Writers Forum #99 January 2010

AUTHOR MASTERCLASS
Opening of Chapter 1 of
The Chemistry of Death
by Simon Beckett
A human body starts to de-
compose four minutes after
death. The body, once the en-
capsulation of life, now under-
goes its ﬁ nal metamorphoses.
It begins to digest itself. Cells
dissolve from the inside out.
Tissue turns to liquid, then to
gas. No longer animate, the body
becomes an immoveable feast
for other organisms. Bacteria
ﬁ rst, then insects. Flies. Eggs are
lain, then hatch. The larvae feed
on the nutrient rich broth, and
then migrate. They leave the body in orderly fashion, following each
other in a neat procession that always heads south. South east or
south west sometimes, but never north. No one knows why.
By now the body’s muscle protein has broken down, producing a
potent chemical brew. Lethal to vegetation, it kills the grass as the lar-
vae crawl through it, forming an umbilical of death that extends back
the way they came. In the right conditions – dry and hot, say, without
rain – it can extend for yards, a wavering brown conga-line of fat yel-
low grubs. It’s a curious sight, and for the curious what could be more
natural than to follow this phenomenon back to its source? Which
was how the Yates boys found what was left of Sally Palmer.
things around on the desk and asking stuff I do not know. I will
rummaging through till I find brainstorm what I need to ask
what I am looking for. Research and ask as concisely as possi-
is expensive as I do tend to visit ble. I tend not to load too many
the places I write about. Maps questions at once. I will try and
and photographs of the area can rule out getting the information
help to give a general feel of what somewhere else before taking up
it is like if I am unable to visit. somebody’s time.
Sometimes I use the internet I have a growing collection of
for research but I find you have forensic textbooks for anthropol-
to be selective and double-check. ogy and botany. Whenever I see
If I need to know anything one I purchase it for reference.
quickly I tend to Google it but I I always have an acknowledge-
always check to make sure there ment page in my books. I keep
are other similar references on a record of conversations and
other sites. A website is only as a lot are done by email so I can
good as the person who has writ- easily look up who has helped.
ten it and people do get their Sometimes it is friends and not
facts wrong. It is important to try necessarily a complete stranger.
and back things up from another Most people are glad to help.
source, book or expert. It’s possible to get too bogged
Sometimes research can contra- down in the research. Don’t let
dict itself and then it is important the research dominate the stories
to consult an expert to check if and characters. It can be tricky
what you want to happen could what you use and what you cut
happen. Quite often I have to out. The last thing I want is a
look for different ways around book that’s an info dump.
a problem. When reading through the
If I’ve not been in touch with manuscript, if I come across any-
an expert before, I send an email thing that is there for the sake of
to see if they can help. I tend to it I get rid of it. It has to be there
email more than talking to peo- for the sake of the story.
ple in person as it does not cost
anything to email. • You can ﬁ nd out more about Simon
Initial contact does not involve Beckett, his research and his novels
a lot of preparation as I am at www.simonbeckett.com
Writers
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