Here's the thing about research, when you think you've asked all the questions and then hung up the phone another questions pops in your mind.
After talking to a nurse, a fireman, an EMT and a cop . . . sounds like the start of a joke, doesn't it? Anyway, after talking to them, I mulled my story scene over in my mind.
And then I realized my character lives in the country. Would they be using natural gas or propane gas?
I knew most natural gas lines can be cut off at the meter, which would make sense to put it closer to the main street. But who would actually be the ones to turn the gas off? First responder, as in police officer? Or fireman? I'd guess fireman. It doesn't really matter in the point of view of the character I'm writing, but it's a nice piece of info to tuck into one of the dark recesses of my mind.
Besides I don't want a second explosion because I hadn't thought this through.
But what about propane?
I know nothing about propane gas, other than it's liquid in a compressed form, so I texted my bro-in-law--I was at my daughter's swim practice, so I knew I couldn't hear him if I called. He lives in the country. He knows tons of stuff about everything.
--Question: So do you have propane gas or natural gas at your house? With whichever one you use is there an automatic or manual shut off valve? I need this for a story I'm writing. Thanks
He calls me the next day. "Are you trying to blow up a house?" he asks.
"Why, yes, yes I am."
"Does my brother know about this tendency of yours?"
"He doesn't have a clue. It's safer that way."
And then my BIL proceeds to lecture me on the merits of well gas, natural gas and propane. Everything from the weight of the gas (which I happened to know--probably due to all that chemistry I took in college), to the nozzle size needed to connect to the plumbing in the house, to a house blowing up in the old neighborhood he lived in.
Now my BIL is passionate about his topics. It doesn't matter what the topic is, he's passionate, which means I couldn't get a word in edgewise until about the fifteen minute mark when he took a deep breath.
I explained to him that I don't need the details of nozzle size since I don't plan to go into the schematics of this issue . . . and I was writing this story from the viewpoint of a 12-year old. A kid doesn't care about this stuff, but THE WRITER HAS TO KNOW THIS INFO even if it will never be used.
My friends, writers only use 2% of the information they garner from research, if that much. We don't spew it out in excessive detail, but we use it to color our story with words and depth. We need to know the logistics of a scene for us to write it in a way that is logical to the reader and the characters in the story.
A 12-year old will view a particular scene one way, but the same scene from the eyes of a police officer will be very, very different.
So when I write the scene from the 12-year old's viewpoint, I need the cop to act like a cop would act in the same scenario.
Every character does a dance that pertains to that character's backstory and job in each scene. If a character acts 'out of character' there had better be a very good reason for the behavior. Many times, it's lack of knowledge on the writer's part, or laziness, but it could also be a 'red herring' the author is setting up.
So if you happen to know a writer who stares out into space for inordinate periods of time and then blurts out, "I wonder how hard it would be to get my hands on some curare?" or "I wonder if you can milk a black widow spider for its venom?" or "If I shoot a .44 from the distance of 20 feet would I literally blow someone's head off?"
Don't worry about it that's just the writer working out the logistics of a scene . . . or not.
Later, Peeps!
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
1/18/13
1/15/13
Feeling like a REAL Writer
--er, my spellchecker isn't working, I hope I didn't make too many mistakes!
After writing for thirteen years, yesterday was the first day I felt like a real writer . . . and I didn't even have a chance to 'write'. Over the last thirteen years of writing, I've completed eight novels, one novella, numerous short stories, nine picture books and three easy reader type of books.
But I've always felt like a fraud.
Yesterday was different.
It started off at the swim meet when my friend Patty, a co-worker from my old hospital job and swim instructor, came to the kidlet's swim meet. We started talking and I asked if one of the 11-7 ER nurses was still working there. It turns out no, she doesn't, but we were chatting about why I needed to speak to a ER nurse.
Here's a little of the backstory of a scene I need to write for DRAGON. I've been thinking about this scene for over a YEAR! I knew what I needed to write, but I wasn't quite ready to write it. This is a very emotional scene on so many levels, with so many aspects happening at once, that I wanted to get it right. And getting it right involved research, and not stuff from the Internet, but actual conversations with people about this scene--police officers, firement, EMT, Life Flight medics and Trauma nurses. Without giving away my scene, this gives you an idea of what I was up against.
I'd been working this scene out in my mind and I had to find out if the logistics I thought out would work. Patty mentioned that another co-worker's daughter was now a trauma nurse.
Wow.
What is really wow about this statement is that I remember this co-worker's kids when they were around 5 to 7 years old! Imagining that this young woman was an adult was mind boggling. Yes, I know I've gotten older, but we never think about other people's kids getting older, too!
So I contacted the mom--on Facebook with a short version of what I needed and two phone numbers where I could be reached.
The nurse called me on Sunday night. We chatted for about 15 minutes. I got some answers, but also left her with some questions she didn't know the answers to. She promised to get back to me when later this week after she goes to work on Thursday. She works nights--and so did I for years--so I understand how it all flip-flops.
