Monday, September 21, 2015

Ask a Friend-- And Then Do It Yourself



 
I enjoyed writing about research last week and thought I’d carry it a step farther this week. I once asked a friend for her best tip on researching. She said, “Find someone who likes it and give them money.” Yeah, right.

Why is research so very important? It’s simple. Your credibility as an author is at stake. If you don’t research, you may end up embarrassing yourself or actually hurting someone else.

People read a book, listen to a presentation or watch a TV show and many walk away believing what they’ve read, seen or heard. They depend on you to know what you’re talking about, and you’re the expert, right? If you’re simply offering an opinion, or you “think” something is correct, then be sure to let it be known that it is only an opinion or a thought.

Fiction is exactly that – fiction. However, there’s often a thread of truth somewhere in your story.

Let’s say you’ve created a fictional town, a small place called Poker Run City, in Northern Nevada, as the setting for your story. You’ve set this fictional city somewhere near Reno or Carson City. Remember, Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada are like two different worlds. These are some of the facts you’ve included in your book:

            Palm trees line the streets of Poker Run City (Maybe in Las Vegas, but not in Northern Nevada because it can be quite cold and snowy)
            The terrain is flat, barren desert (It’s high desert and there are plenty of mountains)
            It almost never snows and the temperatures are mild (I’m laughing at this because it snows frequently and the day we moved to Arizona it was 17 degrees in our little town up north.)
            Reno (or Las Vegas) is mentioned in your story as the State Capitol (Carson City is the State Capitol.)
            You mention the many, many casinos located in Poker Run City (Probably not more than a couple, since it’s a small town, and if you write about the casinos you’d better know the ins and outs of casinos.)

What’s wrong with the above picture? Everything. If you created this description in your story, you’ve just lost the readers who live in Northern Nevada. They’ve figured out you’re not familiar with their favorite place – home. They’ve lost interest in your story. When a couple from Podunk, Montana, visits Reno or Carson City, they’re going to be very disappointed because they’re not going to find what they were expecting, thanks to your book. You let the tourists down, too.

Don’t try to “fake people out”. They’ll see right through you; if not now, then eventually.

Know your facts. Don’t make them up as you go along, unless you have a character who’s a pathological liar, or who’s trying to get out of a fix. If your protagonist discusses the weather in Colorado, you’d better know what the weather is like in Colorado.

When you make a presentation to a group, make sure you know what you’re talking about and that you’re able to back it up. As I mentioned last week, don’t rely on one single source for your information.

I discovered that I actually enjoy researching. In many ways it’s like solving a mystery when you find information that’s new to you. Sometimes you have to follow the clues to reach that fountain of knowledge you’re seeking.

Some tried and true sources for research include, but aren’t limited to:
            Libraries
            Newspapers (including old ones)
            Magazines
            Books
            Interviews (These can be interesting and lead you to unexpected places, and maybe a different storyline.)
            City, County, State and Federal sources (Be prepared to be patient.)
            Historical societies
            Of course, the Internet (Be careful there.)


 Don’t give up if the information you’re seeking is elusive. There’s more than one source. Do whatever it takes. Old-fashioned maybe, but write a letter. It might actually gain more attention than an email. Make a phone call. With luck and persistence, you might reach a human being instead of a recording.

What other sources can you think of to use for research? Have you ever found your information in the last place you looked?

Until next time, start interviewing people and pay attention to each detail they share with you. Elderly relatives are a great place to learn about what things were like “in the old days”.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website
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20 comments:

  1. Great to remind folks of the available sources for information and not to fudge descriptions. Nothing more disturbing to this reader than reading a description of location know is inaccurate. Enjoy research but know lots of people who rather let their money do the finding.

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    1. Thank you, Jake. Hard work shows (I think) in most cases. Money can't buy everything, as some of us have learned through experience. : ) Thank you so much for commenting!

