Do Your Research
If you don't research your subject or characters, you might have a mess to clean up. Like me.
I wrote a beginning scene with a cop hero, only now to discover that so many things in that scene must be changed because they don't fit with the rules of the profession.
What kind of research have you done for your stories? In what area of life are you an expert?
I wrote a beginning scene with a cop hero, only now to discover that so many things in that scene must be changed because they don't fit with the rules of the profession.
What kind of research have you done for your stories? In what area of life are you an expert?
Comments
Then hope that it comes off as believable. Yikes!
Best wishes with your story. Sounds great! Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Sherrinda, you were smart! Probably saved yourself some plot holes. :-)
I felt so much better having spoken to them that I was doing justice to my scenes.
~ Wendy
I recently wrote a police/murder/mystery story and interviewed a police officer, a physician (regarding bullet wounds) and spent hours on the internet. I found that what I thought were the correct facts for my story weren't!
Even though research is time consuming, it is important for credibility. I know that readers will pick up the smallest error and either let you know or stop reading and not want to pick up one of your stories again.
Although I write nf devotionals based on true stories, I'm beginning to do more research, so I don't embellish too much! I think I might be a fiction writer in disguise...
I'm researching by reading another novel about loss right now...I'm very thankful I don't have first hand knowledge about loss, but I'm sure I'm going to have a few tear-fests.
lol
Good luck with you WIP's!
I'm still young (almost 21) but I've been through a lot of junk in my life so far, I've experienced so many emotions and found myself in horrible situations - all of that gets exorcised in my writing. That's the only thing I think I'm an expert on - my life experiences. So my characters, well they required no research.
On the other hand, my MC is a bit of a history buff, so I need to learn a lot more about that (luckily my university classes help me with this!) and I researched RUnes and ancient languages pretty heavily as well as a variety of weapons. And Coats of Arms.
I did a lot more research than I thought I did. Huh. I've surprised myself.
Good luck with your research!
And yeah, I always have to research some. Even the book I'm writing now which is a contemporary YA, I had to do some research.
Hope you're having a great day, Jessie!
I know as a reader, nothing annoys me more than an author getting something wrong - for me it's often things in the natural world that catch my eye.
Fortunately for me, I love research.
While editing my first manuscript, a boss talked about his experiences visiting Washington, D.C. I thought I knew the facts, but discovered a lot of the rules changed after 9/11. It's always good to double check your information.
I also read articles, newspapers, books, and anything else that will make my stories accurate.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Hugs!
I read a book not too long ago and some of it was based near my home town. The author described a bush outside a house...a gardenia bush...it is WAY too cold here for one of those to ever survive! I attended a workshop at a writers conference and the author talked about the emails she received about a scene in her book. Something as simple as the MC pumping gas. Well, apparently the state this happened in, it is illegal to pump your own gas. I would have never thought to look into somehting like that!!
Wendy, I'm sure you did feel better. I need to talk to someone too. That's really cool how they sat and talked with you.
Donna, wow, good for you! You're so right about credibility too. Your story sounds intriguing!
Going to join the fiction club, Jeanette? :-) I think you'd probably come up with something hilarious!
Diane, lol! I'd really love to learn how to use spreadsheets...
Hi Kelly, thanks for stopping by! I'm glad loss isn't something you're close to but sounds like you're being smart with your research. :)
Melissa, brutal AND depressing. LOL So you're only 21? That's SO awesome that you've already started writing. Your research sounds fascinating! And I'm sorry about the junk you've gone through but isn't it great how even the bad things can *sometimes* serve a purpose? I hope your writing goes well and that good comes from the bad that's happened to you.
Oh Anita, lol, you are NOT an expert in overwriting. :-) But you do have an incredible imagination!
Patti, I think you're right. :-)
Jolene, lucky you to have information right on hand! :-) Thanks for stopping by.
Susan, that sounds like an invaluable experience!
Me too, Stephanie. It is tough because we do as much research as we can but sometimes there are questions we just don't know to ask.
How can it be illegal to pump your own gas? Craziness... lol
2) Okay, I have a family member (brother-in-law to be exact) who could answer my questions. But, will they think I'm a failure if I don't get the book published? Will they laugh at me? I don't think they'd laugh, but it's still a worry.
Why am I so afraid? It's my first attempt at a book and as much as I love the concept (there are many days, I think it's horrible, too) I don't expect much. I don't mind that it may never see the light of a printer's machine, I just want to write it. I want to try and learn and grow. Maybe, by my second book, I'll have visions of publishers dancing through my head. But for now, it's a learning process. I've read many books, I've attended conferences, now I have to try.
As for what I'm an expert in, I guess customer service would be one. I'm an expert in parenting boys and twins. Okay, expert through trial and error.
Now if I can just work up the courage to research what I need. Just because I don't expect this book to go anywhere doesn't mean I want to do a half-hearted job, I really want to give it my all.
TONS of research!
Oh, my, still digging into China.
Went over there with seven books, came home with three more!
Beginning to catch on to a few things.
Hmmm. An expert on nothing here.
Know a bit about teaching, geology, parenting, marriage, being a rebel in the 60s, running...I'll stop there.
A jackal of a few trades, master of none!!!
P
My books are a completely different culture--and time--so there's A LOT of fact checking to do. I know I'm messing it up and I'll probably never get everything right culturally since I'm not Japanese, but I just keep on trying to get as close to accurate as possible.
I don't think I'm an expert on anything in life. :P