It is important to do thorough preparation and research before you begin writing on any subject. Of course, you may already be an expert in certain fields, but if you are writing a story that involves issues or subjects in which you are unfamiliar or have only cursory understanding, then you'll need to spend some time researching the topic.
When it comes to "doing" research, many young people go immediately to the internet assuming that they'll find the kind of information that will help them. However, there is a rule about the internet that is important to remember: anyone can put anything on the internet at anytime and make it sound authoritative. Oh, and Wikipedia may not be the authority either. I have found over my long career that the information I find in the library will be far more authoritative than that on the world wide web.
I'm not saying that you cannot find good stuff on the internet. If you have access to a college library or a local, well-funded library, you should be able to access a great deal of information that is not readily available through normal internet channels. These sites are referred to as "pay-per-view." You must have password access to get to these. Most of the libraries referred to above will have access to such websites and databases. These require subscriptions. I tell my college students, "If the information you seek is actually valuable (i.e., it's worth paying for) then the person who wrote is going to charge for it. That should be a huge "duh!"
Just remember that you must be an "expert" in your subject matter. This applies whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction. For example, if you are writing a historical novel, then you will need to do extensive research on the particular time period covered. Of course, if you are an Asian-American male writing a love story from the point of view of a Southern African American woman, then you'll need to do a great deal of reading into the mind of the type of woman you're portraying. What distinctive qualities would she have? What would be her prejudices, loves, hobbies, pre-suppositions, etc.?
While interviewing a well-respected writer of mystery-detective novels, I was not surprised to hear her say that she is constantly reading up on the latest in investigative techniques used by the FBI, the CIA, her home state police, and her local police department. She told me that the science behind regular investigations and, in particular, crime scene investigations is changing so radically that even the local police cannot keep up. So, she makes sure that she is on the cutting edge of technology in order to keep her novels as current and believable as possible. Her dedication should be duplicated by every writer who wants to make novels (and screenplays) enjoyable and salable.
So, do your homework so that your writing will reflect the hard work you've put into not just writing, but in knowing what to write.
When it comes to "doing" research, many young people go immediately to the internet assuming that they'll find the kind of information that will help them. However, there is a rule about the internet that is important to remember: anyone can put anything on the internet at anytime and make it sound authoritative. Oh, and Wikipedia may not be the authority either. I have found over my long career that the information I find in the library will be far more authoritative than that on the world wide web.
I'm not saying that you cannot find good stuff on the internet. If you have access to a college library or a local, well-funded library, you should be able to access a great deal of information that is not readily available through normal internet channels. These sites are referred to as "pay-per-view." You must have password access to get to these. Most of the libraries referred to above will have access to such websites and databases. These require subscriptions. I tell my college students, "If the information you seek is actually valuable (i.e., it's worth paying for) then the person who wrote is going to charge for it. That should be a huge "duh!"
Just remember that you must be an "expert" in your subject matter. This applies whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction. For example, if you are writing a historical novel, then you will need to do extensive research on the particular time period covered. Of course, if you are an Asian-American male writing a love story from the point of view of a Southern African American woman, then you'll need to do a great deal of reading into the mind of the type of woman you're portraying. What distinctive qualities would she have? What would be her prejudices, loves, hobbies, pre-suppositions, etc.?
While interviewing a well-respected writer of mystery-detective novels, I was not surprised to hear her say that she is constantly reading up on the latest in investigative techniques used by the FBI, the CIA, her home state police, and her local police department. She told me that the science behind regular investigations and, in particular, crime scene investigations is changing so radically that even the local police cannot keep up. So, she makes sure that she is on the cutting edge of technology in order to keep her novels as current and believable as possible. Her dedication should be duplicated by every writer who wants to make novels (and screenplays) enjoyable and salable.
So, do your homework so that your writing will reflect the hard work you've put into not just writing, but in knowing what to write.
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