Let's talk about research for fic

[lettered]

I once had a teleplay writing class in which we each had to write a script for Law and Order. You had to research, not only your crime, but odd details dealing with biology or David Bowie or NYC. Up 'til then, I'd never really researched for a story. Right after that class I had a creative writing class in which we had to write a fiction short story based on a subject we researched. I noticed the research stories were significantly better than the stories we wrote first, which were non-researched based.

So, I'd learned my lesson. Research, even when you don't use it, can be felt. The weight of it can be there, making your story feel more real and you as an author more knowledgeable and thus, trustworthy. (The downside of it is research can be over-used, and the paragraphs about how chariots work feel like, "look I did research!". Or misused: spotty research on some stuff - good writing + sensational best seller techniques - making sense = Dan Brown.)

But apparently, I had not yet learned research = good for ALL writing. My first Jossverse fic was set in NYC, and although I did some spot-checking type research, my research wasn't thorough enough to make sense to . . . say, someone who'd actually been to NYC (alleynyc pointed that out and helped, and a2zmom still is). I've found since I've started researching for fic, though, that the research is almost as fun as the writing. Doing the canon research necessary just brings back my love for the shows, and doing other kinds of research makes me feel all smart and know-y. So I figure hey, maybe other people feel the same way. Or not.


I. Canon research. Return to canon, by watching eps, reading transcripts, and looking at various web sites about canon (such as the Buffy Dialogue Database and the Buffy Trivia Guide).
A. Refresher course. If I'm doing something like reworking a scene I always go reread the scene to remember what happened.
B. Dialogue snatching. Sometimes I use dialogue directly from canon. (I try to credit the episode when I do this).
C. Detail scoping. For times when you need a book on demonology or a pair of shoes Buffy owns. (This is when something like a trivia guide comes in handy).
D. Voice research. I almost always read transcripts right before I write dialogue so a character's voice is fresh in my mind. Sometimes I make note of how things are phrased (Faith uses a lot of cliches) or words that often get used (a lot of Willow's insults/ pet names feel out of the fifties) etc.

II. Misc. fact research. All the details you might or might not need to write a good story.
A. Voice research. Sometimes writing a character's voice requires knowing how they talk where they're from (for Faith I researched Boston-talk), their profession/passion (for Fred I'd look up some physics, Xander some comics), their style of speech (for Dru I read both the Bible and nursery rhymes). spiralleds had a cool post about researching pop culture references (for characters in Buffyverse. You can't write a good Buffy or Xander or Cordelia without pop culture references. Which is why Cordy's, "Who's Colin Farrell?" line is the MOST TRAGIC LINE IN THE HISTORY OF TV.)
B. Location research. Everything from where what buildings are (a2zmom continually beats me over the head on this one) to the flora and fauna in a city I don't live in. Then, if anything takes place in buildings I've never been in, like a jail or monastery or NYC's Macy's, I research those too (or get a2zmom to do on-site research ;o)
C. Translations. Latin, German, Spanish, Klignon. I can't speak 'em so I go elsewhere to find 'em.
D. Plot-level research. If a story hinges on something technical or medical, or a specific time period or place, I make sure to read up. This is the most obvious form of research, something that a lot of people do, I think. (Has anyone found out about Angeusl and Spike and the opium and CORSETS? kthx.)
E. Itty bitty detail research. Because sometimes you just need to know the average length of a penis (har har, itty bitty detail) or the tensile strength of a human hair. Once, I spent two hours searching for what restaurant plates are made of--you know those resaurant plates, the kind that feel both ceramic but the really cheap kind of ceramic? I wanted a technical word, a word that would pop! out at you, and "ceramic" wasn't doing it for me. (I never found a poppier word, though.)

