Snakeman:  Creating Compelling Cop Characters in Fiction

A man in a suit and hat standing in front of a crowd during a historical fiction event.

My journey from cop to writer is summed up in the title of Bob Dylan’s 1975 masterpiece, “Tangled up in Blue.” Creating compelling police characters in fiction is a Gordian Knot. Many see police officers as modern-day gunslingers, who protect townsfolk from outlaws and embody American justice. Others, however, have mixed feelings about law enforcement, […]