an attorney; in fact, he continued practicing law even after his writing career took hold. His book One L is his autobiographical look at his first year of law school. Later, with books such as Presumed Innocent, Turow wrote crime fiction that reflects his deep knowledge of the law. In that novel, Rožat ‘Rusty’ Sabich becomes enmeshed in a murder case when one of his colleagues is killed. When it later comes out that the two of them had an affair, he is not only involved in the case, he’s the prime suspect. He is arrested for the murder and relies on his own investigative ability as well as his attorney, Alejandro ‘Sandy’ Stern, to clear his name. This is the first of Turow’s Kindle County novels, all of which involve different aspects of the law profession. I know, fans of Robert Rotenberg and of John Grisham.
Before she became a writer, Katherine Howell worked for fifteen years as a paramedic. When she began to study and teach writing, she used that experience to inform her novels. The main character of her best-known series is Ella Marconi, a Sydney-based police detective. Each novel includes a sub-plot that involves the paramedics who report to crime scenes, sometimes even before the police do. So, each story is told from Marcon’s perspective as well as the perspectives of the various first responders who are involved in the case.
And then there’s Laura Lippman. She was a reporter with the Baltimore Sun before embarking on her writing career, and her experience in journalism is woven into her writing. Her best-known series features Tess Monaghan, who started out as a Baltimore-based journalist. When the newspaper she worked for folded, she tried to get a job at another, but failed. So, she spent time doing whatever freelance work she could get. Then, she decided to try private investigation when a friend was arrested for murder. Since then, she’s made a success of her PI work, and isn’t focused on reporting. But she still has contacts in the business, and her experience, like that of her creator, informs what she does. Louise Penny too, was a journalist and radio host before turning her hand to writing. And her experience in the media has informed her Three Pines/Armand Gamache series.
There are, of course, authors whose professional focus has always been literature and writing. Both Ian Rankin and Colin Dexter are examples, and there are many others. But plenty of authors have had ‘day jobs,’ too. Some are even educators… Those backgrounds can add realism and a pragmatic touch to a crime novel.
*NOTE: The title of this post is a line from Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart’s Sisters are Doin’ it For Themselves.
Crime Writer Margot Kinberg 
This reminds me of Adrian McKinty’s writing story. Loved the Dead Trilogy and his Sean Duffy books. He was down to driving a taxi/car service when his manuscript for The Chain got on the right desk – Bestseller!
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Wow, I didn’t know that, June! That’s really interesting! It shows you never know, too.
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My mind is full of CJ Sansom this week, having just finished my long re-read of the Shardlake series via audiobooks on Saturday, only to learn later that he died that day. He started out as an historian and later re-trained as a lawyer, and clearly brought his knowledge of both of those day jobs into his wonderful series.
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Thank you for mentioning Sansom, FictionFan. His loss is a real blow to us all, and his series is excellent. He will be sorely missed. I didn’t know he’d been a lawyer, but it’s not surprising given the expertise he shows in his books.
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I have read three of the books by Katherine Howell; I probably heard about them first from you. I enjoyed those mysteries which involved an intimate look at what experiences a paramedic might have. And also the setting in Australia, of course.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the Howell books you’ve read, Tracy. She does have a lot of expertise in the field of paramedics, and I’ve always thought that was one thing about her novels that really worked well. And yes, the Australia setting is appealing.
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A reminder that I have had Presumed Innocent on my TbR for long.
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If you do get to it, Neeru, I hope you’ll enjoy it. I thought it was excellent.
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That’s so interesting, Margot. I’ve always suspected that it must be difficult to make a living as a writer, so I totally get the day job – and the best sort I guess are those which might provide material for the fiction… 😉
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You’re right, KBR. Most writers need day jobs, because you don’t exactly coin it as an author usually. And I’d say most writers get some sort of inspiration from their jobs – or at least background that’s helpful! 😉
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Former Saskatchewan Cabinet Minister, Colin Thatcher, was 67 and recently released from serving 22 years in prison for murdering his wife when he wrote Final Appeal – Anatomy of a Frame protesting his conviction. He certainly had a personal perspective on the functioning of the Canadian criminal justice system. On how much an author can earn his book reached 6th place on the Globe & Mail bestseller list. A hastily passed law to deny criminals from profiting from writing about their crime was used to collect what he earned for the book. Many were surprised when the profit seized for a bestseller was $13,866.44.
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Wow! I didn’t know that, Bill. I think I read about the case at one point, but I didn’t know the details. It certainly shows how personal background and knowledge can inform what one writes! And you make an interesting point about (not) being able to profit from a crime. The whole story is really interesting.
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Some nice examples here. It’s great to bring your old or current profession into a novel you’re writing. It really adds to the depth of the piece. For some strange funny reason I’m reminded of Bukowski who drank, worked menial jobs and womanised and brought all that into his books lol.
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Thanks, OP. I think most authors put at least some of themselves into the books they write; that’s only natural. Whether ir’s a profession or an experience (as Burkowski did) it makes a story more realistic when the author links it to personal or professional experience.
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It seems certain professions align well with crime-story writing! Medicine, law and academics.
When Christianna Brand wrote her first crime novel, Death in High Heels it was said that she’d used her experience working in a fashion shop, which was also the setting for the book. Supposedly she disliked one of her co-workers, and worked out a way to kill her! This has always sounded to me like a story generated by the publicity dept of her publishers, but I am putting it out there… And the shop setting of the book certainly seems authentic.
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Oh that is an interesting story, Moira! And it wouldn’t surprise me if she did use both her experience and her feelings about that co-worker. I think writers sometimes do tap things that have happened to them as they write.
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