Research You Did For Your Work

I have a Don Coreleone expy in a chapter of my graphic novel, but relying on Pop-Cultural Osmosis resulted in a disaster. So, I decided to watch The Godfather (helps that I've been wanting to see it for a long time). I've now got a better idea of where to take the character and that particular part of the story as a whole.

I've also been researching pop culture and events of The '90s since I'm planning a story set in 1994-95.

Well, my current story is about time travel, specifically focusing on a shitload of short-term stable time loops, and the stress of trying to keep track of all of it while lying your ass off. So I spent a lot of time WikiWakling and researching watches, timezones — anything that could be listed under 'Horology'.

Then, when I started writing and building up more of the MC's backstory, I realized he wasn't actually a classic Doorstop Baby, due to his age when he was left and extenuating circumstances. So I tried to figure out what happened with actual abandoned children, and how abandonment, foster care, and adoption would affect them psychologically.

Currently, I'm looking into fight scenes and monsters, since half of my premise outside of time travel is based on Monster of the Week plots. That's what prompted the making of the whole Fight Scenes for the Inexperienced thread, and why I'm perusing the specimens at the SCP Foundation.

edited 10th Apr '11 4:03:07 AM by Dec

• For my wuxia story: basically every piece of Chinese folk religion/Daoist/Buddhist mythology or cosmology I could find, not to mention a lot of their philosophy, as well as some other Eastern Asian mythology as well. Extensive research on life in medieval China, from peasants to the emperor himself, as well as the historic events of that time, the cities, the countryside, merchants, the examinations, anything I could get my hands on.

• For my sci-fi story: a lot of early science fiction (like Edgar Rice Burroughs stuff) and medieval romances served as inspirations. For the setting itself, I read up on superfluids, magnet traps, most types of stars, planetary formation, the Casimir effect, swordfighting and star movement.

Too much stuff to mention from Mar's geography, to military tech, to characterization, to so many other things.

Thankfully, I have a large reserve of knowledge regarding physics and astronomy to draw on for the sci-fi aspects. Actually, often all I need in this regard is to look up something I forgot in one of my books. I only really use the internet to get specific details anymore in this regard, so that it doesn't come off as some thing I just saw on TV.

(I criticize astronomical mistakes in sci-fi shows with no mercy. Quantum mechanics and General/Special Relativity I ma more lenient with by far)

• Research into Japanese names and their meanings.
• Loads of research into Japanese manners and mannerisms.
• I put a lot of research to shops and districts in Tokyo
• Over a dozen japanese concepts and phases.
• I put a lot of a research into psychological fields, mental strength, the effects emotions can have on the mind.
• Refreshed myself of Greek philosophy (If just for one quote)
• Over a days worth of surfing tv tropes.
• Symbolism (my work oozes with it)
• How being hung and slashing your wrists would feel.
  • Note: This was strictly reading though I need press on my thought until I coughed (with my hand), to see how the pressure might be.
    • also the strength of clothes for a noose, and if a ceiling fan could hold a 102 pound weight.

• How various things sound.
• How various bones would break , and heal how muscles rip, skin tears.
• ectra.

edited 10th Apr '11 1:42:45 PM by Vyctorian

For my work, which is set in Medieval and Heian (read: rich, opulent, high-culture era) eras, I've done lots of research into:

- The names and significance of old cities/centres of activity

- Historical figures - The way of life

- Professions

- Prostitution (This...has been a pain in my side, and still is. Researching a taboo topic is...eugh.)

- Women (my protagonist is a woman; this is a necessity)

- Demons, spirits, and mythology in general (This is an Inuyasha fanfiction, so this is an absolute must, and I've enjoyed it)

- Food

- Other occupations (farming especially)

- The various religions and philosophies, all of which are drastically different from mine (Judaism), but which I wanted to write faithfully (no pun intended)

- Ideologies, including Confucianism and the over-arching "Duty versus Self" quandry that appears again and again in the literature and fuels much of several characters' inner-conflict within my story)

- Society and its various levels (of which there are many... Gah, this turned into quite a project, but it's one I've enjoyed investigating)

- TV Tropes, of course, for information on weaponry, tropes, and ferreting out advice and such

- My Japanese friends as well as my Japanphile friends - picking their brains has proved especially useful, and apparently my friends wished they could have borrowed me for their history homework back in Japan.

