Attorney/Author Privilege

I am not even close to being a legal expert, but I have friends who are. On a novel I'm working on (stand-alone, not Thomas O'Shea), I was into my 11th chapter and hit a roadblock. The protagonist reports seeing two men commit a murder. Then he asks the sheriff, "Are you going to arrest them?" And up jumped the roadblock. Could a person be arrested on heresy? If so, then what? When does the District Attorney get involved, would the men be jailed, how much would bail be? And more questions.

So I contacted a friend of mine who's been a county prosecutor and is now a defense attorney. Invited him to lunch and sat down, munched out, and the questions flowed. He cleared up several key details to keep me from sounding like an ignoramus. The novel is not going to be a legal thriller, but I did need to know a few important facts before I could move on. He supplied them, we enjoyed lunch, and he said he'd be glad to help anytime. Roadblocks blown to pieces.

So, let me encourage you writers out there to be sure that the writing ground you're standing on is not shifting sand. Don't hesitate to tap into the expertise of your friends. You might be surprised to see how eager they are to help you. Just don't forget to acknowledge them when you're published.

I'd rather be before...

Have you ever noticed the "before" photos that show up in the endless diet program advertisements on TV? Have you ever notice that, with the exception of Marie (who lost 50 pounds!), nearly every one of those people were smiling, look happy, and exude contentment in their "before" photos? I didn't think so. I didn't until it occurred to me that those people appeared to be quite happy regardless of their size. Got me to thinking.

Why should they spend time and money and incur frustration when they were happy just being themselves before being persuaded by body shaming advertising to chase after some societal "norm" of what should be their ideal size? The word "jolly" comes to mind, a word now associated only with Santa Claus, the right jolly old elf. I mean, if Santa is jolly regardless of his girth, or maybe because of his girth, shouldn't we be like Santa? Obviously, being his size hasn't affected his life span. Maybe it has extended his life span. The Bible says that a merry heart maketh like a medicine, right?

Next time you see one of those diet ads, and they are ubiquitous, take a look at the "before" pictures of those tricked into spending money to lose weight. A happy face is the best advertising for not going on those pricey diets. And with that, I rest my case.