One of the great things about being an author is that people actively ask you questions about writing. This is my jam.
However, I am also getting more and more questions about my “research process” which makes me far less comfortable.
The word “research” reminds me of college essays and the one bad grade I ever received in a high school English class. Which is a little ridiculous because not only have I done research, have done well searching for information, and even taught classes on research. It makes me uneasy because my picture of what it looks like to research is actually quite different than the way I do it. Like most things, I guess, I have to come to it in my own way.
When I think of research, I imagine the other writers, sitting down at their laptop or with a stack of books, reading and taking notes. They have file folders in cabinets full of notes. I’ve walked around the homes of friends and spied their reference books from everything from poisons to vampire lore. And I think what makes me uncomfortable about blending my fiction with hard facts and data is because I worry that despite all my research, I’m going to get it wrong.
Sometimes the desire to get all the facts right will kill the story.
Writers have an enormous pressure to get things right because the readers are going to know. They will fact-check everything we publish: everything from canonical fantasy lore to correct procedure when taking someone’s mug shot. I was watching a fictional television program where a minor was being interviewed by a cop and every ounce of me was screaming, “Where is that child’s parent or advocate?! None of this will be admissible in court!” But I let it go because it was still good drama, which is what I came to the show for.
But what I have learned is the word research carries a lot of weight. I thought I was one of those writers who do not like to research.
It was Zora Neale Hurston who said, “Research is just formalized curiosity. It’s poking and prying with a purpose.” If we changed the terminology in our brains it removes the heaviness from it. I’m not researching as much as I’m a nosy b**ch. While it might seem trivial, spending a day reading the updates on a celebrity rumor is being nosy, but it is also research if one is writing about a character who is an influencer, reality star, or other celebrity-wannabe figure. The purpose is important.
For the last several weeks, I have been doing informal research on medical fraud. How have I been doing that? By listening to the Scamada podcast, listening to the No One Should Believe Me podcast, and downloading the book The Woman Who Fooled the World. Through this “research” I have learned terminology like “factitious disorder” which includes “Munchausen” and “Munchausen by Proxy”. I’ve listened to testimony of people who are fooled, and commentary from doctors on how things like this come about. And I’ve noticed that most of those accused, their family and friends always comment how they were once a theatre kid. The accused are excellent at running their social media accounts and have no problem asking for help or money. They also use forced language, generic phrasing, and false modesty in their posts.
And one might say, “Anyone who listens to these podcasts can learn those things!” But that is exactly my point. I am curious about this subject matter so I listen to it and read it. I have obtained the knowledge, sometimes I will take notes in my writing notebook, and eventually, I might use it somewhere.
Sometimes I will research in the middle of what I am writing because I want to get information correct. I had a character watching a soap opera and I wanted to make sure I knew who was on the soap opera at the time. I was writing about a time period in the late seventies, and my character was watching All My Children. I selected the date she would most likely be watching and then went to Googling. I found an archive of episode synopsis for All My Children and used that information for the scene I was writing.
Sometimes I will need a specific location even if the town I am writing about is fictional, so I will pull up Google Maps. I needed the location for the US Marshall’s office in the town of Illinois I was writing about, and needed to know where someone would park if they were going to that building. Writing about logistics in small towns is very different than writing about large cities. In the city, the characters can take a train, take a cab, ride a little Lime scooter. When you write about small towns and rural areas, you have to think about driving and parking. I had to change where a character lived because it was inconceivable what they were spending in gas for my story to happen. These are the little details that matter.
Again, none of this feels like research. It just feels like curiosity.
I actually “research” all the time with the content that I am consuming. If I am watching a true crime documentary or listening to an investigative journalism podcast, then I am researching potential future content for my work. I know that I might not use most of it, but I am always pleased when I do.
And what’s great about writing fiction is I hope the events I am writing about are taken with a little grace. I’m not writing a textbook, I am trying to tell a story. And I would hope the story is strong enough to cover my flaws.
Because I am not going to get it all right, but I do try my best.
And I am always, always curious to learn more.
XOXO,
B.
Y'all, the Pretty Girls launch day grows closer and closer and I am so nervous and excited for everyone to read it. Pre-orders are available in the brandibradley.com shop. When someone pre-orders, they will receive a signed copy that will be mailed out on March 14.
Click the link to preorder!
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