How much and what research do you do?

[Bubo_bubo]

Well, I think the question in the title speaks for itself.

The long version: I know Literotica authors won't be immediate noble prize winners, but what are the efforts you make to get things right in your stories and what type of things do you care to get right?

Personally I tend to probably overresearch things in general (while still leaving glaring holes of knowledge), leading me on wikiwalks and the like, but sometimes I think it adds to the veresimilitude of a story if for instance you know how a magic wand is operated and whether or not it's waterproof. And sometimes researching a subject can give you a plot hook.

Or do you all play it by ear and don't worry too much about whether the dye existed that allows for pink shirts in the middle ages.

 

[Emotional]

I try to do quite a bit so I dont totally blow it.

Fortunately in romance it doesnt need to me super technical like writing the "Martian"

I am doing a Chicago Firefighter story so of course research requirements, work week, firemans ball, etc.

 

[MrPixel]

Recent thorough discussion: https://forum.literotica.com/threads/how-much-do-you-research-your-facts.1565696/

 

[Bubo_bubo]

I saw that but apart from how much, I'm very much interested in the what question (what are the type of things you research rather than others) and I saw that far less in that thread.

 

[Djmac1031]

I'm a pretty simplistic story teller and the reason for that is because I don't like delving into territory I'm unfamiliar with.

Write what you know, right?

That said, sure I've had to research things for accuracy. Some things you just can't pull out of your ass.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Generally, I don't research much, I write with prior knowledge of places I know, things I know of.

My most researched story was last year's Mickey Spillane piece, where I read into nineteen-forties' slang and forties' LA geography, also cars of the era.

I mostly apply the old chestnut, "write what you know - and Wiki the rest."

 

[MrPixel]

OK, I see. It could be anything relevant to the story. Some topics can get pretty deep.

For instance, one of my characters became pregnant after sportfucking a couple of guys at her workout gym. She was on The Pill, and was in no way interested in bearing a child by either. To be quasi-accurate, I researched how efficacious The Pill was - 93% generally, although it's >99% if the dosage regimen is strictly followed. This was followed by research on how accurate "pee sticks" were in determining pregnancy - pretty accurate, but two consecutive first-in-morning pees to verify.

Then I researched current procedures on medical abortion, the changing landscape on whether she could seek this choice in her state, and what problems she might encounter if interstate travel was necessary to secure termination. Then it was research on side effects of the medications and the risks of something going wrong (1 in 10,000).

I had previous knowledge of things like D&Cs (dilation and curettage, a procedure to remove dead or infected tissue from the uterus) and some knowledge of hospital procedure including ICUs (sadly, firsthand, as a patient). So I didn't have to research everything for the story line... but almost.

Second example is, of all things, "ball pits". You know, those vats full of plastic balls you see mostly at big pizza restaurants catering to kids. I wanted to know if there were places that had these for adult use. A few large cities do in fact have entertainment complexes featuring ball pits for adults. Then, of course, this begged the question everyone wants to know: sex in ball pits? I found my answer in image search:

 

[Bramblethorn]

I probably overresearch some story aspects, but in particular when I'm writing outside my own race/culture/religious beliefs/etc. I make an effort to get it right; I don't want to misrepresent RL groups of people even in fiction.

 

[Bubo_bubo]

OK, I see. It could be anything relevant to the story. Some topics can get pretty deep.

For instance, one of my characters became pregnant after sportfucking a couple of guys at her workout gym. She was on The Pill, and was in no way interested in bearing a child by either. To be quasi-accurate, I researched how efficacious The Pill was - 93% generally, although it's >99% if the dosage regimen is strictly followed. This was followed by research on how accurate "pee sticks" were in determining pregnancy - pretty accurate, but two consecutive first-in-morning pees to verify.

Then I researched current procedures on medical abortion, the changing landscape on whether she could seek this choice in her state, and what problems she might encounter if interstate travel was necessary to secure termination. Then it was research on side effects of the medications and the risks of something going wrong (1 in 10,000).

