Research is a word most people don’t associate with fiction writers. With my science background, I’ve heard it a lot since it is the heart of what a scientist does. But I am sure there are writers out there who ran from any college class that had the word research anywhere on the syllabus. “I use my imagination and follow the rules of grammar. What else do I need to know?” The funny thing is, I must have agreed with them back then. When I was a science student, I steered away from humanities classes that required long essays based on compiling all sorts of facts from history or philosophy. That wasn’t fun writing of the imagination. It was based on reading research. I like the get your nails dirty, plug your nose, safety goggle type of research. And guess what? I get to do that as a fiction writer!
Even though a good story starts from a creative mind, many writers still do a lot of research for accuracy. You don’t want to lose your reader because your story isn’t plausible. Especially in mysteries, readers scrutinize everything while searching for clues. And when you mess up a fact that leads them down the wrong path to who done it, and they realize it’s because you haven’t done your research, well let’s just say that books are more aerodynamic than you think.
A lot of this quest for accuracy can be done online, surfing the net. Wonderful for many writers who prefer the comfort of research from their desk. And I have spent many a day, hopping from one site to the next, trying to find which weapon would work best or what time the sun set on a particular day. I do, however, still like to do field research. Anytime I can experience, for a short time at least, what one of my characters does, I feel so much more comfortable while I’m writing. I’ve done a police ride-along and spent a day on a fishing charter … all in the name of research. Another amazing experience, which Cathi talked about in her last blog, was the Writers’ Police Academy. We got to feel what our characters might feel in different adrenaline-fueled scenarios. This conference was so encompassing that I have a multitude of ideas for future characters. And I even got to sweat a little while I trained for force on force against armed suspects (that’s me geared up in the picture).
I highly recommend going out and getting a multi-dimensional look at your characters’ lives, especially if you are a young writer. Depending on your budget you can either find free programs in your community, a professional who wouldn’t mind you shadowing them, or travel to a learning experience like the WPA. Your characters (and readers) will thank you. You might even find you like research!
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