- The medicine during the periods, and modern medicine (things like broken bones, blood loss, wounds) and how such things would feel. Not that I've done any testing on myself...

- How it would feel to be without my dominant arm and half-blind (which I already am, so...no guessing there!) and then completely blind!

All in all, I like doing research, and researching this work has provided me with countless hours of fun - in addition, of course, to the writing. I've bought a few important books, and check libraries regularly. Many people think I'm nuts for putting so much time and effort into making sure I've been accurate, but, hey, it's all in the details that it comes together! I also peruse textbooks at a ridiculous rate looking for anything new. Now if only I could read Japanese...then I could finish my research completely!

edited 10th Apr '11 7:47:35 PM by punkreader

Teenagers. Being one, it makes it much much easier to write about them, but I try to be more social and do things I wouldn't normally do.

I'm currently writing a Steampunk story ("Steampunk" being used loosely; it's really a cross between steam, clock, and diesel). I'm the type of person that's obsessed with the details, and I like everything in my stories to be neat and tidy with little to no plot holes or Did Not Do The Research moments. I also like my laws of physics to be at least VERY close to how they are in reality. Considering how steampunk usually is, this is less than simple.

The story is an alternate history, set in 1913, about a group of airship pirates and a Russian girl they rescue. There's a lot more to it than that, but it's unnecessary here. By the nature of the story itself, I have had to do extensive research regarding:

-The individual histories, customs and laws of 14 different countries besides America.

-The early steam technology, as well as how the earliest diesel engines were built, run, all their individual parts, etc. I also had to learn how actual clock technology works, since I had no idea besides that they usually featured a lot of gears and some springs.

-Physics. I had to know just how plausible certain aspects of my technology were. I'm no scientist, but I am in college, with access to a wonderful library database and some very helpful physics professors.

-Many aspects of my world rely on an altered history. Thus, I needed to accurately show how the alterations have made so many aspects of the world different. This meant rethinking countries' boundaries, and basically reworking a large portion of our world map.

All in all, I've spent far more time researching and building my world than I have writing it out. This isn't even detailing character profiles, storyline planning, linking everything together and making timelines, etc. I'm still nowhere near finished, although I hope to at least be able to start by the next Na No Wri Mo.

I was going to ask why diesels when most successful aviation powerplants were gasoline, but then I did my research and found that many zeppelins and other airships actually did use diesel, out of fear of gasoline's volatility and flammability.

Well, some ARE going to use gasoline, but I already know quite a bit about gasoline engines, both automotive and aeronautic, so I didn't mention it as part of my research. I'm aware that not all machines would run on the same technology; that would be unrealistic, especially considering that the world I'm building is an "age of invention".

I'm enjoying the research, really. If only I put so much effort into my actual studies.

My approach to research 90% of the time amounts to looking up names on wikipedia, and the occasional sojourn to a site for name meanings.

I actually find it easy to research history because I don't see it as a long drone of facts, dates, and dead people, I see it more as one long cause-and-effect chain; learning why and how stuff happens, and how it relates to the present day.

And the latest thing I'm researching is ancient politics. I want to deconstruct politics for my Urban Fantasy.

I'm also writing a Steampunk story. Lots of research. Luckily, my story seems to use a bit more Rule of Cool than Alden Ashford's does.

edited 13th Apr '11 11:55:11 AM by Saturn

Stuff I've researched:

Japanese mythology, culture and names- I have a story that involves Youkai, so it was necessary.

Name meanings- I enjoy giving characters names that are subtly appropriate or shout outs to other works.

Multiple series- I've written (or at least started) several fanfiction stories. I try to carefully research everything so I can stay as close to canon as possible. This usually involves rewatching or rereading the series and taking notes about how characters talk, when events happened, etc.

Film Noir- I'm currently researching this. One of the characters in a story I'm working on behaves like a Noir protagonist. This results in many weird looks, misunderstandings and confusion on the part of other characters.

