Jennifer Dornbush is
a writer, speaker, and forensic specialist creating a diverse range of stories
that shed light on the dark places of the human experience. As a daughter of a
medical examiner, she investigated her first fatality when she was 8. She has
several crime dramas in development, and a feature film inspired by her novel,
God Bless the Broken Road ,
is slated for release Sept. 21, 2018. She is also the author of Forensic Speak:
How To Write Realistic Crime Dramas, hailed as a north star to creating
authentic crime dramas. Jennifer teaches seminars and speaks on writing crime
fiction for screen, forensic fundamentals, and death investigation. She hosts
webinars on crime writing through Writer’s Digest; and has collaborated with
The Writers Store and Script Magazine to produce a video on crime writing for
writers. She also hosts a YouTube channel on forensics and the writing life.
She teaches screenwriting and mentors aspiring writers through the Act One
Program, Regent University, and Universita Catholica Milano. She is a member of
the Writers’ Guild of American and the Mystery Writers of America.
1.Obviously being the daughter of a medical examiner had a
big influence on you. Did you ever want to follow in your father’s footsteps?
As a teenager, I was rather grossed out and
embarrassed about what my father’s job at M.E. These were the days before CSI
and Forensic Files made death investigation exciting and cool. When my friends
found out my dad did this, they took great interest, so that lessened the
embarrassment on my part. And while I do love the sciences, I always knew my
calling was to be on the storytelling side of crime solving.
2. You’re also the author of an inspirational novel and
feature film about an Army widow, and a nonfiction book about the science of
forensic investigation and crime dramas. How did writing a mystery differ?
Storytelling is storytelling no
matter the genre. All genres follow the same story rules and arcs. I find it
takes the same amount of time, effort, thought, energy, and research to develop
a story whether its for book or screen. Creating a screenplay
requires the same amount of story work as it does for a novel. The only
difference is that I can write a screenplay in a fraction of the time it takes
me to write a novel because most of the backstory and ground work never shows
up as words on the page. Nonfiction is a whole different ball game. It requires
a lot less emotional energy. And in that sense, it feels less exhaustive. I love the challenge and results of all of
them.
3. Did you plan out the mystery before you started or did
you see where you writing took you?
I’m a plotter. That comes from my screenwriting
training. When I start a new mystery I pretend I’m the investigator and I
create a case file for my “case.” From there I create a rough skeleton outline
of the mystery plot. After that I flesh out the character’s arcs and emotional
journeys, and B, C, and D stories surrounding the case. Then, I create a
treatment. Workshop it. Then, a first draft. More workshopping. I’m a
collaborative writer. It’s more fun, makes the project stronger, and gets the
project done faster.
4. What is something that you frequently see the media
portraying incorrectly in regards to forensics?
I have my top ten and they all have pet names.
One of my favorites is what I call, “Sex Appeal.” You see this a lot on
television. The good-looking, welldressed investigators show up in heels,
skirts, or suit to a crime scene investigation. Their hair and make-up are
perfectly done. They are fresh and well-rested. A lot of times they aren’t
wearing any proper protective gear. It’s not a criticism. I understand it why
they do this. Shows want to portray a certain sex appeal from their actors. But
it’s not a reflection of how real life investigators show up to crime
scenes.
5. Why did you decided to set most of the book in a small
town?
The Coroner harkens to my experiences
growing up in a small town and seeing how death investigation works in a rural
area. I like to expose the reality that resources in rural areas are often
limited and different than they are in big cities. I’m not saying they are not
professional. They are. But the elements of staffing, equipment, education,
experience, and budget all factor in and vary vastly from county to
county. Secondly, I think it’s
interesting to explore how small communities react when one of their own is
taken from them. No one remains anonymous in small towns. Everyone plays a
role. Everyone is affected. Everyone has an opinion and a stake.
6. The cliffhanger leads me to think we’ll be seeing more of
these characters – can you tell us anything about their futures?
We’ll be continuing the journey of
Dr. Emily Hartford as Coroner. Her love
life becomes more complicated as she struggles with calling off her engagement,
tests the dating waters, and explores any remaining sparks with Nick. And she
will be have to solve a brutal cold case murder… much darker than the first
book… with Nick as a key suspect.
This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.
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