So I took some time this evening to catch
up with a little blog reading, including an email newsletter I get monthly from
K.M. Weiland (2014) of Helping Writers Become Authors.
There were a few lines in an article titled “Research is Great! Now Keep It
to Yourself” that leapt off the page at me tonight, including this
first gem:
Fortunately for us, research is usually fun, especially since
we’re often going to be reading about subjects that already interest us
personally.
Wow, did that strike a chord with me! I’ve
been researching for my next book, a story that takes place along the same
historical arc as the sinking of the ship S.S. EdmundFitzgerald in Michigan.
I’ve become an Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck fact junkie! For
those of you who aren’t from Michigan or who didn’t grow up in the folk music
scene of the 70s, the sinking of the Fitz may be an unknown
event. However, the disappearance of this giant ore carrier in the frigid
waters of Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, and its immortalization in Gordon Lightfoot’sballad have made
this tragedy stick in the hearts and minds of many.
That being said, such a tragedy has been
discussed, researched, argued over, and written about countless times. While my
book has little to do with the story of the Fitz (my story
sort of happens in the shadow of the historical event), I wanted to be sure I
knew the story well and did my research accordingly—a LOT of research! I can’t
help but worry, though, that there will be those who know a great deal more
than I do who will find fault with my efforts. Thankfully, I’m not alone in
this worry, as Weiland (2014) notes:
No matter what subject we’re writing about, we have to assume
we’ll find some pretty smart readers out there who will know more about it than
we do.
This is a fact of reality: There will
always be someone out there who knows more about the topic than I do. Although
I can’t solve that problem, I can make some effort to ensure that I’ve done my
due diligence on the research and writing end. To that end, here are goals for
researching and integrating that work into my own WIP:
1.
Read
a LOT: To research a
topic effectively, a writer should read whatever is available on the topic. And
I’m not talking about sitting down and typing the topic into Wikipedia, although that could be a good
first step. The bibliographic materials on Wikipedia articles can often be very
useful “next steps.” The point, though, is to read widely on the topic, to be
sure to see it from as many angles as possible—otherwise readers will gladly
point out missed perspectives.
2.
Seek
out Experts: While I realize
that few of us have the budgets to allow for research trips, I’ve found that
email is a great way to connect to the experts who have already spent countless
hours researching the same topic. The best part is that many of them are happy
to answer a few questions on their favorite subject—as long as their time is
valued and respected. There’s no substitute for going to the source when it
comes to authenticating research.
3.
Take
notes: This sounds a bit
obvious, but most of us aren’t very good at remembering things. How many
times have you had that moment when you know you heard something somewhere—but
just can’t remember where or when? While it may not be necessary to write down each
detail from many sources—especially where the ideas from those sources
overlap—it can be incredibly helpful to note where the sources differ. What are
the causes for those differences?
4.
Give
credit ethically: Okay, so I should
out myself here and admit that I teach English, so I’m constantly lecturing my
students about citing their sources. To not do that myself would just be
hypocritical—and maybe downright criminal since I know better. However, it’s
hard to give credit in the usual sense in fiction. There are opportunities in
an acknowledgments section and in a works consulted section to give credit to
the original researchers whose work has informed my way of thinking about the
topic. That can also give the writer a bit of protection if a fact is challenged.
Readers have some idea where the idea originated—if it wasn’t something that
came from the author’s imagination. (By the way, since I’m talking about
citation in this post, I felt it absolutely necessary to roll out the formal
APA citation for this blog entry—don’t be alarmed!)
5.
Contribute
to the Ongoing Conversation:
Imagine walking into an ongoing conversation and just repeating what everyone
else is saying. How well would that go over? The participants in the
conversation would likely just ignore what we say entirely. Likewise, when
writing about a topic that is already being discussed, we need to take in
what’s being discussed, synthesize it with what we know, and add something
valuable to the conversation—some new knowledge or insight. Fiction allows writers
the opportunity to “see” a topic in an entirely new light. It’s important not
to simply regurgitate the facts from our research; instead, we should aim to
build on those ideas to create a fresh take on the topic.
I know I will never know everything there
is to know about the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald no matter how much
research I do. But that isn’t my goal. My goal is to use the research as a
scaffold on which to build my own story. What research tips have you found most
helpful in building your own story scaffold?
References
Weiland, K.M. (2014, February 1). Research
is great! Now keep it to yourself. Helping Writers Become Authors.
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