III. Style research.
(all of these are mostly the same thing.)
A. Inspiration. For instance, I read this book where all the words felt new and really seemed to stand out, and I wondered how the author did it. I noticed that instead of just saying something like "fabric" or "cotton" he'd use a specific, almost technical word, like "faille". I thought it'd be interesting to try, so I spent hours looking for a more specific word for ceramic.
B. Instruction. If I were to write a piece with a lot of dialogue or meaning beneath the words I'd read Vonnegut's Long Walk to Forever or Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants to see how they did it.
B. Emulation. Sometimes I wonder if this is cheating. It's a more direct stealing then the two above. When I am writing a letter to someone important I want to sound official, but also dry, witty, and fun--so I go read Jane Austen and try to bring as much as her tone as I can into my own writing. To me this isn't any kind of plagarism, as her voice naturally becomes my own when I steal it for myself, as long as I don't take exact words and phrases.

[Poll #700205]

I'd love to hear more from you all. For instance, if you do what I'm calling "style research", what have you read to "get in the mood," and in order to write what? (For instance, in Bodiless Within the Bodies, I wanted the Tibet part to have long sentences, in a flowing style, with something distinctly Eastern in tone, so I picked up Hesse's Siddartha again and read a few pages. I don't think I was successful in capturing the tone I wanted, but I definitely think Hesse helped.) And what sites do you normally go to for canon research, besides Buffyworld and the ones listed above? What about translations, maps, details, pop culture, et al? Furthermore, how do you organize all these links? Do you keep them forever, create temp folders for the stories you're writing, or just flit through the sites and hope you'll never have to see them again?

Any crazy research story about spending hours trying to find what a restaurant plate might be made of? Any stories about how someone in fandom took you aside and said, "look kid, research?" Any stories about how much you love/loathe/fear research, and why?

That's it. Discuss.

Comments

[ros-fod.livejournal.com]

My predictable answer is, "It depends." But, look! I haff examples:

Canonical research: For AtS No Limits, I did a lot of straight-up, canonical research for Spike and Gunn, two characters that I’d never even thought about beginning to write before. I went to Vrya’s database and to Buffyworld to try and get a sense of their patterns of speech, because they both speak in very distinct ways that’s easily recognizable but not (for me) easily reproduced. Incidentally, the thing that surprised me the most is that I’d forgotten how funny they both are. Not just sarcastic or played for laughs, although they both are that sometimes, but genuinely, sincerely funny. Anyways. So transcripts and dialogue and major plot points and reactions for the foundation bits. After I wrote the scenes with them in it, I then went to Mer and asked her to crosscheck the Spike I’d written with the Spike she’d write. This probably falls into the post-write section and the not the pre-write section that research usually falls under it felt like research because I learned a lot about Spike that hadn’t occurred to me before.

I don’t usually do a lot of canonical research in the strict sense for pieces that I write of my own musings and volition (as opposed to a structure laid out by someone else like No Limits), but that’s because I usually write about Connor if I can help it and I don’t need to research him in the strictest sense. Part of that is because he’s pretty minor in the screentime sense. He actually didn’t have all that much dialogue and whatever dialogue he had or whatever scenes he was in, I’ve…um, already memorized them. Everyone needs a hobby.

But I do do (heh) what I might term canonical-style research, which is to say that we’re fortunate to be working with characters who’ve had a myriad of iterations under their belts. They’re, how do you say, fleshed out. Well-rounded. Layered. And because of that, I always ask myself which version of a character I’m trying to get across. A cornered Angel is a very different Angel from a reactive Angel is a very different Angel from a contrite Angel. In 30,000 feet terms, Connor just back from Quor-toth is a different version of himself (in very intentional, calculated ways) than s4 Connor is than Oringin-Connor is. I like details. I like the way the actors hold themselves in anger or relief and the slight difference in a genuine smile versus a sardonic one. So (on occasion), I’ll refresh my memory of how exactly a character acts when he’s been pushed too far, or when he overjoyed. I’ll rewatch those scenes and look for visual clues and add them to my story or extrapolate based on what I see on the screen. The idea here is that a certain style of story blends well with certain versions of a character and not as well with another and I want to use the character to bolster/support/add to the style of the story.

