On Research in Fiction

Few are aware of the incredible amount of research that is required for a novel. Timelines must be developed, or at least, adhered to in case there is no outline, facts must be checked, and locations secured. The writer who makes a mistake in this regard will inevitably be called lazy, for he did not take the time to work everything out. Tolkien kept a journal of the Lord of the Rings in order to keep himself organized. The History Books Saga, my magnum opus, has a very old character guide sheet in desperate need of updating if I am to get going on it.

I have been reading a novel entitled ‘The Thirty-Three Cecils,’ a series of journals written about several people who converge on a spot in time. It is an interesting read, although there are sections where the narrative bogs down. There is an incredible amount of detail, but one stuck out at me: the story takes place in 1992, in New York City, and mentions Dunkin’ Donuts at a specific location. My inclination was to find out whether this particular coffee shop existed in 1992. As it turns out, it did; it had recently opened, and while the author gets brownie points, in this incident I think it was just a fortunate accident.

Another book I have been reading is eerily similar to the Hunger Games in the conversations between characters, and it is called ‘Red Moon’ by J.R. Cochran, a friend of mine. When people are being chased by murderous thugs, they do not stop to discuss past lovers. I’m sorry, it just doesn’t happen; the laughter, the carefree way the girl tosses her hair over her shoulder, it just does not happen. The author can be forgiven, however, in part because the narrative does move fast, and these periods when the authors act ‘out of character’ are few and far between.

The trouble today is ‘The Bandwagon Effect’ and it applies to most fiction types written today. Many people want to be the next J.K Rowling, or Stephanie Meyer. That is understandable. However, when stories seem to be about the same thing, it gets tiring. The same goes for the zombie apocalypse. There is a story I have about a man heading home to see his family and he walks the tracks because they seem to be the safest place to be walking, but I have not yet written it because it does involve the undead, and I don’t want to be another writer discussing that subject. Most end-of-the-world scenarios involve very little science – or scientific fact, for that matter, and the author simply wings it, or has the character wake up after the action has already started (where have we heard that before?)

The message is clear: do your homework. Research might uncover ideas you might never have thought about otherwise.