WR: Tom Arriola -- Debriefing, Cont'd.

[MURDER
MASTERMIND UNCOVERED: Web Review investigates Tom Arriola]

Have you
incorporated much reader input?

This turned out to be much more interactive than anybody knows. When we made up this thing, we just killed some girl on my kitchen floor, photographed it, and put it up on the Web. We didn't really think through all the details of the crime: the who, what, and why. But what happened was that people wrote in letters saying, "Here's what I think could have happened," or "Here's why I think this looks like it does." And what they did was answer questions that I hadn't answered myself, yet. People formed the story by giving me leads, offering information, and posing questions.

I really would read their letters and say, "Hmmm, that could be." And I'd incorporate it into the story. So it worked more like a crime scene really does work. We set up information, and people helped us move in the right direction.