[con't]

[ros-fod.livejournal.com]

Misc. details: Most of my miscellaneous detail work is done with internet, but I also rely) on real life experience to support my research. I know what being at a jazz club or being on Sunset at night or being on a hill, in a forest, alone and cold at dawn, feels like, so I don’t “research for experience.” What I do do (heh) is Google to find out which jazz instrument is pitched low (whispers, secrets, half hidden in shadow) and which jazz style tends to be the most unstructured (going with the flow, don’t know what we’re doing, are we kissing, omg I think we are) or what cross streets hit Sunset and dead end somewhere a few blocks away, which ones wind into residence areas, which ones hit the skids or what’s likely to be growing in Ohio in July, which wild berries stain red, which leaves smell like chocolate when crushed. But also, I haven’t gotten around to writing anything that would require extensive research; I don’t do historical fanfiction or write stories about Xander in Africa nor would I ever write a story that is actually an article that Fred wrote for Chaos Journal entitled, “Statistical Characterizations of Spatiotemporal Patterns Generated by Sluk-related Displacement of the Time-Space Continuum.” So, my choice in writing material does a lot to influence the kind of research that I do, and vice versa. In a lot of ways, I don’t trust research. There’s a story out there, set in Russia, where the writer obviously did quite a lot of meticulous researching, but she gets Russia and Russians all wrong anyways, because there are some things that you can’t learn in books or through a compilation of data points. But more to the point, even if I wrote that story about Xander in Kinshasa, it wouldn’t be the Kinshasa that mattered to me the most, it would be Xander, if you get my meaning. I’d do the research into weather, the lay of the city, languages spoken, # of homeless on the streets, percentage of foreigners on the ground, where the posh streets bleed into the slums, etc. if necessary. And I’ve seen enough documentaries on Kinshasa to get the general visual feel of it. But. What I’d spend more time on is how it feels, sometimes, 8900 miles from the crater that used to be your home, the back of your neck and your nose perpetually peeling, no time for a haircut, jetlagged and the hotel airconditioner making the skin around your missing eye itch – I mean, where do broken hearts go?

Style: I do do (heh) the inspiration bit and I think that the emulation comes in at least some degree. I usually stick to fanfic, though, for inspiration, although I’ve been unexpectedly inspired by profic as well, The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay being a good example of how I started wanting to write longer stories sustaining metaphorical and allegorical components through the story, with less attention to minute details and more attention to details of story structure. There are fanfic writers I read when I want to analyze lyricism or imagery and other fanfic writers I read when I want to analyze complex stories told in a straightforward style, and other fanfic writers I read when I want to analyze porn. I think that over the years, I’ve picked up a lot of things from other fanfic writers and in a way, that’s research to. It’s just more applicable across the spectrum than to one specific story.

Whew.

[tkp.livejournal.com]

I should clarify my last comment by saying I really do think that to write Angel one needs to try to understand Angel as a whole, but that one doesn't necessarily need to focus on every aspect of him to write a good short story. I guess it may seem obvious to you, but again, coming at it from the perspective of someone who generally writes really long fic it's just something I hadn't considered before.

What I do do (heh) is Google to find out which jazz instrument is pitched low (whispers, secrets, half hidden in shadow) and which jazz style tends to be the most unstructured (going with the flow, don’t know what we’re doing, are we kissing, omg I think we are)

I think I said before, but I like how there's always tasty tidbits in your comments.

nor would I ever write a story that is actually an article that Fred wrote for Chaos Journal entitled, “Statistical Characterizations of Spatiotemporal Patterns Generated by Sluk-related Displacement of the Time-Space Continuum.”

I'm kind of glad you haven't.

There’s a story out there, set in Russia, where the writer obviously did quite a lot of meticulous researching, but she gets Russia and Russians all wrong anyways, because there are some things that you can’t learn in books or through a compilation of data points.

This is true. I did do some research for NYC before a2zmom and alleynyc pulled me aside and said, "look, it's like this." I hadn't done nearly enough research, but anyway there were so many things that I probably wouldn't have stumbled across no matter how much I researched, because they have a feel for the city and I don't.

But more to the point, even if I wrote that story about Xander in Kinshasa, it wouldn’t be the Kinshasa that mattered to me the most, it would be Xander, if you get my meaning.

