Research: Putting The Facts In Fiction

As writers of fiction, it’s our job to make up stories which will engage the readers attention and hold it. From our imagination we create plots, make up characters, places, events, conflicts, and anything else we choose which will help us tell a good story.

There is an old saying in the craft of writing—write what you know. Does this mean that we have to be an "expert" on every subject within our fictional stories? Absolutely not. We do need a good foundation of general knowledge from which to build upon, but as we develop our story many subjects will arise of which we have little or no knowledge. When this happens we must put our imagination on the shelf, get out of our story, and venture out into the "real world." Why do we do this? How do we do this?

The reason why we do it is twofold: Unless our theme is science fiction or fantasy, then we must introduce certain aspects of the real world in order to make our stories more realistic. Secondly, I also think it’s important to ‘educate’—to teach our readers something. Tom Clancy’s fictional novel, The Hunt For Red October, is not only an engrossing story, but is also an accurate and fact-filled treatise on submarine technology and naval warfare. This education, as I call it, makes our stories more fun to read.

The how we do it is through research. As I begin developing a storyline (and even during the first drafts) for a novel, I often come across subjects which I want to write about but know nothing. I set up a file called "Research Topics" and start by simply making notes of subjects which need to be investigated. Generally I like to get my research out of the way fairly early in the manuscript, as often the results of my research will lead me to new ideas which I can incorporate into the story.

So now you’ve got your Research Topic List—what next? By nature, we writers like to think of ourselves as being creative, so it’s time for us to use that creativity and dig into our subject. I divide my research into three categories: People, places, and things.

People: People are an invaluable information source. When I have a research topic, I ask myself, "Do I know anyone who is knowledgeable on this subject? Do I know anyone who might point me to someone else who knows about it?" If the answer is no, then I ask, "okay, where can I find someone who knows about this?" Regardless, this is where the personal interviews come in.

When I wrote the novel, SmokeFire!, I needed to know how the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Service conducted searches of lost hikers. Although I have a lot of backcountry experience, and even assisted in search and rescue of lost hikers in my younger days, I needed more detailed information. I knew of no one who was an authority on this subject, so I decided to go to the authority itself. I prepared a list of questions and topics that I wanted to cover, and early one morning I drove up to the National Park and made a "cold call." I found a Park Ranger, introduced myself, told him I was a writer, and that I needed some information if he had the time. The Park Service was very amicable, and spent many hours educating me on my subject. In fact, many times they would say, "You know, you need to talk to so-and-so, he’s the expert on this-and-that." They would provide me with the contact information, and I’d go from there with one interview often leading to another.

I cannot overemphasize how invaluable these interviews were, as from them I was able to enhance the storyline. As I went through this interview process with the Park personnel I not only learned a lot about search operations but also learned of places, history, facts, and people of whom I’d never heard. In one instance the Park Service described an abandoned Civil War mine site (which had nothing to do with my topic of interest) which I later incorporated into the storyline. I even got characterization ideas from some of the people I talked to.

The point here is, seek out the people who know about your subject. Talk to them on the telephone, make appointments, or even cold call on them just as a salesperson would do. Sure, some will refuse to be interviewed and some interviews will be disappointing, but don’t give up. I find that most people are more than willing to be interviewed. Before you go on the interview, be prepared. Have your questions ready (if you have ‘tough’ questions, save them for last), dress appropriately, and be courteous and professional. I always take a tape recorder (although some people don’t want to be taped, so I always ask) and notebook. For important interviews I take along a stenographer who can write shorthand. After the interview (especially if it’s been a good one) I ask if they would like their name included in the book’s acknowledgements. I never forget to say thank you, and it’s also a good idea to send a letter of appreciation, as you might have to do some follow up with them later.

Places: This is easier to do than personal interviews, and can be fun too. When I wrote SmokeFire!, I put the primary setting in a remote area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park called Panther Creek. I have done a lot of backcountry camping, but I had never been to Panther Creek, as hiking is discouraged in that area. With help from the Park Service I went into Panther Creek and spent some time. It was rugged and remote (not to mention a little spooky), and I tried to put myself into my characters when they were there. What did it look like? What did it smell like? What is interesting and different about this place? What would they feel (what did I feel)? While in the deep backcountry I paid close attention to details, including my own emotions. I tried to put myself into the story and into that of my characters. I made a lot of notes and tape recordings, and took many photographs (which I later used for reference).

When you write about a specific locale, try your best to go there—even if you’ve been there before—and open all your senses to the surroundings. I promise you it will be worth the effort.

Things: This is my general category of research, and some of this I farm out to my Research Associates. There are a lot of sources available to research things. The library, newspapers, books, and of course, the Internet. This is a tedious process, but none the less very important. In writing my second novel, CrossFire!, I needed to know about shortwave radio technology. Knowing absolutely nothing about it, I began to do some research at the library and on the internet. I got some good information, but I didn’t get everything I needed. I contacted our local ham radio club but they couldn’t answer my questions. It seemed that I was stuck, then I got an idea; maybe I could find something off the Internet if I approached it differently. I logged back in and finally found (after going through many, many, websites) a shortwave radio expert in the United Kingdom. I emailed him, introducing myself, and asked if he could answer some questions. After a few email exchanges this person was able to answer all of my questions accurately. Sometimes you have to dig, dig, and dig to find the answers you’re looking for, but you’ll find them if you look hard enough.

Earlier I mentioned my Research Associates. Not every writer has research associates (but I highly recommend them) to help in digging up facts. When I wrote SmokeFire! I performed virtually all of the research myself which required over five-hundred hours. I like doing research, as again, research sometimes leads to other possibilities and ideas I can use in my storyline, but it does take a lot time. This is where your research associates come in. I have associates who have very differing disciplines (one is an engineer, another is a retired fighter pilot, etc.). I prepare a list of topics I want investigated and let them pick the subjects they feel comfortable in researching. I tell them what I’m looking for and they go away and dig up the facts. After they are through with their investigation, they type up a paper and email it to me. An important note here—you must have a high degree of trust in your associates, and they must know how important it is to get the facts right and be accurate. If you include factual information in your story and it’s inaccurate, you will lose credibility with a reader who knows something about the subject (your publisher might even get a letter saying the author doesn’t know what he or she is talking about).

If you write fiction then you will have to do research—it’s absolutely necessary! Good research adds a dimension of reality to our fictional stories, educates our readers, and leads us writers to new ideas. So start digging!

By T. Judson Kennedy, author of "SmokeFire!" found at http://www.pdbookstore.com    

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