Courses/Lectures By D. P. Lyle, MD

Plotting the Perfect Murder or Getting Away With Murder—Almost
(Two titles, same class)

When your character plans and executes "The Perfect Murder," he always,
ALWAYS makes a mistake or two. These errors ultimately lead your sleuth to the solution.  In this session, attendees will plot the perfect murder in every detail. We will then “deconstruct” the crime while considering the many variables that make plotting a murder fun for the writer and a disaster for the antagonist. We will discuss the killer's Pre-Crime Behavior, the steps taken to "do the deed," and his Post-Crime Behavior from social, psychological, forensics, investigative, and motivational points of view.

The Psychology of Character Motivation--Understanding the Whys of Character Thought, Action, and Dialog

The strength of every story, regardless of genre, lies in the characters that populate the fictional landscape. Developing full, realistic, and believable characters requires an understanding of the psychological drives that push them to act and react.

Why do people love, hate, envy, loath, and need one another?
Why do they steal, cheat, batter, and kill?
Why do they argue, lie, deceive, threaten, and comfort?

The class will begin with a PowerPoint supported discussion of the basic psychology behind conflict and conflict resolution---the driving force behind thought, action, and dialog.
Students will bring to class their own problem scenes, plot lines, and character conflicts and we will interactively work through the psychology of the conflicts presented and attempt to render truer, more believable character interactions.

Best Laid Plans

What goes on in a criminal’s mind when he decides that some criminal activity is the only solution to his problems? What pushes him to act? What steps does he take to plan, commit, and attempt to get away with the crime? Where do his plans jump the tracks? In this lecture we will look at several famous crimes and attempt to gain some insight into what the criminal was thinking, the logic—or illogic—of his planning, and the fatal flaws that unraveled his best laid plans.

The Autopsy of a Thriller: Deconstructing The Terminator

A scene by scene analysis of “the perfect thriller” in which we will look at storytelling by showing how this movie follows the 3-act structure, progressively raises the stakes, ramps up the tension, and forces the protagonist, Sarah Conner, to alter virtually everything in her life, heart, and soul in perhaps the greatest character arc ever.

Keeping Pace with Today’s Medical and Forensic Techniques

Medicine and forensics are vast and complicated subjects, and are difficult to navigate without a guide who speaks the language and can translate it into easily understood terms. In this class we will discuss the most common mistakes made by writers when dealing with facts and description related to homicide, violence and the human body. From how poisons work…to what bullets do… to when blood flow stops, this class will bring you up-to-date, answering questions drawn from your own manuscripts.

Understanding the Science of Crime or Crime Scene Forensics
(Two titles, same class)

How do the various techniques of forensic science help solve crimes? How can you use these in your story? This class will cover evidence collection and handling, the autopsy, body identification, the time, cause, and manner of death, fingerprints, blood and body fluid analysis, DNA, trace evidence, shoe and tire track comparison, firearm examination, toxicology, crime scene reconstruction, document examination, criminal profiling, and other forensic issues. After attending this class the writer will have a sound and practical understanding of forensic science and how it can add depth and realism to a story. This talk is supported with a Power Point presentation.

The Cop, the Coroner, the Crime Scene, and the Crime Lab

D. P. Lyle, MD and Lee Lofland, Det. (retired) will walk attendees through the investigation of a real crime, providing a general overview of what happens from beginning to end of a murder investigation from both an investigative and forensics point of view. We will begin with the first officer response and proceed to scene protection, witness isolation and interrogation, evidence location, collection, and protection, following leads, interrogation techniques, and finally to autopsy and laboratory analysis. A Q&A session will follow so attendees should bring their own story questions.

Ask The Doctor--A Medical and Forensics Q and A Session

This session would address medical and forensics issues attendees may be having with their manuscripts. Writers could bring their specific questions to the meeting and I would attempt to help them add depth and realism to their stories, characters, scenes, and plots. I would anticipate that a broad range of topics would arise in this free-form, open session.

Plotting and Peopling Your Thriller

The thriller requires careful plotting and realistic, in-depth character development in order to maintain the fast pace inherent in this genre. Characters must have clearly defined goals, needs, and fears and major plot points must flow organically from one to the next or the story will seem contrived and the reader will lose his “willing suspension of disbelief.” This lecture/course will delve into plot and character development and into the storytelling skills needed to write in this exciting genre.

Giving Your Mystery or Thriller “The Ring of Truth”

One major obstacle for many writers is obtaining the specialized knowledge needed to bring a story to life. This is especially true in the Mystery/Thriller genres where the most astute readers are found. Medical and scientific knowledge can be particularly difficult to come by. This course is designed to help you over those hurdles.

Your characters will be stressed, shot, stabbed, poisoned, be traumatically injured, become ill, face fear, need to visit a doctor or a hospital, require treatment or surgery, suffer physical and emotional fatigue, be exposed to extremes of nature, and a host of other situations that you have created for them. They will have underlying health problems, take medications, use drugs or alcohol, or have psychological problems. Your character’s every thought, word, and action is driven by his own psychological needs and fears and understanding these allows you to create a believable story.
This course will interactively help you add the depth and the “ring of truth” to your scenes. Bring your problem scenes, plot lines, and character conflicts to class and we will work together to enrich them.

Putting “Medical Thrills” in Your Story

A major obstacle for many writers is obtaining the specialized knowledge needed to bring a story to life. This is especially true when scientific or medical issues arise. Whether it is the procedures or inner workings of hospitals, emergency departments, or operating rooms; the functioning of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other paramedical personnel; the mental and physical repercussions of acute or chronic illnesses or injuries such as auto accidents, gunshot wounds, or lightning strikes; the effects of both prescribed and illicit drugs; the impact of acute and chronic psychiatric disorders on victims and their loved ones; or issues in determining the cause and time of death or other forensic procedures; a valid understanding of these complex issues will add depth and drama to any manuscript.

This session will begin with a discussion of what makes a “thriller” thrilling. We will delve into the psychological and physiological effects of fear and stress on heroes and villains and how these stresses effect characters’ actions and judgments. We will look at the psychology of character motivation with particular emphasis on the extreme circumstances the characters in a “thriller” typically face. We will then look at some of the common medical mistakes writers make and conclude with an interactive question and answer period. Writers would be encouraged to bring their specific medical questions to the meeting.