Well, yes. Some writers do write with the place as a kind of character in and of itself, and tell you about Kinshasa for Kinshasa's sake, not Xander's. But I too tend to be more interested in the people, no matter how fascinating the place; setting to me is only a service to the story (which, for me, is actually only a service to the character, which is really only a service to those intimate personal questions such as, where do broken hearts go?), as are details and research. But the best way to get at those inner truths, I think, is by making the external facts as real as possible, or if not real, at least trustworthy to the reader (which bisi pointed out so insightfully above).

I do do (heh)

Heh.

I usually stick to fanfic, though, for inspiration,

That's interesting. For porn analysis I usually go to fanfic authors because the porn in "literature" is all about weird metaphors instead of whispered "fuck me"s, and as for published erotica I rarely find it as titillating as the characters I know and love going at it. Besides, my guess is that fanfic porn is better than most published erotica anyway (I haven't read much published erotica).

I’ve picked up a lot of things from other fanfic writers and in a way, that’s research to. It’s just more applicable across the spectrum than to one specific story.

Oh yeah. That's what I love about writing. All reading is research. In fact, life is research, and I just love that. Not to mention how I've learned more about things that can be done with writing and prose and text from reading Jossverse fanfic for 9 months than I ever felt I learned in 4 years of undergrad creative writing courses.

[tkp.livejournal.com]

Incidentally, the thing that surprised me the most is that I’d forgotten how funny they both are.

It's something I feel like a lot of fic authors forget about many of the Jossverse characters--it especially irks me when people forget it with Buffy. The girl's hilarious, and yet how many angsty long drawn out heartbreakers have I read in which she never cracks a single joke? It's true that some pieces really don't admit room for funny, but more often than not they do, and in those instances a character's voice isn't right without it. All the more reason people should research voice. Though sometimes I wonder if some people leave it out because funny is hard to make. /rant

post-write section and the not the pre-write section

Heh. I like the way you put that. I rarely think about it, but there's a whole mess of different things I have to have in order before I start to write, and a whole mess of stuff that happens afterwards. The in between just writing is always the shortest and easiest.

I’ve…um, already memorized them. Everyone needs a hobby.

HAHAHAHA! I would've guessed it of you. Actually, although I wouldn't mind Connor (or even just VK, for that matter) on the screen 24-7, what I do like about his limited screen-time is precisely that--what's happened with him (canonically) is easier to hold in your head. With both Angel and Buffy so much has happened that I never feel like I remember all of it at once. When I'm writing Angel especially I feel like I'm trying to carry a great big load of dirty laundry to the washer and as soon as I pick up my underwear I drop my socks.

I always ask myself which version of a character I’m trying to get across [...] I like details. I like the way the actors hold themselves in anger or relief [...] I’ll refresh my memory of how exactly a character acts when he’s been pushed too far, or when he overjoyed. I’ll rewatch those scenes and look for visual clues [...] The idea here is that a certain style of story blends well with certain versions of a character ...

This is really fascinating. I've never appraoched a fic from the POV of well, what version is the character here? Of course I consider the time period; as you pointed out, Connor at different points in the series is a different sort of person, and the same is true for all the other characters. So if I was writing around Origins of course I'm going to realize that my Connor is going to be a happier Connor than right before Home.

But it seems to me you're saying more than that; like if you were writing Connor post-NFA the character wouldn't just be a natural extrapolation of what post-Origins Connor is like, but how you want this-Connor to be, and which version of him fits best with your story. And that's something I've never done before. If I was going to write Angel I'd think, okay, I'm going to write Angel, not okay, I'm going to write cornered Angel or reactive Angel or contrite Angel. And the reason I think I would do that is because I think I must unconsciously expect the character to move through the whole range of emotions/situations that evoke those emotions I've seen the character exhibit (and some that we've only seen hinted at), and I think the reason I must do that is I'm a long fic writer.

And I think I must approach even short fics from the point of view of a novelist or at least novella-ist, because I really am always trying to pack the entire range of a character into everything I write. It makes sense that to write a shorter fic one would want to focus on how a defeated Angel acts, or an in love Angel, instead of trying to grasp Angel as a whole. Which makes my whole dirty laundry problem a lot easier (except for the very real dirty laundry on my floor). Anyway, that's an insight into writing short-fics I never saw before so thanks, and sorry for my big long self-discovering ramble.