Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Writer . . .

. . . I learned from Law & Order.

Okay, so not really.

But I have to say I have learned a few things from watching that show. Such as . . .

• Create real flaws. You know how when you go on a job interview and the interviewer asks you what your worst trait is, and so you have some prepared answer that's a flaw--but not REALLY a flaw? Like perfectionism. Versus confessing that you are never on time and rarely meet deadlines? Well, in books, the most compelling characters are the seriously flawed ones, not the perky-perfect ones. On Law & Order--take your pick of versions (except the new redhead on Criminal Intent who is so awful I can't watch)--the characters are seriously--and I mean seriously--flawed. Goren may or may not be insane. Half of them are recovering--or not so recovering alcoholics. There have been adulterers and lousy fathers. Munch (my favorite character) has been married four times. And yet--they are compelling. They are dedicated to their jobs. You believe in their world. You take them, flaws and all.
• Don't be afraid of conflict--REAL conflict. I actually struggle with this in my writing. I create OBSTACLES. But not conflict. What's the difference? I very often create external circumstances for my characters to overcome--or even internal circumstances. But my characters rarely fight with each other. They banter. This is because in my personal life, I loathe conflict. I run away from conflict. I can't "do" conflict. Don't get me wrong . . . I can argue and raise my voice with the best of them, but REAL conflict, the gut-wrenching variety? Can't do it. But on Law & Order, some of these partners have had serious conflicts. So serious they've come to blows, or even split up for a while. They have argued--not just banter, but the kind of in-your-face, I-am-calling-you-on-your-shit variety. And they survive.
• No back story dumps. Frankly, I know very little about Elliot's marriage on Special Victims Unit. I know he and his wife married young, had a pack of kids, struggled. I know he's Catholic. I know he and his wife split up for a while. That he's a mess. But why did he marry her? How did they meet? How does he FEEL about her? No idea. And any of the things I do know about them . . . I learned over many, many reruns (I don't watch Law & Order except in reruns, and even then only a couple of times a month at most, unless I am depressed, in which case I will climb in bed and watch 13 in a row in a Law & Order marathon). Back story comes out slowly, in bits and pieces. I know Goren's mom was insane, but the recent events about his possible father (won't spoil it if you never saw last season's finale)? Who would have friggin' guessed? Law & Order is like a Buddhist's dream. It's a show all about the MOMENT. Not the past. Not the future. Right now. (All right, not a Buddhist's dream. What about all that violence?)
• Characters need to believe in something greater than themselves. And I don't mean God. Though Elliot does believe in God. I mean "something." Some cause, some reason to get up in the morning. For every single one of the cops across all the Law & Order varieties . . . it's justice.
• Create REAL, layered characters. Last bullet point aside, people can believe in the same exact thing . . . but it can look completely different. That's creating REAL characters. You see, justice for the cops isn't always just the way the D.A. sees it. Sometimes, writers seem to unite a team in pursuit of justice or "something." But it looks the same. Each character seems to hold that dream, that principle in the exact same way. Not on Law & Order. They may all passionately believe in something bigger than themselves, but they each do it in their own uniquely dysfunctional, f*cked-up way.
• It doesn't have to be about the beautiful people. Okay, Olivia is drop-dead gorgeous. In fact, I have never seen a cop who looks like her. But Munch? The rest of the guys? Not a particularly handsome bunch. I like that. It feels real. I mean, I would run away with Bobby Goren tomorrow, but I don't think he is particularly handsome. He is rather . . . interesting looking.
• Don't forget setting. The city is a character on Law & Order. MY city. New York City. They capture it well.

All right, so there you go. Any other Law & Order fans? Anyone else learn a lot about writing from a movie or TV show?

Let us know your viewing habits.