Have you ever read a book and found a glaring factual blunder? They happen. In Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, a character refers to Punch-and-Judy shows. The Punch-and-Judy puppet shows began in the century after the setting of the story. This kind of blunder is an anachronism, a thing out of its time. How do we avoid factual flubs? Research! Yes, great editors help, but ultimately the responsibility for getting the facts straight falls on the author.
Discover the World of Your Story
Immerse yourself in this world. Learn from books, reference materials, internet sources, movies, pop culture, newspapers, trade journals, government publications, and professional associations.
Who are the experts on this topic or issue? What have they learned about this topic? What does the common person believe? Answer the questions you have about the world of the story and the career of the main character. Read. Read. Read every authoritative thing you can find.
Create verisimilitude by weaving loads of facts with a dash of fiction, and the reader will believe the world of the story. Get the facts right, or credibility–that willing suspension of disbelief–won’t happen. Create magic by drawing the reader in with the truth. Layer on the facts and then gradually weave in the fictional elements of the story.
Author Steve Berry writes best-selling historical conspiracy stories that use 90% historical fact and 10% fiction. He combines the elements so artfully he makes the reader believe the conspiracy is real or at least possible. Michael Crichton was another master author whose deep research, sprinkled with jaw-dropping “what-if?” technology, delivered big concept stories.
No fact is worth using unless it has emotional truth.
Interview Experts
Say your main character is a firefighter, and you know very little about firefighters. One handy place to find information is the online version of the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Dept. of Labor and Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/a-z-index.htm. This directory lists the job requirements, education, training, licenses, special skills, and such. It lists salary ranges, the projected number of job openings, and similar jobs. It also lists professional organizations related to this job.
Armed with basic information, you can then find more information in online forums, professional organizations, and group chats. A directory of online groups is https://thehiveindex.com/. Many professional organizations have a media liaison or publicity person available to answer questions and connect you with an expert to interview.
Do not waste the expert’s time asking for information you can find through research. Narrow down your questions to discover incredible insider stuff readers would not know. Readers love to learn new things.
For example, did you know that forensic DNA testing can be done in one to two days? Ah, but the reality is that homicide cases get priority and even then, the backlog in some states is weeks or months. See state and local turnaround times for forensic tests: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2010/rpt/2010-R-0086.htm For a criminal investigation, the cost of processing the DNA sample from extraction to certification is about $2,000. Small town police departments often don’t have the budget to test DNA on every homicide.
Always seek experts for their input, explanations, insight, trends, quotes, and leads to other experts. If possible, interview experts in person, and if possible, record the interview. It is a felony in some states to record a person without permission, so always record the subject giving consent as part of the interview!
Transcribe interviews. The act of transcribing will bring subtle quotes to your attention, things you may have missed in the heat of the discussion, and things that may need follow-up.
Bring a camera to record images of the interview subject and ask if you can blog about the interview or ask the expert for a digital portrait.
Types of Interview Questions
Ease into tough questions by starting with basics that show you’ve done your research—verify facts on the person—exact spelling of the person’s name, job title, years of service with the company, age, education, special interests, hobbies, and awards. When interviewing a person, always verify the spelling and title of the person’s name. Even simple names like John can be spelled, Jon. Check. Verify.
Move into open questions to get the expert talking. Here are a few conversation starters.
- What is it about your work most often misunderstood by the public?
- What’s the most unusual case you’ve ever had?
- What is the most dangerous part of your job?
- What is the most frustrating part of your work?
- What’s the most satisfying part of your work?
- How much does your career affect your personal life?
If the firefighter in your story faces a particular situation, ask your expert how he would handle it.
When researching boats as part of a novel about kidnapping, I spent a week on a trawler. I summarized the plot of the story and asked the trawler owners where they would hide a 110-pound captive on the boat. They opened hatches and showed me. Some were cramped and stunk of diesel, but the engine hold suited the story perfectly. They even let me stay in the hold and scream while the boat was underway. This was a test to see if my screaming could be heard. It could not.
