The Graveyard Shift Blog

Since 2008, Lee Lofland has written over 2000 articles on his blog, The Graveyard Shift. Topics such as police procedure, forensics, criminal behavior, and what it’s like to be a cop has helped countless numbers of popular and aspiring writers.

His life’s mission – to remind writers that cordite is dead and gone. Just say no to cordite in your books!

Tater Jenkins Done Killed Uncle Billy Buck Robinson: The Crime Scene

"Tater" Jenkins done killed Uncle Billy Buck Robinson. Quick, call the law afor'in' that son-of-a-biscuit-eatin' coward gets clean away!" And so it goes. Aunt Ruthie Mae runs next door to use Lula Belle's rotary phone to call the police,…

Write Slower ‘Cause I Don’t Read as Fast as I Used To … Y’all

It's Saturday night, almost midnight, and your California protagonist has arrested a couple of strangers who sorta-kinda sound as if they're speaking English, but not quite. Sure, every third or fourth word is recognizable, but phrases such…

Break the Plastic Straw Law and Go to Jail, Where You’ll Sit, Eat, and Sleep … on Plastic

Serving time in a jail or prison can certainly be a stressful experience, even for the toughest of prisoners. After all, they must be on constant high alert for potential violence against them, such as a stabbing because they failed to show…

An Officer’s Perception: Sound Before Sight, Motion Before Color, and Color Before Shape

"Perception is key. How did the officer perceive the encounter? Did she fear for her life or the life of others?” Before we delve into the topic of perception, please allow me to set the stage by using an experience from my past. I apologize…

Madam Zelda’s Top 16 Predictions for 2020

Each year on the last day of December, I travel to a secret location where I meet with my friend Madam Zelda to learn her predictions for the coming year. The mysterious clairvoyant is so good at what she does that she’s rarely, if ever,…