How much do you research your 'facts'?

[davion2308]

I read "The Golden Couple" by Greer Hendricks and I was barely into the book when I ran into a passage that said the main character, in her 30s, dated a super hot guy for a while. He was a tight end who played at the University of Maryland and he helped lead them to an undefeated season one year.

That made me stop. I'm a college football guy and I'm like, "Wait, what?" I disengaged immediately because Maryland football doesn't do that. Not at all. It was a throwaway line and simply added some color to a character that wasn't in much of the story but it had a major impact for me trying to get lost in the story.

This made me rethink my research and informational process when I'm writing my stories. I got criticism from several readers once when I incorrectly described the interior of a church. Now I'm on the straight-and-narrow to be as accurate as possible.

How much effort do the rest of you put into accuracy and correct facts and data when you're writing? I'm really curious.

 

[oggbashan]

Most of my 'research' comes from personal knowledge but if I want to use historic facts I check, usually with Wikipedia.

For example, 'Stand Down, Home Guard' is set in a fort I know, have visited, and have a guidebook for. The radar - from personal knowledge and electronics museums. The 9.2 inch naval guns? I gave them a range of 7 miles which a commentator queried from personal knowledge of some guns local to him. they had a range of 16 miles. He was right - for Mark IX. I was right for Mark VIII. I had assumed Mark VIII because the place being defended was of minor strategic importance and Mark IXs would go to more obvious targets.

 

[windar]

I put a lot of effort in. My co author and I recently finished a novella set in Gilded Age New York and we incorporated many real historical facts into the story. We even provided chapter notes for details that might have interrupted the narrative flow.

That said, in the example you cited, I don't think that was lack of research on the author's part. More like wanting to be clear the character was fictional. If they had made it Alabama, one might conclude they were meant to be a real tight end.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Most of my 'research' comes from personal knowledge but if I want to use historic facts I check, usually with Wikipedia.

Likewise.

I've only researched two stories - the first set on Titan, so I went off to find out about the atmosphere and temperature, but forgot about gravity. I got pulled up by a physicist who was fine with sex between a human and an flying alien, but pinged me for getting the rate of falling wrong. Smug bastard.

Then, for last year's Mickey Spillane story, I researched 1940s LA and street slang, and impressed Simon. Smug me, eh?

 

[SimonDoom]

I read "The Golden Couple" by Greer Hendricks and I was barely into the book when I ran into a passage that said the main character, in her 30s, dated a super hot guy for a while. He was a tight end who played at the University of Maryland and he helped lead them to an undefeated season one year.

That made me stop. I'm a college football guy and I'm like, "Wait, what?" I disengaged immediately because Maryland football doesn't do that. Not at all. It was a throwaway line and simply added some color to a character that wasn't in much of the story but it had a major impact for me trying to get lost in the story.

This made me rethink my research and informational process when I'm writing my stories. I got criticism from several readers once when I incorrectly described the interior of a church. Now I'm on the straight-and-narrow to be as accurate as possible.

How much effort do the rest of you put into accuracy and correct facts and data when you're writing? I'm really curious.

Not much. I write from personal experience and memory. I usually do not identify specific settings, specific universities, or any of that sort of thing. I leave things like that vague. That gives me the freedom to describe things how I want to without doing research. I like to focus on the erotic stuff instead.

 

[Voboy]

A lot.

I enjoy the research side as much as I enjoy the writing side, in some cases even more. And, in other peoples' work, factual errors always jump out at me in areas I'm knowledgeable about. I can forgive those errors if the storytelling is otherwise good enough, or if the mistake is obscure, but sometimes they're the reason I click away and abandon the story.

 

[Blind_Justice]

As much as it takes to improve the story. For last year's Geek Pride story, I learned all I could about a certain region of Massachusetts to make sure I had my facts and especially firearms legislation down pat so I could break stuff later.

 

[BiscuitHammer]

I make the effort to stay accurate, which drives my readers crazy when I get into deep quantum physics. Apparently they don't want to know the difference between a lapton and a quark...

I am accurate with my historical dates.