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  2. This is kind of ironic since my status comment on Facebook today is about research, which I dislike for the most part. As I said in my post, I should have created a fictional world such as an alternate universe where my characters and settings could be anything I wanted. Unfortunately, I didn't become a science fiction writer so I've had to rely mainly on my own experiences in most settings. However, I do research certain things to make sure I got them right.

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    1. Total fiction can be fun even if it's not scifi, Pat. Not all books require research, and some of mine didn't require any. And if you think about it, personal experience is a form of research. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  3. In addition to historical societies, don't forget museums. Researching location is so important. I haven't caught any mistakes (so far) for books I've read set in my city/area, but I know people who have found such errors for where they live. I don't mind doing research, and it can be fun contributing to someone else's, too. An author I know from Australia was once asked to write a book set in winter in the states, and I was one of two people she tapped for help. I think we scared her from ever visiting the USA in winter. *grin*

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    1. Good idea, Heather. Someone wrote a book that took place in Bullhead City, Arizona, and I never read it. Those who did said she'd obviously never been here. Apparently she just liked the name of the city. Oh, and I was once on Tasmania. It was so cold we all had to wear gloves to brush our teeth. LOL Thank you so much for commenting!

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  4. Even the smallest mistake can turn a reader off. I remember reading a novel set in Wyoming that was obviusly written by someone who had never been here. She had seven numbers on the license plates instead of four (plus the county number), to name a few erroneous facts. I personally enjoy research and probably only use 10% of what I've read.

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    1. Your books show your enjoyment of researching, Jean. Some of our research can be used in future books, too. We just need to store the information somewhere. : ) Thank you so much for commenting!

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  5. I agree that adding "fact" to fiction makes a novel much more realistic but, as you wrote, you need to be sure your facts are accurate.
    The Cincinnati Historical Society has been a great research source for me. I've found old maps and photos there, which were of great use, especially in my first two Malone mysteries.

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    1. I can relate to your story, Pat. When I wrote A Well-Kept Family Secret I'd already accumulated maps, census reports and all kinds of things. It made writing the story more fun and more factual. You did a great job with your Malone mysteries. It shows. :) Thank you so much for commenting!

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  6. Speaking of weather, as you did, that can also affect the story. Hurricane, blizzard, heat lightning, and earthquake, which isn't weather, but is pretty regional. I almost forgot weather in my WIP which largely takes place outside. And the weather added just what I needed for the ending. (So far, I've either placed stories in somewhere I'm familiar with, or in some completely unstated area---that was only one, though.)

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    1. Good point, Norma. Both weather and natural disasters can really make a story more interesting and exciting. I try to put my stories in areas I'm familiar with, too, or even if they're totally fictional locations, I research what the area would be like if it were near a certain real setting. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  7. I love doing research, especially if I can do it by visiting a place and interviewing people. The most fun I had at this was visiting microbreweries andtalking with the brew masters. I learned to both respect the brewing process and love some of the beers made. I did this for a mystery series featuring a woman microbrewer. I particularly enjoy reading mysteries where I learn something new.

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    1. I'm so glad you're another one who enjoys visiting places and interviewing people. I think interviews are the most fun for me. I thoroughly enjoyed your microbrewer series. Your research made the stories believable and a lot of fun. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  8. Great post, Marja, and oh, so true. Except, you also may lose lots of people who might have just driven through northern Nevada. Or people who have read other books about that part of the state. And on and on. Don't try to fool people - unless you are a magician.

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    1. Excellent point, Jim. And we're not magicians. : ) Thank you so much for commenting!

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  9. Solid advice, Marja. I love research. The only drawback, it can be distracting--which isn't always a drawback. Those side journeys have taken me to some exciting information.

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    1. I do, too, John. Sometimes research can be as entertaining as a fictional mystery, and even more interesting. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  10. Research is so important and luckily for me I love to research. My problem is I always end up researching more than I need to.

    I mainly write legal mysteries so there is a lot of research as I have to be prepared to write both sides of the argument/case. For me, that just makes it more fun.

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  11. I worked in both criminal and civil law for a number of years, Michelle. I'm glad you enjoy it because it can be tricky. : ) Thank you so much for commenting!

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