Workshop - Research: It's a Sickness.
"Actual facts are your raw material, not your boundaries."
- Jerome Stern, Making Shapely Fiction
Hi. I'm art_savage, and I'm an information junkie.
Like Sam, I keep my research under the mattress. I once paid twelve dollars to download an article titled "Sectarian Ideology and Church Architecture." I would have posted this earlier, but I got sidetracked looking up local amusement park deaths.
The fics I love to read and try to write are meticulously researched, realistically detailed - vivid worlds faithfully rendered. With that in mind, I've tried to assemble some resources for likeminded individuals - some ideas to help you find information and use it well.
A Few Humble Suggestions
A good library - or a good librarian - can be your best friend.
Maybe it's been a while since you've been to the library. Maybe it's time to give it another try.
This seems elementary, but you'd be surprised how many folks I talk to who don't realize you can search for and request books online nowadays, or have books transferred to a more convenient branch location for pickup. Your local library can be a great resource and a real timesaver.
Even if you live in East B.F. and your library is a closet with a few John Grisham novels, a decent librarian can help you track down what you need. If the library doesn't own a book or article, they can try to get it from another institution through interlibrary loan, usually free or at minimal cost to you. And these days, most public libraries subscribe to a number of online databases. You might even be able to access content from home, using your library card number.
If your public library can't help, consider other resources in your area. Is there a university nearby? Even a regional campus or community college will likely have access to some materials. Different colleges might have different policies regarding public access, so talk to a librarian. If you're not allowed to check out books from the collection, you might be able to photocopy materials or use in-house databases.
Remember, most librarians enjoy research and love a challenging question. Give 'em a chance.
(Disclaimer: I worked in a public library for four years, and I've worked in a medical library going on six years. I could be just a tad biased.)
Talk to people.
It’s easy to forget one of the best resources available: people you know, and people they know. Think about your friends and family - their jobs and hobbies, their friends you might have met at some cookout or holiday party. My sister-in-law is a nurse. One of her friends from high school is married to a cop. My father-in-law has a private pilot’s license. My best friend from college knows everything about politics, drugs, and just about any kind of music. Another good friend knows chemistry, guns, and video games, and has practiced martial arts for years. His stepfather used to raise cattle, and his mother works at the county courthouse. A wide range of knowledge, just a phone call or two away.
Don’t forget your flist.
Thanks to the magic of Teh Intarwebs, I know people from all over the world. I've "met" psychologists, teachers, and nurses, folks who keep bees and chickens. Don't be afraid to ask. Even if all you need to know is whether "pop" or "soda" is the term commonly used in a certain region, your flist will come to the rescue - and they won't look at you like you're nuts when you ask about obscure rituals or theoretical injuries!
Teh Intarwebs: Some Nifty Sites for Research
This list is by no means comprehensive. These are just a few resources I've run across that have come in handy from time to time. If I've skipped a topic you think I should have covered, let me know, and I'll check my bookmarks to see what I've got - or feel free to suggest links in the comments.
Catch-All
Google. Know it. Love it. If you have the time to browse, you can find a ridiculous amount of information. It's especially good for the beginning stages of research, when you want to cast a wide net, but it's a useful tool at any time. I've plotted the locations of motels, restaurants, and historical societies using personalized Google Maps. Google Image Search was invaluable when I was researching the town of Price, Utah - I found pictures of the town's main street, its motels, its public library - I even found a shot of the interior of the library. For some additional search tips, try this list of Obscure Google Search Tricks.
Compiled by the Ramapo Catskill Library System, this list of the Best Online Reference Sites has links to a little bit of everything: currency converter, shoe size chart, maps, quotations, urban legends.
Religion and Mythology
For all your Bible needs, try the Unbound Bible. You can search, choose a section or a book, or enter a specific chapter and verse. The site presents the Bible in quite a few versions - New American, King James, and Douay-Rheims, for example - not to mention languages. You can even view up to four parallel versions.
Encyclopedia Mythica is a nice site for mythology and folklore. Users can search the contents, or browse by region. The entries can be a bit too basic ("A cannibalistic clown monster of the Ute tribe" or "The Inca god of thunder and lightning" are all you'll get out of some), but it makes for a good starting point.
The Catholic Online Saints and Angels site has some useful information, particularly the page listing references to angels in the Bible. It's a little bit heavier on the saints than the angels, but if you ever wanted to know who the patron saint of Alabama is, this is the place to go. (Our Lady of the Gulf, btw.)
Weapons
For those of us without practical experience with guns, Real Revolvers Don't Wear Safeties: Firearms Information For Writers - And Readers explains the basics of handguns in simple terms.
erinrua's information about the weapons of Supernatural is an invaluable resource for anyone writing SPN fic. Here you'll find screencaps and descriptions of Sam and Dean's favorite guns, as well as their lesser-used weapons.
