This month’s Round Robin topic is about research. All story genres take some research for establishing details in the setting. What type of research have you had to do? Does it bother you when you read something happening in a story that is inaccurate historically, socially, scientifically, etc.?
Ah… research… Such a lovely word… such a lovely thing… such a… time suck. LOL Most of my writer friends will agree with that statement. I don’t know one author who doesn’t love research. Nor do I know one author who hasn’t complained of being sucked into the fascinating world of whatever they are researching. By the time you surface, thirty minutes has turned into four hours and all of your plans to write have disappeared with those hours. You can console yourself with the fact that you know more than you ever needed to know about say… basket weaving in Roman times which led to how they used mold from bread as a primitive form of penicillin which led to the herbs they used for various illnesses which led to forms of corporeal punishment and some really disgusting drawings that you couldn’t drag your gaze away from even as your stomach turned which led to…
Go ahead, authors, tell me this hasn’t happened to you, too. I dare you. (grin)
So, yeah, research for settings, absolutely. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of familiarizing myself with the types of shops in towns I’ve visited or the name of a local landmark that I just can’t remember. Others, it’s much more in depth.
My most recent work, The Whispering House, is set in central California. This is my old stomping ground, and I still visit there often, so research for the main setting was unnecessary. However, since she does a little bit of traveling, I did have to look up a few other cities for a bit of information. All of the cities I have visited and am familiar with to some degree. However, I don’t know the names of specific neighborhoods, lesser known landmarks, etc. These are the types of details that help create the impression that you are familiar with those towns.
This story has a bit of science fiction/paranormal in it. That aspect also required research. And then I had to research one more thing. What does a man’s jizz taste like in general? (grin) If you are interested, you can find the answer here.
Did I do more research than needed? Of course, I was sucked into the fascinating information black hole. There’s no escaping it. LOL It was so… painful. 😀
So, judging from my doing research to write a contemporary, sci-fi, paranormal erotic romance, how do you think I react when something inaccurate happens in a book I’m reading.
(Grin)
Anyone who’ll listen gets an earful. LOL
So, if you are an author, do you do research? If so, how much? And are you like me? Does it bother you when you see something that’s inaccurate?
Stop by the following websites to see what other authors say about researching:
Yes, my house has a black hole too. Getting on the Internet, especial for research takes me there. My black hole also is a trickster that swallows items I am desperately searching for until I need something else and the original lost item is spit out in some obvious location in such a fashion as to make me wonder why I couldn’t find it — but that is another story.
Yes, I enjoy research, sometimes, but I am also guilty of over-researching.
Enjoyed your post.
Like you, I sometimes get lost in my research, apparently a hazard and time suck for all writers. But it does inform our writing. Interesting post, and it just goes to show you can fine out most anything on the Internet. Once I found a site that fired a rifle so I could find out what that sounded like. 🙂
Oh, you know us so very, very well. Research is a time suck and that’s one of the main reasons I’ve taken a whole day a week to dedicate to blogs, research and just general playing on the net. Otherwise, I’d get no writing done.
Thanks for sharing. I always like to read your posts!
Hi Marci, Oh yes! time melts. anne stenhouse
Sorry Marci, I’m not one of those who love research. I don’t mind it and it’s necessary, no matter what you write, but I love getting into the story and just writing.
Your first paragraph is RIGHT ON – not quite a black hole but not far from it. And I love every minute of it.
Now I know one author who doesn’t like research, Beverley. LOL
Most houses have blackholes. Most of those blackholes involve the internet in some form, Robin. LOL
No question that it informs our writing, Judy. It just takes time away from it 😀 Of course, I much prefer research taking time away from writing as opposed to say housework. 😀
I think part of being a writer, Lynn, requires you have an inquiring mind. The world is full of fascinating trivia that’s only a few keystrokes away. It’s very dangerous.. (My brain is full of useless trivia. 😀 )
Research is fun, Skye. Too much fun. 😀
OMG, Marci! Of course I clicked on the link, before I was even done reading your post! More than I EVER wanted to know about the taste of, ahem, man’s “love fluids”. Reminds me of that joke from Austin Powers, when the girl tells him her last name is “Spits” and also “Swallows”, and he wants to know which is it? Spits or Swallows? Heh, heh.
You are right about research sometimes being so interesting you forget about writing entirely. I avoid going on FB very often also, since that’s the biggest time-suck ever! But at least with research, you can convince yourself it’s time well-spent. Most of the time…
HAHAHA, Fiona. Isn’t it an awesome page? I knew I had to share it when I wrote this post. Believe it or not, I did use this information in my latest work, The Whispering House. 😀
I swear we are two of a kind, Marci! Thanks for sharing info that I may never need, but I sure feel enlightened for having added to my brain!
Hahaha I can’t help myself, Fiona. 😀