Research Part 2- Know What to Look For

Now that we have the tools, let's take a look at how much data to collect.

 KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

Sounds easy, but be specific, know exactly what you want to do, otherwise you're looking for a fact in a sea of world history.

Once, I wanted to write about farmers barricading the tracks in protest of low grain prices in 1917, in Southern Saskatchewan. I had no idea if this had ever happened. If it had, I needed facts. If it hadn't, I was free to create. I needed to know my boundaries, the walls around me. I didn't want to jump into this scene blind. Knowing the state of the farmers for that time would help. Were they frustrated? Did they have good crops that year? Were they expecting better prices? I had a list of questions I needed answers for.

Can I pop the hood?

 KNOW WHEN TO STOP LOOKING

I searched for weeks to find proof. Some questions had no answers, others had conflicting answers. hmmm... How did I know it was time to stop looking?

You ever heard of the golden rule to research? Yeah, me neither, but at a workshop, the writer in charge told me there was one, and it was her show, so I let it go. Besides, it's a decent rule, that I have fun breaking.

Her rule was:

PROVE IT THREE TIMES.

That's right boys and girls, prove each fact you use three times.

"Not for fiction?" I said in disbelief.

"Well," she was so smug, ready for my innocence. "When your editor tells you not to call it a chop pail, but a plain old bucket, will you bend?"

Oh. She was right, of course, I'd need facts in hand if I was to argue with anyone that powerful.

Prove it three times, from at least two of these sources;

The Internet

Books

Confirmed by a specialist
Hands on experience

Keep track of each in case someone comes knocking.
Now this is good advice, especially if you write non-fiction. Get it right, keep it straight. Check.

Now for fiction, I do bend her rule. Sometimes three times is enough, too much, not nearly enough. Sometimes, we just need an idea about what people are thinking, how they dressed, we don't need all these extra details. Sometimes we do have to talk to specialists, crawl in tunnels... sometimes we don't. That's why knowing WHAT you want and WHY you need it is so important. You'll know the minute you've found it, your scene will come to life.



ok, so I did draw the line here.
I happen to seriously like
my washing machine.



My rule is to gather enough facts to;

1. Create a visual

2. Support the scene (make it believable)

3. Juice up the imagination (to fill in for the missing facts)

I'll go into these points in other posts, for now, let's just collect enough facts.

SUMMED UP

1. Know what you want and why you need it.

2. Get it in enough detail so you can get creative with it.
3. Know your limits, your boundaries so you can feel free to create "real" scenes.
4. Be prepared to prove it.