Medical
PubMed searches over 18 million citations from medical journals dating back to 1948. You can limit your search to free full text articles only - and you'd be surprised how many journals are offering at least some of their material free these days.
Holistic Online lists herbal remedies by common or scientific name. The database gives descriptions, usage suggestions, and safety information. A section on conditions and treatments suggests remedies for everything from gout to tinnitus.
Nature
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a great site for all your birding needs. View pictures and range maps, or listen to bird calls. A description of a certain call overheard can add a nice bit of detail to a story - or jar the reader right out of the narrative, if you've got the wrong bird in the wrong place. Never underestimate the power of our fine, feathered friends.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture PLANTS Database hosts images, descriptions, distribution maps, and fact sheets for just about any damn plant you can think of. So if you've got Sam and Dean lost in the woods, you can figure out what flora they're likely to encounter.
Maybe your evil plan for whumpage includes feeding the boys the wrong berries. If so, you'll want to check out the Poisonous Plants page from Cornell University. You can find plants by scientific or common name.
For all those wacky critters our boys could encounter during a hunt, the Smithsonian offers a guide to North American mammals. Search by location, species name, order, or family. You'll find range maps, photos, and images of bones and teeth, and you can select species to add to your own printable field guide.
Names
It can be a real bitch to come up with good names for original characters. Hands down, my favorite site for first names is the Social Security Administration's Popular Baby Names. Where else can you look up the thousand most popular baby names for each year dating back to 1880? Excellent for naming those pesky ghosts.
Looking for the perfect surname? Try genealogy websites. You can search using a given name to find a last name that sounds just right with it. For added realism, browse census records to find surnames that were common in a geographic area at a particular time. Ancestry.com is my personal favorite. Access to the 1880 U.S. census is free, including images of the original documents. If you come across interesting records that require a subscription, most public libraries offer access.
Wanna get really OCD? You can search the 1880 census by occupation, so if you need a name for, say, an Irish cop, try searching for "police" born in Ireland.
FamilySearch.org is another good site, with free access to the Social Security Death Index, as well as indexes for the 1880 United States, 1881 British Isles, or the 1881 Canadian Census. You can search by name, date, and country to narrow results.
What Now?
So now that you're an expert in burial mounds or Civil War medicine or Enochian magic, how do you use what you've learned?
There's no easy answer. Depending on the kind of story you want to write, you might need a little or a lot of detail. For a hurt/comfort scenario, where all you need to do is make sure your character's injury is plausible, maybe you can make do with a quick Google search and some info from WebMD. For a long casefic involving Native American culture, it's probably best to be as familiar with the topic as possible, in order to treat it with the proper respect.
It's also easy to go overboard with detail. You've done a ton of research, learned all kinds of obscure facts, and want to find a way to use them all - but cramming it all into your story can bog down the narrative and bore the reader.
I don't have a magic formula for what to include and when, or how to determine too much vs. too little, but there are a few pieces of advice I can offer:
1. Trust your instincts. Go ahead and throw in everything but the kitchen sink on your first draft, or pick out a few select details you think are most important and skip the rest. But in your revisions, ask yourself the tough questions. Would you get bored reading that chunk of exposition? Does minimal detail explain enough, or will it leave the reader confused?
2. Find a good beta. We all get too close to our own stories. You might think all that information about antique embroidery samplers is fascinating, but maybe someone who doesn't share the interest would find it a bit dull. Your beta can point out things you missed, give you an unbiased opinion.
3. Let the characters follow your research path. My favorite way to incorporate information without overdoing the exposition is to let the boys research the same things I did. In researching for one of my fics, I started with a ghost story in a book called Haunted Heartland. The book's bibliography led me to another book, where the tale first appeared. I then tried to verify any details I could, using census records and books about the history of the area. Of course, Sam and Dean had better luck than I did, but letting them follow the same steps allowed me to include what I'd found, hopefully without boring anyone to death.
4. Don't forget the little things. Does that tree really grow that far west? Do houses in that part of the country have basements? How cold would it be at that time of the year? Just as the right detail can bring a story to life, the wrong one can be a real deal-breaker. Don't insult your readers by assuming no one will know the difference.
5. Have fun. Remember why you're writing fanfic in the first place: for fun. It's sure as hell not for the paycheck. You're allowed to enjoy the topics you research, and your enthusiasm will likely make a better story.
Discussion: I Showed You Mine, You Show Me Yours.
So what are some of your favorite resources? Books, journals, websites, podcasts?
What are your picks for the best-researched fics - the ones that pulled you in with vivid detail, the ones that got you curious about things you'd never thought about before?
And how much research is too much? Does a story ever overload you on details, bore you to death with well-meaning exposition?