I had previous knowledge of things like D&Cs (dilation and curettage, a procedure to remove dead or infected tissue from the uterus) and some knowledge of hospital procedure including ICUs (sadly, firsthand, as a patient). So I didn't have to research everything for the story line... but almost.

Second example is, of all things, "ball pits". You know, those vats full of plastic balls you see mostly at big pizza restaurants catering to kids. I wanted to know if there were places that had these for adult use. A few large cities do in fact have entertainment complexes featuring ball pits for adults. Then, of course, this begged the question everyone wants to know: sex in ball pits? I found my answer in image search:

View attachment 2167410

Yeah, birth control is one of things I researched to some extent, and stumbling on Depo-Provera with the possibiity of periods being diminished or even going away completely set my mind on some paths for stories.

 

[Bubo_bubo]

I probably overresearch some story aspects, but in particular when I'm writing outside my own race/culture/religious beliefs/etc. I make an effort to get it right; I don't want to misrepresent RL groups of people even in fiction.

It goes for older cultures also, I researched a bit of Roman sexual mores, and the fact being facefucked (irrumatio) was the height of humiliation for them was interesting (together with the connected belief that semen rotted the teeth).

 

[Bramblethorn]

It goes for older cultures also, I researched a bit of Roman sexual mores, and the fact being facefucked (irrumatio) was the height of humiliation for them was interesting (together with the connected belief that semen rotted the teeth).

Hence Catullus 16, the one they never seem to teach in high school Latin...

 

[Voboy]

I saw that but apart from how much, I'm very much interested in the what question (what are the type of things you research rather than others) and I saw that far less in that thread.

Surely, you research whatever you need to research... that's the "what," as far as I'm concerned. It's going to be a different "what" for every writer, based on their curiosity, their prior knowledge, the subject matter, the accessibility of their references... I thought that other thread covered just about everything, honestly.

Or maybe I don't get what you're asking?

 

[GinnyPPC]

I've gotten lost in a few rabbit trails doing research for my current WIP. And some have had story changing impacts.

 

[Bubo_bubo]

Surely, you research whatever you need to research... that's the "what," as far as I'm concerned. It's going to be a different "what" for every writer, based on their curiosity, their prior knowledge, the subject matter, the accessibility of their references... I thought that other thread covered just about everything, honestly.

Or maybe I don't get what you're asking?

Well to go by your first sentence, what do you feel are things that you need to research?
And second I'm also interested if people stumbled maybe on nuggets of knowledge during research that found their way in their writing. Like, you research something just to get it right and in the course of researching it you stumble on someting that you hadn't thought about and you integrate in your story.

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

As a British writer who often writes stories set in America, I'm always trying to research US culture, dialect etc. I know a couple of Americans and usually ask them to check the text, just to make sure I don't make any egregious errors. Despite both our countries speaking English, it's amazing how many small things are different. I'm sure I let mistakes slip past me, of course.

My next story may involve American football players. Being a morally upstanding citizen of the world, I have absolutely no interest in US sport whatsoever, so I’m going to have to do my reassert on that.

 

[KeithD]

I most recently have come from the publishing world, where I was a book editor that included fact-checking. I have two computers open at my desk, the one in front of me, where I write, and the one to the right of me where I fact-check as I go along. The Internet opened up a new world for fact-checking one's one writing and writing authoritatively outside of your personal experience/training. You just have to know what sources are better than others to be using. Bing maps are a godsend. In a previous career I worked with satellite photography, and being able to see what was on the ground everywhere was top secret material. Not anymore.

 

[TadOverdon]

If I'm aware enough of my ignorance in an era to launch into research, the inevitable answer will be "you didn't do enough," no matter how much I think I did.

This forum has been invaluable in that regard. Someone here helped me with antique motorcycles not long ago.

