Research by Rebecca Seaton

 

Research by Rebecca Seaton

Research is always best accompanied by a good cuppa!

Many authors talk about the importance of research. From crime writers with dubious search histories to historical writers aiming for the period-perfect dress codes, it makes the real difference to a story and can be a lot of fun, too.

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Why do it?

Authenticity. You might think, as a fantasy writer, that I haven’t got a great deal of need for research. After all, I can’t learn magical powers or ride a dragon. However, I can make sure that the many activities my characters undertake which I haven’t got much idea about – sailing and singing, for example – are well-researched. I don’t want my reader to be distracted by something sounding wrong to them. There will be people reading it who know how to sail a boat or hold a tune and I want them to be swept up in the book, not frowning at errors which pull them out of it.

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How?

The obvious answer is to Google but do use more than one source to cross-reference. Books might be better if you want to read around a subject – this will depend on how big a part the thing plays in your work overall. It’s always handy if you also know people who practise what you’re writing about. I know little about music and singing (hence Els’ angst!) but I do know plenty of people who do and are happy to share their knowledge and experience. This might even be a good way to widen your net of beta readers along the way!

 

Thorough research is obvious, not in the pages of detail but in the ring of truth. I really like the crime writer Val McDermid and really enjoyed her novel The Distant Echo. One thing I liked was the way McDermid, not a Christian, wrote such a convincing portrayal of a born-again Christian in one of the central characters. It wasn’t just that I didn’t groan at a poor portrayal of a Christian, I was drawn into the events of the book because that character (along with the others) was believable, so their story was too.

Christ calls us to integrity and authenticity, research might just help us with that. Not to mention, it’s a great tangent when the writing gets stuck!

   

 

Rebecca Seaton writes fantasy and is working on her second novel, A Prophet’s Grace.

 

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