Samuel
asked
Gerard de Marigny:
You are writing in a genre where a well researched narrative is paramount and can make or break a series. How do you go about it? Do you have sources? Read books? Go on the internet?
Gerard de Marigny
Hi Samuel,
Great question and point on ... the espionage thriller genre encompasses a number of subgenres (i.e. techno, war, counter-terrorism, etc.) that call for the highest level of authenticity, in order to really bring the story to life. That means the writer has to get all of the details right.
I utilize every resource at my disposal, beginning and ending with advanced search capabilities on the internet. I do not stop at Wikipedia for my research. It's important to read source documents whenever possible, in order to confirm information and then to cross-check with other sources like white papers, research documents, professional journal articles, etc.
There are also times when I need to check/confirm with real people. I will either reach out by email, less often by phone or face-to-face. The latter can be very time consuming and relatively costly, so I, as do other writers, try not to have to meet in person. One particular experience ... I had read a confidential white paper (I am well-versed in how to find/procure source documents/information that can be considered confidential, especially from government publications that I think no one thinks anyone reads) and needed to confirm the dimensions (and existence) of a Shahab-4 missile. It took me a week to find the author of some of the technical specs ... the individual works for the NSA as one of their research PhDs. Well ... I finally emailed this person with a simple question, "Can a Shahab-4 fit inside a 40-foot ocean container?" and the reply I received in less than three minutes was, "How did you get this email??" Ha! After having this person confirm that I was indeed merely a writer, he finally answered the question with a one-word reply, "Barely." I discovered later that the existence of a Shahab-4 is denied by many in our military. In other words, I wasn't even supposed to know of its existence ... so I certainly wasn't supposed to be asking technical questions about it to our own resident expert on the subject. <-- A good writer is only as good as his sources!
I do also read books, but even more so, I spend at least an hour a day reading news articles from a variety of domestic and international sources. It's very important to get as many points-of-view, including on research topics, as you can.
Thanks for the question,
GdeM
p.s. I just completed co-writing the screenplay adaptation of my first novel, THE WATCHMAN OF EPHRAIM with the legendary Michael Greenburg (MacGyver, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, et al.) The movie is what they call an "A-budget" film, which means north of $25 MM. That allows Mike and I to actually hire "technical advisors," such as military, counter-terrorism, special forces, future tech PhDs, and espionage experts, in order to breathe as much reality as possible into our work. <-- This is where it really gets fun!
Great question and point on ... the espionage thriller genre encompasses a number of subgenres (i.e. techno, war, counter-terrorism, etc.) that call for the highest level of authenticity, in order to really bring the story to life. That means the writer has to get all of the details right.
I utilize every resource at my disposal, beginning and ending with advanced search capabilities on the internet. I do not stop at Wikipedia for my research. It's important to read source documents whenever possible, in order to confirm information and then to cross-check with other sources like white papers, research documents, professional journal articles, etc.
There are also times when I need to check/confirm with real people. I will either reach out by email, less often by phone or face-to-face. The latter can be very time consuming and relatively costly, so I, as do other writers, try not to have to meet in person. One particular experience ... I had read a confidential white paper (I am well-versed in how to find/procure source documents/information that can be considered confidential, especially from government publications that I think no one thinks anyone reads) and needed to confirm the dimensions (and existence) of a Shahab-4 missile. It took me a week to find the author of some of the technical specs ... the individual works for the NSA as one of their research PhDs. Well ... I finally emailed this person with a simple question, "Can a Shahab-4 fit inside a 40-foot ocean container?" and the reply I received in less than three minutes was, "How did you get this email??" Ha! After having this person confirm that I was indeed merely a writer, he finally answered the question with a one-word reply, "Barely." I discovered later that the existence of a Shahab-4 is denied by many in our military. In other words, I wasn't even supposed to know of its existence ... so I certainly wasn't supposed to be asking technical questions about it to our own resident expert on the subject. <-- A good writer is only as good as his sources!
I do also read books, but even more so, I spend at least an hour a day reading news articles from a variety of domestic and international sources. It's very important to get as many points-of-view, including on research topics, as you can.
Thanks for the question,
GdeM
p.s. I just completed co-writing the screenplay adaptation of my first novel, THE WATCHMAN OF EPHRAIM with the legendary Michael Greenburg (MacGyver, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, et al.) The movie is what they call an "A-budget" film, which means north of $25 MM. That allows Mike and I to actually hire "technical advisors," such as military, counter-terrorism, special forces, future tech PhDs, and espionage experts, in order to breathe as much reality as possible into our work. <-- This is where it really gets fun!
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more