[ SECRET POST #2687 ]

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⌈ Secret Post #2687 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 048 secrets from Secret Submission Post #384.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Breadth vs. depth in writing research

[(Anonymous)]

Hey, F!S! Writing advice request ahead...

So I'm finally carving out time to write original stuff more regularly, mostly cutting my teeth on unrelated short stories. But there's this one big ridiculous storyline that I've been filling in in bits and pieces over the years, and am now really seeing how (over)ambitious it is. I'm finding a multitude of topics I need to research, and realizing just how little I know of each one. Or I'm trying to find viewpoints on an overarching theme or a worldbuilding aspect I'd like to include, and find out it's a prevalent part of a popular or well-regarded tv series, book series, etc. that I never delved into and that would take hours to consume, but which still seem like good things to at least skim through...

I'm still writing throughout all this so I don't stall out, and I know I'll need to find readers/editors who'll hopefully point out some of the things I'm worried about overlooking, but I'm not sure where to draw a line, research-wise, for my own sanity. What do you all here do when writing research seems overwhelming? And, related, what are you comfortable handwaving away (or conversely, what are you a stickler for)?

Re: Breadth vs. depth in writing research

[(Anonymous)]

I usually stop and ask myself:

1. Would my character know this? (especially if it's in 1st person or 3rd person limited)

2. Will the audience care?

People can get bogged down by too much world-building. Obviously it depends on your audience, but I think the average consumer would lose interest after a certain amount of detail. So my advice would definitely be to research and at least skim things you think would be helpful, so that you're prepared in case something comes up that you hadn't planned for. But don't bury yourself in it and feel the need to address every single question someone might have about the universe.

Re: Breadth vs. depth in writing research

[(Anonymous)]

OP -- Thank you very much for this! I'm very much in favor of these types of questions for focus.

Re: Breadth vs. depth in writing research

[(Anonymous)]

Anon above has some good advice, OP! Especially their last line. There's worldbuilding that goes in the story, worldbuilding that is good to know because it may influence the story, and worldbuilding that you don't necessarily need.

I write a story that's set both in the early 1960s and an alien planet, so I'm familiar with your issue. Tbh, I do more research on the 60s stuff and then fill in the alien part as I go (except for science-y bits). For example, I'll take an idea I find interesting that I may want to include, do a little research on it, then go back to writing. If I need to, I go back and flesh it out later.

You can always start with lighter research, write it and flag whatever you're unsure of, then go back over it during editing. If it's something like, say, the military or weaving or a specific time period, finding beta readers familiar with it can also be helpful.

Re: Breadth vs. depth in writing research

[(Anonymous)]

OP -- Thank you very much! I know that it's the second, "good to know" type of worldbuilding that's most on my mind, in the sense that I don't think or want every detail to be spelled out for the reader, but I do want to make sure that what I write reinforces the world, or at least doesn't outright contradict it (re-reading some of my much older stories with worldbuilding attempts, I've come across scenes that I remember being so convinced were clever twists or commentaries, but really just raised wayyy more questions). Thinking in terms of multiple passes will be helpful, too -- thanks again!

Re: Breadth vs. depth in writing research

[teaphile]

I usually wait to do any in-depth research until it comes up in my work; I need a weapon, what would be appropriate? That way I don't get bogged down, and if I realize that something I wrote earlier needs to be fixed I do it then.

Just don't forget to take notes on where you found your details, just in case you need to go back.

Re: Breadth vs. depth in writing research

[inkdust]

I generally research what I need when I need it as well. Unfortunately it does still tend to bog me down, but it's better at keeping me on track. Of course more complex worlds require more initial research to get to a starting point.

Re: Breadth vs. depth in writing research

[(Anonymous)]

OP -- Thanks very much! Which really did just remind me to pick up Post-Its.

Re: Breadth vs. depth in writing research

[comma_chameleon]

Agreed with everyone above. There's nothing wrong with researching for accuracy - me, I like to make sure I'm choosing realistic locations if my story is real world located. However, as both a reader and a writer, nothing makes me glaze over faster than someone who spends thirty pages of exposition on minute details.

Like the first anon said, you can do the research if it's something you want to know about, but when it comes to inserting it into the story, make sure it's something that the character(s) would know, and that the readers will want to know about.

Which means if you're writing about assassins, weaponry and fighting styles will probably come up, but you likely don't need to spend 10k of words on the history of modern warfare. Get your reader invested in your characters, don't bog them down in extraneous details.

Re: Breadth vs. depth in writing research

[(Anonymous)]

OP

Thanks for your response!

I definitely feel the same way on not adding on what amounts to "Hey, I did research! APPRECIATE IT". I think one of my sticking points where I can fall down the research hole is in trying to make sure that when different characters discuss something they should have solid grounding in or a strong stance on (especially when I don't), they do so in... well, character.

For instance, one very image-conscious character finds himself wanting to get back into his previous, high-profile career, so the topic of his former work sneaks into his conversations when he gets the reins. And he's a talker, and a bit of a bullshitter. When he mentions his old job to acquaintances, it should be different from when he expounds on it to impress a potential networking contact, or uses it for leverage in a debate with his current coworkers in a related field. He's meant to be comfortable with adjusting vocabulary and what parts he plays up on the fly, but he sometimes misreads his audience or over-extends himself.

So I don't want to unintentionally have him impress a contact with the equivalent of "I am highly proficient in Microsoft Word", but I do want the practical knowledge and experience limits that he ends up having be believable despite being relatively intelligent and ambitious, along with the choices he makes when he starts bullshitting to cover when he's hit those limits in a conversation(oh, hey, bullshitting to cover limited knowledge, whaddaya know :p).