My stories may have an alt-u moment occasionally, where something happens that actually didn't but it usually relates to something my characters have done that affects an outcome that is not factually earth-shattering (who won a medal in what sport in Barcelona in '92, etc).

Time Rider is an exception, often, because it's a time travel comedy. It doesn't change events of history (it can't), but it underwrites why and how they happen.

If I alter a fact, it was intentional.

 

[oggbashan]

I can make mistakes that some readers point out e.g. a DVD in the early 1960s but criticising my use of 'pussy' for female genitalia in the same story was wrong. 'Pussy' has been used for that in British English since the 1700s and was current in London in the 1960s - I know because I was there.

Someone queried my mention of Middle English in 1410. According to Wikipedia and the Oxford University, it was in use at least until 1500, diminishing towards the end of that century but was usual in 1410. To be fair the comment was not a criticism but a query 'was it in use then?' It was.

 

[BiscuitHammer]

I can make mistakes that some readers point out e.g. a DVD in the early 1960s but criticising my use of 'pussy' for female genitalia in the same story was wrong. 'Pussy' has been used for that in British English since the 1700s and was current in London in the 1960s - I know because I was there.

Someone queried my mention of Middle English in 1410. According to Wikipedia and the Oxford University, it was in use at least until 1500, diminishing towards the end of that century but was usual in 1410. To be fair the comment was not a criticism but a query 'was it in use then?' It was.

What did they think Chaucer was in the 1300's, then?

Good luck explaining the Great Vowel Shift to them...

 

[gunhilltrain]

Likewise.

I've only researched two stories - the first set on Titan, so I went off to find out about the atmosphere and temperature, but forgot about gravity. I got pulled up by a physicist who was fine with sex between a human and an flying alien, but pinged me for getting the rate of falling wrong. Smug bastard.

Then, for last year's Mickey Spillane story, I researched 1940s LA and street slang, and impressed Simon. Smug me, eh?

I am impressed. How did you research 1940s LA slang?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

It depends. I did a long series about a couple living in French Polynesia. Twenty-odd stories and I think I researched maybe three times - local polygamy laws, hotels in Sweden and EU tariffs. Other stories took more and some much more.

One (The Magdalene) was set in England in World War One. I think I spent almost as long in researching it as I did in writing - inflation rates, average per capita earnings for various industries, women's social organizations, civilian volunteer nursing, British Commonwealth casualty rates, cost of living, Royal Army Medical Corps organization, rates of pay for British Army NCOs, prostitution laws, etc, etc.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I make the effort to stay accurate, which drives my readers crazy when I get into deep quantum physics. Apparently they don't want to know the difference between a lapton and a quark...

I am accurate with my historical dates.

My stories may have an alt-u moment occasionally, where something happens that actually didn't but it usually relates to something my characters have done that affects an outcome that is not factually earth-shattering (who won a medal in what sport in Barcelona in '92, etc).

Time Rider is an exception, often, because it's a time travel comedy. It doesn't change events of history (it can't), but it underwrites why and how they happen.

If I alter a fact, it was intentional.

Fortunately, I rarely if ever have to worry about scientific facts. Historical dates are another matter, although I usually don't have to go earlier than the 1930s. I once had to know if a guy in the early 1930s could have a Chandler automobile. The brand was discontinued in 1929, so I gave him a used one.

 

[yowser]

As much as it takes to improve the story. For last year's Geek Pride story, I learned all I could about a certain region of Massachusetts to make sure I had my facts and especially firearms legislation down pat so I could break stuff later.

I think this is the best approach. Although the research can become awfully addictive on its own.

Geek pride may call for a bit more footwork, unless the topic is right up someone's expertise alley.

Oldtimer AH folks know this, but newer ones may not: this forum is often an excellent place for the odd question that another author might answer nicely (the range of expertise is remarkable...) For my Amorous Goods entry, set in Toronto (where I had never been), I had no idea whether locals said 'panties' or 'knickers' (one of those little details likely to be jarring to those who knew the regional lexicon.) I asked here and had my answer within twenty minutes.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

I read "The Golden Couple" by Greer Hendricks and I was barely into the book when I ran into a passage that said the main character, in her 30s, dated a super hot guy for a while. He was a tight end who played at the University of Maryland and he helped lead them to an undefeated season one year.

