Battered Wife Syndrome

You've created a deliciously unpredictable female character. She murderes her abusive husband, then she's caught. She pulls out the "Battered Wife Syndrome" defense, hoping it'll save her from death row. Will it work? Sean Mactire covers this in his book Malicious Intent: A Writer's Guide to How Murderers, Robbers, Rapists, and Other Criminal Think. 

 (Photo courtesy of inmagine.com)

The FBI estimates that one out of ten women suffer abuse at the hands of a male they live with, and that a woman is beaten every eighteen seconds in the US.  Mactire says, "Domestic violence accounts for almost 50 percent of all homicides and 20 percent of all police officers killed in the line of duty." Women who suffer this kind of abuse, then turn it back on their abuser, are usually caught and face trial. Often, they are not allowed to use the "Battered Wife Syndrome" (BWS) defense, which is "a valid form of insanity plea that in essence says that [they] killed in 'self-defense' and therefore should be acquitted... conviction is rare--about 10 percent of all cases. The rest are either acquitted or convicted of lesser charges and placed on probation."

This is an emotionally hot topic, one that can easily be offensive and emotionally charged. You can use that to your advantage in your fiction, whether your female antagonist was fighting back against actual abuse or made the whole thing up as a convenient excuse to get rid of hubby. Do your research, though. BWS is only admissible in twelve states, and even they differ in the laws. 

Battered Wife Syndrome has three stages:

1. Tension in relationship builds and small incidents of verbal and physical insults occur

2. Escalation to more intense violence occurs, resulting int eh woman suffering serious injury

3. The cycle of violence is reinforced by loving remorse that the abuser manipulates the victim with

As the stages repeat, the intensity of the violence escalates. "She submits," Mactire says, "hoping to avoid further violence, but is gradually traumatized into passivity. The violence continues until the woman is either dead or dumped by the abuser, the abuser is jailed, the woman runs away, or the woman kills the abuser."

I must admit that this whole subject bothers me on a variety of levels, but I think the hardest part for me to understand is Why Didn't She Run? I'm unable to place myself in her shoes and understand why this woman stays in the relationship. I had an abusive boyfriend once, back in my "invincible" teen years, and when that boy showed his true colors, I took off (and called the police, and told my friends, and generally made that boy's life miserable). So when I read about a woman who's in an abusive relationship, and she sticks around until it gets so bad she's forced to kill him to save her own life, I'm no longer sympathizing with her. I'm thinking she's stupid for sticking around for so long (and I thoroughly apologize if I've just offended someone--this is just the way I see things). 

If you've created a scenario where your female killer did NOT kill as self-defense, but merely used the BWS as a legal defense, you've got a hard road to travel. It's got to be believable, and of course, readers want to see justice prevail. 

-Sonja

The Defendant's Mental Health

You're writing a fabulous story, complete with twists, turns, and at least one murder. Then your murderous bad boy is caught by the law. How will he ever defend himself? Let's check in with Sean Mactire, via his book Malicious Intent: A Writer's Guide to How Murderers, Robbers, Rapists, and Other Criminal Think and see what he says.

First off, the insanity defense rarely works in real life (more on that in a bit), so don't try it in your book unless you really know what you're doing. When presenting the evidence, prosecutors must prove that either the defendant is guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt," or that there's "clear and convincing" evidence that the defendant is insane. The mental health issues brings up other subjects:

1. Is the defendant competent to stand trial?

Mactire gives a quote from the Supreme Court regarding this, and I won't copy it all for you here. If you need this information for your book, you won't get enough background from this blog post to pull it off, and it's rather lengthy, so I'll skip to this part: "The defendant has to be able to comprehend the trial and the sentence he faces if found guilty and be able to cooperate with his attorney in the preparation of the case." If he can't, he's considered unfit to stand trial. To make it even harder for you as a writer, each state has different standards, so do your homework.