Thanks for reading - I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
- Jerome Stern, Making Shapely Fiction
Hi. I'm art_savage, and I'm an information junkie.
Like Sam, I keep my research under the mattress. I once paid twelve dollars to download an article titled "Sectarian Ideology and Church Architecture." I would have posted this earlier, but I got sidetracked looking up local amusement park deaths.
The fics I love to read and try to write are meticulously researched, realistically detailed - vivid worlds faithfully rendered. With that in mind, I've tried to assemble some resources for likeminded individuals - some ideas to help you find information and use it well.
A Few Humble Suggestions
A good library - or a good librarian - can be your best friend.
Maybe it's been a while since you've been to the library. Maybe it's time to give it another try.
This seems elementary, but you'd be surprised how many folks I talk to who don't realize you can search for and request books online nowadays, or have books transferred to a more convenient branch location for pickup. Your local library can be a great resource and a real timesaver.
Even if you live in East B.F. and your library is a closet with a few John Grisham novels, a decent librarian can help you track down what you need. If the library doesn't own a book or article, they can try to get it from another institution through interlibrary loan, usually free or at minimal cost to you. And these days, most public libraries subscribe to a number of online databases. You might even be able to access content from home, using your library card number.
If your public library can't help, consider other resources in your area. Is there a university nearby? Even a regional campus or community college will likely have access to some materials. Different colleges might have different policies regarding public access, so talk to a librarian. If you're not allowed to check out books from the collection, you might be able to photocopy materials or use in-house databases.
Remember, most librarians enjoy research and love a challenging question. Give 'em a chance.
(Disclaimer: I worked in a public library for four years, and I've worked in a medical library going on six years. I could be just a tad biased.)
Talk to people.
It’s easy to forget one of the best resources available: people you know, and people they know. Think about your friends and family - their jobs and hobbies, their friends you might have met at some cookout or holiday party. My sister-in-law is a nurse. One of her friends from high school is married to a cop. My father-in-law has a private pilot’s license. My best friend from college knows everything about politics, drugs, and just about any kind of music. Another good friend knows chemistry, guns, and video games, and has practiced martial arts for years. His stepfather used to raise cattle, and his mother works at the county courthouse. A wide range of knowledge, just a phone call or two away.
Don’t forget your flist.
Thanks to the magic of Teh Intarwebs, I know people from all over the world. I've "met" psychologists, teachers, and nurses, folks who keep bees and chickens. Don't be afraid to ask. Even if all you need to know is whether "pop" or "soda" is the term commonly used in a certain region, your flist will come to the rescue - and they won't look at you like you're nuts when you ask about obscure rituals or theoretical injuries!
Teh Intarwebs: Some Nifty Sites for Research
This list is by no means comprehensive. These are just a few resources I've run across that have come in handy from time to time. If I've skipped a topic you think I should have covered, let me know, and I'll check my bookmarks to see what I've got - or feel free to suggest links in the comments.
Catch-All
Google. Know it. Love it. If you have the time to browse, you can find a ridiculous amount of information. It's especially good for the beginning stages of research, when you want to cast a wide net, but it's a useful tool at any time. I've plotted the locations of motels, restaurants, and historical societies using personalized Google Maps. Google Image Search was invaluable when I was researching the town of Price, Utah - I found pictures of the town's main street, its motels, its public library - I even found a shot of the interior of the library. For some additional search tips, try this list of Obscure Google Search Tricks.
Compiled by the Ramapo Catskill Library System, this list of the Best Online Reference Sites has links to a little bit of everything: currency converter, shoe size chart, maps, quotations, urban legends.
Religion and Mythology
For all your Bible needs, try the Unbound Bible. You can search, choose a section or a book, or enter a specific chapter and verse. The site presents the Bible in quite a few versions - New American, King James, and Douay-Rheims, for example - not to mention languages. You can even view up to four parallel versions.
Encyclopedia Mythica is a nice site for mythology and folklore. Users can search the contents, or browse by region. The entries can be a bit too basic ("A cannibalistic clown monster of the Ute tribe" or "The Inca god of thunder and lightning" are all you'll get out of some), but it makes for a good starting point.
The Catholic Online Saints and Angels site has some useful information, particularly the page listing references to angels in the Bible. It's a little bit heavier on the saints than the angels, but if you ever wanted to know who the patron saint of Alabama is, this is the place to go. (Our Lady of the Gulf, btw.)
Weapons
For those of us without practical experience with guns, Real Revolvers Don't Wear Safeties: Firearms Information For Writers - And Readers explains the basics of handguns in simple terms.
erinrua's information about the weapons of Supernatural is an invaluable resource for anyone writing SPN fic. Here you'll find screencaps and descriptions of Sam and Dean's favorite guns, as well as their lesser-used weapons.