Armed with the info she gave me, I thought about this scene on my walk yesterday. When I returned home, I tweeted that I needed to speak to a cop, fireman and a EMT. Then I remembered I went to high school with a guy who was a fireman--I IM'ed him through Facebook. He said to send him a list of questions.
Well, I discovered when talking to the trauma nurse that I do better actually conversing with someone about the situation because I'm constantly thinking about the scene, readjusting my thoughts and generating new questions about what might happen--and yes, jumping around to various scenarios. I've learned to warn people that my thoughts hop around like a bunny on crack.
And then I played stump the fireman for about 20 minutes. It was great fun! As I mentioned to each and every person I interviewed--this story is told through the eyes of a 12-year old girl. I need to get the logistics correct, but it doesn't have to be perfect. I want the scene to make sense on the surface--and I don't want to Hollywood it up with too many pyrotechnics, or too many injuries. And though my character will be injured and in shock, I want to get it right.
After hanging up with the fireman, I went back to Facebook and I saw another friend mention she was hanging with her hubs for the day--and I remembered that her hubs is an EMT! Bingo!
I IM'd her and she said to call and talk to her hubs.
WOW! See? This just keeps getting better and better!
I learned so much from this EMT. It turns out he now works as a flight medic, instead of just EMT. So I managed to get info about both situations. I learned some things I never really thought about--like they will be cutting my protagonists clothes off to assess her injuries. Talk about adding pubescent embarressment to the shock of the situation!
Then I had another friend mention that her business partner's son was a police officer. She called right as I was walking out the door to pick the kidlet up from school, but she gave me his phone number and said he was aware that I would be calling him.
And call him I did. He rounded out the picture of this scene, since police officers are usually the first responders to a situation. I now have the information I need to write this scene and I have four contacts I can use if I need them for additional information.
In less than 48 hours from chatting with my friend Patty, I was armed and ready to write!
. . . and then I realized I need to get my hair cut and colored today, and go to Weight Watchers and the grocery store, and the kidlet has dry land prior to swim.
As much as I want to write this scene, I can wait. Shoot, I've already waited to write it for over a year. I can wait another day . . . I think. . . but I do have small writing window after I pick the kidlet up from school to when I need to take her to dry land practice.
In the immortal words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, "Make it so."
I think I will.
Later, Peeps!
After writing for thirteen years, yesterday was the first day I felt like a real writer . . . and I didn't even have a chance to 'write'. Over the last thirteen years of writing, I've completed eight novels, one novella, numerous short stories, nine picture books and three easy reader type of books.
But I've always felt like a fraud.
Yesterday was different.
It started off at the swim meet when my friend Patty, a co-worker from my old hospital job and swim instructor, came to the kidlet's swim meet. We started talking and I asked if one of the 11-7 ER nurses was still working there. It turns out no, she doesn't, but we were chatting about why I needed to speak to a ER nurse.
Here's a little of the backstory of a scene I need to write for DRAGON. I've been thinking about this scene for over a YEAR! I knew what I needed to write, but I wasn't quite ready to write it. This is a very emotional scene on so many levels, with so many aspects happening at once, that I wanted to get it right. And getting it right involved research, and not stuff from the Internet, but actual conversations with people about this scene--police officers, firement, EMT, Life Flight medics and Trauma nurses. Without giving away my scene, this gives you an idea of what I was up against.
I'd been working this scene out in my mind and I had to find out if the logistics I thought out would work. Patty mentioned that another co-worker's daughter was now a trauma nurse.
Wow.
What is really wow about this statement is that I remember this co-worker's kids when they were around 5 to 7 years old! Imagining that this young woman was an adult was mind boggling. Yes, I know I've gotten older, but we never think about other people's kids getting older, too!
So I contacted the mom--on Facebook with a short version of what I needed and two phone numbers where I could be reached.
The nurse called me on Sunday night. We chatted for about 15 minutes. I got some answers, but also left her with some questions she didn't know the answers to. She promised to get back to me when later this week after she goes to work on Thursday. She works nights--and so did I for years--so I understand how it all flip-flops.
Armed with the info she gave me, I thought about this scene on my walk yesterday. When I returned home, I tweeted that I needed to speak to a cop, fireman and a EMT. Then I remembered I went to high school with a guy who was a fireman--I IM'ed him through Facebook. He said to send him a list of questions.
Well, I discovered when talking to the trauma nurse that I do better actually conversing with someone about the situation because I'm constantly thinking about the scene, readjusting my thoughts and generating new questions about what might happen--and yes, jumping around to various scenarios. I've learned to warn people that my thoughts hop around like a bunny on crack.
And then I played stump the fireman for about 20 minutes. It was great fun! As I mentioned to each and every person I interviewed--this story is told through the eyes of a 12-year old girl. I need to get the logistics correct, but it doesn't have to be perfect. I want the scene to make sense on the surface--and I don't want to Hollywood it up with too many pyrotechnics, or too many injuries. And though my character will be injured and in shock, I want to get it right.
After hanging up with the fireman, I went back to Facebook and I saw another friend mention she was hanging with her hubs for the day--and I remembered that her hubs is an EMT! Bingo!