2. Is the defendant responsible for his or her acts?

This is a hot topic for me, as today's society seems to think that people are clearly NOT responsible for their actions: their momma potty trained them wrong, their daddy beat them and made them into raging lunatics, their doctor gave them the wrong medication, etc. But when it comes down to the law, the standard is "whether the offender displayed criminal intent at the time the crime was committed." If he was insane at the time he committed the murder, then he cannot be punished in the same way a sane person would be punished.

Mactire says, "the insanity defense is rarely used in criminal cases because it requires that the accused admit to being guilty." That throws a monkey wrench into the works, because if the defendant is found to NOT be insane, he's already admitted he did the deed, and off to sentencing he goes. If he's found to BE insane, he's off to the mental institution, which could result in a longer "incarceration" than the prison term he'd face. Therefore, defense attorneys (and defendants who know they aren't legally insane) tend to steer clear of this defense strategy.

There's a lengthy history of laws and trials pertaining to this topic in the book, but I'm going to skip all that and head right to the bits pertaining to psychopathic disorders and antisocial personality disorders. In these cases, "the insanity defense is not valid." In all likelihood, if your psychopathic antagonist is caught and there's enough evidence to bring him to trial, an insanity defense won't work. And let's face it, your typical reader wants to see justice prevail, so it'll be good to watch this bad buy squirm in his chair until the guilty verdict comes down.

-Sonja

How I Found My Critique Partners by Guest Blogger Melody Steiner

People occasionally ask me how I found my critiquing buddies and how I knew it was the right fit for my novel. As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, the people closest to you may work better as beta readers or sounding boards for new story ideas. But where did I meet the people who helped me to grow my novel and challenged me to become a stronger writer?

I met Sonja at a writer’s conference. It was my first conference fresh out of college. Prior to that, I’d attended two writer’s workshops, a college-level creative writing class, and I had been the president of our college campus’ writing group. But even with all my swagger and assumed experience, I had not even touched the tip of the iceberg. At this first post-college writing conference, I was certain I would find an agent, secure a publishing contract, and waltz out of the last banquet with head held high. What I uncovered, instead, was a friendship built on mutual career support.

While at first it was frustrating and then humbling to realize that I had plenty of room for improvement, critiquing became an exercise in honing my abilities. Sonja is one tough cookie, and she can dish out as well as she can take. Her blunt honesty is her greatest asset—both for her writing and for mine. From her, I learned how to keep things brief, to maximize tension, to develop inner conflict in each of my characters.

Another critique partner came along shortly after I met Sonja, though I’d known her from before. Amanda Flower, author of the India Hayes Mystery Series, the Appleseed Creek Mystery Series, and the Amish Quilt Shop Mystery Series (as Isabella Alan). When we first met, she was a boss at the campus library where I worked and where our writing group met. The year our first campus advisor left, Amanda Flower kindly stepped in and agreed to be the staff advisor and essentially a mentor for us newbie writers. I knew Amanda had written a book then, and was DYING to read it, but it wasn’t until after I’d met Sonja and felt sufficiently proud of my first manuscript and my critiquing skills that I contacted Amanda (who had sold her first short story at that point) and asked if she’d like to swap chapters. Her feedback was encouraging, honest, and gave me fantastic direction as my writing evolved. In turn, it was so satisfying to have read and offered my thoughts on her novels, and later learn that those books would make it into print publication.

Since then, I’ve had other critique partner experiences, mostly with high school or college age students in need of some encouragement who are looking to grow their own talent. I’m honored to participate in this vibrant exchange of ideas, this collaborative environment where great talent is put through the fires to be refined. For me, the critique partners that have best helped me grow have been the people who are just ahead of me in their skills and experience. They push me forward while also providing much-needed encouragement and empathy throughout the process.

I met my critique partners at writer’s groups, conferences, and on websites such as critters.org. What about others? Any tips on finding writers of your genre in your area?     

