How Important Is Research for Writers Of Fiction?

Hi All,

This week’s blog is about the importance of research for writers of fiction.

Some people may wonder at the relevance of research when novels, at least for the most part, are figments of our imaginations. Aren’t we entitled to a certain amount of poetic license? Don’t we have a right to develop our scenes and characters without the constraints of pedantic research?

The answer is yes…and no.

We have a responsibility to ensure our readers find our plots believable and this includes genres like science fiction, paranormal or fantasy. Characters and plots for the latter styles must have a ring of truth in order for us to become invested in them and to ultimately ‘accept’ the story. One of the ways we can do this is to make an effort with our research.

Stephen King is the master of believability and yet he probably writes some of the most far fetched story lines.

The last thing we want is for our readers to roll their eyes in disbelief. Remember we’re writing for people from all walks of life – medical personnel, law enforcement, musicians, artists, foodies and so on.

One of the things I love most about Jodi Picoult’s novels is her meticulous research. According to the FAQs on her site, she has several experts she can call on when needed. She also reads everything she can get her hands on about specific topics. See below some of the lengths she has gone to in order to ensure accuracy:

Lived with an Amish family for a week.
Spent a day in jail.
Learned Wiccan love spells and went ghost hunting.
Attended a private katsina dance at a Hopi reservation.
Trekked to the Alaskan tundra to visit a remote Eskimo village.
Travelled to Botswana visiting an elephant sactuary.
Observed cardiac surgery.

I was amazed at the amount of research I needed to do for Gracie’s Girls and the extents I needed to go to in order to make sure I was accurate. I researched everything from Conchology, psychics, clothing styles, cars, art, photography, baby names, American Idol, songs, singers, shell mounds, food, hospital procedures, the bible, Facebook, architecture, furniture design, various eras and Gracie’s disease (T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia).

Since I don’t have Picoult’s budget, I had to get creative with a lot of my research. I found many answers online, however, you can’t always trust Google. For the most important elements I needed to find real people in the field I was researching. This is where ‘building contacts’ is essential. It’s incredible just how many experts you can find in your own circle of friends. For instance, one of my cousins is a nurse who also has access to knowledgeable colleagues.

An online friend of mine, Annie, owns Mango’s Dockside Bistro and has lived in Marco Island where Gracie’s Girls is set, for many years. Annie indirectly introduced me to William H Marquardt, curator of Florida Museum Of Natural History and renowned author/expert on the Calusa Indians. I felt as if I’d won the lottery the morning I received my ‘checked’ manuscript attached to an email from Dr. Marquardt after he graciously verified all of my Calusa excerpts. Now, having said that, I did err in favor of ‘some’ poetic license here and there due to some unproven myths. I felt the risk was worth the value it added to the plot…and that is always an author’s prerogative.

See below links to my website showing some of the research topics I covered in Gracie’s Girls.

Calusa Indians

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia

Bible Quotes

Shells

That’s if for this week. If you’re a writer, I’d love to know what lengths you’ve gone to for research.

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Take care all, Viv x