08-19-2010, 09:03 AM
Hi Bellatrix - love the name!
Both RAT and UNRV are brilliant places to come for help with research that's for sure. One thing I'd say though is try not to become a slave to it. If its a novel you're writing, story and pace have to come first. Historians don't like it, but that's the size of it. What can happen with reams of research is that because you've done it you feel you need to put it on the page.
And that really isn't the case: research should be like a bad case of silent farting. It should permeate the writing but not be obvious that you've done it. In other words its enough that you know what you're talking about...it'll come through believe me because the research that you've done will give you the pictures in your minds eye that will come out on page.
Good luck - and tell us more about your book!
Cheers
Russ
Both RAT and UNRV are brilliant places to come for help with research that's for sure. One thing I'd say though is try not to become a slave to it. If its a novel you're writing, story and pace have to come first. Historians don't like it, but that's the size of it. What can happen with reams of research is that because you've done it you feel you need to put it on the page.
And that really isn't the case: research should be like a bad case of silent farting. It should permeate the writing but not be obvious that you've done it. In other words its enough that you know what you're talking about...it'll come through believe me because the research that you've done will give you the pictures in your minds eye that will come out on page.
Good luck - and tell us more about your book!
Cheers
Russ