-Melody

Melody Steiner works at an academic library as a circulation technician. In 2006, she graduated from a small private college in Ohio with a Bachelors of Arts in English. After she met and married her husband, they relocated to Seattle, WA. In March, 2011, she graduated from the University of Washington with a Master in Library and Information Science, aspiring to becoming a full-time librarian. Her hobbies include reading the latest YA series (recent favorites include Patrick Ness’ The Knife of Never Letting Go and Paoli Bacigalupi’s Shipbreaker), camping, and enjoying long walks with her best friend. Last November, they had their first little peanut—a rambunctious baby girl. In addition to adult science fiction, she writes fantasy and YA novels. She is represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency. You can find her at http://twitter.com/melody_steiner.

Dear Lucky Agent Contest

Click HERE to see the details of the latest Dear Lucky Agent Contest. This time it's for mystery writers! You can submit as many unpublished works as you like, so long as you advertise the contest on social media. To enter, send the first 150-200 words of your book before Sept 15. The top 3 winners get a critique of the first 10 pages of the work and a free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com. What's to lose? Entering is free. I'm off to send my entry now.

-Sonja

Female Assassins

Female assassins defy stereotypes and are fascinating to readers and movie viewers alike, so let's delve a little into what makes a female turn assassin. I'm taking this information from Sean Mactire's book Malicious Intent: A Writer's Guide to How Murderers, Robbers, Rapists, and Other Criminal Think. 

Mactire says, "Contrary to widely held misconceptions, women became terrorists because of the equality of opportunity that is available." I'll admit, when I first read this line, I thought of all the job listings for 'assassin' and wondered what percentage of applicants were female. Setting aside the funnier aspects of that statement, let's look at the reasons Mactire offers as to WHY females choose to kill for hire. (Note: Mactire doesn't differentiate between assassins and terrorists - they're the same in his book. I see a finer line, as an assassin usually kills for cash, whereas a terrorist kills for ideals, but since I'm passing along Mactire's ideas, I'll keep my nose out of it for a bit.) Here are those reason:

1. They are pursuing dreams of a better life for people

2. They desire to help people in need

3. They desire to change social and governmental policies

 (Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

These female killers see themselves as soldiers, fighting for the side of injustice to bring about lasting political-economic changes that will better the lives around them. Sounds noble, when you put it that way, but keep in mind they are still taking lives in defense of their own idealistic world views. Mactire goes on to say that "women terrorists are more ruthless and persistent than their male colleagues." I had a commenter several posts ago who brought up the "Mama Bear" idea, that women will do anything to protect their own. This is the same thing--women who come to the conclusion that violence is the only way to bring about the necessary changes and improve the lives of their loved ones. (They're obviously NOT thinking of improving the lives of their victims or their victims families, so it's a safe bet to say that all female terrorists/assassins are sociopaths with no ability to empathize.)

Mactire sites several examples of "famous" female terrorists/assassins. I won't give you those examples here (check out the book if you want them), but he noted that 70% of the leadership of the new-wave alliance in Europe is female. They've taken their nurturing, organizing, and protecting instincts and turned them into acts of terror. He sites women who followed in lovers footsteps to become terrorists, women who use their fake "pregnancy" to deliver bombs, women who partner up with men to appear as lovers before they commit their act of violence, and women who lead religious cults that espouse murder and mass suicide. 

When creating a female assassin/terrorist for your novel, keep these "ideals" in mind and you'll have a thoroughly believable and unpredictable character.

That wraps up the chapter on female killers. Chapter 15 is about psychology in the courtroom and the various defenses bad guys use to try getting away with what they've done after they've been caught. It's bound to be an interesting (and probably amusing) set of posts, so stay tuned.

-Sonja

The Stress Made Me Do It

You've got a female antagonist who's going on a killing spree. You've figured out who her victims are. You've figured out how she'll kill them. You've given her a sufficient motivation for what she does. Now lets dig deeper into what makes up her psyche. I'm taking this information from Sean Mactire's book Malicious Intent: A Writer's Guide to How Murderers, Robbers, Rapists, and Other Criminal Think. 

(Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

"Stress and psychological trauma are the only related factors linked to women and crime," Mactire says. Women who experience stress are more likely to "burn out" and suffer major psychiatric problems, especially if she's already suffering from personal traumas like physical abuse or alcohol abuse. In a previous post, I covered some of the characteristics of female killers (intelligent, young, etc). Here's a more complete list of characteristics of a "typical" female killer:

• insincere
• amoral
• extremely impulsive
• able to dominate other people with manipulative charisma and superficial charm
• lacks any form of conscience
• lacks insight
• unable to learn from mistakes
• irresponsible
• unpredictable
• volatile
• flagrant disregard for truth
• above-average intelligence
• extremely self-destructive
• prone to take frequent high risks
• able to mimic "normal" behavior when necessary
• always blames others for failure
• no life goals

Keep in mind that these are common traits, and a real person (aka "believable character") won't possess all of them. Pick and choose for your antagonist, and apply liberally, but in spurts. 

-Sonja

Crafting Plot (With a Partner) by guest blogger Melody Steiner

Last Saturday, I wrote about my dear husband’s failings in the critique department of my writing career. This week I’ll sing his juice box of Chesterton. And he loves science fiction, too. For me, that’s a big uh-oh.

But wait. It isn’t an uh-oh at all. I use my husband’s internal library to my benefit! When I think I have a plot ironed out, I’ll give him the “cliff-notes” version. If his eyes glaze over and he’s fighting back a yawn, I know there’s something wrong. He’s read this before, or it’s boring him to tears, or I picked the plot of least resistance. Back to the drawing board.

Occasionally, he’ll offer a suggestion. “Look,” he’ll say. “I’ve read ten books in the last week with a similar plot, and all of them end X way. What would really pique my interest is seeing how the characters react if the plot goes Y way, instead.”

His ideas are creative and out-of-the-box. He’s always challenging me to push the limits of the usual tropes, to forge new territories, to leave the familiar. Even if you consider yourself well-read, as I do, it’s invaluable to have that different perspective from a person who reads everything from poetry to self-help books to classic literature. Since none of those are my strong suits, his raw opinion can help round the story or better develop my characters.

As someone who dreams up a million ideas a day, obviously some are going to flop while others will fly. It is essential for me to float my ideas past a person whose opinion I respect, whose body language I can read, and whose insights I take seriously. It’s impossible for me to write a novel for every idea I have—there wouldn’t be enough time in ten lives to accomplish that feat. So when an idea develops into a basic plot, and I share it with my husband, there are one of three conclusions we will draw if a story needs intensive work to make it worth pursuing:

1)      It’s an intriguing idea, but there’s not much else there.

2)      It’s an intriguing idea, but the characters are so boring I can’t stand writing it.

3)      It isn’t an intriguing or new idea at all, but I’m fascinated by the characters.

Even if I do end up drawing one of these conclusions with the help of my husband, I might not completely abandon the story. I might turn it into a short story instead, or rewrite it, or “can” my characters and put them on a shelf for later, to be used in another work.

     For me, having a person to bounce ideas off of is essential to the creation process of writing. But what about others? Who do you share your initial plot outlines with? And what are the deciding factors for whether or not you actually pursue a project? 

- Melody

Melody Steiner works at an academic library as a circulation technician. In 2006, she graduated from a small private college in Ohio with a Bachelors of Arts in English. After she met and married her husband, they relocated to Seattle, WA. In March, 2011, she graduated from the University of Washington with a Master in Library and Information Science, aspiring to becoming a full-time librarian. Her hobbies include reading the latest YA series (recent favorites include Patrick Ness’ The Knife of Never Letting Go and Paoli Bacigalupi’s Shipbreaker), camping, and enjoying long walks with her best friend. Last November, they had their first little peanut—a rambunctious baby girl. In addition to adult science fiction, she writes fantasy and YA novels. She is represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency. You can find her at http://twitter.com/melody_steiner.