Research vs. Observation
Donald Maass on Feb 01 2012 | Filed under: CRAFT, RESEARCH
Do you research your novels to the point of obsession or do you not research at all?
Historical novelists are research junkies. Coming-of-age novelists mostly rely on memory. The majority of fiction writers fall somewhere in between: They study just enough so that their settings are accurate and their characters’ occupations feel real. The rest is write what you know.
There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just that heavily researched novels can be lacking observation of the ordinary. Conversely, realistic novels are frequently are too ordinary to be fascinating.
To create high-impact it’s necessary to both observe people as they are and also discover through research that which readers could not possibly know about them and their world. Don’t you love learning new stuff as you read? Don’t you also love it when you totally recognize the characters with whom you’re spending time?
Research means not just getting the setting details right. It means getting the people right. Have you met a character who got bullet shot but wasn’t psychologically changed? Ever run across a protagonist who adapts to their handicap, special gift or paranormal ability with no trouble whatsoever? Those are failures of research.
Failure to observe people as they are results in overly familiar characters, actions and emotions; that is, stereotypes, predictable events and hackneyed prose. It’s a paradox. When you write what you think you should, it doesn’t feel wholly real. When you write from life, characters become quirky and unique. Their actions have a better shot at surprising.
Here are some things you can try, depending on your proclivity:
- Are you a researcher? Think about your family. What kind of people are they? Who’s best? Who’s worst? Who’s the coolest? Who’s the nastiest? How? Use that.
- Are you a researcher? Read the newspaper. What’s the big issue nowadays? What’s the equivalent issue in your story? Strengthen it.
- Are you a researcher? What’s something ironic about life? Give that ironic observation to one of your characters. Better still, show it happening.
- Are you an observer? What’s your main character’s occupation or identity? Interview someone who’s got that job or profile. Ask, what do outsiders not know? What’s something you feel that others don’t? What’s a specialist term, tool or measurement you use that others don’t? Use that stuff.
- Are you an observer? Invent something for your story world that doesn’t exist there. Make it something big, notable, colorful, creepy, mysterious, famous, singular, or a source of shame or pride or wonder. Put it in your story.
- Are you an observer? Pick a secondary character. Give that character an extraordinary ability or notorious past. Find a way for that to cause something to happen.
If you’re naturally an observer, undertake some research to make your story distinctively detailed and imaginatively rich. If you’re a dedicated researcher, get your nose out of the books and notice people. It’s what you uniquely observe about them that will make your characters real.
Photo courtesy Flickr’s dullhunk
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You’re making us think about how we think, Donald, and that’s a good thing. Observation should be sharpened and extrapolated. It’s not only what people do (that we see) but what they could do (that we can imagine). Good reminder. Thanks.
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Because I write historical fiction, this is particularly good advice for me. I think historical novelists often want to tell audiences all of the interesting things we’ve learned. I sometimes struggle to balance history with story.
This post helps me to better understand how to use restraint in that area. Focusing on the characters–their quirks, their passions, their personal stories–and using what I’ve observed in my own life will animate them and make them more authentic, allowing readers to connect to history rather than just read about it.
You’re always awesome, Don! Thanks!
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Erika-
My client Anne Perry, historical mystery writer, told me something interesting. Her first draft is what she calls a “character draft”. It leaves out all historical and setting detail. She does that because she wants to first get the people and relationships right. The historical details, which she’s noted for, she layers in only in later drafts.
-D
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I love the idea of a character draft. What a brilliant idea!
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Going to put that one in the bag of tricks along with first and last sentences of paragraphs that move the story along and tossing pages into the air then picking one up and revising for more tension.
Love this!!!
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That is brilliant! Thanks for the advice.
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I’m also a historical fiction writer. The character draft idea sounds interesting, but to me, character is bound up with setting. Characters shape and are shaped by their time and place. And one of my favorite ways to reveal character is to show their interaction with their environment or the events unfolding around them.
