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Fact Finding in Writing
By Sandra Lee Schubert | April 15, 2008
We truly live in the information age. It comes at us from every angle. Ads are on buses, cabs and the bodies of those willing to be walking advertisement. The Internet will give you every version of every story. TV network and cable have numerous shows from news, sports, reality shows to self help features. We have 24/7 access to information. But do we have the facts? If you are a poet or creative writer, you may feel facts are subjective and certainly to some extent they are. Memories of similar family events can be strikingly different then those of our siblings and relatives. Our interpretation of these events is personal and subject to change as we mature and learn more about what happened. Fiction and fantasy writing can take the writer and reader into extraordinary landscapes. But the stories must be realistic enough to be believed by the reader.
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
~ John Adams (1735 - 1826), ‘Argument in Defense of the Soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials’ December 1770
Just the facts, ma’am.
If you are writing a fiction piece based in the 60’s, the details of the decade would frame the story. Your character can’t pick up a cell phone to make a call but they can visit the World’s Fair to view the newfangled videophone. Disco dancing would have to wait. You could also discuss the confluence of the 50’s and the 60’s. If you don’t know anything about a particular decade or point in history, then it is up to you to do the research. A story full of inconsistencies only puts off the reader. If you mention a historic site but you have it uptown instead of downtown, then you are deceiving the reader for the sake of your point of view and the story will lose its impact. The reader in most cases is willing to let a little creative license invade a story if it makes sense. You can’t have your character do something that is out of character for the time and place, unless you have a credible reason. Accuracy in dates, times, speech patterns, clothing is essential to a good story.
“An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations.”
~ Charles de Montesquieu (1689 - 1755)
Think of it this way…
This isn’t your 6th grade class where Mrs. Alittlemean has made you look up the life span of a marshmallow. Research can be your playground. You get to look up all sorts of interesting things and maybe talk to fun people who want to tell you all about how they do what they do. A basic guideline for journalists is: who, what, where and why. Who are the people involved in your story, what are the details, and where did this story/event happen? And lastly why did it happen? Using this guideline you can be confident that your story will cover the facts.
Remember to look for more then one source and keep track of them. Good research and solid facts will make your story sparkle. Having done your research builds the framework on which your imagination can create all sorts of wonderful things
“Only the curious will learn and only the resolute overcome the obstacles to learning. The quest quotient has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient.”
~ Eugene S. Wilson
Stay Young
If you need further encouragement, think of research in another way - it will keep you young. A sharp mind needs stimulation. Your brain builds new pathways when you learn something new. So don’t think of this as chore but as a path to wellness. Both your brain and your reader will be happy to have been expanded and enlightened in this way.
© 2008 Sandra Lee Schubert www.writing-for-life.com
Technorati Tags: Journalism, Research
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