YOUTUBE VIDEOS

April 25, 2026

Answering @JasonKPargin ‘s about whether Det. Mills goes to prison at the end of Se7en. #thrillers

Answering @JasonKPargin ‘s about whether Det. Mills goes to prison at the end of Se7en. #thrillers
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April 25, 2026

This Frequent Writer Question Is Always A RED FLAG #shorts

This Frequent Writer Question Is Always A RED FLAG #shorts

One question I always get as a retired detective helping writers is a major RED FLAG that your story has problems. This is how to FIX it. #WritingTips #Storytelling #CrimeFiction #Screenwriting #PoliceProcedural #WritingMistakes #WritingTips #Storytelling #CrimeFiction #Screenwriting #PoliceProcedural #WritingMistakes #StoryStructure #Scriptwriting

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April 24, 2026

Your detective will never work this kind of case. #shorts

Your detective will never work this kind of case. #shorts

Detectives never handle this kind of case. #CrimeFiction #WritingTips #Storytelling #DetectiveStories #amwriting #filmmaking #forensic #screenwriting

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April 23, 2026

How Long Can Police Hold a Suspect? (Writers Are Asking the Wrong Question)

How Long Can Police Hold a Suspect? (Writers Are Asking the Wrong Question)

A retired police detective, now a consultant for TV and film, addresses a frequent question from writers that often signals a significant mistake in their storytelling. He explains the common query about how long the police can hold a suspect, offering crucial writing advice for crafting more realistic narratives. This…

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April 14, 2026

Retired Detective Reveals True Crime Scene Investigation #shorts

Retired Detective Reveals True Crime Scene Investigation #shorts

Retired detective explains how screenwriters create unrealistic detectives. Rushing to a conclusion causes confirmation bias, leading detectives to ignore contradictory evidence. Real investigations take time. #CrimeFiction #DetectiveWork #Screenwriting #PoliceConsultant #TrueCrime #SuperfansChallenge #AuthorTube #AmWriting

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April 11, 2026

Detective Reveals How THIS Exposes Criminals Instantly #shorts

Detective Reveals How THIS Exposes Criminals Instantly #shorts

A retired detective reveals how THIS is the ultimate witness. Even deleted data leaves digital breadcrumbs, making 'perfect crimes' nearly impossible. Treat your phone like a witness that never forgets. #CrimeWriting #DetectiveTips #AmWriting #AuthorTube #TrueCrime #WritingHacks #SuperfansChallenge #crime101

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April 10, 2026

Detectives Solve Cases with THIS, Not DNA #shorts

Detectives Solve Cases with THIS, Not DNA #shorts

Most cases aren't solved by forensics, but by people—witnesses, informants, interviews. Forensic science confirms, but human connection cracks the case. DNA miracles are rare. Focus on behavior, not just lab results. #DetectiveLife #TrueCrime #PoliceWork #InvestigativeJournalism #BehindTheScenes

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April 9, 2026

Crime Scene Realism vs TV Chaos #shorts

Crime Scene Realism vs TV Chaos #shorts

Retired detective reveals TV gets crime scenes wrong. Too crowded, chaotic. Real scenes are controlled, documented. Experience the eerie quiet of a real crime scene, a frozen moment after violence. #CrimeScene #PoliceDetective #FilmMistakes #TrueCrime #SuperFansChallenge

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April 8, 2026

Interrogation Secrets: The TRUTH About Suspect Confessions #shorts

Interrogation Secrets: The TRUTH About Suspect Confessions #shorts

Real interrogations aren't about yelling, but patience, psychology, and the power of silence. Detectives build rapport with open-ended questions, not by revealing case details. Suspects often lie, and debunking those lies is key. #InterrogationTips #DetectiveWork #Psychology #CriminalJustice #WritingTips

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April 7, 2026

Retired Detective Exposes Crime Story REALITY! #shorts

Retired Detective Exposes Crime Story REALITY! #shorts

Think detectives solve cases solo? Retired detective reveals why that's a myth. Real investigations involve patrol officers, techs, supervisors, and prosecutors. Drama lies within the rules, not breaking them. #DetectiveMyths #PoliceProcedural #CrimeFiction #WritersTips

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Jan. 7, 2025

AI Bots and Ghost Guns

AI Bots and Ghost Guns

Adam talks about AI bots, the future of the Writer's Detective Bureau, and ghost guns.

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Jan. 7, 2025

30 minute Immersive Writing Sprints - The SECRET to deep work

30 minute Immersive Writing Sprints - The SECRET to deep work

You should be writing! Use the next thirty minutes to add some words to your WIP word count. This immersive writing sprint is the personal playlist I use to get in the deep work zone.