Might be worth trying to write some scenes just as character drafts, though, just to see what it’s like.
Fascinating post!
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Great post, Donald. These reminders about observation will be very helpful as I often find research as compelling as opening a box of chocolates, and I enjoy it almost as much! Thanks!
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So right, as usual. It’s yet another line for writers to walk. I’ve definitely read books where I could tell the writer was a researcher, and the story suffered; and other books where I could tell the writer was an observer, and the story suffered. :P
Thanks for the reminder and the helpful tips!
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I’m with Erika. As a writer of historicals, I’m bursting to share my ‘findings.’ Part of my revision process has been to strip away the research bits that don’t enhance the story. Now I need to be sure I’m ramping up the richness of my characters at the same time.
Thanks, Donald. Great stuff, as usual. Have you considered packaging all your WU posts as an ebook? It’s be handy-dandy to have (even though we can just search the archives). I’d buy it. Just a thought…
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Vaughn-
Well, funny you should ask. Much of what I’ve discussed in my WU posts over the last couple of years are folded into a new book called “Writing 21st Century Fiction”, which I just delivered to Writers Digest Books this morning. It’s due out September 12th.
-D
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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I’m definitely a hybrid here — I love research but I’m also a natural observer (ok, and I’m a wannabe spy too). I love the questions you’ve given, and since I also love answering questions, I will definitely be tackling your list!
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I’m definitely a researcher–and was one professionally for Prevention Magazine, once upon a time. I’ll sometimes research what others might observe more naturally. For example, I might look up photographs of a setting, and pick out details to describe. Or I’ll haunt a message board and pull ideas from others’ observations about this or that to increase authenticity. Cheating?
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p.s. Writing 21st Century Fiction sounds like another winner. Looking forward to hearing more.
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This is one of the areas I have really been working on in my current WIP. I’m writing about a subject I have been researching for fifteen years, and I was really concerned with keeping the bones of the story intact in my narrative while also keeping track of my plot. Reading through I realized it was “well-written” but not “good writing” – there was something missing. I started inserting little actions and facial expressions and suddenly, I had a book teeming with life and personality – AND I was vastly more interested in it, myself. Thanks for reminding us that it’s a “total package” approach that is going to be most resonant. :o)
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I do love to research, but I’m predominantly a Fantasy writer so I often have to extrapolate from stuff I research anyway. What I do do though, is research as I go along. So, for example, I’ve just written a short story set in 1910s New York, but I left researching photographs etc until the moment I started writing the part where my character first arrives there and begins walking down the streets. Then I incorporated observation stuff from when I visit London (I’m from a small place, so its a huge contrast for me), and how I felt and what the atmosphere was like around me. Its a mix of the two.
I’d also add that primary sources are far better than secondary sources as far as historical research is concerned. You can get so much more from a letter or a photograph than from a text book.
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I used to think research would be something I’d include in my novels but now I think it’s just another type of observation. So often, the research helps me understand the character a little bit better. And yes, I’m an observer, so your observer directed prompts hit home!
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I’m a bit of a stickler for having things Correct in my novels – even the ‘coming of age’ works. When I write about things that happened 5 or more years ago – particularlly in the 50s 60s 70s etc, I always look up clothing, shoes, hairstyles, food/drink, cars, etc etc, even if I think I remember something–because sometimes memory is wrong . . . I don’t want to have something happen in June of 1960 when it didn’t break out into mainstream American or wherever my setting is until December of 1960, etc. Sometimes those few months do make a difference.
What I don’t like is heavy heavy research, which is why I’d probably never write a historical novel.
Observation both works and doesn’t work for me – my brain doesn’t process information in the way many people’s do. So I have my system :-D
Nice post . . . thank you!
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I like the balance you suggest between rich and surprising detail from research and the ah-ha recognition of the ordinary that we know from experience is true of our lives. As an HF writer, I have to remind myself not to use all the cool details–only the ones that fall naturally into the course of the story. I find writing nonfiction articles about the same period –background for the interested reader–helps relieve some of the steam when I’ve uncovered info way too fascinating not to share and it gives me something worthwhile to post.
