I hope you all are enjoying this month about what goes into writing, and some of my writing in particular. One thing that’s always a part of a fiction (or any) writer’s routine is research. As I said last week, I’ve researched the size of entrance and exit wounds for various bullets, the various stages of decomposition of a human body (gross, by the way), and looked into what exactly a detective does to solve a case. All of this has informed my writing to make it the best, most believable it can be. Part of that is due to my dad, a former police officer, who sits and scoffs at TVs, movies, and books that add a little sparkle and flair when it comes to keeping an audience’s attention and keeping them entertained.
My goal, of course, is to entertain you, but also not distract you from that entertainment by being patently false in how factual, real events are carried out in every day life. Without knowing who everyone in my audience is, there will likely be former police officers or detectives, former military, and average fans of the genre who know a thing or two about a thing or two when it comes to how other authors have handled these factual aspects of fiction.
Two of my most recent works in progress have revolved around a U.S. Air Force veteran. So I made contact with one online. We chat about his experiences, I ask questions on specific facts or details I’d like to cover, and he answers if he can. The interesting part about this dynamic is that I can send a message whenever I have a question I need answered. I’m not boxed in to a single interview, or scheduling multiple and taking up his time as well as taking away my own from writing, editing, business, and family time.
I leave a question, he leaves an answer, and when we’re both available, we chat or I take the opportunity to conduct a real-time interview that’s not set up and stuffy as it would be if it were scheduled for a specific date and time. I get more honest, off-the-cuff answers and shades of his personality rather than stilted, scripted interviews.
These ‘real-time’ interviews have colored my writing in a way no other research or interviewing style has. The depth and detail of knowledge I’ve gained from the more informal nature of this communication has done wonders for my writing. I hope you’ll get to see it soon!
Has there ever been a time when you’ve used online tools in this way? How did it change the dynamic? Did you respond differently? Did the person you were interacting with respond differently? Let’s talk on Facebook!
Writing comes with research. Unless you’re writing about yourself and what you know, there’s going to be something you don’t know. My debut novel coming out soon is a murder mystery. I knew nothing about several aspects of the story, including stages of decomposition of human body, size of bullet entrance and exit wounds, how detectives actually do their jobs, and a lot more. Some of this knowledge you’ll see directly in the pages of the story, and some is background information that helps me write the best story possible.
Another work featuring a U.S. Air Force veteran has required extensive research into basic military training, Air Force specialized training, and more. I’m working closely with someone who has been in these shoes before. He has taught me a lot, and some of it, like in my upcoming novel, I use as background information that helps me write an accurate story and some of it goes into the character traits and plot points reflected in the characters and story.
Working with him is fun but also frustrating at times. He still uses his military acronyms and jargon when communicating with me online and many times I don’t know what they mean. I ask, or I make up my own acronym and it clicks in his mind that I don’t know context. He quickly corrects and explains, and it has helped what was once going to be a short story for my own entertainment become a novel-length story I may one day share with you all.
One of the major focuses of discussion one day was everyday carry, or EDC. To him, it’s EDC and everybody knows that. I had to admit I didn’t. Then he made a joke: ‘in your case it would be EDK. Every day Keri.’ Haha. As with other things, he quickly corrected and explained. With the new data, it has become a central part of the main character’s personality – always having a certain set of items, no matter the circumstances.
Reflecting on the discussion, I realized everyone has some degree of EDC. It’s a collection of items the person finds useful to be carried consistently every day. There are different reasons like utility/usefulness, self-sufficiency, or preparedness. Keeping these tools close at hand helps the carrier with every day problem solving of mundane tasks like opening packages or changing batteries in a device to first aid and and self-defense. The Scouting American 10 Essentials list could be considered part of EDC.
As I mentioned, EDC is the ‘stuff’ you decide is important enough to have close at hand on a daily basis. Your cell phone, wallet, and keys are basics you’re never far from. Pens or pencils and small notebooks, glasses, a small first aid kit, and even a gun or knife could be part of your ‘kit’ as well.
When I asked how he carried it all, he told me pockets, and a special belt. All his gear adds another 13 pounds! This is where my mom would make a joke about my purse being heavy. She’s not wrong, and for much the same reason as my military friend here adds another 13 pounds of ‘stuff’ to his life: I find it beneficial to have daily. His things run the gamut of primary reasons I listed earlier, and my reasons are more utility and preparedness than self-defense, although that should change. Defending oneself in this changing world is getting to be more and more apparent as a necessity.
Enough about my research. I’d like to hear about yours. Is there something you had to research for work or school? Did I pique your interest and cause you to research further than you needed – for your own fulfillment? Let’s talk on Facebook!
Last week I talked about a friend who gave me inspiration for a new story. That same friend didn’t think I could do it, so, as I said, I worked over the weekend and began to expand the story. I added more characters, dialogue, expanded the setting and added other locations as well.
Starting a first draft can be a daunting task if you’ve never done it before. Where to start? In most instances, the beginning. How to start? That’s up to you. Some writers have a scene in their head, whether it’s the opening scene or one that ends up being later on in the story. They write that scene, and go from there. Other writers can sit down and outline a story, including characters, scenes, plots, subplots, and even important objects. There’s enough data that their ‘outline’ looks like a full manuscript and they’ve only started brainstorming.
The final archetypic writer is like me. I sit down and let the words flow out of me. No organization, no stopping to research or look up facts, I just sit down and write. Organization and facts are for later when I’m trying to make sense of everything. There are sometimes when a plot point is so intriguing I have to stop and look it up, but for the most part I plow on until I feel like I can write “The End” and be satisfied with what is on the page. Until I tear it apart in a first round of self-editing.
A first draft is about getting your story out of your head and onto the page. First drafts aren’t usually meant for anyone’s eyes other than the writer’s (and possibly a trusted alpha reader, but alpha readers are a whole separate topic).
My friend who gave me this inspiration fought me on the validity of it being turned into an actual story. They didn’t believe me that just a few paragraphs of what they considered nonsense and a lark just to poke fun at me. But that’s what first drafts are all about – diving deeper into a single setting, character, or other seemingly minute detail to see where it will take you.
Next time you don’t think you have enough to start, remember that a potentially novel-length story is being generated on only a few paragraphs of fun conversation between friends.
Was there a time you had an idea that you needed to get out but didn’t know how? Did you just start, or did you make a plan first? Let’s talk on Facebook!
I have so many story ideas it’s difficult to decide which one to work on next! Some, like my upcoming book, are more thought out and developed, while others, like the one I started last weekend, are still in their infancy.
Inspiration comes from so many places: a thought, a comment, a news article. This particular inspiration came from a friend poking fun at me. Since the idea isn’t fully formed and drafted yet, I’ll hold back on the specifics. It may or may not become a story for public eyes. As I said, this person was poking fun at something I said and began brainstorming their own story – even brainstormed a few paragraphs of internal monologue for the main character.
The more my friend worked on it, the more interested I became. I guaranteed them I could expand the story past their “half-assed story” that they “pulled out of [their] ass.” Of course, I proved them wrong and worked for approximately ten hours over the weekend to come up with an expanded story that includes a whole setting and is getting more characters, actual dialogue, and a main plot and subplots.
Like with any other piece I write, I had to stop to do some research and consult with an expert for what’s likely going to be an inconsequential plot point. This is what leads me to believe it will become something more than a short story for my friend’s entertainment. But with everything else on my desk at the moment, it has to be set to the side for now.
Do you write, draw, paint, or do something else creative? Where do you find inspiration? Let’s talk on Facebook!
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