The tricky part is embedding researched information in prose that's general enough that it doesn't read as if you're regurgitating learned facts. I spent a couple of days reading up on private luxury jets - range, overall cabin layout, different things. Reading it now, I think I used too specific descriptions of parts of the cabin design. Just because you learned the precise term for something doesn't mean the character in your story is likely to know the terminology, or even notice the detail.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

A character in a WIP builds furniture, and I don't know anything about woodworking, so I need to learn some basics - tools, processes, names of different types of joins, etc - for the couple of scenes where his work comes up.

I've got an idea for a story that's currently trying to take over all of the writing space in my brain, but it's going to require a significant amount of research into The Great Depression. I've already started a reading list, but I can tell that it's going to be a long-term project.

(BTW, if anyone has recommendations for learning about the world of American tent revival meetings in the 20s/30s, please send them my way. I'm going to re-read Elmer Gantry, but I'd love to look at more fiction or nonfiction from this period/setting)

 

[Rustyoznail]

I mostly write what I know, but research things that add authenticity to a story. Eg What pizzas do the large chains sell in India, does a 1964 Plymouth Fury have a bench seat in the front and did it have a 440?, and what is the water capacity of a CFA fire truck?

Those things can send me deep into a Google hole...

 

[RejectReality]

My ideas spring from places where I've already "done the research" for the most part. It's things I've picked up through osmosis, or as a tangent to something else. Usually by the time a story idea comes out of it, I have a reasonable base of knowledge, and all I need to do is look up some specifics for a little spice that makes me look like I know a lot more than a I do.

That doesn't stop me from sometimes going down rabbit holes. I started looking up some things for a story where wood turning was involved. Watched a couple of YouTube videos and got sucked in. Ended up subscribed to half a dozen channels. That led me to restoration channels through recommendations, and another batch of subscriptions. Lock sport. Sawmilling. Prop replication. Electronic and electric engine restoration. Rodent trapping. Outdoor gear review. I'm still crawling down that rabbit hole, honestly.

The original story idea has never gotten off the ground, by the way. I've used some of the stuff I picked up in other stories finished and unfinished, but the original idea is still nothing more than a concept, title, and a cover mock-up.

I seem to pull it off, because I get a lot of smile-inducing comments where people think I'm engaged in the vocations and activities I depict — however briefly. Most of these are just setup for RR stories, which are purposely lacking in depth.

And now I remember that there's a Matt Jordan woodturning video that came out earlier this week that I haven't watched yet, so I'm off. LOL

 

[Bramblethorn]

As a British writer who often writes stories set in America, I'm always trying to research US culture, dialect etc. I know a couple of Americans and usually ask them to check the text, just to make sure I don't make any egregious errors. Despite both our countries speaking English, it's amazing how many small things are different. I'm sure I let mistakes slip past me, of course.

I know the fanfic world has a term "Britpicking" for US writers working in British settings getting a local reader to check their prose for any howlers, linguistic and otherwise. One I remember my partner grizzling about is a story that had a group of English characters spending their New Year's Eve watching the ball drop in Times Square on TV - not without a time machine they're not!

Or Mr. Darcy referring to his "ranch".

If I'm aware enough of my ignorance in an era to launch into research, the inevitable answer will be "you didn't do enough," no matter how much I think I did.

This forum has been invaluable in that regard. Someone here helped me with antique motorcycles not long ago.

The tricky part is embedding researched information in prose that's general enough that it doesn't read as if you're regurgitating learned facts. I spent a couple of days on private luxury jets - range, overall cabin layout, different things. Reading it now, I think I used too specific descriptions of parts of the cabin design. Just because you learned the precise term for something doesn't mean the character in your story is likely to know the terminology, or even notice the detail.

Mmm-hmm. I've read commercially published stuff that had that distinct smell of "I've never been there but let me regurgitate this pamphlet I read about it!" Cannot recommend.

 

[DreamingOfMyEx]

As a British writer who often writes stories set in America, I'm always trying to research US culture, dialect etc. I know a couple of Americans and usually ask them to check the text, just to make sure I don't make any egregious errors. Despite both our countries speaking English, it's amazing how many small things are different. I'm sure I let mistakes slip past me, of course.

