Monday, October 24, 2011

Name Your Research

Broadcasting "Number 10" in the field.
How much research are you doing for your current WIP? What form does it take? A quick Wikipedia search, or are you painstakingly requesting books through inter-library loan? What's the relationship between research and inspiration? Or does your "research" mostly come from your own brain?

I love internet research because it gets so random. I'll Google "Vietnamese folk tales" and end up on a site where a vet is talking about how he saw his Marine commander get jumped and mauled by a tiger (true story!). Or I'll stumble across something really haunting, like this video describing the "Wandering Soul" psychological warfare Americans used in Vietnam (also called "Number 10) -- ghostly howls and dialogue from beyond the grave
broadcast at top volume over North Vietnamese territory. (I read elsewhere that Wandering Soul inevitably drew gunfire.) This is so spooky I've probably guaranteed myself nightmares.



And yeah, I'll probably use it in the novel, or at least the heart-in-throat fear these sounds (and the whole idea of psychological warfare) call up. I wouldn't call it "inspiration" exactly. But when it gets to be too much, I'll probably bury myself in some heartwarming Vietnamese fairy tale I've checked out of the library.

12 comments:

  1. I didn't need to do much research at all for this one. I won't on my NaNo project either - but the one after that? That's a whole different story!

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  2. Research is so much fun! Yesterday, I actually purchased a background check on someone so I could accurately have a character purchase one. I usually don't spend the money on research, but it was cheap and helpful!

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  3. Love doing research. I always find some odd fact that sends my story in a new direction. Love it when that happens.

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  4. I agree with LG above. I love doing research, but all too often I allow myself to get sucked down the rabbit hole of curiosity and before I know it, 2 hours are gone!

    Currently, I'm researching what type of basic courses you'd need to take to live on a space ship. Basic Navigation? Star charting? Basic Medical Training? In Case of Emergency? I have to find courses for my characters who are civilians, not the actual pilots or payload specialists. Before long, I'm looking at telescope pictures!

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  5. Wow, TL, where would you go to research such a thing? I can't imagine, but that sounds like a blast. And yeah, I am way guilty of going off on long tangents. I spent about an hour today watching re-runs of the old Kung Fu TV series. Heh.

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  6. I did quite a bit of research for the current WIP. In fact, people came to my door and I invited them in to find out more. Love it when things happen that way!

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  7. Wow. That is really really creepy. But so powerful if you could use it somehow in your wip. So glad you're making strides with it!

    Becca @ The Bookshelf Muse

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  8. I love research, but did not need to do much for the book I just finished. It is a legal thriller and I am a lawyer. If I do NaNo with the idea I have, I will need to do quite a bit of medical research.

    I could not find your blog on your profile page. Glad I found you and thank you for visiting my blog

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  9. I love reading new interesting things - it's putting it into useful form that's not so easy :)

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  10. I'll do anything from a quick google search to interlibrary loan, depends on the project! I love doing it though!

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  11. Hey Gail...I am currently researching a middle grade paranormal. Kid with crazy ghost hunter parents (or at least they appear crazy)...so have been wandering the internet watching ghost vids, checking out ghost shows--keeping my eyes peeled for anything that with give this book a unique twist. Love, love the research and you never know when what you gather could end up in a non-fiction book for kids (something I have looking at doing too). Happy researching!

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