Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Technical Knowledge

This is topic Technical Knowledge in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by pantros (Member # 3237) on :

How many writers actually take a few minutes to research how to do something technical that one of their characters needs to know how to do well.

Do you just wing it?

Do you spend a few minutes surfing the net, gathering buzz words and trying to grasp an overview of the technology?

Do you make it up? (advanced science, magic)

Do you glean knowledge from other fiction you have read?

Do you actually go out and learn the skills?

Posted by JmariC (Member # 2698) on :

Where possible I like to experiment (even if I can't spell the word right now).
If it's learning how to cut diamonds, can't afford it so I'll talk to people who do that for a living.
Carve wood? Knit? Got the hobby kit and talked shop with the retailers and enthusists.
Fly a plane? Make calls to schools and talk with students.
Ride a horse? Done it and fallen off into barbed wire (don't try that at home).

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

I research...but sometimes I plow ahead while doing it. I'm working on a story where I need to know details of a memorial service after a school shooting. What I've found online hasn't told me what I want to know (the order of speakers, the length of the service, and the content of some of their speeches)...and most searches led me to a politican-heavy off-campus Columbine memorial (I don't want anyone who might be mistaken for a real person...and for plot purposes my memorial service has to be in the high school auditorium, and this wasn't).

I wrote it in rough draft, but haven't yet put it into semi-final copy. I'll let it go if I have to...but I'd like it to feel right.

Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :

Usually I wing it in the first draft, and then research for the specific information I've discovered that I need later.

Posted by BuffySquirrel (Member # 2780) on :

The short answer: it depends.

When I was writing my Fantasy gambling novel, I did a lot of research. Online and in books, and by watching late night poker and documentaries about gambling on tv. Actually visiting a casino wasn't practical for reasons peculiar to the UK, but I worked hard to get the details right because they were fundamental to the novel's plausibility. Little things like the names some cards have been given by gamblers, for example, and the slang they use.

If the details are just colour, I'll probably do a quick search while writing, or ask a friend, or dig around among my books. When researching online, I always try to verify the information with three or four sources rather than taking one site at face value. Today, for example, I was trying to find out about the blink reflex in horses. I visited maybe five or six sites. That's for one line in a novel.

If I'm on a roll, however, I sometimes put in a placeholder and carry on writing so I don't lose momentum.

I would recommend not using fiction or movies as research tools. The information you glean will only be as good as the writer's own research, and movies in particular often sacrifice realism to drama. I see too many inaccuracies and cliches recycled by people who get their ideas from books or the movies. Be better than that .

Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :

My two favourite research tools are Google and Hatrack.

Google because it gives me the most popular sources for information, is searchable and fairly comprehensive (but it does miss things and occasionally I turn to Altavista or Northern Light).

Hatrack because I can access a wealth of information, get discussion on it, ask questions about it, brainstorm it, etc., etc. And, I love you guys !

I do have other sources, but for the basic low-down on things, Google and Hatrack are where I start.

Posted by Keeley (Member # 2088) on :

I tend to do some basic research before I start writing so the plot doesn't suffer, then I make notes as I write out the scenes to find out what specifics I need to make the moment come alive.

I use any and all methods of research I think I need to accomplish the goal I have of making the scene come alive. Internet research is great and lately that's the one I've been using the most, but I also read books on the subject. Interviews can help if I already have a basic grasp of the subject, and I absolutely love asking the wonderful members of Hatrack for their input. I get many perspectives as well as informative answers.

I rarely go out and learn a new skill for a story, but that doesn't mean I won't do it. It all depends on what the story requires.

[This message has been edited by Keeley (edited October 05, 2005).]

Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :

I do a combination of research and winging it. If I'm writing and hit a scene where I need just a little bit of science I'll lob some handwavium at it until I get to a library. If it's something that will impact the overall structure of the story I stop writing and find the details I need to know.

Right now I'm reading about weather and am about to decide that I have to contact an expert.

Posted by Alnilam (Member # 2914) on :

I always research the science I use in my science fiction stories, or try to work out a plausible way for the technology I use, again, by relying on current science.