That made me stop. I'm a college football guy and I'm like, "Wait, what?" I disengaged immediately because Maryland football doesn't do that. Not at all. It was a throwaway line and simply added some color to a character that wasn't in much of the story but it had a major impact for me trying to get lost in the story.

This made me rethink my research and informational process when I'm writing my stories. I got criticism from several readers once when I incorrectly described the interior of a church. Now I'm on the straight-and-narrow to be as accurate as possible.

How much effort do the rest of you put into accuracy and correct facts and data when you're writing? I'm really curious.

Google says the Terps were undefeated in 1951, so that raises the question of when the book is set. If it's supposed to be the mid 60s, then it's plausible (but having just Googled the book, that seems unlikely). [I a college football fan too, so that particular fact struck me as well].

Anyway, to Davion's question - it depends on how common the situation is. If it's something that I think a lot of people are familiar with, then I did more research. I looked at a lot of information about Catholic church services for a story i wrote, because I wanted the situation to be plausible. I do usually double check my assumptions about time lines, if I'm referring to specific nationally known events. I check dates and days of the week, if I'm noting those in a story (like the Halloween story I've been working on for two years).

It also depends on how central the elements are to the story (like the Catholic information mentioned above).
But yeah, if I was mentioning a specific sports team going undefeated, I'd definitely check on that, it's a rare event, and usually recorded, and easily checked.

 

[lovecraft68]

I read "The Golden Couple" by Greer Hendricks and I was barely into the book when I ran into a passage that said the main character, in her 30s, dated a super hot guy for a while. He was a tight end who played at the University of Maryland and he helped lead them to an undefeated season one year.

That made me stop. I'm a college football guy and I'm like, "Wait, what?" I disengaged immediately because Maryland football doesn't do that. Not at all. It was a throwaway line and simply added some color to a character that wasn't in much of the story but it had a major impact for me trying to get lost in the story.

This made me rethink my research and informational process when I'm writing my stories. I got criticism from several readers once when I incorrectly described the interior of a church. Now I'm on the straight-and-narrow to be as accurate as possible.

How much effort do the rest of you put into accuracy and correct facts and data when you're writing? I'm really curious.

In your example I would just see it that seeing the couple were made up. why does it matter the undefeated season was also made up?

I keep my smut stories local so I don't get caught up in needing to research anything, I know local news history, locations etc. Keep it simple stupid.

For my horror novels I have enough occult knowledge to get by without tripping myself up. When it comes to my fight scenes, I have 40ish years of martial arts experience so again, I can go with what I know.

Odds are if I don't know it, I may not put it in a simple erotic story, for something more serious...I'll make up my own mythos...fiction gotta fiction

 

[KeithD]

I research all I can, but literary license permits some fudging, I think. Claiming the University of Maryland had an undefeated football season to establish a player as good doesn't give me heartburn.

 

[SimonDoom]

I research all I can, but literary license permits some fudging, I think. Claiming the University of Maryland had an undefeated football season to establish a player as good doesn't give me heartburn.

Me, either.

In Pat Conroy's novel The Prince Of Tides, his POV character Tom describes being a member of the University of South Carolina football team, and he describes a game against Clemson that in real life never happened. That doesn't strike me as problematic, in any way. It's fiction.

 

[Comshaw]

I read "The Golden Couple" by Greer Hendricks and I was barely into the book when I ran into a passage that said the main character, in her 30s, dated a super hot guy for a while. He was a tight end who played at the University of Maryland and he helped lead them to an undefeated season one year.

That made me stop. I'm a college football guy and I'm like, "Wait, what?" I disengaged immediately because Maryland football doesn't do that. Not at all. It was a throwaway line and simply added some color to a character that wasn't in much of the story but it had a major impact for me trying to get lost in the story.

