Writing brings many surprises, from characters who begin to speak for themselves, to the time it can take to construct a scene, to plot twists I hadn’t envisioned but now can’t imagine the book without. But one surprise that just keeps on giving is how many things I need to know that are not in that handy well of background knowledge. As a rule, I try to avoid writing anything that requires much research. It’s not just the information-gathering that puts me off; it’s the idea that despite all the care I take to ensure that my information is accurate, I could still introduce some huge flaw and be forever discredited.
Such avoidance can only last so long, however. Shortly after I’d finished assigning most of my past careers to various characters and setting stories in most of the regions in which I’ve lived, I began to write, of all things, a book that’s loosely based in history. (Key word: Loosely. I still need that wiggle room.) Researching a shiny new career is one thing; building a whole Medievalish world is quite another.
For my various professions I’ve had to take several classes in research techniques, and although I’m not a master when it comes to digging up information, I know my way around Google, several online databases, libraries (Dewey decimal system and all), and your basic reference materials. Which is a good thing, since I recently found myself browsing a website on Medieval weaponry. This was quickly followed by searches for ways to communicate with horses, injuries to the frontal lobe of the brain, the layout of a typical castle, and bread recipes. And the research continues, all so that I can add about four words per subject to lend credibility to the book.
And amidst all this information gathering, the most important thing I’ve learned is this: research is not as scary or as boring as I’d thought. Sure, it’s daunting, and not as fun as writing, and when I’m in the middle of a scene and suddenly find myself desperate for a few obscure details about fabrics in the 1400s, it’s definitely a distraction. But it’s doable, and it can lead to some pretty amusing searches.
Which leads me to wonder…What are some of the weird things you’ve found yourself researching, either for your writing or otherwise? Ever read a book where the research was just plain wrong? (No author bashing, please! Everybody makes mistakes.)
I’m a confirmed cheat when it comes to this – which is why I suspect I write in the fantasy, paranormal, supernatural genres – I can make things up! That said, I actually love doing research – it appeals to the analytical part of my brain – but like you I am so aware of inaccuracies out there in the places we do research. I’m not sure I’d ever have the courage or be willing to give up the time to tackle historical fiction – unless of course I could create a historical fantasy! 😉
One of my recent lines of weird research has been vampirism and related offshoots – frankly, it become so downright creepy I nearly frightened myself! 🙂
Now I’m about to move onto near death and death experiences – which, actually, is proving to be incredibly enlightening.
Hey, thanks for stopping by my blog. I research so many odd things I don’t know where to start.
Absolute, I admit I cheat, too. That’s why the setting is in Medievalish times instead of just Medieval ones! As for your research into vampirism and near death experiments, those sound both fascinating and scary! Have fun with them. 🙂
Thanks for reciprocating the visit, Kristen!
I’m like you–or at least the old you–research seems rather over-whelming and time-consuming. I’m totally happy to go on a quick Google fact-checking mission, but I balk at setting out to write a book set in time I know nothing about . Most of the research for my Regency romance came from years and years of reading othe Regency romances. That is by far my preferred research method. 😉
Sorry I missed the game. It’s my favorite. My knowledge (scattered and varied as it is) frequently comes up in Trivial Pursuit, for some reason. I am glad everyone else got to play, though. 😀 Have a spectacular weekend!
I majored in history (medieval, emphasis on early universities and trade (no, not together [grin])) so usually when I notice glitches and oopses, it’s in a medieval historical. A lot of folks still haven’t gotten the word about all the New World foods which simply didn’t exist in Europe during the Middle Ages, or still subscribe to the Early Fairy Tale school of medieval clothing design, or think that anything they’ve seen in a book or a movie set before, oh, about 1780 or so, can be stuffed into a medieval and no one will notice. [sigh]
Oh, and then there’s the Regency with the “several eligible dukes” present at a ball. [facepalm] Ummm, yeah. I mean, okay, your plotline might require you to have one eligible (in romance terms: youngish, reasonably handsome, unmarried) duke in your story, if you want your Girl to either marry him or contemplate marrying him, but nobody needs “several,” and the realities of the English peerage make this a ridiculously impossible detail, especially as a throwaway line for a supporting character. [sigh] This one got laughed at back on RomEx, and a few old-timers still snicker over it.
I did a blog post a while back about a mystery I read which was set at a science fiction convention and just full of howlers. I gofered at my first SF con back in 1980 and have worked quite a lot of them since. I’ve worked WorldCons, and chaired a major regional a couple of times, and am pretty familiar with what they’re like. This author, unfortunately, was not, and although the mystery she constructed was clever and interesting, her setting details clunked so badly, all the way through, that I was wincing and eyerolling from cover to cover and it made it hard to enjoy an otherwise well-written novel.
This is definitely an important issue, though. No matter what subject you’re writing about, there’ll be people out there who are much more familiar with it than you are and who will notice your clunkers. [nod]
Angie
Alyssa, I would have to agree–nothing like historical fiction for research, is there?
Thanks, Katie! Hope you do, too. Maybe you can come next time.
Thank you so much, Angie, for your very informative comment. I loved your examples, too. And you have a great point–sometimes people are trying so hard to add authenticity (like with the dukes) that they go overboard and mess everything up. It’s so tempting to just throw everything in there, even when it’s totally unnecessary. That’s why I’m making it Medievalish instead of Medieval, and giving it fairy tale elements, a little magic, and setting it in two made-up kingdoms. That way I can say, “Well this is how it was done in *this* country!”
Caryn,
Thanks for checking out my site! I had to comment on this entry because I love the topic. I think the oddest thing I’ve ever researched, as a historical fiction writer, is the treatments of syphilis during the 1880s in London. Not a pretty picture. It was pretty weird/awkward doing the research, too, because I had to look this up on a public computer because I don’t own a printer.
I’ve also done research on things such as mourning customs of the late Victorian era. In order to get into my character’s head, I once spent a couple of weeks reading books on adult orphans (that is, adults that have lost both parents and feel lost without them). My aunt was visiting at the time and thought I was insane until my mother pointed out that I was doing research for my new book. 🙂