The research experience was a blast. I blogged about it ( https://jonimfisher.com/love-of-research/ and https://jonimfisher.com/call-me-trawler-trash/ ).
After completing the first draft, I asked my experts to double-check the manuscript for my use of nautical terms and explanations. They helped tremendously and even allowed me to use the name of their boat and their first names as characters in West of Famous.
Name Dropping
Always ask your interview subject who else to talk to or where you can find further information on this subject. Experts know one another and are more willing to talk if you mention you have also interviewed one of their equals.
Ask: “Is there anything I haven’t asked you about that you’d like people to know?” Listen. You might get inspiration for your next novel.
In my next blog, “Facts Matter in Fiction, Part 2,” we will explore observation, fieldwork, and deeper immersion methods of research.
Where have you found valuable research material?
Resources
- The Oxford-Duden Pictorial English Dictionary (gives detailed names and parts of buildings, docks, machines, etc.)
- The Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale (Better than a Thesaurus)
- The New York Public Library Desk Reference
- The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference
- The World Almanac and Book of Facts
- www.writers-free-reference.com has name etymologies, song lyrics links, and a wide variety of reference links on many subjects
- www.refdesk.com is a monster list of reference links.
- Guide to Reference Books by Constance M. Winchell
- How and Where to Look It Up by Robert W. Murphy
- Reader’s Guide to Periodicals
Ken Pelham
Good post! I actually enjoy research, so I don’t see it as a block. Still, it’s hard to nail down everything, especially the little things.
Joni M Fisher
Thanks, Ken. I loooove the research phase. Have done wonderful fun things in the name of research.
David-Michael
“Readers love to learn new things.” This is one of many keys to engaging writing/reading. Nice job, JF. I’m glad they let you out of the hold! I enjoy your work!
Joni M Fisher
Thank you, David-Michael. Good to know someone is reading my blog posts. Even sweeter to know someone likes them!
Lee Gramling
Right on, 100%! The only thing I might add is — if you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity — don’t overlook social settings as a source of information. I’ve learned loads from just sitting around a campfire with real cow hunters and keeping my mouth shut. Groups of firefighters and cops also like to tell stories, although I’ve less opportunity to use this in my kind of fiction.
Joni M Fisher
Let’s call this field research. People love to tell stories about what they love, what they’ve seen and done. I agree that people will talk if someone listens. Listening seems to be a dying art…good on you for taking the time to meet people in their element!
Marc D OBrien
“Journalism is a skill, it is a mature way to obtain and distribute information,” said interpretive fiction author Marc O’Brien.
Fiction writing I feel is a nice way to display information for the reader to engage and think about, it is the journalism communication arts study that builds the believable structure in my writing
Joni M Fisher
Is this the Marc OBrien who writes about people challenging disabilities and the way people perceive disability?
Dwight
Thank you. This was very helpful. I have never written anything if merit but worked quit some time on a concept and then abandoned it. I was attempting to write about actual event where two young girls went for a walk to see the circus tent on the next street and returned to a different world than the one the left. Word had come of the bombing of Pearl Harbor while they were out for a walk. I had given up on the concept but I will use the tools you provided and give it another try. Thanks.
Joni M Fisher
Perhaps the story is a novella or a short story since you are capturing a transitional moment in history through the example of two young girls. In these shorter forms of storytelling, each word and sentence has to carry weight. Were these girls in Hawaii or California? How did it affect them and why? Were their boyfriends of draft age? Allow yourself to diverge from the true event to make it a more impactful story. We can tell great truths through fiction.
Dwight
Thanks . It is based in an actual event relayed to me by the principles here in Florida. I was asked by a friend to write a type of introduction for folks to understand WWII in my hometown. He is preparing to interview our only two surviving WWII veterans and I attempted to write the girls walk as opening with the girls going for a walk and returning to a country at war and ended with these two gentlemen landing on the beach at D-Day. It failed its intended propose and I now have a great deal of work in something useless unless repurposed as fiction. Your recommendation is very helpful.