A Question About Research

[penandpaper]

I am curious. How many writers in here began novels or novellas and found themselves doing several hours of research before starting a chapter? If so, what kind of research were you doing? Was it to relate to the character better, to understand plot/story line, or possibly just to find a new and refreshing way to say something?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

 

[sr71plt]

Yes, I do research--a lot on time and place, as I try to use an authentic setting (if not always the exact place names) and I use historical events/circumstance quite often. I also try to find authentic (while also evocative) personal names for the location and time. I use the Internet a lot to get notes on this research before I start. Then I find I'm doing more research while I'm writing as needed.

Pretty easy for me. I work with two computers, one I'm writing in and one my fact checking in. As a book editor, I'm naturally doing that all of the time in my work anyway.

 

[penandpaper]

I'm new here, and I apologize. I just realized this would be a more appropriate topic for the Author's Hangout section.

 

[kromen]

No need to apologize. Welcome to the AH. When I research, I find multiple sources just in case something doesn't add up. I want my characters to be as real as possible and if that means making sure that the actions, clothing, and even dialougue match the era, it's worth the man hours.

 

[sethp]

just starting my first novel

I'm just starting my first novel and what I'm doing is getting a page or two of research on each thing in my story. Guns-specific guns and weapons, the ethnic background of my characters, Police procedure related directly to the action in my book and a few other things. It's story specific not chapter specific but that might change as I start writing . I'll have it all plotted and outlined before I start so I shouldn't be in for any suprises but you never know where your writing will take you!

 

[sr71plt]

By the way, for what's it's worth, I think the minimal amount of researched stuff to put into the story the best--enough to set the scene and the mood and to support the plotline. Beyond that it gets into unnecessary distraction.

I just had an edit returned for a published piece that asked me if I didn't want to pin down better the trukers' route from Cheyenne to Billings to Rapid City. And I knew I didn't and I knew why. The importance of the route to the story is that it's a deadly dull drive, which serves the plot. I established that I couple of times in the dialogue in the story. Therefore, for the flow of the story, you don't have to know more about where those places are and how far apart they are and what's between them. But still anyone who wanted to look it up could, from what I put in my story. Research for accuracy but not established beyond what is needed to carry the story.

 

[driphoney]

I just had an edit returned for a published piece that asked me if I didn't want to pin down better the trukers' route from Cheyenne to Billings to Rapid City. And I knew I didn't and I knew why. The importance of the route to the story is that it's a deadly dull drive, which serves the plot. I established that I couple of times in the dialogue in the story. Therefore, for the flow of the story, you don't have to know more about where those places are and how far apart they are and what's between them. But still anyone who wanted to look it up could, from what I put in my story. Research for accuracy but not established beyond what is needed to carry the story.

haha! I set my story (yeah, someday I'll post something else, but school papers are so distracting!) where I grew up. I had to smile over this concern for route details. I had to research Ohio route numbers because I very specifically did not want to use any real route! And it wasn't as easy as you'd think.