Hatrack River Writers Workshop: How much research?

This is topic How much research? in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Jayelle (Member # 1184) on :

I've had this idea rolling around in the back of my head for ages, and when I finally started writing it into a story, I realized that it's going to need alot of research.

Also, I realize that since it is based on a biblical story, it may have already been written in a similar form. So, before I use alot of time and energy researching ancient hebrew customs, how do I find out if my story is going to be very origanal?

~Jayelle~

Posted by SiliGurl (Member # 922) on :

First, there is a relatively new book called Rabbi Jesus (that I haven't read yet, but bought right away) that's supposed to put the life of Jesus in historical context with the politics, sociology, mores of the time. That might be helpful for you, and I know there are tons of other books available on Hebrew customs that will be insightful; you can also do a web search to see what comes up.

Second, there's a very old belief that there's nothing new under the sun. Just because something has been written about before doesn't mean you can't have an original take on it. Unless you're writing a totally derivitive piece, I would say invest the time, energy, and effort in writing the story that has stuck with you so long. If nothing else, it's great exercise and will allow you to not only flex your creative muscles, but hone your craft.

Also, there's been several books recently (within past few years) that are based on biblical stories; many of these stories were covered only minutely in the actual Bible. What these authors have done is dramatically expand on these limited (but inspirational) tales, fleshing out the people, the time, and the significance. OSC did this in a book called Sarah (1570089949) and another book is "The Red Tent," (0312195516) which relates the life of Dinah by Anita Diamant.

(ha ha ha, can you tell I work at a book store?)

Hope that helps a little!

[This message has been edited by SiliGurl (edited June 28, 2001).]