Never Stop Learning, But Erase Your Browser History

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By Julie, finding it hard to believe it’s supposed to be close to sixty degrees on Saturday

On February 24 I am going to moderate one of the panels for Sisters in Crime’s SinC Into Great Writing: Top Five Tips for Writing Mysteries. My panel is Top 5 Fave Poisons for Fictional Murders. I am enjoying the conversation the panelists are having on an email thread as they make sure they don’t duplicate choices. Some of the poisons are familiar to me, but I’m learning about new ones.

Let me repeat that. Some of the poisons are familiar to me, but I’m learning about new ones. When I was fifteen, I never thought I’d type those words, but here I am.

As mystery writers, we do a lot of interesting research and think about some dire circumstances, trying to figure out how they work. How would a person get free if they are bound with duct tape? How do you pick a lock? Release handcuffs? What poison can mimic other symptoms, or isn ‘t traceable, or is traceable and rare? How can you kill someone with food? How long can someone hold their breath without passing out? How long does it take for [insert biological function here]? There’s other research we do that may not be appropriate for early morning reading, but you get the gist. We never stop learning.

And our browser history could get us in big trouble.

I’ll never forget meeting a friend’s husband for the first time, at a dinner party. She and I went to grad school together for business degrees. I knew he was a doctor, and asked him over the first course what the best household poison was that could mimic symptoms from a natural death. He turned pale, and his mouth hung open a bit.

“Oh,” I said. “She didn’t mention I wrote mysteries, did she?”

To my credit I had him laughing in a few minutes. And to his credit he emailed me the next day with some ideas.

Crime writers are usually fun people to be around. But trust me, these things are also true. First, we never stop learning. Second, at any given moment we’re thinking about how to kill people.

And we should all clear our browser history on a regular basis.

I’ve just ordered a lock picking kit from Amazon. Never stop learning indeed.

Friends, do you love learning new things, even if they are a bit untoward?

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Published by J.A. Hennrikus

One woman, three names, many books. As Julia Henry I wrote the Garden Squad series for Kensington. As J.A. Hennrikus I wrote the Theater Cop series, and as Julianne Holmes I wrote the Clock Shop series. I've been an arts administrator for my entire career, mostly in the performing arts. Currently I'm the ED of Sisters in Crime, a wonderful organization that promotes and supports crime writers. www.sistersincrime.org Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram! @JHAuthors

35 Thoughts

  3. This is a hilarious topic! One of the mystery writers I follow just shared a rather strange encounter she had recently with a new writer promoting her first mystery on a panel at a bookstore. The newbie turned off everyone in the store-other writers, the mystery fans, and bookstore staff-with her incredible ego. The writer I follow wasn’t upset. But she did say we fans would likely see a writer killed off in one of her mysteries at some point lol. So never make a mystery writer mad at you. Otherwise, they may devote countless hours to imagining the best way to murder you in a book. 😉

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  4. Ooh, lock picks, Julie? Can I come over when you’re learning to use them?

    My yoga teacher still laughs about the time I told her, when she greeted me before class, with, “I just found the coolest poison to be the murder weapon!”

    See you on the 24th!

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    3. Learning new things is one of the things that makes life interesting. For instance, my recent research into the length of various multi tool knife blades was eye opening. I had no idea there were so many models of multi tool!

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  5. You can get lock picks on Amazon??? Why don’t I know this??? Off to place an order. Thanks, Julie!

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  6. Julie, while learning new things about TOPICS can usually be a good thing, I think that applies less favorably when you are learning new things about PEOPLE.

    Because usually when that happens, you are definitely learning something untoward. I found that out when I was trying to track down someone from my past only to learn she was on a certain list for certain criminals. That was less than thrilling to learn.

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  7. One of my sorority sisters is married to a police officer. Years ago when I was writing the first probably-will-never-see-the-light-of-day mystery, I sent him a list of questions. Apparently, even though he’d met me, he did some digging around to make sure I was going to actually kill someone before he answered my questions.

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  8. To stop learned is to give up on life. They say life is a curve. Well, I say as long as you keep learning, which keeps both your body and mind active, you can stay on top of the curve. Otherwise you are on the steep and slipper slope down the grave.

    I was always taught that they is no dump question. So if you keep asking questions and seeking for answers you are on the right track. Now mind you, some things (like how to murder someone) shouldn’t use the phrase practice makes perfect. LOL
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  9. On the gruesome front, I learned a high-school classmate of mine was murdered – and cut into pieces. They found her body in a garbage bag (after a long disappearance).

    My critique group meets at a Panera. More than once, our conversations have earned us a side-eye look. One woman even stopped and asked, “What are you doing?”

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  10. Who knew you could get lock picks on Amazon! How handy. For reference, there are wonderful YouTube videos on how to use paperclips! Bet you’re going to get some unusual suggestions in your ‘you may be interested in’ file.

    I almost didn’t have subsequent dates with my future husband because when of the poison books on my bookshelf. Odd, that that bothered him, but not the four foot section on Jack the Ripper!

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  11. Great topic! Learning is a life-long adventure that never stops. My browser history needs to be cleaned up and my bookmarks – oh dear!
    My husband and I were car shopping a couple of years ago. The salesman opened the trunk and the first thing that almost came out of my mouth was “Hmm couldn’t fit a body in here!” Fortunately, I remembered it wasn’t my husband standing next to me. The salesman might not have understood my comment LOL.
    YouTube is also a great place to learn all kinds of things. I’m writing a novel set on a country I’ve never been to and have found great youtube videos with so much information.

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  12. I love learning new things. I worry my brother will have a heart attack looking at my browser history from the strange things I research if I forget to delete it and pass away. 🙂 aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com

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  13. Some of the conversations I’ve had with mystery authors are great. And I do laugh as I think about what others would think if they overheard us with no context.

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  14. Aha! I am always curious to learn about new ways to kill someone…wow, that sounds like I am planning to kill someone…NOT! … Thanks for sharing so much new information with us readers. It is refreshing to learn more and more. I am tired of reading a cozy only to find out that it was done with Visine🤣 Joy! Luis at ole dot travel

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  15. Learning just for the sake of learning is what keeps life interesting as one gets older. I just love knowing esoteric answers to trivia or crossword puzzles just because I’ve lived long enough to learn about them.

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