A way with worlds: 25 - Crime and Punishment (and a lot of other stuff)

STEP FIVE: Repercussions
Law stops crime.

Really? How do you know? Or which laws? Do some laws stop one crime and encourage others? Do people always like new laws?

Laws and their enforcement have repercussions, and they may not (and in my opinion often ae not) what people would expect. Aggressive law enforcement can spur mistakes and public anger. A badly-phrased law can lead to odd enforcement and sentancing. An ignornat law can produce a backlash, and harsh laws can produce a rebellion.

Do not assume simple, mechanistic law-obeyed-problem-solved behavior in any society. People are a lot more complex than that.

MYTHS TO AVOID:
When writing about law and crime in your setting, be aware of these myths:

• Fear produces obedience - Fear produces a lot of things, including psychosis, terror, and punching someone who made you afraid in the nose. Do not assume people will obey laws simply out of fear.
• "In the good old days" - This is a classic way to justify portraying law and crime in a historical or historically-based setting - well in these days such-and-such worked, and such-and-such didn't. Don't assume. Do your research, there are a lot of myths out there. Also, if you go for the "in this day crime was low" routine, ask yourself just what people of the time you are writing about/basing your work on considered crime - a little hint, see if women and children recieved much legal protection.
• "In this country" - See "In the good old days," and be aware of ethnic stereotypes to boot.
• Laws Stand the Test of Time - Laws change and alter, as do the cultures they are in. A good idea at one point may not be down the road, and a law may adapt well to changing times. There's some basic ideas that always seem to work - don't murder, don't steal - but beyond what is needed to punish egergeiously, directly destructive behavior . . .
• "Things would be perfect if . . ." - If, when writing a story dealing with crime, you ever find yourself sounding like a politician, pause. I find that can be a sign you're resorting to stereotypes or shallow thinking.

SUMMARY:
Writing about law and crime is not easy. There's a lot of elements to how laws are made and enforced. There's a lot of complexity. Careful planning, thinking over repercussions, and not having an agenda can make sure your writing . . . isn't a crime.

STEVE'S SITES:
Page of Generators – OK, I'm going to plug my own work for a moment. This is a page that houses Javascript/ECMAScript programs to generate superhero names, random Anime attacks, and even overblown fantasy plots. Not only useful or entertaining, feel free to experiment with the code.

The Future That Never Was – A look at how predictions of the future didn't quite work out. Excellent for SF writers. Very, very insightful if you write SF or retro/historical.

Future Life: Machines or ET – What kind of alien "life" will we encounter or become? A serious look at what an advanced species may be like – now try imagining nanotech spacecraft the size of grass blades . . .

Medieval Names – Need a realistic medieval set of names? Come here and find out how it was really done.

A Way with Worlds is hosted at fanfiction.net and sffworld.com, and is archived at the Way With Worlds archive.