tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3641922538902105929.post3723899142854006223..comments2023-11-02T05:25:21.247-07:00Comments on Katy's Words: The Writings of Catherine (Cathy) Astolfo: A Creative Scrutiny of Research Part One: You ask, "Why?" Catherine Astolfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16322797077215536857noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3641922538902105929.post-88460808258876118522015-06-09T16:49:45.803-07:002015-06-09T16:49:45.803-07:00"It's ironic that in school I hated doing..."It's ironic that in school I hated doing research. But now that I'm an author, I absolutely LOVE it."<br /><br />True for me too, Cheryl. Mind you, when I was in university, I had to wade through card catalogues and microfiche to get to the information I needed. No Google to help me out and I still had to vette my sources before I could use the information. Alison E. Brucehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3641922538902105929.post-16558796945162763002015-06-09T13:50:10.353-07:002015-06-09T13:50:10.353-07:00Research is still an important factor even when wr...Research is still an important factor even when writing fiction. To write fiction that is accepted by a reader, you must "suspend disbelief," no matter if you're writing fantasy or a thriller. Readers must BELIEVE your world, your characters and your plot. They need to believe them to be possible. And one of the best ways I've found to do this is to research elements of characters, setting and plot.<br /><br />If your character is a recovering addict, research addictions and learn how this character might act. If she's a private investigator, interview one.<br /><br />If your setting is in an actual town/city/country, research the area and point out key locations. Put your readers INTO that setting by painting a realistic picture--which is what research will give you.<br /><br />If your plot deals with scientific discoveries like nanobots, research nanotechnology. If your plot deals with arson, learn about fires, how they start, their triggers, etc.<br /><br />It's ironic that in school I hated doing research. But now that I'm an author, I absolutely LOVE it. I believe that research is the difference between a light, quick read that you quickly forget and a deep, informative and entertaining read that submerges you and won't let you go--even after you put the book down.Cheryl Tardifhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15160526951596806898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3641922538902105929.post-41804405300138357602015-06-09T10:29:33.390-07:002015-06-09T10:29:33.390-07:00So very true, Cathy! Research is one of the fundam...So very true, Cathy! Research is one of the fundamental tools all authors need to do. As an historical fiction author, I do an obscene amount of research for my books. I want to be as true to the time as I possibly can. What makes this difficult is that I have never been to Colonial America in 1723, or Colorado in 1887... therefore the research is necessary. I love to learn about the lives of the people who lived before me, and I an always learning new things. However, what really sucks is when I research for days only to use a minuscule amount within the book. <br />I did this in Blood Curse, where I delved into Merchant ships for hours...only to write one paragraph about it in the book. Ahhhh, the life of a writer. :)Kat Flanneryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02336446576342664119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3641922538902105929.post-69592163672669193272015-06-09T10:22:12.577-07:002015-06-09T10:22:12.577-07:00Let's try this again.
When I was writing Dead...Let's try this again.<br /><br />When I was writing Deadly Legacy, (which had the working title "Legacy" when I first met Cathy) I did a huge amount of research on police services and homicide investigation. I especially wanted to make sure that I was true the way Canadian police worked. (The media is inundated with information about US cops.)<br /><br />Now my family can't watch a show without me pointing out when the fictional cops do something wrong or something that wouldn't happen Canada.Alison E. Brucehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3641922538902105929.post-69055780017224514392015-06-09T10:18:01.989-07:002015-06-09T10:18:01.989-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Alison E. Brucehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3641922538902105929.post-64298485169453506872015-06-09T09:36:16.517-07:002015-06-09T09:36:16.517-07:00This reminds me of the first rule of science ficti...This reminds me of the first rule of science fiction - which I cannot find a source for despite my efforts which resulted in at least 19 rules and twenty lost minutes. <br /><br />Only expect your audience to believe one impossible thing. Everything else should either be the logical result of that one thing, or based on fact.<br /><br />I find this works equally well for crime fiction as science fiction. The impossible thing may be that an amateur detective keeps getting to solve police cases (with or without their approval) or that one small town can generate more murders than most major cities. Alison E. Brucehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16449544045685213466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3641922538902105929.post-4239135755175353712015-06-09T09:22:17.493-07:002015-06-09T09:22:17.493-07:00Well, you hit the nail on the head, Cathy! Researc...Well, you hit the nail on the head, Cathy! Research is certainly fun, and a writer can get lost for days learning about something that will end up as a sentence or a paragraph in a novel. I can't count the hours I spent researching the Corpse Flower (Titan Arum) for my novel of the same name. I don't regret a minute of it. For my Cornwall & Redfern mystery-in-progress, I just learned how to activate a hand grenande. Good times ahead for my protagonist! Gloria Ferris Mystery Writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13065979048007001558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3641922538902105929.post-67337718430805615682015-06-09T09:02:03.025-07:002015-06-09T09:02:03.025-07:00So true, Cath. Research makes a book come alive. ...So true, Cath. Research makes a book come alive. Readers can relate to something they know to be true. Even when writing the Land's End fantasy series, I did massive research into Roman warfare, Viking armor, Satanic wedding rituals and wording. Yes, the books took place in an alternate ancient England, but I tried to stay as true as I could to the peoples and ages I brought into the story, to make it real for the readers.Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.com