For my saga I researched: Lucid Dreaming: (How to lucid dream) Carl Jung: Archetypes, anima (and the Shadow) Melusine: (An ancient fairytale set in Middle Ages)

I've gone through about 50 different guns trying to find the ones that have the right mixture of intimidating and realistic. I decided not to go with the usual rare guns and instead just gave everyone an FN Five-seveN and an HK 416. One of my characters does get a SPAS, though.

Still deciding on what to do about cars, but since it's set after a second civil war I don't think designs will change that much or that people will have the money to buy new cars anyway.

Let's see...subjects I researched...

• Symbolism.
• Numerology.
• Astrology.
• Etymology.
• Greek mythology.
• Retro science fiction for a children's book I've been writing.
• Film making processes, especially animation.
• Brazilian folklore, consequently Latin-America's folklore in general.

I'm currently learning Korean and reading about Carl Jung and Jacques Lacan.

Human Anatomy - If you wanna lovingly describe the most gut-wrenching Gorn imaginable, this is a must. Of course, that might just be down to my personal taste, or lack thereof.

Firearms - I don't really want people accosting me with stuff like "You can't *do* that with a double-action revolver, which the protagonist's sidearm clearly is," etc. etc. so I read up on any killing device I include in my stories.

General Trivia on American Culture, Laws, Societal Norms and Many, Many Other Things - Most of my stories are set in the USA, a place I've never been to. Rather than face up to researching the place in-depth, I opt to use a hypothetical, fantastical America. So my stories wind up taking place in a twisted Eagleland concocted from what I've absorbed through cultural osmosis and augmented by piecemeal research I've done on the side.

A Wee Bit of Chemistry and Physics - Being a high school dropout, I've got some catching up to do. Especially if I want to involve gunplay, use of explosives or chemical weapons in my story. Which I often do.

I can probably rhyme off the birth and death dates of any Scottish or English monarch that ruled before 1400. That's how dedicated I am. I'm finally starting work on a story involving the character I posted in this thread quite a while ago.

Research? Usually none what so ever. I'm a scifi writer. I write by the Rule of Cool. My work usually takes place so far in the future inconsistancies can simply be handwaved without causing plot holes.

Hoo boy. My research for Island Song is IMMENSE. Off the top of my head are the biggest things:

• Classical Mayan and feudal Japanese/European architecture.
• Norse, Japanese, Celtic, and English mythology.
• Horse breeds, to sort kelpies/unicorns/hippogriffs/centaurs/sleipnir into somewhat realistic body-types. Unicorns are Arabians because of their famous speed/endurance and small size; kelpies would be mid-sized/large draft breeds because... well, heavier horses would be able to drag you underwater a lot faster. Hippogriffs and sleipnir would be light draft breeds because hippogriffs need extra muscle in their hindquarters for takeoff, and sleipnir have eight legs.
• Heian Japanese, classical Mayan, and medieval European clothing.
• Various historical martial arts.
• Dog breeds, especially working breeds.
• Tropical/sub-tropical climates.
• Island countries.
• Cartography. I draw my own maps.

I research all sorts of stuff for my works and even interview people who work (or have worked) in relevant fields when I can (police etc).

For my current work I've been researching Civil Defence plans for large-scale emergencies and seeing what is manufactured, repaired and serviced locally compared with what is imported.

A lot of stuff I'm writing about falls under my many interests anyway so I can write from experience or better than average knowledge of the subject but I'm still making sure I check my facts and get the details right - I'd be mortified to be snapped for Did Not Do The Research.

Once TSHTF in the story what Civil Defence is doing and which things can and cannot be replenished are going to be major factors.

Craploads here as well.

• I got up early one summer weekend just to go to a fantasy con on the other end of the city and take part in a swordfighting training. Partly out of curiosity, partly for Bjorn Westlander, Agent Retriever. I got the very basic basics covered now.
  • Medieval and Renaissance architecture, clothing, weapons and armor.
  • Common Law
  • Magic system based on Background Magic Field.
  • Conlangs, based on English, Dutch, German and Gaelic.
• Structure and organization of colleges in US in the Roaring Twenties (for Michael J. West, Paranormal Investigator).
  • Library fees in the US in the Roaring Twenties.
  • Fashion and etiquette in the Roaring Twenties.
  • Assorted Lovecraftiana.

And that's not counting the research for RP Gs.

edited 1st May '11 6:35:41 AM by NotSoBadassLongcoat