This made me rethink my research and informational process when I'm writing my stories. I got criticism from several readers once when I incorrectly described the interior of a church. Now I'm on the straight-and-narrow to be as accurate as possible.

How much effort do the rest of you put into accuracy and correct facts and data when you're writing? I'm really curious.

While I do research for my stories, I do get things wrong at times. I've been verbally slapped around for getting facts wrong in a couple of stories. The worst came on a story set in The Ardennes Forest in WWII. I got the landing and time served for a couple of the Army Units wrong. To be honest I should have spent more time researching it, but I thought since the story was fiction, and had elements of the supernatural in it, it was close enough. Boy was I wrong. It seems there are those history buffs that insist, no matter what kind of story it is, the tiniest little detail needs to be totally accurate. A lesson learned.

What irritates the hell out of me, though, are readers who post a denigrating comment on the inaccuracy of things I've personally experienced. One such came on a story about backpacking and back country camping. Everything I used in that story I've done, so there was no inaccuracy about it.

Anyway, next time I do one that requires research on things I am not familiar with, I'll make damn sure I spend the time to do it right.

Comshaw

 

[oggbashan]

What irritates the hell out of me, though, are readers who post a denigrating comment on the inaccuracy of things I've personally experienced. One such came on a story about backpacking and back country camping. Everything I used in that story I've done, so there was no inaccuracy about it.

Comshaw

That can irritate me too. When I get comments querying the accuracy of events in London in the 1960s from some backwoods place in America from someone who has never been to London, that can be annoying.

I know, because I was there, then as a Lit-legal adult and part of the 'scene'. I remember it better than many others who were there because my drug of choice was alcohol and I had a massive capacity.

 

[Athalia]

I live in dread of a reader who spots an anachronism or an error in geography, so I make sure to check my facts as best I can. So far, my gaffes haven't made it past the editorial stage, but I do take pains to make the story as accurate as possible.

As for the UM "undefeated season," is it necessary to actually state which college it is? Or can you simply state that the college had an undefeated season in the character's senior year, and leave it to the reader to speculate which particular college it was?

 

[Omenainen]

I do research, but get no special kicks out of it, so mostly I try to be vague enough that I wouldn’t have to bother.

 

[Comshaw]

I research some stuff, but I mostly write about things of which I already have some awareness or experience.

I'm curious how you described the inside of a church wrong? I've been to a lot of churches and no two ever looked the same inside. A few looked like the inside of a modest house, one even had a bring our own chair policy, another had golden statues and linen pew cushions (and the most unchristian people I've ever met), most fell somewhere between those. After attending a church where people spoke in tongues and another that handled snakes, I imagine even hellfire and demons being present wouldn't be out of line as a description of some churches.

I take it you had a comment about describing a church wrong? I could understand that if someone was describing the church for a particular sec or religion. But without detailing whose church, I don't think there is a wrong way to describe one. If you consider the holy buildings of other religions (Buddhist) I've seen roadside temples the size of a large crate and ones built into a huge cave. The church I went to as a kid was just as you describe, stripped of the added accouterments, crosses and such, it looked just like any other house I've been in. My uncle was a member of the Baha'i faith. They didn't have a church, per se. That went by the bible edict (I can't quote the book and chapter, nor verbatim, but in essence it said) when 2 or more gather in my name, so there shall be a church. They would have their meetings in each other's home. Yeah, some readers have an anal sphincter restriction on their carotid artery, which causes a blood flow problem to their brain.

Comshaw

 

[Winter_Fare]

Loads but I enjoy it at least as much as writing. It leads to rabbit holes where I spend hours reading about the evolution of the rifle, and then use it in one flipping sentence.

 

[Voboy]

While I do research for my stories, I do get things wrong at times. I've been verbally slapped around for getting facts wrong in a couple of stories. The worst came on a story set in The Ardennes Forest in WWII. I got the landing and time served for a couple of the Army Units wrong.

That would annoy me for two reasons:

1. Because it's something that actually happened, and during which real people suffered and died. Some of their friends and loved ones may still be around to read your piece (however unlikely, perhaps).

2. It's SO EASY to get these things right. So it bugs me when people don't bother.