In this two-hour class, mystery writer Andrew Welsh-Huggins will discuss how he researches his crime novels and short stories, drawing on his more than 30 years as a journalist. Andrew will provide examples of how he conducted research for his own fiction, including plot points that touched on arson investigations, human trafficking, fracking, Somali immigrants, policing practices in the 1980s, moon colonies, ICU wards, and more. Andrew will provide examples of other fiction writers who do it well, touch on common mistakes in writing about law enforcement and the criminal justice system (hint: people spend 30 years in prison, not jail), and review the best ways to get things right, from Internet research to fieldwork to seeking out experts. As always, the session will include plenty of time for Q&A and attempts to answer students’ own research-related queries.