II is for Intentional Information

Let’s Think About Information – or Research for Fiction

When writing non-fictionally – journalism, biography, travel, food, commentary etc – it is clear why research is needed. It provides the meat for the bones of your writing and keeps your topic relevant. Avoiding the tendency to waffle.

When writing fictionally, it may be less obvious why research is required. Will it add anything to the story?

All the elements of short stories and novels benefit from the author knowing what they are writing about in terms of:

• geographical settings
• character traits, jobs, lifestyle
• subject matter of your story
• historical timing
• stimulating the reader’s personal knowledge

Settings

Where is your story taking place – somewhere invented or somewhere real? Or a bit of both? Do you know the place? Have you been there?

While your response to the last two questions could be negative, you can find out about places from books, magazines, films, documentaries and maps. Or by talking to people who live there. However, the content of your writing might not be as definite as knowing a place personally – the atmosphere, the smells, and sounds are more likely to affect your senses and therefore inform your choice of words.

Making up a setting is also a type of necessary research to make it realistic, futuristic or historic. By setting a fictional place within a real geographical area your can create authenticity. (I’ve done this with my recently completed novel).

Characters

While I may have a mental image of a character’s facial features, I seldom use the information in my narrative. I omit such details to allow the reader’s imagination to have a more intimate relationship with the person they can see in their mind’s eye. Readers fill in the gaps with colour, shape and features for themselves and I might harm their vision if I am too didactic.

I do however either research or create jobs, backgrounds, relationships, family trees, as though lining up my actors. I need to know these people as if they live with me in my writing room – which they do while I’m writing a novel for two years.

Subject Matter

Whichever genre of fiction you write, there will be a reason for your story and that is your subject. As you plan, you will be asking lots of what if questions – and finding the answers so the background to the twists and turns of your story is vital research that makes your story believable.

Historical Timing

Even contemporary fiction has a timing albeit within a few years of the date at which you write and when your work is ultimately published. You may write in the far-off future, speculatively, or way back in the past, authoritatively. History is factual so it needs research. Even a story from the previous decade requires you to seek out firm facts, plausible possibilities, and not just rely on vague memories.

The Reader’s Knowledge

You serve your readers well if they learn something from your story. The setting you choose may be familiar but even a local will not recognise the way you see their world. A great historian may be uber-knowledgeable but not know the one little addition your found out. The characters will be credible because you’ve painted their portrait with words and actions – all the details you deliberately omit will have been filled in by your reader.

What Do You Do With All This Intentional Information?

You have to know when to stop! Your story is only as good as you intend it to be when you are able to type END.

This means that the research must give way so the writing can begin whether you are a meticulous plotter or a seat-of-the-pants discovery writer – thank you Imogen Clark for that term.

If you come across a gap in your knowledge, you have a choice:

• stop and do that research now – but don’t forget your story – move on again quickly
• type some kind of code – such as XXX – which you can search back on later and then find the answers you need to fill in the gap – thank you CL Taylor for this tip.

Research Is Important…

but completing your fiction, whatever the length, must include only the facts necessary. Having loads of unused research is not a waste – hold it in a real or virtual folder ready for another project. Call that folder MIGHT-COME-IN-HANDY.

More writing practice at ABC Alliterative Title Challenge.