Facts Matter in Fiction, Part 2

Authors who go the extra mile in research tend to become bestsellers—Patricia Cornwell, Michael Crichton, Dave Berry, Creston Mapes, James A. Michener, David Morrell, Ridley Pearson, Amy Tan, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Herman Wouk to name a few.

Some authors start out as experts, such as:

• Tess Gerritsen (a physician who writes crime stories featuring a coroner)
• Linda Fairstein (a former Manhattan Assistant DA who writes crime novels)
• Timothy Browne, M.D. (a missionary physician who writes inspirational medical thrillers)
• Frank Zafiro (a retired police captain who writes realistic investigation novels)
• Ben Bova (an award-winning scientist who also won awards in science fiction).

So how much research does it take to write with authority? In Part 1 of this post, we discussed discovering the world of the story and finding experts to interview. Next, we dive deeper into immersive research methods.

Observation and Fieldwork

What is this place, this job, this person really like? Would it be possible to hang out with and observe people who do this job? Maybe you could attend a training event—or tag along like it’s Take-a-Writer-to-Work Day. Attend a conference or seminar on the career or topic of your novel. Listen. Take notes. Ask questions. Shadow an expert. Become an anthropologist and study the people who do what your main character does.

During research for The Shimmer, Author David Morrell earned his pilot’s license. The main character flew, so Mr. Morrell immersed himself in flying. He discovered the joys and stresses of flying small aircraft and the novel’s flying scenes resounded with authenticity.

Patricia Cornwall’s books feature a medical examiner. Though she was not a medical examiner, she worked for one and followed that experience with tireless research on forensic technology to become an expert. She has authored 29 New York Times bestsellers so far.

Author Ridley Pearson’s research is cherished by law enforcement readers who have solved cases based on things they learned from Pearson’s detective novels.

Engage your senses so you can recreate the unique world of your story for the reader. Does your hero’s career or the setting of the story differ from the public perception of it? Are there any urban myths related to this? Common misconceptions? Cultural conflicts? What tools and skills are required for your character’s career or setting? Pay attention to facts that impress you. They will probably impress readers, too.

A firefighter’s gear costs $10,000 and weighs 45 pounds.

What sounds, smells, sights, and emotions are associated with this person, place, or thing? Who would write a chef’s story without a description of the food? What’s the profit margin for restaurants? You are not ready to write about a chef until you understand what a Michelin Star means and can explain the difference between a short-order cook, a cook, a chef, and a sous chef.

Take plenty of notes and photos and then some. Details will fade or become distorted because memory is elastic. Document settings and people with photos. Photos are objective.

Explore Broadly

Research the setting and topic of your story from many perspectives.

TIME. History has flavor. What is the history of this topic, this person, this place? Where is the future headed? Extrapolate the trends and their potential impact. Who is predicting the future of this place, this topic, this technology? What does the man on the street believe? If this topic is in the news, pay attention. Analyze it.

SCOPE. Examine the quantity, locale, diversity, and intensity of the topic of your story. How big is this topic anyway? Does the story reach beyond the local to the regional to the national to the global? Does it affect only one industry? How exactly does this subject affect others? How deeply does this issue upset or change people’s lives? Does it affect the CEO and the hourly worker the same?

VARIETY. Seek sources on different sides of an issue but also at different levels of involvement. The academic may be an expert, but how much hands-on experience does he have? In proving a point, use different kinds of proofs. Facts, testimonials, and quotes from experts blend to make a stronger point than three quotes from three experts or just listing fact after fact. Even if the experts all say the same thing, they do so in different ways, so the repetition drives the point deeper home. Anchor statistics in an individual human example, because readers identify with people, not numbers.

MOVEMENT. Change is the only constant. Can this story unfold from development to impact to the reaction? Shift the reader’s focus from the abstract to the concrete, the general to the particular, and the broad view to an individual example. What is the big picture? What are the memorable details? What changes in the story mirror changes in the reader’s world? For example, the pace of life is accelerating, and people are bombarded with information. Social media has a damaging effect on young people’s attention spans and sense of worth.

After conducting your research, you could share your draft manuscript with experts for their input. Ask for a testimonial or endorsement. If the expert is willing to give you a quote for the book and be named in the acknowledgments, then you have done enough research.

Seek out other experts and influencers for endorsement quotes. You have arrived!

Resources:

• The Oxford-Duden Pictorial English Dictionary (gives detailed names and parts of buildings, docks, machines, etc.)
• The Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale (Beats 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