My characters I build from itty-bitty cardboard figures until they swell into life-sized, three dimensional real people. At least to me, they're real.

World building requires lot's of thought and planning, but it's soooo much fun.

Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :

I do a medium amount of research to cover gaps between what I already know and what I'm making up out of whole cloth. The particular type of research can vary quite a bit.

Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :

It depends. If the technical stuff is vital for the story I start by researching it quickly on the web, being careful to find a site that I trust. I don't want impossibilities to wreck everything in my story because there is nothing more that I hate than chucking everything and rewriting after I've done a couple of drafts.
Otherwise my preferred method is the library, but that has become a luxury these days because I live far from it. So, yes, the net is a nice place to research, although if looking for something very specific I'll ask for advice from someone else.

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

I'm suspicious of Google, though I use it all the time. The first sites to pop up may not necessarily reflect an accurate link to your query, but rather rearrangement by financial agreement with interested parties. In other words, someone pays Google to see that their data pops up first. (This is true of practically all search engines, as far as I can tell.)

In addition, certain results may have been manipulated by some with political axes to grind. (Put "failure" on and see whose site pops up first, for example.)

I like Google (and AlltheWeb and AltaVista and Northern Light and AskJeeves and the one that comes with my AOL account). But I take them with a grain of salt.

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

Oh, by the way...

When I ego-search (when I put my own name up to a search engine to search), the Hatrack River site comes up within the first couple of pages.

Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/09/googlebombing-failure.html

Posted by MCameron (Member # 2391) on :

If I search for my maiden name (Melody Jeffcoat), all but one of the google results are really me. Unfortunately, Cameron is just a really common name.

--Mel

Posted by Warbric (Member # 2178) on :

I research extensively, perhaps obsessively, before I ever do more than put a few notes on paper. Then I sit down and start twisting the facts I've researched into a form that will fit the world I've created. I've got a severe case of world-builder's. I do use Google, but I also hang out at the bookstore, and I have my own key to the library. (I setup and maintain all their computers.)

Posted by Ahavah (Member # 2599) on :

I've googled myself several times, and learned that there is a midget racer in IL with the same name. I had such a mental image, until my Beloved explained what midget racing was. But seriously, how many Amanda Trancosos are there out there? My family is from IL; I think we're related.

Anyways, I'm a stickler for research. I'll research forever until I write a page. So I am trying to train myself to just wing it until the rewrite, when I'll research to fill in the gaps. It seems I use research as a procrastination tool. Not so good.

Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :

If you want to look like a hack, wing it. If you want to look like a professional, do the research. There are no shortcuts.

Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :

quote:
I'm suspicious of Google, though I use it all the time. The first sites to pop up may not necessarily reflect an accurate link to your query, but rather rearrangement by financial agreement with interested parties. In other words, someone pays Google to see that their data pops up first.

While I won't dispute the fact that Google accepts paid advertisements, I would like to give a more accurate rendition of the reality how Google works.

I've had a website on the net for about three years:
http://www.a2zgorge.info

The purpose of this website has been to highlight the culture and communities of the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington. It's everything you want to know about the Columbia Gorge, from A to Z.

I have never paid Google one dime.

If you do a google search based on any of these keyword examples...
skunk deodorizing recipe
columbia gorge museums
the dalles oregon columbia gorge
columbia gorge goldendale

... my website will pop into the top 10. It's a matter of building the webpage to include the right keywords and descriptions, not who pays Google the most money.

In fact, I've just been accepted to be part of Google's AdSense program, which will pay ME instead.

As for RESEARCH... I have an easier time writing if I've done the research so the descriptions and dialog sound natural. If I hit something I don't know, I spend the time researching it. Easier to spend the time up front, rather than risk a factual error that makes you look foolish. I usually GOOGLE most of my questions. But it depends on the question... some things, like local history, are far more appropriate to research via other means.

Oh... by the way.... I've been collecting web addresses of the sites recommended by our Hatrack friends. You can find the list under the "Writing" link at the top (and bottom) of my homepage. Be forewarned, the site is in the midst of a major remodel.

[This message has been edited by Elan (edited October 07, 2005).]