Former cop Patrick O’Donnell is dedicated to helping writers accurately depict local PD in their books and novels. In his informational series, Cops and Writers: From The Academy to The Street, Patrick teaches authors about the fundamentals of a crime scene, the departmental ranking system, and a variety of small but important details for making your cops come to life. O’Donnell recently retired after serving in Chicago and Wisconsin for twenty-five years and is now focusing on building his website, copsandwriters.com, and continuing to grow his aforementioned series. To join his Facebook group, an awesome online resource with accomplished authors and other former cops answering the genre’s biggest questions, follow the link below.

From CopsandWriters.com:

Looking to add an authentic edge to your crime fiction? Ride along with me, a real-life sergeant to give your story the accuracy your readers crave. My name is Patrick O’Donnell, and I’ve been with a large metropolitan police department for the last twenty-four years, seventeen of those as a street sergeant. That means I’ve been a supervisor on the street for the bulk of my career. The city I work in has a population of about 600,000 people who are policed by about 1,800 sworn members, give or take a few hundred. I’m also an author of fiction and non-fiction books. I do understand the unique author point of view and can see through your writer's eyes. Ride along with me, Sergeant O'Donnell for the law enforcement details that will give your story street cred.

 

Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business - editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.

 

Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouse, J. Thorn, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How O’Donnell became a cop
• His craziest true crime stories
• What authors get wrong about cops
• The differences between the PD and PIs
• The various ranks of a police department

Links:

J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/

Patrick O’Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/

Cops and Writers: From The Academy to The Street by Patrick O’Donnell - https://mybook.to/copsandwriters

Cops and Writers Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/copsandwriters/

Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep 

Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ 

“Muggable” quote by Harley Chr