I’m going to
tell you a funny story, and it actually has a purpose.
After working
in civil law enforcement, my closest friend and I both went to work for a law
firm. Put in simple terms, in the early 1980s the attorney would dictate his
notes and the legal secretary would transcribe his dictation.
We'd only worked there for a short time when my friend transcribed an attorney’s notes about a man who was killed in a fire which, of
course, isn’t funny. She was shocked when the recording stated that he’d been
having illicit relations with his power mower at the time of his death. Okay,
his power mower? We carpooled, and needless to say, we had quite a conversation
during the drive home that night. What on earth could a man do with his power mower? I won’t even go into the
possible scenarios that were suggested.
The next
morning I was in my office when my friend walked in with an odd expression on
her face. When she arrived at her desk, the lawyer walked out of his office,
laughing for all he was worth. It seems the man wasn’t having relations with
his power mower, but with his paramour!
I have to admit, it’s kind of an old-fashioned word and I didn’t know what it
meant. She had to explain it.
By the time
she left my office, we both had tears running down our faces from the laughter.
What could
this possibly have to do with writing mysteries? Everything, in some cases.
What if a
private investigator was hired to work on this case and he or she was given the
original, incorrect, transcription. How could the investigator approach a case
that involved someone making mad, passionate love to a power mower?
Even hearing a
name incorrectly might cause problems. In Gin Mill Grill – A Sandi Webster Mystery,
they took on a client named Eloise Nutcase. Really? Ms. Nutcase had a speech
problem. Her name was actually Eloise Neuchase.
Hearing
something incorrectly might cause all kinds of issues in a mystery. I can’t
tell you how many times I’ve had to say, “I’m sorry. Would you please repeat
that?”
It can really
be an issue if someone has an accent. When I was a little girl some new people
moved in next door. The girl next door was talking to me through the fence and
she told me there was a “spadder” on my arm. For some reason, all I could think
of was a spatula or a splatter. I’d honestly never heard a Texas accent before.
She was trying to tell me there was a spider on my arm and she finally curled
her fingers, turned her hand palm down, and made a crawling motion, after which
I shuddered and she reached through the fence and knocked the spider off.
One other
thing. It doesn’t matter if your book is dramatic or humorous, the
misunderstanding of a word can change the entire story. Of course, it might
lead to an interesting ending, too.
Mysteries are
based on the facts as the protagonist knows them. A misconception can lead to
misunderstandings, horror, drama or humor, or just plain confusion. In most
cases, though, I think the protagonist would learn of their mistake long before
the end of the book. Although, you never know.
Have you ever
misunderstood a word or phrase someone has used and then had to backtrack to
resolve a situation? I hope, as in the situation I mentioned above, it had a
funny ending.
Until next
time, listen carefully. In a mystery, your life could depend on it.
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visit Marja McGraw’s website
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Coming Soon
(although don’t hold your breath while you’re waiting): People Lookin’ Half Dead – A
Bogey Man Mystery. When Grandma Tillie moves to town and the first
thing she does is invite some homeless people in from out of the heat, Chris
and Pamela become involved in a case of missing people. Why would someone be
taking homeless people off the streets?
