How do I Write a Courtroom Scene in a Novel?
From Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" to J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," courtroom scenes have long been a common setting in fiction. Due to the nature of a trial, a courtroom scene can be an excellent place in a novel to reveal surprising information or introduce a plot twist. But to successfully write a scene in a courtroom, you need to be able to convince the reader that you know what you're talking about.
Instructions
-
-
1
Research the subject. Talk to lawyers and read books on courtroom procedure. Visit your local county court, or attend a newsworthy trial in a major city. Real trials are not nearly as exciting or fast-paced as those you find in fiction, and seeing a courtroom first-hand will ground you in fact. This experience will provide you with a good foundation, whether you intend to write a meticulously accurate courtroom scene or make it a colorful dramatic situation.
-
2
Read your competition. Trials are featured occasionally in almost every genre, but the legal thriller genre in particular can provide you with many excellent examples of courtroom scenes. Some of the most famous novelists working in this field, including John Grisham, Steve Martini and Richard North Patterson, are also (or once were) practicing attorneys. Such authors serve as an example of how to maintain legal accuracy while keeping the pages turning.
-
-
3
Watch courtroom films and television. Relying on this will give you a less accurate frame of reference than lawyer-written novels or first-hand experience, but it can help you get ideas and better visualize the proceedings. Some notable film examples include "12 Angry Men," "Michael Clayton" and "A Few Good Men." Television legal drama is generally less accurate than film, though it can still provide useful insights.
-
1
