Submitting a Question:

Any question submitted to MUST fit certain criteria and ALL REQUESTED INFO must be included. The criteria are:

1---You must submit your NAME, FULL MAILING ADDRESS, and a VALID E-MAIL ADDRESS. This information is for my use only and will not be placed on the site. It must be submitted with each and every question asked, even if you have asked questuons in the past.

2---The SUBJECT LINE of your E mail must be in the form of QUESTION-YOUR NAME. My SPAM filter is set to recognize these types of subject lines so it won’t dump your submission. Example: QUESTION-DLyle.

3---Your question or comment should be CLEAR, CONCISE, SPECIFIC and RELAVANT. Make sure your question is specific to your needs. Avoid very general questions such as “How is DNA testing done?” or “What would a corpse look like after 3 weeks?” I will suggest that you read my book Forensics For Dummies or Howdunnit: Forensics: A Guide For Writers as these are very broad subjects with many facets and are covered in great detail in these books.
            Better questions would be: “In my story the police find a paper coffee cup at a murder scene. If the killer drank from this cup can his DNA be obtained from it?” or “My murder victim is an adult male who is found unclothed in a cotton field in southern Georgia in mid-July three weeks after death. What would the corpse look like?” These are specific, story-relevant questions.

4---Tell me how you want to be IDENTIFIED in case I decide to post your question on this site. Since we writers must network and support each other, view this as another opportunity to market yourself. You might simply want to be identified by your name or initials and city. Example: Jane Doe or JD, Los Angeles, CA. Or you might what to include your website, a publication of two, and any awards. Example: Jane Doe, Los Angeles, CA, AAA Award-winning author of Jane’s Great Book, www.janedoe.com. I will then link your submission to your website so readers can go there and learn about you and your books. Or you might wish to be Anonymous. It’s your call.

5---Lastly, for Medico-Legal reasons I DO NOT answer questions or make comments on REAL-LIFE CASES. This site is for writers of fiction only and questions and comments must be in the context of a fictional work.

The Legal Stuff:

1---The reason you must submit your name an address is so I will know who you are. This site and everything in it is for use by writers only and never for any nefarious activities.

2----All submitted questions and comments become the property of D. P. Lyle, MD and may be used in books, newsletters, on line, or for any other purpose at the sole discretion of D. P. Lyle, MD. In exchange, you may use my answers and comments in any fashion you deem appropriate.

3---If you wish that your communications remain private, then look into my Manuscript Consulting Services.

Don’t you just hate this stuff? I do. But unfortunately, since we have far too many lawyers in this country and a legal system that is most often devoid of common sense, the above must be stated.

Submit Your Question or Comment