An amazing resource for writers!

Since I've become more serious about writing I've found many, many helpful resources, from Web sites chock full of writing information; listservs where I can pick the brains of established writers; blogs written by published writers about their experiences; lists of books to read -- I could go on. But as of right now my favorite resource is a single person, a doctor named D.P. Lyle, M.D.

Dr. Lyle is a practicing cardiologist in California and a Edgar Award-nominated author who has written five non-fiction books, among them Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic Questions for Mystery Writers, Forensics and Fiction and Forensics for Dummies, as well as two mystery novels.

In addition to his writing Dr. Lyle has consulted on TV shows like Law and Order, CSI: Miami, Monk, House, Judging Amy, Medium, the list goes on.

But even more amazing, Dr. Lyle accepts medical questions from writers who need help with a medical plot point. He has helped dozens and dozens of published authors get the medical pieces of their novels just right. Among the many authors who have publicly acknowledged his help are Hallie Ephron, Harlan Coben, Judy Clemens and Charlaine Harris.

So when I first thought about asking Dr. Lyle for help, I was a bit intimidated. I'm a nobody. I've never published a book. I don't currently have the skill of Hallie Ephron or Charlaine Harris; I'm not sure I ever will.

So first I decided I'd try to find out what I needed to know on my own. I need a character of mine to die of what appears to be a heart attack but is actually poisoning. I looked up poisons, did a google search on "deaths that look like heart attacks" and compiled a small list of poisons that could all do the job.

From there I tried to find out more about each poison, but let me tell you it's not easy finding specific information about how to poison someone on the Internet! (I'm not complaining really, I think that's a good thing.) However, I found enough information to determine that digitalis was going to be my murderer's poison of choice. I then wrote the scene in which the character is poisoned and dies. It wasn't a bad scene, but since I didn't really know too much about the characteristics of digitalis I wasn't sure it was actually medically accurate.

At that point I knew I needed help. Should I? Shouldn't I? Would Dr. Lyle respond to an unknown author? Finally, I decided what the heck. What was the worst that could happen? If he didn't respond, I was no worse off than before, but if he did respond... my book would be all the better for it.

And boy did Dr. Lyle respond. The day after I sent my question to him (he has a very strict format for submitting a question) I got an e-mail response with loads of information about digitalis, how my scenario wouldn't actually work, and what type of scenario could work. When I had a follow-up question he answered that too.

I now have to change that scene entirely but am happy to do so, knowing that my book will be accurate, and therefore more believable. I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Lyle for his generosity in lending his expertise to authors (particularly this author) in need.

When I asked him why he did it he told me, "It's actually very simple---knowledge means little unless it's shared. I look at everything as either a learning or a teaching experience and always have."

To find out more about Dr. Lyle, to find information about forensics for writers, to learn where to buy his books, visit Dr. Lyle's Web site, The Lab (www.dplylemd.com). He also writes a blog covering medical and forensics issues, including discussing famous real-life cases. You can visit The Writer's Forensics Blog at http://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/