tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post3139794297930253941..comments2024-03-28T03:02:16.508-04:00Comments on Author, Jody Hedlund: 3 Cautions For Adding Research Into StoriesJody Hedlundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-90487123732913908412014-05-22T11:55:59.880-04:002014-05-22T11:55:59.880-04:00Research is my favorite form of brainstorming. I m...Research is my favorite form of brainstorming. I might tend to research more than I need for a particular story,but I then use the additional research for another story. I'm not fond of reading stories with huge chunks of info dump or narrative interruption where suddenly the author is telling me things when moments before I was in a character's head. I'd rather the character continue and tell me the information. <br /><br />I think weaving research in to an intense scene is a good way to utilize the information while also moving the story along. But in truth, of course I want to just put in all the research..hard to realize the readers won't know everything. Azaria Brileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02182335358983602612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-79256984479533515182014-05-07T16:28:39.068-04:002014-05-07T16:28:39.068-04:00I've really enjoyed reading all of your commen...I've really enjoyed reading all of your comments, everyone! Thank you for adding your thoughts! You've offered some great additional tips, and I'm learning from YOU! :-) TJody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-41529444211538751012014-05-07T09:40:13.349-04:002014-05-07T09:40:13.349-04:00Jody, I grew up in the Seattle area and have chose...Jody, I grew up in the Seattle area and have chosen to write about the Pacific Northwest for the same reason you write about Michigan. It's familiar and the research is more convenient. <br /><br />My research often shows up in the details--the name of a street, the reference to a bad winter, a historical name. It takes time to gather this information, and readers might not know a certain name is a real person and not made up, but for those with a deeper historic eye, they will appreciate the intentionality--like you with Becky's book.<br /><br />Another way research comes out in my writing, is through conversation. In my WIP I have two men discussing land preservation and the pursuit of national parks (1870's). Most readers won't know that the frustrations they mention about certain areas of the US being exploited came from actual events I researched. In the conversation, it's just a few lines in passing, but spoken in character voice, the specific research adds depth to the character's motives.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-89837080022937644072014-05-07T01:23:55.360-04:002014-05-07T01:23:55.360-04:00I love doing research for my historicals. While w...I love doing research for my historicals. While writing the chapter in my WIP largely set by the 1939 World's Fair, I had to resist temptation to write about each and every ride, show, restaurant, exhibit, pavilion, and souvenir!<br /><br />Re: too much research, I totally recommend against trying to cram each and every single event, invention, popular movement, etc., into a historical. What are the odds that every single person in a family and/or group of friends would take part in or be impacted by all these things in a given era? It really starts to feel like a history lesson, and very forced.Carrie-Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05810154378449825641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-21360430293346599012014-05-06T23:14:05.920-04:002014-05-06T23:14:05.920-04:00The best thing to do in cases like this is to leav...The best thing to do in cases like this is to leave yourself an asterisk or some indicator like [find out when this poem was written] and keep moving forward with your story. Otherwise, you'll lose the story's momentum, and your muse will die of boredom or leave with your story unfinished. Marilynn Byerlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16720129999636676998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-4794864539146942362014-05-06T21:10:50.624-04:002014-05-06T21:10:50.624-04:00I have been doing a lot of research for a short st...I have been doing a lot of research for a short story which is now seems to be growing into a novella. The research has given me more ideas to explore! The problem is, when I am writing I will suddenly find something else I want/need to research. I once did eight hours research (and borrowed a library book) just so I would have the correct facts - for one sentence. If the fact had been incorrect, historical costume buffs would have flayed me alive! (and I am one of them).Karen Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04597287832826625111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-59777470255292185322014-05-06T16:00:02.610-04:002014-05-06T16:00:02.610-04:00A big caution is to be careful not to insert resea...A big caution is to be careful not to insert research in the exact wording you found in your research. Several authors, both fiction and nonfiction, have been caught in research plagiarism scandals by doing just that. <br /><br />My own research varies according to my project. The most research I had to do was for a reincarnation romance, TIME AFTER TIME, where the modern-day hero recreated and retold important moments in a number of his and the heroine's past lives. Most of these stories lasted no more than a chapter or two, but I had to do so much research that I might as well have written historical novels for each period. Marilynn Byerlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16720129999636676998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-5141487073006652682014-05-06T13:51:51.954-04:002014-05-06T13:51:51.954-04:00This makes sense.This makes sense.Traci Kenworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07336373871521363649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-69398817636072255432014-05-06T09:09:42.062-04:002014-05-06T09:09:42.062-04:00Hi Jody
Your blog post was very interesting becau...Hi Jody<br /><br />Your blog post was very interesting because I've been busy researching and writing my third novel for the past eight months. One of my characters lived in a small French village throughout WW2 - a subject I knew little about from a French perspective.<br /><br />After two visits, several museum trips and reading many books both fiction and non-fiction about that particular era, I have nearly finished my book. I agree that adding too much research can make writing seem like a history lesson! Too little and there's not enough depth. The magic key is somewhere in the middle...I hope I've achieved that. *crosses fingers*<br />Angela Bartonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17221068291904611525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-61463492634116015682014-05-06T09:01:06.704-04:002014-05-06T09:01:06.704-04:00Jody, all excellent points. I especially like the ...Jody, all excellent points. I especially like the "iceberg principle." At a writing conference I attended early in my journey, I recall Randy Ingermanson warning against the "look how much research I've done" syndrome. I didn't think much about it until I saw it demonstrated not long after in a book by a multi-published author. The writer should always know more than he/she reveals. Thanks for sharing.Richard Mabryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15993592219849830777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-48214665074860811522014-05-06T08:45:15.944-04:002014-05-06T08:45:15.944-04:00Funny--- my first try at "research"--- a...Funny--- my first try at "research"--- as in outside of Google-- was an email I sent, asking for just a small bit of information. The reply was, in summary, "How much you gonna pay us?"<br /><br />Uh. Yeah. <br /><br />Google was my friend after that, LOL. I did more research with Sandwich though, as all my memories of Sandwich were about 25 years old!! Not great for a contemporary! Krista Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10772828583379163612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-51600569124103031292014-05-06T08:39:07.968-04:002014-05-06T08:39:07.968-04:00Pinning this post to my "writing" board....Pinning this post to my "writing" board. I write fantasy, but it is amazing how many things I have to research even for my made up world. My list for my current book includes: loom weaving, woodcarving, sign language, lip reading, navigation tools, and different sound waves. Other times it is just "how far can a man on a horse travel in a day" sort of things. HLBurkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04569851175115923173noreply@blogger.com