Good day to you! Wishton Ackford here. I’ve been recruited to provide the newsletter information this month. PH remains busy and Manny is off doing research, meaning he’s likely locked in one of his day-long sessions gathering information about something seemingly unrelated to a paying case.
Today, I’m providing my insights about writing about our real cases. It’s not as straightforward as you might think. Here’s why…
When considering elucidating details of a magical investigation, one must take into account all aspects of the details. It’s important to convey the events while protecting the privacy of those who are affected. This is no easy matter since those persons who have been victimized will find themselves embarrassed over the matter and unwilling to have their names broadcast for all to know.
Conveying all the adventures of a magical investigation requires revealing facts and secrets that not all wish to be consumed as public knowledge. But these facts are important in that they truly reveal the nature of the crime and mystery. Manny and I often begin with little to no information about the case other than what has been brought before us. In some cases, not even all the information revealed will point to the truth of the matter. The reasons for this are the very nature of the mysteries set before us. Perhaps someone wishes us to use us to correct a wrong, take revenge, recover stolen items, or even cover their tracks. Regardless, we consider it our duty to discover the truth of any case which is presented to us.
The balance between the truth and protecting someone’s privacy is delicate but not necessarily difficult. Merely changing names and a few details about location and other matters can serve to hide someone’s identity well enough. Otherwise, it may be useful to change or embellish a few details to brush past something that should not be revealed to the general public out of consideration for those involved.
This is not to say such writing is not the truth. On the contrary, skipping a few elements that have no bearing can assist with telling the full tale without becoming married in minutia. It is important to understand the kernel of information to be conveyed regarding a mystery. Such distillation of facts may lead readers through a form of entertainment to how we conclude a matter. Rather than dwelling upon the possibly embarrassing revelations of another person, the focus remains on the resolution of the issue and the knowledge that the victim’s needs have been addressed because of the investigation.
These are some of my approaches to writing real magical crimes. The public of Cal Rindon gets a version that considers legal and privacy issues. Of course, what PH shares contains little to none of these since he’s not in our world. A reader such as yourself gets the unvarnished truth.
Manny