My next story may involve American football players. Being a morally upstanding citizen of the world, I have absolutely no interest in US sport whatsoever, so I’m going to have to do my reassert on that.

Long story short: I, a red-blooded patriotic American, discovered Rugby on one of its rare television appearances in the U.S. In subsequent correspondence via email with some people in various countries generally associated with the British Commonwealth, I happened to know not to use the term "rooting" for their team.

Granted, they probably would have understood what I meant, but still I'm proud of myself for not saying it.

As for American Football, noting is quite so boring as the final three hours of a 60 minute "football" game. But if it helps, American football is a tad more like Rugby League than Rugby Union.

 

[SimonDoom]

I don't research much because most of my stories are set in familiar settings, about which I know enough that no research is needed. Most of the rest are in fantasy settings where I can make up the rules and no research is necessary.

I'm doing some research in the area of consciousness and artificial intelligence for my story that I hope to finish in time for the AI event coming up. I could probably get away with little or no research even in an area like that. 2001:Space Odyssey doesn't show signs of a great deal of technical knowledge or theory regarding HAL's self-awareness, how it happened, how it worked, etc. But it works. But in this case I want to sprinkle the story with just enough detail that it gives it a more realistic air.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I research loads, but mostly because I enjoy it. Where does the Istanbul metro reach now? Where did it in 2012? When did safeguarding regulations come in for childcare settings? How long does it take to boil a kettle on a campfire?

But it's the things that people don't think to query that are always the cockups. A lot of American writers placing stories in Britain fail because they make a Big Deal out of tea. Sure some characters might be into their first-flush single-estate teas, but the vast majority of people sling a teabag in a mug, add boiling water and milk, end of. Or they say, appropriately, "Oh dear. I'll make you a nice cup of tea", then return with some raspberry camomile shit. Tea, or just making people in cities drive everywhere! No-one in their right mind drives to Soho!

Or the other way round - apparently pumpkin pie is for Thanksgiving, not Halloween? Would never have known if it weren't for beta readers here. Real-life clashes I've encountered include inability or unacceptability of walking places, adults getting arrested for underage drinking in their own homes, Chicago beaches getting locked at night...

If it's a more sensitive issue I'll do more research. Quora and sites like Mumsnet can be useful for those "what was it like..." questions, like "what were your experiences serving in Northern Ireland during the Troubles?" Some of it is clear fiction but you'll find a lot of useful anecdotes. I'll also double-check regional extent of dialect phrases when trying to distinguish characters, though lists of endearments or words *not* used by each one are more useful.

Sometimes you just have to make educated guesses, though. I can reproduce lots of regional speech just by imagining what my friends X or Y might say, or even ask them, but what they might say mid-fuck? That's where I have to dive into fiction (some fanfic can help but usually it's way worse at both regionalism and sex than I am...)

 

[PennameWombat]

There’s a reason many of my characters study or work in computer science and math and play soccer, but with some interest in other sports - American Football, both rugby codes, Aussie Rules, even the odd mention of Gaelic Football, but never cricket - because I’ve played a number of them and can write without much research. Such as dropping a a nugget about the Super League war in Australia in the late 1990s and South Sydney’s few years in the wilderness after that (and Western Suburbs and Balmain merging, and so on.)

In other cases my research is review or refresh, such as Saturday in Paris, where I needed to ensure where my local knowledge that was a few years old was still accurate and where it needed updating (such as a comment about the Notre Dame fire.) And Asha and Tracy visiting the UK and depicting a terrorist attack at Stonehenge and their hiding in Trowbridge. I intentionally tweaked the aftermath of the ‘Battle of the Beanfield’ a bit for that story.

But for Mel’s Universe stories (over half of my stories) I’ve deepened my knowledge of celestial and orbital mechanics, gene manipulation, advanced propulsion (both in atmosphere and in space), VR/AR, nanomachines and speculative ammunition to use in an orbiting space station. Powerful enough to injure people but not so powerful it’d penetrate through outer walls.