Research is so much fun

[HordHolm]

I actually made sure that the boat in question was one that was designed to be single handed. It's an important plot point.

https://dragonfly.dk/dragonfly-40

It sounds... phallic.

But surely it should be 'double-handed' here on Lit? They usually are that big....

 

[stickygirl]

I find Google streetview a great way to flesh out stories and I had a good wander round Nuuk, Greenland. I realise there was a distinctive mountain that is mentioned by characters in my story Under the Ice. Diving deeper I discovered the importance of cyanobacteria in studying glacial ice, about soft corals, as well as my nemesis Ursus Maritimus.

In fact it's made me want to visit the place properly so I can pick lingonberries for a pie.

 

[Saturn0815]

For my story The Muse I wanted a modern retelling of the Greek myth of how the god Hephaestus caught his wife the goddess Aphrodite and the god Ares in an adulterous tryst. I researched a bit about smith forging since Hephaestus is the god who forged all the armour and weaponry of the gods. I knew absolutely nothing going in and it is a big part of the story I had to do some research. Not a lot as I can easily become obsessed with a topic and research too much. Also did a bit more in-depth study of the original myth and some of the symbolism. I think using the subject-correct terms is a kind of shorthand, and releases the need for long expositions about an action or plot point specific to that subject.

I really like this idea. I am looking forward to reading this!

 

[NoTalentHack]

Research can be fun, but I read/listen to so much non-fiction that it’s more common for me to go “oh, hey, that would be a great starter for a story” and go from there. I usually have to do a little bit of research after that, but I figure if I’ve got enough lay knowledge to not sound like an idiot, I can share on smaller things.

That said, I’ve got two or three bookmarks for things I have no natural intellectual curiosity in (camping and the logistics of hiking the PCT are the current biggest ones) that I’m going to need to read up on before trying to write stories involving them. I’m sure I’ll enjoy once I get dug in, but it’s a question of getting my brain to where it wants to engage first.

 

[NoTalentHack]

I find Google streetview a great way to flesh out stories

Oh, that’s really great idea! Totally stealing it.

 

[Comshaw]

(snip)
What's everyone's deal with research? Do you just write what you know, or are you diving in deep to a culture, location, job, or whatever? Isn't it the best? (Maybe that's my old uni days bias showing.)

Much of the time I write what I know. I do a lot of reading about many different subjects. Occasionally a description of fact will tickle my curiosity and I'll dig into it deeper. When I do I file those little factoids or descriptions for later use. Consequently a lot of my story research is already done when I find I need it.
Sometimes though I'll be in the middle of writing a story and stumble onto something that I just have to include. I have a scifi story I'm working on about a merchant ship that travels to a planet that has been isolated for a couple of centuries. I was going to use a space-fold technology for their travels, but then I stumbled onto an article about the Alucubierre Drive.

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, an object can't travel faster than the speed of light. It seems a scientist by the name of Alucubierre has come up with a theory that allows faster-than-light travel within the confines of Einstein's theory. It's an interesting theory in that the object (a spaceship) doesn't move, but is contained in a space-time bubble and the universe moves around it.

So now I am going back to rewrite that part of my story. I absolutely hate rewriting things because I always miss something that I should have deleted. But that little voice in the back of my head will not give me any rest until I do.


Comshaw

 

[JGittes]

.....

That said, I’ve got two or three bookmarks for things I have no natural intellectual curiosity in (camping and the logistics of hiking the PCT are the current biggest ones) that I’m going to need to read up on before trying to write stories involving them. I’m sure I’ll enjoy once I get dug in, but it’s a question of getting my brain to where it wants to engage first.

You can satisfy both needs with Colin Fletcher's "The Thousand Mile Summer." It's a classic book from 1964 and is frequently credited with starting the backpacking trend (industry?). He's also an entertaining writer.