The Lincoln Lawyer

It's been said that certain writers have patterns, set things they always come back to, whether it's pacing, or themes, or character archetypes. For example, basically every Garth Ennis Punisher story is paced the same. This isn't to say that's bad, merely that it exists. Today, I'm going to teach you how to write like Michael Connelly, so you can put out two mystery novels a year and make big money. So pay attention, because this comes from the intensive research only achieved by reading roughly eight of this guy's books over the years.

1: Make your protagonist a man.

2: Make him pretty good at what he does, whether it's reporting (The Poet), being a cop (The Harry Bosch novels), or a lawyer (The Lincoln Lawyer). We're not talking Morrison-Batman level talented, but near the top of the profession in his area (almost always Los Angeles).

3: The protagonist should not only have a style that tends to upset those in authority, usually people in the District Attorney's office, but one which leaves them frequently alone, and doubting the path they've chosen.

4: They should have less than a happy childhood. Michael Haller, star of The Lincoln Lawyer, had a father who died when he was five, who he only really knows from a book written about him. Harry Bosch's mother was killed when he was young, leaving him stuck in orphanages for his teenage years, before going to 'Nam as a tunnel rat.

5: They should have a relationship with someone in an area of law enforcement. Haller's ex-wife is a prosecuter. Bosch was married to a federal agent. The reporter in The Poet was interested in an FBI agent. Which leads to:

6: These relationships must ultimately fail. The reporter suspected the woman of being The Poet, and was setting her up. This lack of trust lead to the end of any hope of a relationship, as she leaves for Europe for a time, and ignores his attempts at contact. Haller has two ex-wives (though he's on pretty good terms with both, the other even being his assistant). Bosch also has an ex-wife. Terry McCaleb (Blood Work) is probably the exception to this and #5, but his relationship with the sister of the woman he got his heart from did end.

7: The protagonist should have contacts in other areas they regularly turn to, whether it's an investigator for Haller, or a reporter at the L.A. Times for Bosch. These people will play critical roles in story advancement, often in ways the protagonist doesn't expect. Note: this should not always be as a death which alerts the portagonist they're getting warmer.

8: The initial case that starts things off will have multiple layers. It will be in many people's best interests these layers remain covered, including the protagonists'. Under no circumstances should the protagonist actually stop digging. When in doubt, make sure a person with money, influence or some power is behind everything. The true culprit should never be a simple criminal. Simple criminals are only ruses, or plot devices to educate or distract the protagonist.

9: Because of the determination, the "real" truth will be exposed, and many people will suffer. This is what frequently leads to the breakdown of relationships, whether at the end of the novel, or in between books, if it's a recurring character, ala Harry Bosch. The protagonist will also suffer professionally, because they've broken rules, and pissed off people who would have looked the other way otherwise. In other words, no easy happy endings.

10: If the protagonist has been married, they must have a child. They will not fight for any custody of the child, merely to be able to make arranged visits, which they will not make frequently enough to anyone's liking. This ties into the "questioning their profession" part of #3.

11: Make sure to flesh out the protagonist by mentioning music tastes within the story. Bosch likes jazz; Haller listens to Tupac and similarly themed music, supposedly to better understand more of his clients. I don't recall if there was a rationale for Bosch's tastes.

12: Make it topical. The Lincoln Lawyer references the tsunami in Southern Asia and the Robert Blake trial. A recent Harry Bosch novel investigated the expansion of federal powers to imprison suspects and deny them rights in the post-9/11 world.

I think that about covers it. Not every story would need to have all elements. The Poet lacked #3 and #10. So did some of the early Bosch novels. But this is a pretty good guide. And as a bonus, I'm going to teach you how to write like T. Jefferson Parker (Laguna Heat, Silent Joe):

1: Throw in any sort of bugshit crazy stuff you want for the mystery. Leave "clues", that are in fact only clues if you know ahead of time what the outcome is, because absolutely any answer for who's guilty is possible. "The butler did it", and "Aliens abducted her and placed this pod-person corpse to throw us off" are equally probable. In other words, mimic Jeph Loeb's writing in "Hush".

Thank you! I'll be here all month!