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Oct. 17, 2024

Bunco Crimes, Investigator Associations, Retired Cops, and POVs

Bunco Crimes, Investigator Associations, Retired Cops, and POVs

Adam talks about bunco crime investigations, the value of belonging to investigator associations, the trope of retired cops being forced back to work for one last case, and a different kind of POV. Submit a question: writersdetective.com/ask

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Oct. 3, 2024

Threads App, Life Insurance Lookups, VINELink, Confidential Name Changes, Restraining Order...

Threads App, Life Insurance Lookups, VINELink, Confidential Name Changes, Restraining Order...

Adam talks about the new THREADS app, whether detectives can find out if someone is listed as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy, victim notifications when an inmate is released from prison, confidential name changes, and violating protective orders.

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Oct. 3, 2024

International Crime Rings, FBI Legal Attaches, INTERPOL, Proactive Investigations, and...

International Crime Rings, FBI Legal Attaches, INTERPOL, Proactive Investigations, and...

In this episode, Adam answers questions about investigating international crime rings, FBI Legal Attaches, INTERPOL, the difference between reactive and proactive investigations, and where prosecutions might happen for transnational RICO cases.

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Oct. 3, 2024

Core Character Question, Celebrities, and An Unnoticed Serial Killer

Core Character Question, Celebrities, and An Unnoticed Serial Killer

The Writer's Detective Bureau podcast is BACK and now ad-free! Adam has retired from law enforcement and is back answering writers' questions. Adam shares a core character question that he contemplated at the end of his career that could inform how you plot a character arc. Adam then answers questions…

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Oct. 3, 2024

Cybercrime, Trap and Trace, and Concealed Carry

Cybercrime, Trap and Trace, and Concealed Carry

Adam talks about cybercrime investigations, how wiretap investigations involve "trap and trace" and "pen registers" tools, and how undercover detectives conceal their firearms. Submit your own question to the podcast: writersdetective.com/ask

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Oct. 3, 2024

DA Investigators, Warrantless Arrests in the Home, and Cover-Ups

DA Investigators, Warrantless Arrests in the Home, and Cover-Ups

Adam talks about a DA Investigator moving over to a police department as a detective, the legalities of making a warrantless arrest inside a suspect's home, and how to conduct a cover-up.

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Oct. 3, 2024

Alcoholic Beverage Control, Military Murder Investigations, and Tribal Police

Alcoholic Beverage Control, Military Murder Investigations, and Tribal Police

Adam answers questions about: California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control agency, who investigates murders involving the military, and the surprising limitation on Tribal Police law enforcement powers.

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Jan. 22, 2024

UNSEALED by Mark Greene

UNSEALED by Mark Greene

UNSEALED: A Navy SEAL's Guide to Mastering Life's Transitions

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June 24, 2023

WGA Strike, Mini Rooms, AI, Phone Warrant in a Homicide, and California Crime Labs - 133

WGA Strike, Mini Rooms, AI, Phone Warrant in a Homicide, and California Crime Labs  - 133

In this episode, we dive into the ongoing WGA strike. We'll also explore the role of artificial intelligence in writing and storytelling, and how it's poised to change the way we create and consume content. Then, we'll answer some of your writing questions, including the logistics of obtaining phone records…

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June 20, 2023

Federal Inmate Escapes, Hawaiian Floaters, and a Foreign Leader Murder Suspect

Federal Inmate Escapes, Hawaiian Floaters, and a Foreign Leader Murder Suspect

In Episode 132 of the Writer's Detective Bureau, we are talking about what happens when a federal inmate escapes from prison, a body in Hawaiian waters, who handles the investigation if a murder victim is found in a visiting world leader’s hotel room. To view the Federal Criminal Complaint for…

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June 20, 2023

Disaster Fraud, Moving to a New State, and Percipient Witnesses

Disaster Fraud, Moving to a New State, and Percipient Witnesses

In Episode 131 of the Writer's Detective Bureau, Adam answers questions about financial crimes, how a detective could go about becoming a police chief in another state, and he explains what it means to be a percipient witness. Shownotes: writersdetective.com/131 Crime Fiction Guns online course: crimefictionguns.com Patreon: patreon.com/writersdetective

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June 20, 2023

Undercover FBI, Prisoner Release, Pyromania, and Gun Types

Undercover FBI, Prisoner Release, Pyromania, and Gun Types

In episode 130 of the Writers Detective Bureau, we are helping one writer with an interesting series of questions about an undercover FBI investigation, getting an inmate out of prison, pyromaniacs, and gun types Shownotes: writersdetective.com/130 Crime Fiction Guns online course: crimefictionguns.com Patreon: patreon.com/writersdetective

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