OK...
every writer will like different parts of the writing process. some like
editing (i've grown to like content editing, but i'm still not so fond of copy editing). some people like the
typing part...not me, i'm a manual,
pen-to-paper type--the first draft anyway. some like to make character charts and
outlines, etc. some people like to research. it doesn't matter what you like...pretty much all of it is necessary in some shape or another. i like index cards for characters, but then i'll do a shortened version (to see the big picture) of a character chart. that way i can tell if i have too many people to introduce at one time. i don't do outlines well... i like long-hand backstories where i am basically just writing this backstory and that backstory word for word, knowing full well 1/2 won't even be mentioned. but when i do it this way, i just let the pen guide me, let my stream of consciousness tell me where to go. when i outline, i try to be concise and bullet pointed. and most of the time i don't know
where the story will go. or if i do, i don't know
how i will transition. so my stream of consciousness works for me.
there are no rules to gathering information or keeping information safe (besides doing it), but there is one major thing i want to stress:
commitment to getting it right.
if you are writing your autobiography, writing from a full memory, etc., you know the story backwards and forwards. perfect. but if you aren't in this position...you need to go one step further than the internet/library.
you need to
talk to someone who knows your subject first hand. you need to be able to ask a follow up question or two (that's where the gold is) rather than rely on even testimonies, blog posts, etc. what the posts say will be good information, no doubt, and yes, you need to gather it too--probably first so that you can get a base knowledge of the subject and ask your real person the questions the internet
didn't.
the problems you might be facing right about now are
who? and
how?
the
who could be easy, could be difficult, depending on your connection to the subject. let's use an illness for an example--chicken pox. (it's simple, just go with it) you haven't had the chicken pox, but you really want an epidemic to break out in your story...so you think of someone who's had it. most everyone. then you decide who would be the best person to describe it...someone who remembers it. like a mom who has not only had it before, but just witnessed her child's outbreak. do you see how selection can be important? you could ask someone your own age who had it at least 15+ years ago. or you can get someone who has experience with it from two angles. who would you choose?
that brings me to
how. say it's not chicken pox. it's something very taboo, something personal. you have someone in mind that would be perfect but you don't know how to even go about asking for 1. him/her to agree to tell you their deepest darkest fears/secrets/memories/etc. and 2. him/her being ok with you
writing about it for all the world to see.
how in the heck do you go about something so personal? before you approach this person, ask yourself a couple key questions.
are you committed to the truth? not your version of the truth, the real, actual, truth? if you just want details to pick and choose from with the ultimate goal of making this part of the story what
you want, stop now. do not even attempt to bring someone else into it. your motives have to be purely in search of a piece of truth, a real perspective.
say your motives are pure. great. figure out your pitch: hey, so-and-so, i am writing a novel about "blah" and i realized i know very little about this aspect of "blah". i want to tell the
real story, and while i've researched the internet for a few weeks, i feel like if i took a stab at it, i wouldn't be getting all of it correct. is there any chance you might be interested in grabbing
coffee with me for a few minutes at your convenience to discuss it?
the follow up to the answer "yes" or hesitation: please know that i am not calling because i want to expose anything. you will be a source, a protected if you wish. and i won't put anything in my story that you don't feel comfortable with. (keep this promise...keep all promises.)
if you get a confirmed "yes": set the time at the coffee shop, arrive early so that
you can buy the coffee, get the table, and arrange your notebook/recorder, and write down any questions you want to make sure to cover on an index card or piece of loose leaf paper)--if you haven't done this prior to. you don't have to worry about a lot of questions as a conversation will lead to questions naturally. be mindful of the time and make sure your source knows he/she can stop whenever necessary as it should not interfere with any prior plans he/she might have.
i use the voice recorder app on my phone so that i can take notes but heavily rely on the recording to pick up the slack. i have found that if i try to take every note, i'm constantly behind and not able to think ahead enough to ask the proper follow up questions.
it's better to record, and take notes. questions appear out of nowhere whether on your page or just in your head. go with it. oh, but make sure to
tell your source you are recording--and that you won't post the conversation publicly or anything. purely for research purposes.
*of course if this person cannot meet in person, a phone date can be arranged, but send something (a starbucks gift card for instance) to him/her for the time spent. remember: he/she
doesn't have to do this. depending on what the subject is, it could be a HUGE deal. be grateful.
how you phrase questions could be the difference between getting or not getting full disclosure:
A.
be sensitive, ease into the harder "how did it feel, how do you feel" questions. start off with facts.
B. have a conversation with your source...ask non-related questions every now and then when they strike you...like "oh you have a dog? what's her name?" to keep it
less like a police interrogation.
C. halfway through the questions, the source will most likely open up a little, and that's when you should thank him/her. quickly, but just remind him/her (and yourself) how
grateful you are for the time and information.
D. ask if there is anything he/she feels you're leaving out...anything he/she would want someone to know about "blah". make sure to include whatever is said, even if it's an ancillary detail.
you owe it to your source...plus, remember, your source knows more than you and it's probably important.
at the end of your discussion,
thank your sweet source, and let him/her know that you might be texting or emailing questions that come up (if that is ok). make sure to learn how he/she likes to be contacted so you do not disturb him/her any more than you have to. (and if you do have to contact with further questions, try to consolidate them into a few texts or emails so that they aren't being sent every day)
this person is not your research assistant.
getting the correct information is
key to writing your story. i suggest you get this interview(s) set up prior to writing your manuscript so that you get it right on the first draft. once you write down other details and "facts" of your own, you might forget which are real and which aren't. or you might like your ideas better. normally fiction is all about the idea, but in this sense, facts are. when i read a fictional story, a novel, i expect certain details to be right--just the characters' lives and circumstances and plot twists to be invented.
why does it matter? it does. if you need more of a reason besides
integrity, think about the future: your book is a huge best seller, everyone's reading it, etc. etc. and by everyone, i mean people who have had or experienced the "blah" you wrote about. they realize you made up things to make "blah" more interesting, that you told blatant lies about "blah", and they aren't very happy that you didn't take the time to get it right. you might be thinking that i'm making this a bigger deal than it has to be, but normally, something you have to interview someone about is no small thing. it means you needed his/her expertise, personal experience, secrets, tools of the trade, etc. it probably means it wasn't public knowledge, but you secured the knowledge and simply chose to misrepresent it.
as a writer, you have the ability to write whatever you want. that's a big power. use it wisely and remember that with great power comes great responsibility. (i think that's a quote in a movie somewhere...spiderman right?)
have a great week!
ahr