I IM'd her and she said to call and talk to her hubs.
WOW! See? This just keeps getting better and better!
I learned so much from this EMT. It turns out he now works as a flight medic, instead of just EMT. So I managed to get info about both situations. I learned some things I never really thought about--like they will be cutting my protagonists clothes off to assess her injuries. Talk about adding pubescent embarressment to the shock of the situation!
Then I had another friend mention that her business partner's son was a police officer. She called right as I was walking out the door to pick the kidlet up from school, but she gave me his phone number and said he was aware that I would be calling him.
And call him I did. He rounded out the picture of this scene, since police officers are usually the first responders to a situation. I now have the information I need to write this scene and I have four contacts I can use if I need them for additional information.
In less than 48 hours from chatting with my friend Patty, I was armed and ready to write!
. . . and then I realized I need to get my hair cut and colored today, and go to Weight Watchers and the grocery store, and the kidlet has dry land prior to swim.
As much as I want to write this scene, I can wait. Shoot, I've already waited to write it for over a year. I can wait another day . . . I think. . . but I do have small writing window after I pick the kidlet up from school to when I need to take her to dry land practice.
In the immortal words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, "Make it so."
I think I will.
Later, Peeps!
11/5/08
Falling in the Research Pit
I started writing a new UF series, per the request of a small press publisher--Squee!
Over the last 4 weeks, I researched the city I wanted to place this new story, the paranormal creatures that would belong in it, and thought about plot points, character, dialogue, arcs (character, book, and series arcs) etc. You name it, I thought about everything . . . .
but not quite.
As I was writing, I needed to see where the city's morgue was located in relation to a hospital, the supposed headquarters of my organization and another important building.
Mapquest is freakin' AWESOME! That particular research tangent took less than five minutes. *Note the time*
My next research tangent involved a POS (piece of shit) car that had been souped up with a Vette Z07 engine and low profile, run-flat tires. I pulled up the Chevy website thinking they always have engine requirements on cars--but not on Vettes. About ten minutes later, I said 'screw this'. I realized that I was wasting valuable writing time doing research.
So I wrote in highlighted capital letters, INSERT HOPPED UP CORVETTE ENGINE INFO. Yes, I copied that directly from my manuscript to this page.
Word to the wise--If your 'research' takes longer than 5-10 minutes, put a note in your manuscript and go back to it later. Tough to do, but you won't lose your forward momentum if you set a time limit.
What do you do when you have to stop writing to look something up?
Over the last 4 weeks, I researched the city I wanted to place this new story, the paranormal creatures that would belong in it, and thought about plot points, character, dialogue, arcs (character, book, and series arcs) etc. You name it, I thought about everything . . . .
but not quite.
As I was writing, I needed to see where the city's morgue was located in relation to a hospital, the supposed headquarters of my organization and another important building.
Mapquest is freakin' AWESOME! That particular research tangent took less than five minutes. *Note the time*
My next research tangent involved a POS (piece of shit) car that had been souped up with a Vette Z07 engine and low profile, run-flat tires. I pulled up the Chevy website thinking they always have engine requirements on cars--but not on Vettes. About ten minutes later, I said 'screw this'. I realized that I was wasting valuable writing time doing research.
So I wrote in highlighted capital letters, INSERT HOPPED UP CORVETTE ENGINE INFO. Yes, I copied that directly from my manuscript to this page.
Word to the wise--If your 'research' takes longer than 5-10 minutes, put a note in your manuscript and go back to it later. Tough to do, but you won't lose your forward momentum if you set a time limit.
What do you do when you have to stop writing to look something up?
10/30/08
Daydreaming IS research!
I've brainstormed my demon war series with some online buds on Tues. Let's just say that Cyndi gave me a freakin' run for my money. Two hours later, I had a massive headache and was substantially closer to figuring out how my series needed to start.
And though I was given many ideas and suggestions, I'm going down my own path that is diverging from their ideas and concepts.
*Remember, newbie writers, no one knows your story like you do. If suggestions from judges, CP's, or agents don't work for your story, don't force it.* Editors are another ball of wax--they bought the story, they own it and want it to do well for their bosses--the publishers. So, your answer is 'yes, ma'am, may I have another?'
I'm still thinking about my first scenes of book 1 so I'll be ready when BIAW starts next week. And yes, I still have 4 1/2 books to read to help me with the all important first book--if I can't sell book 1, what good are books 2-7?
Something to think about.
And though I was given many ideas and suggestions, I'm going down my own path that is diverging from their ideas and concepts.
*Remember, newbie writers, no one knows your story like you do. If suggestions from judges, CP's, or agents don't work for your story, don't force it.* Editors are another ball of wax--they bought the story, they own it and want it to do well for their bosses--the publishers. So, your answer is 'yes, ma'am, may I have another?'
I'm still thinking about my first scenes of book 1 so I'll be ready when BIAW starts next week. And yes, I still have 4 1/2 books to read to help me with the all important first book--if I can't sell book 1, what good are books 2-7?
Something to think about.
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