People wonder where I get my ideas. But it’s not just having practiced law and seeing a lot of crazy shit that’s led me to write crime fiction.

All I have to do to get an idea for a novel or screenplay is read the papers.

For instance, the other day I checked the headlines and noticed that homicides in Annapolis, Maryland are up. Not only that, but The Baltimore Sun reported that the city is one of many experiencing an increase in homicides.

Now it’s one thing to see that Annapolis has become more dangerous, but it’s quite another to see a headline like this.

DETAIL PHOTO OF A GLOCK .40-CALIBER HANDGUN BEING FIRED AT THE NORTHEAST DISTRICT POLICE STATION’S QUALIFICATION RANGE.

Photo courtesy of The Baltimore Sun.

Kind of makes you wonder if The Wire was a crime fiction series or a documentary.

However, contrary to the perceptions of many, you don’t have to set a story in a “bad” (quote-unquote) neighborhood to write hardboiled crime fiction.

This is Sam McRae’s neighborhood. And, believe me, Laurel has quite the criminal history. Now, there’s a subject I could write all sorts of blog posts about! 🙂

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