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How fun is research? Does the mere word send shivers of delight OR disdain skittering down your spine?
For those who write historical fiction, the value of in-depth and painstaking research can’t be stressed enough. For my contemporary fiction writing friends, we, too, understand the importance of dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s. If we’re to make our stories and characters come alive, research is a key ingredient in adding realism to our tales.
I once had a lively chat with a newer writer who disputed that.
“It’s fiction, for heaven’s sake. Fake. No one’s going to know, much less give a rat’s toenail, whether we actually do this or that in the Ozarks.”
“Wanna bet?” I hated to burst her bubble.
A fellow Ozarkian will know.
A tourist who has been here will know.
You will know.
“Maybe your readers won’t know the weather in the Ozarks can change on a dime. Or that the summer humidity here feels like a sauna. Or that we sometimes speak with a bit of a twang. But please, don’t underestimate folks. And most of all, don’t sell your readers short.”
Little details like that are too easily checked out. Googled.
And people DO care. Because in order for a story to feel authentic, “getting something right” in our work is not only professional and pertinent, but it also adds “flavor” to an otherwise ordinary subject, event, or geographic region.
Whatever we write, we want our readers to know they can trust us. That we’ve done our homework.
How disillusioning is it when we read something that’s completely wrong?
An event isn’t correct. A timeline is off. A nurse wouldn’t wear that. A teacher might. (And good gracious! Farmers do NOT cut hay while it’s wet.)
Crafting a well-researched story creates art from the mundane. We fuse various mediums together and then watch them grow into something delightful.
But first, we must trust the medium.
Facts in themselves are boring. Pairing them with interesting characters and plausible plots make our stories pop. And proper research makes fiction…well…less fiction-like.
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Consider Aunt Sally who is the best apple pie maker this side of the Mississippi. She knows each and every kind of apple there is to know and which ones make the tastiest pies. Her expertise is understated, but obvious.
Non-bakers won’t fully appreciate Aunt Sally’s culinary skills, but ladies who are well-versed in pie-speak will. And those are the readers who will notice. They are the ones who will be disappointed by poor research and lazy effort.
So yes, Virginia. There IS a mantra.
It’s called “research, research, research.”
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Writers, how do you make research fun?
Readers, what elements in a story excite you the most?
TWEETABLE
The one thing we can’t get away from when writing fiction… (Click to Tweet)
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Blessings Always,
Comments 7
Great advice and so true! I do a ton of research for my fiction! I love getting those well-placed details that bring the story to life!
I write contemporary fiction and I still have to do research–and most of the time, yes, I find it fun. Because those little facts and details really can make a storyworld come alive. I watched quite a few This Old House and other homebuilding/DIY shows when writing Made to Last! 🙂
Author
Melissa: I bet you did! (Love those types of shows, too. And what a fun way to do research!) Can’t wait to read Made to Last! I thought after I posted my blog, I should have asked the question, “To what lengths have you gone in the name of research?” I’d like to see the fun answers! =)
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Lisa: Those are the “ah-ha” moments that make us want to keep reading. I once read a book whose heroine was a social worker. Although laws vary from state to state, it was obvious the author hadn’t thoroughly researched the profession. Once believability is questioned, the rest of the story loses some of its pizazz.
So true, Cynthia!
As a novice novelist, I chose contemporary romance because a) I like to read it and b) surely it would have less research than historical romance.
Not so sure about that.
As you say, I have to get it right.
So far, I’ve put an avalanche in one of my Colorado romances. I know nothing about avalanches.
Research time.
I put Jeeps in another.
Guess what? I know nothing about Jeeps.
One of my main characters is an A-10 pilots. I have never strapped one of those babies onto my back.
So yeah … research required!
Author
Beth, I smiled as I read your comment. Could you see me nodding my head? Soooo true!
You’re right about research. We’ve discussed this in writers group. Several mentioned things in stories they’ve read, depicting places they’ve been. They knew whether the sunrise was visible from that building address, e.g. Nothing can be taken for granted.
Author
Patti, absolutely! Today’s readers are smart and competent and they know when even the “smallest” detail is incorrect.