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Good point, Judith. Anything you can’t use in the novel isn’t wasted: it can add value on your website, for instance.
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Another great post, Donald. One thing I’ve always kept in mind about research is that you should only use that which is relevant to your story and to integrate it organically. Otherwise it’s an information dump that serves only to show off the author’s knowledge. Elizabeth George in her book, Write Away, devotes a chapter to describing her method for researching settings. It is too detailed to describe here, but it’s the best piece I’ve read on how to research settings. Thanks again Donald.
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Thanks, Donald, for the very timely post. It’s great advice. I have found it difficult to break away from the research phase. It’s entrancing, even to the point where in the middle of writing, I will stop and research more. It’s like I’m cleverly distracting myself away from the actual writing process. Thanks for the reminder to keep it all in focus.
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I’ve read more than a few books where the author was blatantly showing off. i.e. “Look how much I know about XYZ subject.”
But there’s no better escape than into a richly researched novel that brings another time and/or place alive without calling all the research and observation to the spotlight.
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I’ll say I’m a bit of both. I sometimes do research but other times I draw from real life.
I’m adding this to my weekly round-up.
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Great and fresh post. I’m very (too?) observant, so hope that helps me craft my WIP into a fine work.
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Thanks so much for this post! I’m a tireless researcher myself, since most of my books are historical – but I try to be an acute observer as well, and beleive it to be important. Lately I’ve been locked away in my study researching and writing and I think I may have become too hidebound.
I look forward to the writing book – & I’ve just scribbled a note to myself to buy the Elizabeth George writing book too – so thank you CG Blake for sharing that as well.
all my best to you all
Kate Forsyth
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Great post. I’m a researcher by training, but more of an observer by nature. I find myself finding wonderful details that I never use, but hopefully influence my characters and worlds.
And I’m stealing the idea of a character draft-wonderful concept!
Thanks for making us think, Donald.
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Whether you’re teaching at the SiWC or posting on WU, you always have something of value to share with writers! Thank you, Donald! You’ve given me something to thing about should I tackle a historical fiction in the future.
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I like the focus here. Pure observers would base the people they create on anecdotal experience along, and their writing would be limited. Pure researchers would never ground their writing in lived experience. It’s quite helpful to realize the necessity of combining both.
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Thanks, Donald. I always hover over your posts like a vulture over roadkill, and this one’s especially timely because my WIP is heavy, heavy, heavy on the research. I’m having to study four separate books and the internet on a particular topic.
But my goal is to weave it all in organically, seamlessly, so it doesn’t pull the reader out of the story.
The thing is, I’m mainly an Observer, and so I lean toward your suggestion to pick a secondary character and give him an extraordinary ability that’ll make something happen. He’s going to have this deep wisdom about the subject I’m researching, and he’ll be a catalyst of sorts.
Thanks, and happy Groundhog Day.
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Uh, okay…now I feel like there’s a vulture hovering behind me. Got that roadkill feeling, too. Glad my posts are helpful, though.
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What I’ve found I don’t do enough is observe people outside of the safety of my own home. As many writers do, I sequester myself on my MacBook and don’t get out enough into the real world. This post is the incentive I need to observe observe, observe.
Thank you.
Patti
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I’m both. I spent a lot of time researching my WIP, but when I actually get out and talk to people and not hiding behind the laptop I notice that I do a lot of deep listening and observing. In this recent iteration of my book, much of those observations have been incorporated. Now let’s see how it all plays out….
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We get most of our characters from people we meet and, yes, family members! This type of character building really makes them, well, real! Too often books are published where the characters are flat and do not react as real people would in certain situations, and this is, perhaps, misrepresenting society.
Research, something we find endlessly entertaining, can create or destroy a book. There is a fine line between too little information and far too much, and unfortunately there are too many examples of the wrong kind.
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