Medical
PubMed searches over 18 million citations from medical journals dating back to 1948. You can limit your search to free full text articles only - and you'd be surprised how many journals are offering at least some of their material free these days.
Holistic Online lists herbal remedies by common or scientific name. The database gives descriptions, usage suggestions, and safety information. A section on conditions and treatments suggests remedies for everything from gout to tinnitus.
Nature
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a great site for all your birding needs. View pictures and range maps, or listen to bird calls. A description of a certain call overheard can add a nice bit of detail to a story - or jar the reader right out of the narrative, if you've got the wrong bird in the wrong place. Never underestimate the power of our fine, feathered friends.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture PLANTS Database hosts images, descriptions, distribution maps, and fact sheets for just about any damn plant you can think of. So if you've got Sam and Dean lost in the woods, you can figure out what flora they're likely to encounter.
Maybe your evil plan for whumpage includes feeding the boys the wrong berries. If so, you'll want to check out the Poisonous Plants page from Cornell University. You can find plants by scientific or common name.
For all those wacky critters our boys could encounter during a hunt, the Smithsonian offers a guide to North American mammals. Search by location, species name, order, or family. You'll find range maps, photos, and images of bones and teeth, and you can select species to add to your own printable field guide.
Names
It can be a real bitch to come up with good names for original characters. Hands down, my favorite site for first names is the Social Security Administration's Popular Baby Names. Where else can you look up the thousand most popular baby names for each year dating back to 1880? Excellent for naming those pesky ghosts.
Looking for the perfect surname? Try genealogy websites. You can search using a given name to find a last name that sounds just right with it. For added realism, browse census records to find surnames that were common in a geographic area at a particular time. Ancestry.com is my personal favorite. Access to the 1880 U.S. census is free, including images of the original documents. If you come across interesting records that require a subscription, most public libraries offer access.
Wanna get really OCD? You can search the 1880 census by occupation, so if you need a name for, say, an Irish cop, try searching for "police" born in Ireland.
FamilySearch.org is another good site, with free access to the Social Security Death Index, as well as indexes for the 1880 United States, 1881 British Isles, or the 1881 Canadian Census. You can search by name, date, and country to narrow results.
What Now?
So now that you're an expert in burial mounds or Civil War medicine or Enochian magic, how do you use what you've learned?
There's no easy answer. Depending on the kind of story you want to write, you might need a little or a lot of detail. For a hurt/comfort scenario, where all you need to do is make sure your character's injury is plausible, maybe you can make do with a quick Google search and some info from WebMD. For a long casefic involving Native American culture, it's probably best to be as familiar with the topic as possible, in order to treat it with the proper respect.
It's also easy to go overboard with detail. You've done a ton of research, learned all kinds of obscure facts, and want to find a way to use them all - but cramming it all into your story can bog down the narrative and bore the reader.
I don't have a magic formula for what to include and when, or how to determine too much vs. too little, but there are a few pieces of advice I can offer:
1. Trust your instincts. Go ahead and throw in everything but the kitchen sink on your first draft, or pick out a few select details you think are most important and skip the rest. But in your revisions, ask yourself the tough questions. Would you get bored reading that chunk of exposition? Does minimal detail explain enough, or will it leave the reader confused?
2. Find a good beta. We all get too close to our own stories. You might think all that information about antique embroidery samplers is fascinating, but maybe someone who doesn't share the interest would find it a bit dull. Your beta can point out things you missed, give you an unbiased opinion.
3. Let the characters follow your research path. My favorite way to incorporate information without overdoing the exposition is to let the boys research the same things I did. In researching for one of my fics, I started with a ghost story in a book called Haunted Heartland. The book's bibliography led me to another book, where the tale first appeared. I then tried to verify any details I could, using census records and books about the history of the area. Of course, Sam and Dean had better luck than I did, but letting them follow the same steps allowed me to include what I'd found, hopefully without boring anyone to death.
4. Don't forget the little things. Does that tree really grow that far west? Do houses in that part of the country have basements? How cold would it be at that time of the year? Just as the right detail can bring a story to life, the wrong one can be a real deal-breaker. Don't insult your readers by assuming no one will know the difference.
5. Have fun. Remember why you're writing fanfic in the first place: for fun. It's sure as hell not for the paycheck. You're allowed to enjoy the topics you research, and your enthusiasm will likely make a better story.
Discussion: I Showed You Mine, You Show Me Yours.
So what are some of your favorite resources? Books, journals, websites, podcasts?
What are your picks for the best-researched fics - the ones that pulled you in with vivid detail, the ones that got you curious about things you'd never thought about before?
And how much research is too much? Does a story ever overload you on details, bore you to death with well-meaning exposition?
Thanks for reading - I look forward to hearing your thoughts!