Adam Plantinga, author of 400 Things Cops Know, will discuss “The Police: Fiction vs. Reality” as Tri-Valley Writers September speaker. This presentation will cover Adam’s first book’s rocky road to publication (hint: persistence can still pay off) as well as some of the key differences between fictional cops and real cops. Attendees will learn that screenwriters and novelists take liberties with not only policy procedures, but also police culture. Another key point is why it’s important for the writer to get the details right, and why it can be just as important to cast those details aside for the sake of the story.
Adam holds a B.A. in English with a second major in Criminology/Law Studies from Marquette University. He has written thirteen nonfiction articles on various aspects of police work for the literary magazine The Cresset. His first book, 400 Things Cops Know, was nominated for an Agatha Award and won the 2015 Silver Falchion award for best nonfiction crime reference. It was hailed as “truly excellent” by author Lee Child and deemed “the new Bible for crime writers” by The Wall Street Journal. His recently released second book is Police Craft. Adam was a Milwaukee police officer from 2001 to 2008. He is currently a sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department assigned to street patrol. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife and daughters.
Join us on Saturday, September 21, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. at Four Points by Sheraton, 5115 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton, California. Check-in begins at 1:30 p.m. RSVP by Wednesday, September 18, at reservations@trivalleywriters.org. CWC adult members, $14; nonmembers, $18. CWC student members, $6; student nonmembers, $10. Pay by cash or check at the meeting.